How Do You File Your Collection?

[Dayo]

Alphabetical artists?

 

Labels?

 

Decades?

 

All on a database with label, writers, publishers and date of purchase?

 

No system, but I know where every record is?

 

 

[Dean]

label order as that's all I remember, I can picture labels when I cant remember artist or title. When I'm asked "Do you know what this is?" I quite often think I've bloody got one but still can't remember.

[Steve S 60]

Alphabetical artists?

 

Labels?

 

Decades?

 

All on a database with label, writers, publishers and date of purchase?

 

No system, but I know where every record is?

 

I tend to change on a weekly basis.  Alphabetically by artist, so I'll have Al Wilson followed by Frank Wilson, or if by label I'll have Bell followed by Tamla.  That's the advantage of only having two records.  Hope this helps.

[Tailormade Gaz B]

label order as that's all I remember, I can picture labels when I cant remember artist or title. When I'm asked "Do you know what this is?" I quite often think I've bloody got one but still can't remember.

Same Dean - my mates laugh at me because on the whole, I can't remember what I have, however, If I hear a tune I know if I own it or not and when I'm playing them I associate the record label (colour etc) with a sound and I know what to play next...rather than the artist name. 

Becomes a little embarrassing when someone ask's what I've got on the deck and I don't know...

 

also I've got all my records arranged in colour sleeves - so the play box for an evening looks like this...

Yellow - Gospel

Pink - Funk

Blk - R&B

White - Northern

Purple - Latin

Green Crossover

Red - Modern

Blue - Bangers - current in-demanders etc

Edited April 20, 2015 by TailorMade Gaz B

[Guest sharmo 1]

I just shove them anywhere really on shelves in boxes , ammo tins anything the system makes it more interesting as I tend to come across  things I'd forgotten about for years I rarely look for a specific record . This system is fail proof as it never gets mixed up as it's never been organised thus making life less frustrating. Strangely I can find something immediately if I'm really desperate which is rarely. They're just records and I don't take them too seriously they're just there . Regards Alf Garrnet.

Edited April 20, 2015 by sharmo 1

[AlanB]

UK originals (my biggest category) filed alphabetically by label.  I find filing UK stuff quite an enjoyable activity in itself. When I have time I'm going to put them into artist alphabetical within label. 

 

Then separate boxes (random order within) for UK reissues, Northern originals, Northern pressings, Seventies, R&B. 

[davidwapples]

The few labels that i collect are in number order in a box The rest of the stuff is mixed up anywhere and the stuff I get occasionally in a soul pack is in a pile waiting to be sorted through when i can be bothered.

 

I have been known to search for the record i want to listen to if i cant remember who its by on youtube , find it out of my collection to check i still have it then play the youtube file as its easier than going upstairs to where my record player is lol

[Dobber]

dead easy for me...1 to 50..haha

[Mr Smithy]

Chronologically.
The ones I bought recently are on the top of the pile.

[kevinsoulman]

alphabetically on word but do not go as far as putting the artists names in alphabetical order , just about finished the soul /disco just about to start the motown when the winter comes round again end of next week lol

 

i do list the label and condition as well for upgrade purposes

 

kev

Edited April 20, 2015 by kevinsoulman

[Winsford Soul]

Alphabetical artists?

 

Labels?

 

Decades?

 

All on a database with label, writers, publishers and date of purchase?

 

No system, but I know where every record is?

Alphabetical artist order. Was the easiest.

Steve

[Douglaschip]

For a while tried to do it by city - but was having sleepless nights when i couldn't find out which city a record label was from  - so gone for simple alphabetical system now - and sleeping better you'll all be pleased to know!

 

Adam

[Labeat]

For a while tried to do it by city - but was having sleepless nights when i couldn't find out which city a record label was from  - so gone for simple alphabetical system now - and sleeping better you'll all be pleased to know!

 

Adam

So for example, you put Sleepless Nights under Paris?

[Guest smudgesmith]

File them where the wife can't find em simples

[Tsu Tomatoes]

45's go in alphabetical order by first names (which grinds most other collectors  ) apart from Deep Soul and Philly related which are separate from these and are in blue and green cardboard sleeves

 

Lp's in alphabetical order - 60's and Jazz separate

12"s in genre/year ie House, 70's, 80's, 90's, Y2K  (not alphabetical)

 

It all sounds very organised, until I want a Philly deep soul 45 and don't know which colour it's in! 

