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DUSTIN
@all.the.records
He lives in Oklahoma, USA with his wife and young son and Dustin explained to me he picks up records in places varying from swap meets and garage sales to trying to support independent record stores as much as he can and he is always hunting for a bargain like all record collectors. Over the years he’s picked up some great bargains including one of my favourite records ever “Five Leaves Left” by Nick Drake for just $3.
His collection currently stands at somewhere between 2,500 - 3,000 records and Dustin admits he doesn’t have an exact number on how many records he actually has. It was great to be able to add Dustin to this project and he thoroughly deserves a place in The Record Collectors Club.
Can you remember what the first record you bought was?
If we’re talking first vinyl LP, it’s definitely a tie between “The Wall” by Pink Floyd and Leonard Nimoy “Presents The Music of Mr. Spock”. I’m pretty sure they were purchased from the same record shop. As a massive Pink Floyd fan in high school, “The Wall” was definitely an album I was keen to own on the LP format. The album is a bit of a statement and that said statement is perfect for that format. Ironically though, until a month ago I hadn’t listened to it in years. With regards to the Leonard Nimoy one, I always liked Star Trek and this album seemed so ridiculous in theory, I had to have it, even if it may have been just a conversation piece or a novelty. I was playing that record the other day actually.
Why vinyl then? What draws you to the format of a record?
Originally I collected CDs, and had a fairly extensive collection of those and for a time, an extensive collection of both vinyl and CDs. For CDs, I liked the portability of them and in the ‘00s I purchased an iPod, and I liked the idea that I could just put all my CDs on a little hard drive with a screen and click wheel. The novelty kind of wore off eventually, I realised I wasn’t sitting down and actively listening to music, and was just putting it on shuffle as something in the background. I started noticing I would pay more attention when I put a record on and really, it came down to space, and when I moved across the country, I made the choice of keeping my records and selling my CDs. I think it’s worked out well. I’ve I’ve considered starting collecting CDs again and cassettes actually. Also, I like the bigger artwork, the way the records look with their label, and I’m a huge sucker for coloured vinyl of any sort. I also enjoy how bands and labels occasionally do put so much thought and care into a vinyl pressing of something. There’s something oddly romantic about putting a record on the turntable, listening to it in it’s entirety, flipping it over. Not to mention, the nice full sound of it all and the overall inconvenience of it. It just begs for your attention, right?
How did you start collecting records?
I started collecting when I was in high school, so probably about twenty years ago or so? It all kind of happened on a whim really but I do remember I had been toying with the idea of getting a record player and having records. My parents had very few growing up as they supposedly had a large collection that was sold off a few years before I was born. Then the opportunity presented itself at a neighbourhood garage sale where I purchased my first record player and records. Then later I had to buy a new needle, pre-amp, a belt and eventually a new turntable. So I was already pretty invested once all that had happened. I’d probably say for a few of those years, it wasn’t super serious and I was still buying plenty of CDs, only buying records when I thought something was neat or worth owning in the format. Or of course, if it was cheap, all the better. The habit kicked into high gear when I upgraded to my current turntable, a little over a decade ago, and I stopped buying nearly as many CDs.
Where do you usually shop for vinyl records?
Usually record shops and there are quite a few in my area. I usually try to support the independent record shops as much as I can. I also keep my eyes out for garage sales and swap meets but I haven’t been good at it the past few years. I don’t buy a lot of used stuff online but I’ve been known to before. It’s kind of a preference because I don’t actually get to see the record myself before I buy it, and it doesn’t feel in the spirit with record collecting, but sometimes it’s the only way to get certain things.
How about a favourite record store? Do you have one in particular you visit a lot?
That would have to be Guestroom Records (@guestroom) in Oklahoma City. That’s where I’m originally from, and I shopped there for many years, and even worked behind the counter for some of those years. Doc’s Records and Vintage in Fort Worth might be a close second. And I’d say that’s only because I’ve found so many good records from each of those stores. The Midwestern and Southwestern United States is a great place to find records, though your mileage may vary!
Do you have your own record room?
I definitely do have a room where I listen to my records. It’s not large by any means, but there’s still ample space to relax in here with very little clutter. Recently, it has been my work space during the COVID pandemic, so I’ve been here a lot lately, and it’s kind of my little corner of the world. We have an unfinished third floor attic space that I’ve been wanting to finish, so it could serve as a much larger space to store and listen to records. Which in reality would probably turn into an overflow for my son’s toys.
What does your wife think of your record collecting obsession?
My wife supports it, though I suppose “reluctantly supports” is the correct phrase. We used to travel a lot more, and any time we’d travel, we would usually go to a record store at my insistence. In more recent years she’ll do something else when I’m in a record store, and if it’s locally, I usually go alone. But, she’s probably the best record digger I can think of who doesn’t go digging all that often. I can think of a few occasions where she’s dug up something that she wasn’t aware of me wanting, or maybe I didn’t even know I wanted!
Finally, what are your thoughts on collectors sharing their records on Instagram?
I kind of dig it! For context, if I’m ever at someone’s house, I always like to see the things they collect. The interesting things, like books, movies, CDs, records and COVID aside, people just seem to have less things these days, so it’s nice that I can just hop on Instagram and have it filtered to people who already have things and what they have, not only at a high level, but in detail, even if I’m not actually in their house. It’s kind of also nice to get a story behind those things, and in fact, it’s better when you get some kind of a story behind the thing being presented. I also like seeing the things people have and what their dwelling spaces look like, and all the things they have, be it records and not records. So many record collecting folk have cool spaces. At the same time, I also find something strange about the fact that you share pictures of things that play music, without sharing any of the actual music.
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