I collect music. It used to be once I added an artist to my list - I tried to get everything complete - including rare b sides like Jr Mintz Boogie - Zappa, 51st Anniversary - Hendrix, Coffee Song/Wrapping Paper - Cream - all b-sides by the fab 4 (together and solo), the Stones, the Kinks, Turtles (Flo & Eddie), Dylan, Sensational Alex Harvey Band, etc.
I go for all the Hendrix Dagger Record releases, Also lots of on line only releases such as Dave Edmunds, Nick Lowe, Zappa, Zacherle, Allman Bros (vintage recordings), Leon Russell, Jimmy Carl Black, Muffin Men, Don Preston, Billy Lee Riley, Sonny Burgess - many are even autographed by the artist

Then it got impossible
Things like the Allman Bros. Instant Records. I almost went for the complete 1st year of shows (I settled on a mere 20 shows) The Neil Young Blu Ray box (I settled for the cd box) -
Since I only have a blu ray player for the TV - it just didn't make sense.

For the McCartney reissues - I am in for the 3rd time around but I just can't justify in my mind the blu ray copies - the cd's will at least be played and listened to - not so much for the blu ray.

Other things that get me are exclusives. If there is one or two - fine I will search them down but in cases like JLL Last Man Standing I think there were 4 different versions.
Also digital downloadable exclusives drive me nuts.
Am I alone?

I guess I am an incomplete completist - except on Zappa - in that case - it is everything. If there is a new format that comes out - I have to upgrade just to hear it.

So this is my question to all the collectors here - what is your feeling on this subject?

Pink Floyd multi box sets anybody?

I think the only Pink Floyd I own is a vinyl copy of Dark side - maybe the lp that came next but that is it. but I did see that Dark Side mega box!


Ranasakawa - I also have all the rare b-sides from Daddy Cool - that was only possible via ebay...I know they are from your neck of the woods.

I'd consider myself a completist too, but I cut corners in some areas. Most live releases don't interest me. Ditto most videos. I can also live without most acoustic and demo versions, and just about all remixes. The biggest chunk of completism that I pass on is extravagant packaging ... if a "deluxe" edition doesn't have actual extra music that I want, forget it. Couldn't care less about getting the special bonus bedroom wall poster (I'm 51, not 15) or the autographed hardcover book of lithographs or whatever. Although I do love the mini LP replica sleeve editions.

That's just some general observations about how I collect music. It really depends on the specific artist and the specific release. If they were to make another deluxe edition of Exile On Main Street that includes a Jimbo action figure ("with CD collecting grip"), I'd probably go for it.

I have no idea what any of y'all are talkin' about...

I'm not a fanatical completest but for some groups I do try and get everything thats pertinent. As long as I have the core of an artist. I'm happy.
Because after all, who has time to listen to all this stuff. Time is precious and there's less and less as you get older.

I refuse to answer the question on the grounds that it may tend to make me look like a crazy person.

Which begs the question, does one eventually stop collecting and start listening?
I've noticed as I turn 51, I'm much less inclined to amass stuff (in an already large collection) and start to take a step back and start enjoying all the stuff I've accumulated for the past 50 years.

I just can't see it being good being over 60 and still buying stuff that just piles up. Collecting was much more fun in my teens and 20's, less so as the years go by and storing all this stuff becomes a problem.

I heard that was a Jamal-exclusive version.

It depends on the artist. Generally, however, I tend to avoid anything released on a CD-R (notable exception being the Smithsonian Folkways releases for my Dylan completism) or a vinyl exclusive (although I have nonetheless acquired a few of these of these by purchasing boxed sets). I am unlikely to pay a huge sum of money for a promo, although I will keep an eye out for reasonably priced promos. As for music DVD's...I'm disinclined to purchase them when they don't contain music that I don't already have on a CD. (The only artist for whom I have a complete DVD collection is, of course, Britney Spears.) Finally...yes, I make it a point to snag any exclusive Amazon/iTunes download unavailable on CD, as well as odds and sods such as Springsteen's "Jersey Devil" whatchamacallit, "Machina II" by the Smashing Pumpkins, and Townshend's "Scoop 4" as well as a handful of live Who downloads that Pete posted for free back about ten years ago.