  

[Guest]

also I've got all my records arranged in colour sleeves - so the play box for an evening looks like this...

Yellow - Gospel

Pink - Funk

Blk - R&B

White - Northern

Purple - Latin

Green Crossover

Red - Modern

Blue - Bangers - current in-demanders etc

 

Mine are colour coded by tempo -- red is stompers, black is mid-tempo, blue is slow, and green is pressings...!

[Pete S]

Used to be by label for my UK's and Reggae.  Surname or group name for Northern. Now I've gone over to first letter for everything and it's made it much easier.  Just a pain when I get 50 of them out for podcasts and have to put them back in the strict alphabetical order next day.

[Wiggyflat]

All of my UK is filed by label order in company sleeves with plastic cover.To find something it's the Record Collector book and then serial number.Reggae is the same as most is British.Albums in genre order but in a mess at the moment.Us Soul is all over the place!

Edited April 21, 2015 by wiggyflat

[Stateside]

All by label, because that's what I picture when I think of the record.

Then alphabetically within the label. All Motown together etc etc

 

Kev

[Quinvy]

I just put them in a 100 box and add some cardboard to pack it out.

 

Never had more than 500 at one time in my life. 

 

I have never been able to afford to keep my records. Always been skint. 

[Mickjay33]

Chronologically.

The ones I bought recently are on the top of the pile.

looks like Robs records

[John Reed]

So how far down the train spotting route does it get?  What’s the consensus on group names that start with “The”

 

The Temptations is easy as both words begin with “T”, but what about “The Impressions” “T” or “I”

Edited April 21, 2015 by John Reed

[Mr Smithy]

looks like Robs records

I think you'll find it's a more popular method that people will admit

[Guest]

So how for down the train spotting route does it get?  What’s the consensus on group names that start with “The”

 

The Temptations is easy as both words begin with “T”, but what about “The Impressions” “T” or “I”

 

You are talking to somebody who used to want to be a librarian when she was a little girl and now works in a book store -- the rule is "Impressions, The" -- and this is non-negotiable! 

[Guest 1lmh1]

In order of what I consider to be a perfect DJ set...........& I don't even DJ!

 

Similar sounds together, makes it easy to find what I'm after.

[Slim Jim]

In a complete mess with no order - sometimes I have to look for ages to find something , sometimes I never find it until weeks later .

 

On the plus side its fun to turn up something I didn't know I had .

 

On the downside I have been known to buy records that I forgot I already had   

[Mike Lofthouse]

So how far down the train spotting route does it get?  What’s the consensus on group names that start with “The”

 

The Temptations is easy as both words begin with “T”, but what about “The Impressions” “T” or “I”

 

 

You are talking to somebody who used to want to be a librarian when she was a little girl and now works in a book store -- the rule is "Impressions, The" -- and this is non-negotiable! 

Agree with that - when cataloging in a database I always use the convention Impressions (The) and I would store that in the Surname field.  

 

But what do people do with someone like 'Little  Milton' nickname followed by forename?  Or Mel And Tim - two forenames?

 

Again, I store that as surname so when I file by label then surname my STAX records would be in this order -

 

Frederick Knight 

Little Milton 

Mel And Tim

Newcomers (The) 

 

I do not differentiate between UK & US

 

Make sense?

 

Mike

[Robbk]

Seems like we've had a thread of this title about 4-5 times.  I keep mine by label catalogue number, and the labels by city.  The bigger cities, like Detroit, Chicago, New York, and Los Angeles, have their own walls.  Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Ohio, Baltimore/Washington DC, Boston, Louisville labels have one wall (Philly takes up more than half).  Western labels (San Francisco Bay, Seattle, Denver, Texas) and Southern labels share another wall.  I used to have a large Canadian collection, but have traded most of them off.

Edited April 22, 2015 by RobbK

[Dayo]

Now I'm drooling Robb!  

 

By the way, I know you are a long standing American soul collector; Motown apart, did you happen to buy any of our future Northern Soul classics as new releases?  Just curious...

Edited April 22, 2015 by Dayo

[Robbk]

Now I'm drooling Robb!  

