[78-L] Motives, (was Collecting vs. "investing")

[Tyrone Settlemier]

> I think this is an interesting topic and hope others will chime in about
> their collecting "motives."

Motives?  How would I know?  I've been collecting records since before I was 
2 years old.  I could recite exactly what was on each side of each of my 
records long before I could read, and I had records with similar labels 
(think 45s with the yellow Peter Pan label).

Motives? I thoroughly enjoy almost any music.  The physical artifact 
fascinates me.  The history and developement of the recording industry can 
completely engross (and inspire, and disgust) me.

Motives?  I've been shown friendship and given knowledge by many collectors, 
from the time I was 9 years old and met my first fellow collectors, until 
the present day, mostly through the internet through discussion groups like 
78-L, not to mention a couple hundred people who have taken the time so 
submit discographical information to the Project.  Some have contributed a 
single bit of data.  Others have sent hundreds of updates at a time, or 
entire label discographies.  I'm grateful to all of these people.

Motives?  I think it would be a shame if music, from any era, were to lie 
forgotten.  It is good that libaries and archives continue to make available 
music from the 15th century that hasn't been heard in several hundred years. 
It is good that libraries, archives, and collectors document and preserve 
(often digitally) music from over 100 years ago, or even from a literal 
yesterday.

Motives?  I enjoy sharing this hobby, encompassing music and history, with 
other people, including family and friends.  Some think it's deviant, others 
find it very interesting to the point of joining our "club", most think that 
it's neat for someone else to do, and move on.  None of my immediate family 
is particularly interested, but I have one member of my extended family (and 
not a blood relation) who is collecting now.  I get to mail things to them 
every so often, what fun!

Motives?  I enjoy helping other people.  Why not do it with something that 
interests me anyway?  That must be why I get so many emails, (about 20% of 
which I'll probably never get to answer because there aren't enough hours in 
a day, for which I really feel bad about, I keep an email folder of these 
called "abandon hope" i.e. "all ye who enter here" on the off chance I'll 
have nothing better to do than to try to dub every one of my Armenian 78s 
for a collector in Latvia.(

Motives?  I dunno, just wired that way, I guess.

Tyrone