I dovetail somewhat closely with Linda on this. I try to get the bonus tracks and b-sides from anything I buy. Most live releases don't interest me unless they don't exist as studio versions or are dramatically different from the originals. Not overly into acoustic and demo versions and don't collect them unless they are by an artist I am rabid about. I do, however, keep up with and collect a number of remixes, although it's mostly 80s stuff where there might only be one or two "dance" or "12-inch" mixes for a particular song. Once you hit six, eight and 10 remixes of a particular track, I pick the one I like best and treat it like a bonus track or just zone out completely and pretend they're not there.

interesting that this comes up at this time. i have been going back and forth this summer on whether or not to purge my collection, especially those artists that i tried to be a completist on.

for the record, i must state that being a true completist is next to impossible, unless you are willing to burn music form DVD's onto CD-R's.

CSN(Y) is my passion musically and as hard as i've tried there are still a couple things i do not have.....yet!

as for other artists, i really do not what to do:

a - burn the one-offs to CD-R's and have them all in one place and sell the CD's from which they came.

b - sell the CD's by an artists that i don't even put one song on a comp when i make them, or again burn that one song on a CD-R and sell the original.

c - burn most things onto CD-R's and get rid of the CD's while they are still paying more than $1 for them. (already done this with dave matthews nd suzanne vega, plan on doing it with quite a few more) this window, however, i don't think is very large...maybe another year or two and then i fell CD's will be like vinyl, you'll be getting 25¢ in trade...if you are lucky.

it is a very tough call........

I'm in the same boat. I'm 57 and trying to keep up with music gets harder all the time. I'm interested in some of the archival stuff that's getting issued now (The Kinks cd's especially), there is always a core of artists whose work I purchase without question, and I still have a deep interest in new releases and new artists. But work and family commitments limit my listening time, you can only listen to so much music at the gym, and I try to limit headphone time due to tinnitus. Luckily I can play music at my job, so long as it isn't very loud. But, as you said, at what point are you just buying in order to buy, and when do you just stop and listen.

Due to economic factors over the last four years or so, I've had to cut back on my buying to the point where I'm not a completist for any artist, even the ones I really love.

It's scary how much my approach to collecting mirrors Linda's. The only variation appears to arise out of my evidently more extreme approach to life. Lack of interest is one thing, but I detest live releases and videos. And as for packaging, I have always made it a point of pride that "I don't collect boxes". When I am forced to buy a fancy box in order to obtain some music that is not otherwise available, I simply discard the box with the rest of my weekly recycling (along with any other extraneous, non-music-related posters, postcards, pictures and other "crap').

Of course, economics comes into play. Back in the sixties and seventies you could buy albums in drug stores for a quarter. There were many stores selling albums for a dollar or two. It was easy to amass a collection without spending a ton of money. These days it seems as if a lot of releases, mostly archival, are being pitched to folks with money. The fact that a lot of true fans can no longer afford 4cd+1dvd and a book box sets for the coffee table doesn't seem to dawn on anybody. These releases (and the new emphasis on vinyl) are basically a niche product that has little to do with enjoying music and everything to do with trying to shore up publishing royalties and someones bottom line.

Any physical release (CD or vinyl) is essentially a niche item these days.

I don't think we're quite there yet, but it seems to be getting closer. I was talking with a music industry vet yesterday about this very subject, and we agreed that cd's or vinyl are basically promotional tools these days, and the money is in touring.

This. Although I have gone to the dark side of being all-digital download music and no CDs anymore. I do the occasional live soundboard bootlegs of favorite artists, but I almost never get officially released live albums. I think remixes, acoustic releases, and greatest hits albums are often little more than double dipping, seldom worth hearing, and don't have any interest in those, generally.

The only exception for me is Morrissey; I will buy anything that he releases. I know that makes me a bit insane.

I try to get whatever I can from the bands that interest me[including bootlegs]and if I don't have room for it i'll sell another disc[or 2]to make room for it.[I guess you could call me an uber completist]

I'm in between. I like to think I'm only buying (or keeping) stuff I actually like!

One example (though I did enjoy it); someone sold me the complete 1st set of Pearl Jam Official Boots through my business when they came out. While I did enjoy the few I played, i came to the conclusion that all 20 something shows were awfully similar & there was no way in hell I was going to ever play them all, so i sold the set a couple years back.