 

By the way, I know you are a long standing American soul collector; Motown apart, did you happen to buy any of our future Northern Soul classics as new releases?  Just curious...

Almost all the future NS "hits" that I ever bought (and I bought many, many of them) I purchased when they were out, or within 3-9 months of their release, after they started appearing in record shop bargain bins, thrift stores, etc.  I found a small percentage a few years later in discount store sales, and used record shops (like House of Records).  Most of them I got while they were out or fairly soon after.  I also had friends that worked at distributors, who would sell individual current records to me for the wholesale price of 30 cents.  Only a small % of my collection was found many years after the songs were out. 

 

I also got promos free from some of the record companies before the promos were sent out.  I bought almost no new records directly from record shops at the retail rate.  New records I wanted very badly, to not risk missing, I bought for 30 cents at distributors, or at 50 cents from shop owners or managers with whom I was friendly, or I got them free for helping them carry albums into their stores, or I drew signs for them, or found hard-to get old records for them.  I found old R&B records for most of my friends who worked at the distributors.

 

Many of the records I got when they were 2-4 or 5 years old were fill-ins that I didn't want to pay as much as 50 or 30 cents for, so I waited and bought new mint copies when record shops cleared out their old stock at 3 -4 or 5 or 10 for a Dollar sales.  Others I got late were in thrift stores.

 

I moved to The Netherlands in 1972, while working for The United Nations in Africa and Asia, and only stayed in USA (Los Angeles) for 2-5 months a year (thus the piles of dust in my flat (complained about by Rod Shard and Dave Withers)).  I really stopped looking for records in USA after summer 1972, other than when Rod visited me, and when I visited The UK from Holland, I would visit Soul Bowl in King's Lynn, and visit John Manship in Melton-Mowbray, and comb the good shops in Lancashire and sometimes Yorkshire.

Edited April 23, 2015 by RobbK

[Peter Richer]

Thanks Robb, great stuff.

 

These kinds of stories from collectors who were there at the time our favourite records were actually released are terrific.

 

Your first hand experience, and dealings with other people in the record business, has also helped put a few 'myths' in perspective on other topics too. Please keep on enlightening us!

[Mick Holdsworth]

I used to be quite orderly, tried label order (couldn't find anything), alphabetical first name , last name , segregated genres (again, couldn't find anything).

 

These days, I tend to use the EMI album recommended filing system., In my case everything is filed under "O" for "Over there somewhere"

 

Cheers

Mick

[Dayo]

Thanks for the reply Robb.  I don't know you, but I hate you 

 

Seriously, has anyone ever interviewed you? 

[Robbk]

Thanks for the reply Robb.  I don't know you, but I hate you 

 

Seriously, has anyone ever interviewed you? 

Yes.  But they mostly interview me because I'm a Disney artist, not because I'm a record collector. 

 

Most of my interviews are in Dutch, Danish, Swedish, Norwegian, Finnish(Suomi), German and Italian. I don't think any were in English.

Edited April 23, 2015 by RobbK

[Modernsoulsucks]

I spent many happy hours looking at Rob's 45s.

Only spoilt by many hours tidying his bloody flat up

ROD

[Denbo]

British - alpha-numeric by label
Imports - alphabetical by label but all jumbled-up. In other words, all labels mixed up in section A. Same with B, C, D, etc.

[Tailormade Gaz B]

Yes.  But they mostly interview me because I'm a Disney artist, not because I'm a record collector. 

 

Most of my interviews are in Dutch, Danish, Swedish, Norwegian, Finnish(Suomi), German and Italian. I don't think any were in English.

 

A rare-soul record collecting, Disney artist who also worked for the U.N? 

That is a story! 

I've often thought SS should have a 'featured' section re its members. I'm too young to know most peoples histories first hand, or, in some cases their massive contribution to the scene (aside from the obvious few), but you pick bits up as you flick through the topics on the site and I love it. I for one would enjoy it though some would find it a touch intrusive to speak more broadly off topic, as you'd expect. 

For me it adds to the scene to find out someone is a Prof, a Disney artists, or a character like Simon Soussan. 

[Raremusicdirect]

In a complete mess with no order - sometimes I have to look for ages to find something , sometimes I never find it until weeks later .

