A Record Collection, In This Economy?

The full story behind why I am sacrificing a significant chunk of my beloved record collection, and how you can own a piece of it.

Photo by Erin Menashri

You could technically make the argument that I began collecting records in 1981 at the age of 9 when I purchased my first two 45 RPM singles. Sure, there were handful of records that I had received as gifts before that summer of ‘81. There were even a few that I had picked out that were paid for by the money of my parents or a relative or family friend. But on one summer Saturday, I found myself with some pocket change and I headed all alone down to the Ben Franklin store in downtown Sandusky, MI on a warm summer day to buy my first official record or two.

Once inside the store, I strolled over to the rack where they kept the Top 40 singles. Carefully, I perused the offerings. Even at the age of 9, I recognized almost every tune available on the rack. I weighed my options. I calculated that I had just enough cash for two singles. I made my choices and walked back out in to the blazing Michigan sunshine.

I carried the thin paper bag holding the pair of records in …