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BENJAMIN RIGGIN
@fast_and_bulbous
Benjamin’s collection predominantly features Jazz music and I was keen to interview a Jazz collector and try to find out more about the genre myself and hopefully dig deeper into the genre for my collection. A label Benjamin passionately collects is the world famous “Impulse Records” label which he has been amassing for his collection since he was sixteen years old.
We only skimmed the surface of Benjamin's collection and I look forward to discovering many more fantastic records on his Instagram in the coming months and years.
How long have you been collecting records and how many are currently in the collection?
I bought my first LP when I was fourteen or fifteen (I’m thirty now) although at the time my main concern was collecting CDs. Throughout high school I would pick up records every now but my collection only consisted of a crate or two. In my early 20’s I moved around a lot but after returning to Canada after nearly two years abroad I started collecting records at a more serious level. That was about six years ago. I have around 2,000 records at the moment and I have been trying to keep it around that number since I’m not really “settled down” at this point. I’m trying to focus on quality over quantity for the collection.
What was the first record you ever bought?
I was at the London, Ontario record show when I was in ninth grade looking for CDs and I was starting to get deeper into Classic Rock so I was looking for early Pink Floyd albums. A dealer I knew, that I usually bought CDs from, showed me a copy of the soundtrack to “Zabriskie Point” which had some rare cuts by Pink Floyd. He offered the album to me for $2 because the disc wasn’t in great shape. I mostly just had it for the artwork because the surface noise was pretty bad. I still have it though!
Do you have a favourite genre of music you listen to?
I think a lot of what I listen to depends on my mood but overall I find I listen to Jazz the most. There are so many sub genres and moods that I can find a Jazz record to play for most occasions.
How do you organise your collection? Do you use Discogs at all?
I organise my records by genre first. Then alphabetically by last name, and chronologically within the artist. That being said, I still have a lot that need to be properly filed. I started cataloguing my collection into Discogs a couple years ago which was a bit of a slog at first but has been pretty helpful and I’m glad I went through it. I have been buying records on Discogs for a couple years as a lot of titles I’ve given up hope on finding locally. Also during the pandemic I’ve started selling more on Discogs too supplement my income but mostly to buy other records.
Where do you shop for records usually?
Anywhere, but mainly record stores and shows. I’ve got a couple friends twice my age that are veteran collectors, sometimes they sell me things at great prices. There’s a guy who sells records at Universities across Southern Ontario called Campus Discs, that’s always a great dig because the records are usually $20 tops and there is no order to the records so it makes for an enthralling dig, because you never know what you’ll stumble upon. I also buy from the internet, Discogs, from labels, Bandcamp etc. The only downfall to that is shipping in Canada can really add up so it’s best to bundle purchases if possible.
What’s the best bargain you have found?
This old fella had an advert online saying he was selling a bunch of records for $3 a piece. The picture in the advert had a copy of John Coltrane’s “Africa/Brass” in it and I started scrambling to see if I could meet up with him. He lived about a two hour drive away from me and I immediately hopped in my car and drove out to meet him. That’s a stressful feeling, driving to pick up records, hoping that nobody else has gotten there before you. Anyway, I made it there and copped that record and a bunch of others, all great bargains, but the deal of the day was an original Canadian mono copy of “Piper at the Gates of Dawn” by Pink Floyd. At $3 a record, that day was a beauty.
How big is your wantlist?
It is extensive to say the least. It grows every day. That’s the blessing and curse of the internet. I find my buying is more random than calculated most of the time but finding something that you’ve been after in the wild is one of the most satisfying feelings I can think of.
Finally, what will happen to your collection when you pass away?
I always joke about having all the vinyl melted down to make a giant black sarcophagus for me to be buried in but realistically, it would be sad to see all these records, most of which have been around long before me, go to waste. Ideally, I’d like to bequeath them to someone who would care about them. Perhaps over time I will find the right person to burden with them.
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