by James Olny

Created on: February 15, 2007   Last Updated: May 10, 2011

A big item among collector's out there is surprisingly enough, vinyl records. Though the worth, practicality and usefulness of vinyl has all but died in the eye of more mainstream popular culture, the fan base for record collecting is still quite large. In fact, there are hundreds of less than mainstream bands that put out more on vinyl than on CD format. I bet even your favorite mainstream band has released something on record format.

The nice part about records is that they are generally cheaper than CDs, which is an automatic plus. Also, they hold their value much better. Records over time can be worth anywhere from hundreds to even thousands of dollars if you scored the right album, and even if not that much, over time a record will generate value. This is usually because records are often pressed in small and set amounts, and go out of print quickly while a demand for them still exists. A CD very rarely every generates value, and certainly not to the same extent.

Also, for those of us who appreciate sound quality, a the way a record is pressed and recorded keeps it in a much more pure format, and it also has a wider frequency range than a CD. Also, a record is all pressed in a lossless format, unlike an MP3 which is a greatly compressed file type, thus severing much of its quality. If you feel like splurging, you can even buy some relatively expensive turntables, cartridges, amps, speakers etc to further enhance the sound, as opposed to a simple laser disk reader which doesn't have that option.

In addition, records just have a much higher "cool" factor to them. A record is generally accompanied by much more elaborate and thoughtful artwork, and more often than not anymore, a record will be pressed on to some variation of colored vinyl, such as monochromatic colors, transparent colors, swirl patterns, splatter patterns, shaped vinyl, various sizes, speeds etc.

In summation: Records are cheaper than CDs, they sound better, they have a higher "cool factor" and they hold/gain value over time incredibly well, unlike a CD. If you love music and don't collect records, you ought to start. It's an incredibly rewarding collection to keep and maintain, and best of all, LISTEN TO!

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