[78-L] Collecting

[Steven C. Barr]

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From: "DAVID BURNHAM" <burnhamd at rogers.com>
> Michael Biel wrote:
>>  I wonder if stamp collecting--and possibly even coin collecting--is
>> undergoing a similar crisis because young people do not snail-mail
>> things nor use coins except in parking meters.
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>
> This brings to mind one of my favourite comebacks about record collecting. 
> When I first got married, my mother-in-law, (who never felt it necessary 
> to restrain her criticism about anything I did), remarked, "Why do you 
> have all these records around, you can't possibly play them all!).  I 
> responded by saying that a stamp collector will never use one of his 
> stamps to mail a letter and a coin collector will never spend one of his 
> coins, but I listen to my records all the time.
>
> There are, (I believe), two types of collectors - those who collect items 
> which can function as they were designed - records, antique cars, old 
> radios, and comic books; and those who collect items which do not 
> function - stamps, coins, bottle tops, hockey cards, toilet paper rolls 
> etc.  Since I have lived every day of my life, (so far), with a passion 
> for records which is not shared by everyone I know, I could never 
> criticize a collector of anything, even though I'll never acquire a 
> passion for historic bobby pins.
>
There is a certain degree of "anal-retentivity" involved in the collecting 
of any sort
of item (IMO...!). My (probable--never formally diagnoned) Asperger's 
Syndrome
turns me into a dedicated collector of all sorts of things (mainly 78's, but 
definitely
NOT only 78's...!). I was able to parlay my 78 interests into my "work" 
("The (Almost)
Complete 78 rpm Record Dating Guide") but my reward from the book hardly 
cover
the expense involved in acquiring my half-vast shellac archive...!

Still, I continue to acquire 78's (and will be doing so more regularly once 
my finances
better allow!). I suspect what I am actually trying to accumulate is the 
DATA on the
records; this pretty well necessitates acquiring the actual records 
themselves...?!

Oddly enough, I am still trying to assemble my "78 player" (a vintage 
"record
player" with a ceramic cartridge, whose output signal I can feed into the 
"Line
In" jack of my sound card and/or tape machine)...?! Sadly, a minor stroke 
has
robbed me of the "fine motor dexterity) I need to do the necessary 
soldering!

Steven C. Barr