music buying addiction

hello all. often i post bullshit here but this one is a serious question. have you ever had the feeling or the factual problem that you are addicted to music in forms of hearing it, collecting, buying, sorting and all the forms which are involved. i often have the feeling that i miss something to buy and the sheer infinite mass of production are like overwhelming me. also i think there is so much music and so little time and all that. 6 years ago i really finished my wantlist and i was so happy.... now it accumulates again and yeah well i can not stop. i was a boozer, also did a lot of drugs, nicotine, coffee and all that but it all is thanks to god and thanks to me in the past and i am over it more or less, but i think i have a real problem with music somehow. what is your opinion or experince with that? i mean the good thing is that you can sell it all one day and it does only hurt your bank or your ears if you turn the music too loud ok if your hear "wham! last christmas" it hurts very much

Yes !!!!!!

Further to the short correct answer above …

I keep saying I must stop buying. It has not happened. I have too much stuff.

However researching, listening to and buying music, all formats, has been a way of life for the past 50 years+ and will not stop :) What a pleasure it is.

it sounds like you're continuously needing to spike your dopamine level.
The way the world is atm makes it hard to work around that (short term gratification everywhere).

There's some informative videos on YouTube on this. I recommend doing some research for piece of mind. When you understand the dynamics of your brain then you can become aware of it.
Also, for the time being perhaps, try and refrain from impulse buying. Have items in your shopping cart and wait a few days before buying, if you really still want it then go for it, though there will be times you just empty it or remove some items.

You are stronger than your addiction. I've seen people become hoarders to the extent they didn't oversee their situation any more, buying and not even using what was bought. The dopamine spike gets less and less. I really hope you can prevent that path.

That said, it's more than normal to show thanks and gratitude towards yourself in the form of a record now and then (:

Addicted to listening to, enjoying, discovering music? There is no such addiction! Am I addicted to eating food, hydrating, sleeping, breathing, etc? No, that's different, and music is the same, it is sustenance for life!

But... buying music and collecting music in physical formats is different. Do I sometimes buy more than I need or even really want? Yes. Do I sometimes buy more than I really can afford? Yes. Do I have enough space to store it all? No. Does that stop me? No. My name is gmos and I am an addict.

More seriously, sure, it can be overwhelming at times. I'll just take jazz as an example as that's what I am listening to and buying most these days. But I've been listening to jazz for about 30 years, fairly seriously into it for about 20 years. There's probably around 500 albums or so that I know I want to get, but I discover more every week. There are several artists that I know are highly regarded and haven't even started investigating yet, and I still fairly frequently discover interesting artists that I've never even heard of before.

I regularly try and remind myself..
You can't have everything.
Be discerning, and don't buy on impulse*
Occasionally try and review my collection and perhaps get rid of stuff I don't really like any more.
I'm not too bad on the first 2 rules, but am failing miserably on the last one.

*as a jazz collector I often buy on Impulse! though ;)

Also has to be said I am very grateful for Spotify which allows me to check albums out first and thus reduces the amount of physical copies. And also Bandcamp where I have purchased multiple albums for streaming and .

I am just about at the limit for vinyl and I am happy with what I have. CDs are still an issue for purchasing as they are easier to store for me however it is now only absolutely essential purchases , Hah !

Not enough time to listen to all I want to in a day, however music is on most of the time in this house, much to my wife’s concern. Better than the keech on the TV though, especially the news.

When I first started a notebook after my first years of music buying (no internet, no discogs, no spreadsheets then) to note what I bought and spend I jokingly called it 'Studies of an addiction', well, this is now many years ago, I guess it was '84 or '85 and I kept various volumes until I jumped into works and later excel (which I still use besides discogs as it gives me a few other points I can remark easily and the security not all is lost when discogs is offline or my connection brakes down).
Now after several decades I endure space and time problems like many others but not the loss of motivation to discover and rediscover music. Unwisely I sold off a lot when times where hard but basically it's money well spend for me as music accompanies me through all the phases life holds in it's variety. I made my peace with never obtaining anything I would like to have and getting away collecting artists complete for any price and started here to get more into what I have and enjoy it while catag and researching instead of hanging endlessly on newsletters and mailing lists. Well, this didn't really work out.
Anyway, I found money invested in music was at least invested in something lasting which could be enjoyed over and over again with some exceptions of course which turned out to be a let down. So compared to other addictions it's for me a valuable invest to enjoy my time and a lasting one too.

ZzzirK
needing to spike your dopamine level

i dont't know but it gives me no kicks. it is something different. it is more that i feel that i missed to buy something and late i get angry that it is not available.

thirdsystem
Yes !!!!!!

welcome to the addicted staff

At the risk of being flip - there are worse addictions. Trust me.

