I’m going to try and catch up with some old posts here. I have a few drafts written that are from June of 2020. Never finished and never looked at again. With my newly found ambition to get more done, I’m going to try and make due on my attempt to get things pumped out. As I was writing this I remembered why I stopped. It’s taking me 4 days to put this together, probably 5 when all is said and done, thanks to having to deal with the chaos at home from school, and then knocking out as soon as I hit the bed every night. Anyway. First up, something that I’ve been wanting to geek out over forever. Can’t believe I don’t have a single post talking about this, so here goes.
Rewinding all the way back to the Christmas of 2019, the wife bought me a record player. I thought it was going to be a fun little side hobby to have, you know, nothing serious. I saw there were numerous different soundtracks for movies and games out and me being the soundtrack nerd that I am, I thought it would be a cool way to collect a few. Booooooooooy, what an understatement! It only took a week to realize the record player I asked for (because of its ability to also play CD’s and tapes) wasn’t great. Like, it was notoriously bad.
Funny story though… Wife got it as a Christmas gift. But thanks to the UPS guy, and Amazon or whoever sending it in its original box, I saw him bring it out of the truck and ask where I wanted it. I told him, “aaaaaah, that’s probably my gift. Put it right there and I’ll pretend I didn’t see it.” So I did that. She got the notification shortly after and went out to retrieve it… while like 7 months pregnant LOLOL. Afterwards, when I told her I was thinking of taking it back for a better one, she brought up having to lug it in the house. I don’t know why I told her I knew the whole time. In hindsight, it was a bad idea to give away that particular piece of knowledge. But I didn’t want her to get mad that I knew and then her bring it back! She’s the type to say “oh, surprise is ruined, you just won’t get it now!” so I tried to avoid that.
Anyway, I wound up grabbing the Audio-Technica LP60XBT (that’s an affiliate link, helps me out if purchased through the link). There are other models, like the LP60X, that are more straightforward and a bit cheaper, but I decided to go with the bluetooth model. While bluetooth is not recommended for best sound quality, it’s doing the job! Especially since it’s on the other side of the room from the speakers at the moment thanks to reorganizing the living room. It’s a great entry level turntable, without a doubt. It’s all you need besides speakers, so it’s very plug-and-play friendly. I don’t even have traditional speakers. It’s hooked up to my soundbar with zero issues whatsoever.
Plus, I’m not being an audiophile about this. I love good sound, but I’m not going to go crazy with trying to be perfect. I love the collecting aspect of this hobby and love listening to them. But I’m not sitting there with headphones, trying to recreate the most realistic sound I can. I just want to enjoy some music! And let me tell you, there are some enthusiasts here that can sour your joy with the quickness because God forbid you’re not doing something the way they think you should.
And that’s what I’ve been doing. After a little more than a year, my collection is… well, it’s ridiculous haha. I may or may not have been out of control at some points. But to be fair, I haven’t been crazy into buying games or LEGO sets (though the LEGO buying has recently increased as of last week). I feel like it’s a subconscious decision where I can only actively participate in one hobby at a time. I can’t have my eye on records while also trying to buy some games. It’s not possible! My bank account and most likely my head would explode.
Here’s some rapid fire links to what I’ve been posting on Instagram. If you don’t follow me there, it’s really been a crutch in terms of having somewhere to spew my nonsense. Seriously, I’ve treated my Instagram as a mini-blog of sorts, going into detail about whatever it is the post is covering. Pro to that is I’m feeling like I’m scratching that blog itch. Like I’m giving credit to a composer or hashtagging like it’s going out of style. But the con is that no one really goes to Instagram for all that mess. It’s a very straight to the point kind of place, right? And I love that about it. But it’s not what I was really using it for. That said! here’s some links pertaining to this stupid hobby I’ve wandered into:
My first video game vinyl: iam8bit’s Hero of Time | My first haul after getting the turntable (I should’ve known then the problems this was going to bring) | My favorite cover art: Ghost of Tsushima | Glad I bought cheap ($30) before it jumped up to over $100: Evanescence – Lost Whispers | Bought mainly for looks but totally happy I have: Avengers 6LP Infinity Stones Box Set | Mondo’s Limited Edition of my favorite soundtrack: The Nightmare Before Christmas | Favorite to play on a rainy day: The World of Tim Burton | Most played movie soundtrack (thanks to using it to get my daughter to nap): The Complete Harry Potter Film Music Collection | Most played video game soundtrack (same reason haha): Stardew Valley Box Set | Most beautiful and well put together: The Music of Destiny, Vol. II (oh man, I need to dedicate a post to this one) | Makes me happy every time I take it out and play it: Jurassic Park Soundtrack
I feel guilty for spamming my instagram with my stuff. It makes it look like that’s all I do… Ok, fine, it’s a big part of what I do but whatever, no one asked you! And I can’t help it. Like I said, a big part of buying these for me is how awesome they look. I always try to go for some sort of variant if I can. I have a few pre-ordered I’m waiting on still which are scattered throughout the year. Excite!
As you might be able to tell from the links if you checked them out, I have a few really beautiful sets that I can’t help but take pictures of. So look forward to seeing posts for them in the future. I’m really proud and happy of my collection so far. I’ve managed to build up a nice little stock of moderately hard to find gems that mean something to me. And that’s what I try to focus on. Stuff that is meaningful to me for whatever reason. I tend to focus on soundtracks, whether it be from movies or video games, so it’s easy to be more drawn to certain ones than others. And I always loved to collect them over the years via Collector’s Editions and whatnot, but they were the digital versions or CD’s, which is fine for listening to, but not really something to make a hobby out of.
This is a hobby now though! The wife is probably kicking herself, that’s for sure. And even with all the records I’ve picked up, there are still plenty I want. I’ve picked up a few off the aftermarket on Discogs – basically eBay, just for records – and there I keep tabs on my want list and collection. According to my profile there, I have 68 records in my collection, worth anywhere from $1,900 to $4,700! That’s ridiculous! At the same time with how limited some presses are, it’s easy to get that high in value. There are some presses of a variant that could only be 1000 made, ever. And if you get in on that then the value skyrockets literally overnight, so something you bought for $30 one day, can be well over $100 the next. And I always go for colored variants because honestly, the packaging and the beauty of these are just as much the reason of buying them as the music is. As I said, I’ll get into my faves in other posts, hopefully I’ll make true to that.
Ok I’ve been rambling. Didn’t even get into my “Now Playing” stand that I made out of LEGO! My two hobbies collided and I wasn’t wanting to spend $20 on a stand so I did the next best thing. Built one out of LEGO! I use it to display my current favorite minifig. Like right now, Harry Potter is letting The Mandalorian pet Hedwig. And here I was, wondering why the wife makes fun of me.
Yes, I’m quite proud. Ok, that’s it. This is my introduction to my new hobby that took over my time and money. I’ll be posting other stuff about things I’ve picked up or whatnot. But if you want to see what I post as it happens, follow my Instagram, or even my YouTube channel where I have numerous unboxings of everything. Until next time!
