Does Your Collection Need Some Sprucing Up?

Feeling like your record collection is in the doldrums?  Not sure what to get rid of and don't want to add to it?  How about reorganizing?!  The VVers have come up with new fun and creative ways to give your record stash some new zing.  You could possibly even uncover a platter or two you didn't know you had!

Let's get sortin'!

By Genre
Rock, hip-hop, soundtracks, reggae, polka, you know how this goes.  You probably already do this.

Alphabetical
The pinnacle of organization?  Usually its alphabetically last name or group, but make it more challenging and try by album name, or reverse alphabetize to really keep your guests on edge.

By Optimal Time to Listen to the Record
Some albums really just should not be listened to over breakfast, or even in daylight.  Some are perfect to put you right to sleep at night.  Some should only be listened to under the influence.  Others never while hungover.  Some should only be listened to while cats are in the room.  Try organizing your collection by when you prefer to listen to the album.  By hour, by day, by season?

Where it Came From
All records from thrift stores go here, purchased online here, had forever here, borrowing indefinitely from a friend here.  Know where your records came from.  Sometimes, it is the only thing you know about a record (example, "that gold spray stenciled cover from Skully'z in New Orleans": no idea of the name of the band or album, only where it is from).

Chronological
A way to get a perspective on your music.  Organize by year originally released and records get to live near their contemporaries.  Time slices, people!  Or, if you are really weird, you can organize by date issued, meaning originals in one section and reissues and new albums in another.  Seems not right... and yet.

Sleeve Color
Are you one of those people that needs Instagram-able pictures of books or clothes organized by color?  Try it with your records.  Sleeve spines that are in rough shape and peeling/cracking go under beige/white.  Good luck.


Sleeve Spine Width
Here's a fun and tedious idea--arrange your records based on how much room they take up on the shelf!  Skinny to widest please!  Take this further by arranging your records by ...

Gatefold
Create a "gated community" on your record shelf that only houses gatefold covers!  Then work your way down to singles and then those flimsy sleeves that don't really have spines and aren't really sleeves.  The gatefold community reigns supreme!

Record Label
Shouldn't all of your Sub-Pop records live in harmony together?  Don't Motown albums want to share space?  Some labels could be neighbors, such as Gordy and Tamla.  Makes sense.  Could get a little confusing with artists who have lengthy discographies and did a lot of label hopping.  This probably isn't the best idea.


Related Bands
Rage Against the Machine/Tom Morello/Street Sweeper/Prophets of Rage/Public Enemy/Cypress Hill.  Are we playing six-degrees of separation, or should these records actually live together because they all have overlapping musicians?  Tool/A Perfect Circle/Puscifer.  Santana/Buddy Miles/Jimi Hendrix.  Dum Dum Girls/Haunted Hearts/Crocodiles/Flowers of Evil/A Place to Bury Strangers.  Big Business/Melvins/Nirvana/Hole/Foo Fighters/Queens of the Stone Age/Mark Lanagan/Screaming Trees.  Don't even think about trying this with the jazz recordings, everyone worked with everyone!  This actually might be a perfect way to organize.

Buying History
You know what album you got first.  This could be a really fun way to engage your collecting with a little self history reflection.  You would get some perspective on how your tastes may have changed (or stayed the same) over the years.

Listening History
A system like this would have to take place organically over time so the organizing part is generally very simple.  Just empty the first slot on your shelf and the rest should take care of itself.  It could be a little controversial as you're likely to lose track of albums very easily.  However, you'll always have a lock on what you are enjoying and what you aren't.  The biggest plus to that might be that you can figure out what you should put in the "out" box.  "Collector" records that don't get spun often or at all might get a little bit shunned, or maybe they will be more likely to be out of harms way?  Only one way to find out!

By Listener
If you share a collection and have designated records that don't get played in front of the other resident, why not relegate those records to their own little area where the enjoyer of those records knows where they are kept?  This would make it so the un-appreciator of those records never has to see them.  A quick rebut to this method is that one will immediately call the other out for taking up more shelf space than the other and chastise them to keep their amassing collection in check.   This system very acutely provides a visual to any hoarding being done by one of the resident collectors.  Probably should avoid doing this.  Le sigh.

Try a mash-up of styles, then really no one other than you will know where your records live.  Meow.