I’ve been pondering an article by Dave Allen about the future of music, where he points out that today’s music consuming public doesn’t seem to want to OWN music as much as have access to it.

This is a bit of a contradiction in my world, where people seem to be quite rabid about their record collections, new acquisitions, etc. To read Dave Allen’s article, you might come away thinking that buying and selling vinyl is an endangered pastime.

But after a second look, it seems clear that where Dave Allen’s music-consuming discussion ends–with a warning to musicians to carefully reconsider the type of business they’re in–my world actually begins.

Because when you think about the type of business vinyl buyers and sellers are in, it seems clear that it’s more than just the music. There is a real addiction (at least for me) to the entire experiece of collecting vinyl. The thrill of the hunt, the artwork, the tactile nature of an LP versus the intangible download…all of these things add up to a desire for EXPERIENCES and not just the simple act of listening to a new record.

Taking Dave Allen’s advice, I find that buying and selling records has as much to do with nostalgia, community, and aesthetics as it does sound. Knowing that makes it easier to understand and articulate.

I’ll never be a vinyl purist–I do love the convenience of the MP3–but there are just some things that beg to be purchased on vinyl. In some cases, vinyl is the only way you can experience the release short of Youtube posts. In others, that must-buy urge is fueled because the packaging is amazing, the artwork is really good, and the music is strong enough to motivate you to support the artist by purchasing the album. Maybe everyone doesn’t share my love for the aesthetics, so I ask–why do YOU collect vinyl LPs?

–Joe Wallace