 

On the plus side its fun to turn up something I didn't know I had .

 

On the downside I have been known to buy records that I forgot I already had   

 

Snap - start an order process but seldom get close to complete.............. 

[Johndelve]

Agree with that - when cataloging in a database I always use the convention Impressions (The) and I would store that in the Surname field.  

 

But what do people do with someone like 'Little  Milton' nickname followed by forename?  Or Mel And Tim - two forenames?

 

Again, I store that as surname so when I file by label then surname my STAX records would be in this order -

 

Frederick Knight 

Little Milton 

Mel And Tim

Newcomers (The) 

 

I do not differentiate between UK & US

 

Make sense?

 

Mike

Yes. Mine are filed in exactly the same way as you state here. 

[Robbk]

A rare-soul record collecting, Disney artist who also worked for the U.N? 

That is a story! 

I've often thought SS should have a 'featured' section re its members. I'm too young to know most peoples histories first hand, or, in some cases their massive contribution to the scene (aside from the obvious few), but you pick bits up as you flick through the topics on the site and I love it. I for one would enjoy it though some would find it a touch intrusive to speak more broadly off topic, as you'd expect. 

For me it adds to the scene to find out someone is a Prof, a Disney artists, or a character like Simon Soussan. 

 

I spent many happy hours looking at Rob's 45s.

Only spoilt by many hours tidying his bloody flat up

ROD

Thanks Rod.  After you stopped visiting and hoovering, my flat was declared a health hazard, and the building was condemned.  Lucky I inherited a house in one country, and can live in my cousin's house in another, and my sisters in another.  But they don't let me bring my dust.

[Robbk]

A rare-soul record collecting, Disney artist who also worked for the U.N? 

That is a story! 

I've often thought SS should have a 'featured' section re its members. I'm too young to know most peoples histories first hand, or, in some cases their massive contribution to the scene (aside from the obvious few), but you pick bits up as you flick through the topics on the site and I love it. I for one would enjoy it though some would find it a touch intrusive to speak more broadly off topic, as you'd expect. 

For me it adds to the scene to find out someone is a Prof, a Disney artists, or a character like Simon Soussan. 

It's not like I was a national delagate to The Council of Nations, I was just a Economist or environmental  assessor or civil water engineer, contracted on UN development projects.

 

I did share something with Simon Soussan, in that we are both Jews who collected Soul Records, both owned Soul record companies and both of us had lived and worked in Morocco and USA.

[Larsc]

I used to have parts of my collection as labels in their own boxes, but as they've been completed or abandonded I've merged them with the main collection so now everything is alphabetical. Except the gospel records from the Designer label. Those are separated from the rest.

 

 

Yes.  But they mostly interview me because I'm a Disney artist, not because I'm a record collector. 

 

Most of my interviews are in Dutch, Danish, Swedish, Norwegian, Finnish(Suomi), German and Italian. I don't think any were in English.

 

There's one here:

https://dailywardrum.blogspot.no/2012/01/interview-with-rob-klein.html

[kevinsoulman]

So how far down the train spotting route does it get?  What’s the consensus on group names that start with “The”

 

The Temptations is easy as both words begin with “T”, but what about “The Impressions” “T” or “I”

never use the 

kev

[hullsoul]

A rare-soul record collecting, Disney artist who also worked for the U.N? 

That is a story! 

I've often thought SS should have a 'featured' section re its members. I'm too young to know most peoples histories first hand, or, in some cases their massive contribution to the scene (aside from the obvious few), but you pick bits up as you flick through the topics on the site and I love it. I for one would enjoy it though some would find it a touch intrusive to speak more broadly off topic, as you'd expect. 

For me it adds to the scene to find out someone is a Prof, a Disney artists, or a character like Simon Soussan. 

Gaz

Slightly off topic sorry?

I agree there's so much info/stories out there that never get told?Couldn't we put together some sort of questionnaire that would tease some of those hidden facts out into the light?The trick would be to get the right questions of course..........so I'll leave that to others who actually think about things other then records & beer 

Cheers

Martyn

[hullsoul]

I find how to sort my records out quite a bind & after going through various systems that just haven't worked I've gone to a relatively simple one.........

 

60t's Female,Male,Group........