16830
At my age, as I spin music, I wonder how many more times I will play that particular album, given that I have thousands to pick from. I need to root out and sell off more of what am not listening to anymore.

I sadly bought a friends complete collection of jazz recordings about a decade ago for the whopping total of $50.00. I was quite grateful as he said he was simply clearing out space.

3 months later he ed away. I am simply going to bequeath my collection to a good used record store and, with the dbx discs, include the dbx encoder to the first person who buys on (or all of them). Simply because no one in my family understands the hobby.

materialism can also be a great burden.
sometimes i think about such stuff - then i buy anoter album lol

I have often felt that my collecting has been an albatross around my neck for many years now. By the time I reached 57 , I had over 8,000 LPs in my collection and about 2,000 7' singles (never mind the cds!!!). I decided, as I was running out of room , that I needed to get rid of some. Ten years ago, I started slowly selling them on-line at a few different venues including this one. Discogs, probably my worst performer but my best connection for info and least of the greedier sites,has been okay. I still find it essential but I digress...I keep an essential collection of albums that number around 1,000 for myself because I just have to know that they are there when I need to hear them. Collecting records has been an addiction but I kicked some major addictions 25 years ago that I won't go into but I'm glad to be here and glad to be anywhere. Having an addiction to record collecting is a lot safer, more gratifying and less worrisome than other kinds. Just keep it in check and whats important in life. Its not vinyl record collecting but no one needs to beat themselves up for it. Trust me. I've seen all sides.. I love selling it and handling it so others can enjoy them and find out more about music. I feel gratified to sell them now and I can't leave them for my wife anyway or she'll put a curse upon my grave. If you need to get rid of some ; become a seller. You'll stay connected to the hobby and make some do-re-mi. As Derek Taylor once put it, 'It's a cold wind that doesn't blow everyone a few bucks".

As someone who has gone through what you're feeling, I fully understand / empathize.
I used to want everything by an artist and in all forms. Then when the collection grew to 10K+ lp's, it was the lack of space and realizing how many times will I listen to an album again that I started to whittle it down.
If you feel it's getting to be too much, maybe categorize them. I ended up keeping valuable records, ones that mean something to me and artist's I'll never tire of.
I agree with your point of finding a new musical genre / artis and wanting to add as much as you can to your collection for fear of missing out.
I found Japanese jazz artists from the mid-60's to early 80's a few years ago and now (100+ lps later) I had to cap it.
The collection is now down to 1,300+ and I try not buy unless I sell one. I stress on the word try.
The end result is to have fun collecting, buying / selling and enjoying the amazing sounds that come into our ears.
Because when the "want" becomes a "need", as you know from your past, it's no longer fun.
Kudos for posting this topic as we're all here to help one another.

Mizzness
Japanese jazz artists from the mid-60's to early 80'

How about some recommendations?

MojoMc
MizznessJapanese jazz artists from the mid-60's to early 80'

How about some recommendations?

Sure thing. Here's a sample.
They are all extremely talented and a pleasure to listen to IMHO.
If you can afford the OG, go for it but the later pressings are top notch for a fraction of the $$$. The reviews are spot on as well.
Enjoy researching / listening.
Jirō Inagaki & His Soul Media* = 稲垣次郎とソウル・メディア* - Head Rock = ヘッド・ロック

Mizzness
Sure thing. Here's a sample.

Much appreciated!

ZzzirK
Also, for the time being perhaps, try and refrain from impulse buying. Have items in your shopping cart and wait a few days before buying, if you really still want it then go for it, though there will be times you just empty it or remove some items.

This is great advice and something I try to do every time I find a new release that I’ve just got to have. It’s amazing how many of the tunes end up being “just OK” a few days later (and are removed from the shopping cart)

tricky_01

This is great advice and something I try to do every time I find a new release that I’ve just got to have. It’s amazing how many of the tunes end up being “just OK” a few days later (and are removed from the shopping cart)

Fully agree. What I've done over the past few years is to listen to the lp on YouTube. This helps me decide if I REALLY want the lp or was just infatuated with one or two songs where I HAD to have it.
I liken it to test driving a car.

Sort of, but I'm addicted to so many things it's lost in the sauce. I have started to realise that having as many records as I do is pointless and a waste of time and money, and space.

A good hypno therapist will fix it.

had some used vinyl for 40 years, just set up a system to listen, now i am buying everything i see

I have a very good friend that l has worked in the same record shop for 50+ years, l first met him in the said shop in 1975/6. As a collector himself and knowing my taste. He has visited me with records for me to consider in buying. He also sells at record fairs and will ring me if the shop has bought a collection that he thinks l will be interested in. Apart from being a dear friend l also consider him to be my vinyl dealer. It is an addiction or pleasure when you finally have that record that you have been wanting and can tick it off that list.