[78-L] tolerance

[Steven C. Barr]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Julian Vein" <julianvein at blueyonder.co.uk>
> buster wrote:
>> This group, by definition, is composed of a higher than average number  
>> of "eccentrics." That's what we record collectors are, to ourselves at  
>> least, as has recently been discussed. Outsiders are less kind, often  
>> (seen "Ghost World" or "American Splendor"?  78 collectors are  
>> pitiable freaks and outcasts).  We have bombastic pontificators,  
>> tightwads, endless repeaters, egotists, antisocial hermits, whiners,  
>> and who knows what else.  I mean, fergawdsakes, if you need any  
>> evidence just look at Leah's trailer, or go to an ARSC event.
>> 
>> But when somebody needs an obscure matrix number, it's here too. We  
>> put up with one to get the other, or at least we'd like to hope so.
>> 
>> So if a member is eccentric here in this hopefully safe environment,  
>> how about a little tolerance, instead of dickishness?  If nothing  
>> else, it requires fewer keystrokes to hit the delete key than to  
>> insult someone personally, at length and in public.
>> 
> I like to think we don't taking our collecting too seriously compared 
> with, say, stamp and coin collectors. At least our interest goes beyond 
> the artifact, and embraces the musicians and artists who created the 
> performances contained thereon.
> 
Well, I will admit that the collecting of 78rpm phonorecords DOES
require a substantial degree of eccentricity...which is probably why
most of the authors in that field come from the British Isles (where
eccentricity is not only tolerated...it is to some extent admired!)...?!

I don't know if the students of the human mind have EVER figured out
what drives selected humans to set out to collect EVERY variety of
one (or often more) specific artifact; however, in the 21st century
this is increasingly overlaid with the belief that the collection once
accumulated will be worth some LARGE sum of money (which
means the collectors are actually collecting MONEY...?!). This in
turn is explained (in my view) by the persistence of a "Dominance
Hierarchy" in Homo Sapiens as an advanced primate species...
fortunately, we try to "out-dominate" one another in NON-physical
competition (for the most part...?!)!

Stamps and coins have been collected for (IIRC) several centuries;
as a result, they have become MUCH more "serious" as hobbies...
with dealers and official price guides...so that a serious collection
of either becomes an acceptable financial asset...one can, for
example, borrow money from one's bank based on one's collection
(try THAT with your records?!). OTOH, there exist collections of
various miscellania which have meaning only to their collectors
(which is why I wondered about milk-box collectors)...!

As I have noted, I am MUCH more a "collector" of DATA about
78rpm phonorecords, via collecting the records themselves...for the
most part because of a VERY limited old-age-pension income. I do,
though, admire Mr. Settlemeir and his Internet-based "data mine"
of 78's; I try to help as much as I can. A project like this can
function as a "collection"...with each "empty space" becoming a
goal toward completing the "collection!"

Of course, as subsets we have the "label collectors"...of course,
it is up to each such party to define what he/she/it regards as a
different and thus separate variety of each label! And, of course
we have the collectors of more recent "rock('n'roll) LP's/45's...
who seek records with labels that would appear to be "untouched
by human hands"...?!

Steven C. Barr