R n B Female,Male,Group.........

70t's Female,Male,Group ......

Latin,Gospel,Funky Northern........

Club Classics,Wigan Oldies ..........

Motown, Gordy,Tamla,Soul,VIP,TMG.........

Pressings.........

LP's........

 

By no means perfect & there's lots of time I'm stood wondering which group a certain record belongs to as it overlaps two or three of the groups. 

The major problem I have is when I've sorted my playbox out for a "do",I'll be laid in bed just about to doze off & I get a nagging thought of I didn't see a certain record while I was sorting them out????So I'm awake now,eventually it nags away at me that much I get up & have to go find it..........yes it's always in the last pile

This can't be normal.........do fishermen get up during the night thinking they've lost a worm  

Cheers

Martyn 

Edited April 26, 2015 by hullsoul

[Robbk]

I find how to sort my records out quite a bind & after going through various systems that just haven't worked I've gone to a relatively simple one.........

 

60t's Female,Male,Group........

R n B Female,Male,Group.........

70t's Female,Male,Group ......

Latin,Gospel,Funky Northern........

Club Classics,Wigan Oldies ..........

Motown, Gordy,Tamla,Soul,VIP,TMG.........

Pressings.........

LP's........

 

By no means perfect & there's lots of time I'm stood wondering which group a certain record belongs to as it overlaps two or three of the groups. 

The major problem I have is when I've sorted my playbox out for a "do",I'll be laid in bed just about to doze off & I get a nagging thought of I didn't see a certain record while I was sorting them out????So I'm awake now,eventually it nags away at me that much I get up & have to go find it..........yes it's always in the last pile

This can't be normal.........do fishermen get up during the night thinking they've lost a worm  

Cheers

Martyn 

I have a similar problem in that I place labels distributed by other labels with the distributor label.  Often, labels change distributors, or, I find out that a label was distributed by another label, late in my life.  When the latter occurs, I only remember where that label was shelved for the first 40 or 50 years of my collecting, and can't remember what label distributed it.  Worse yet, the distributing label is often in a different city, so, it may be located on a different wall, or even in another room.  So, then it is virtually lost to me.    And, on top of that, all my records aren't even stored in the same city, country or even continent.  I store records in two different cities in USA (very far apart), Canada, The Netherlands, Denmark and Germany, and often can't remember where a given record is at a given time.  I have been unable to provide record scans to Ace/Kent at certain times because I was in the wrong country at the time, or forgot which record label distributed a small label, that I had discovered in recent years, and had shelved in the same place for 50 years, but recently moved.

Edited April 26, 2015 by RobbK

[hullsoul]

I have a similar problem in that I place labels distributed by other labels with the distributor label.  Often, labels change distributors, or, I find out that a label was distributed by another label, late in my life.  When the latter occurs, I only remember where that label was shelved for the first 40 or 50 years of my collecting, and can't remember what label distributed it.  Worse yet, the distributing label is often in a different city, so, it may be located on a different wall, or even in another room.  So, then it is virtually lost to me.    And, on top of that, all my records aren't even stored in the same city, country or even continent.  I store records in two different cities in USA (very far apart), Canada, The Netherlands, Denmark and Germany, and often can't remember where a given record is at a given time.  I have been unable to provide record scans to Ace/Kent at certain times because I was in the wrong country at the time, or forgot which record label distributed a small label, that I had discovered in recent years, and had shelved in the same place for 50 years, but recently moved.

I have one observation & one suggestion?

The observation is you have far too many records........yes I know there's no such thing as "too many" records

The suggestion is to collect all you records together & have them in one place..........I'd like to volunteer myself to let you bring them here to sunny Hull & you can visit them any time you want   

Cheers

Martyn

[Robbk]

There's one of the interviews here on this website:

https://dailywardrum.blogspot.no/2012/01/interview-with-rob-klein.html

That one was for an Italian magazine.  But, I forgot that it was published in English on an international website.

[Sanquine]

I just put them in a 100 box and add some cardboard to pack it out.

 

Never had more than 500 at one time in my life. 

 

I have never been able to afford to keep my records. Always been skint. 

How to keep your records and not always be skint 

 

ANSWER 

 

Yes you've got it Phil = CUPCAKES      

 

 

Karen