18,250

11-13-07 18,250

If I had a record for every day alive, at age 50, I would only have 18,250 records. The “Big List” as of Nov. 1, 2007 was 21,154 – and I don’t turn 50 until next August! That’s roughly 1.16 records for each day alive. Or thereabouts. By the time I turn 50, I would like nothing more than to whittle my collection down to 18,250 titles – lose that excess 2,904 titles! Can I do it? Yeah, probably. And I want to! (21,185 as of 11-13-07)

I could definitely get rid of a lot of titles that I obtained for one reason or another – that I do not seem to ever get around to playing – “I always wondered what this was and it’s only $1” type stuff. Some of them got played, others not. And I really only want to keep vintage easy listening albums that have amusing cover versions.

But what if your task was to try and find a record / CD to buy each and every day of your life? Could you really find something each day, week after week, month after month, year after year? I didn’t buy them “on schedule”, but it looks like I’ve managed approx. 1.16 records per day – and my memory floods with days that I bought hundreds of records. Hundreds!

In 1987, I visited Australia for the first time – my friends took me to a famous used record store somewhat outside of the city – we were on our way to Healsville, the place with the famous animal sanctuary (where they have actually bred a platypus before). Long story short: I got to the aforementioned record store about an hour before it closed. I was in heaven – the Aussie dollar permitted me to buy whatever I wanted (it’s a fair bit stronger against the US dollar these days). But the store’s Saturday closing time came, and the guy wouldn’t even let me finish looking through his inventory – I only got to “S”, before he made me stop. I can only remember thinking, “If this bastard would only let me finish looking at the A-Z, I bet I he would earn another A$100 off of me!”. He tossed me out, I never got to go back and look at “T – Z”.

Recently in Japan, I found a new ‘secret spot’ – they had exactly what I wanted, and it was all at very good prices (mostly little paper album cover ‘kami’ sleeve CD’s). I made it in about an hour before closing, and I went nuts in 2 of their 3 stores – and, bless her, my GF took a photo of the staff waiting patiently for me to finish, out in the hallway. At some point, I believe the patient staff informed me – in Japanese – that it was closing time and would I please bring my intended purchases up to the counter, please. “Yes, yes, yes”, I thought – and I really did hurry. They made about another JPY 10,000 (US$83, then) for every additional 30 seconds they let me look. As my friend Joe says, my money (cash) ran out before my interest did.

I could occupy myself with continuing to try to keep buying a title each day I am alive – but I feel equally compelled to try and cut back the collection down to the 18,250 mark – by the time I turn 50 next August.