New Book on Obsessive Record Collecting: “Do Not Sell at Any Price”
As a life-long (and formerly lapsed) vinyl collector, I’m always interested in the experiences of other obsessives. This book by Amanda Petrusich is a must-read. The LA Times has a review:
Midway through her thoughtful, entertaining history of obsessed music collectors and their quest for rare early 78 rpm records, writer Amanda Petrusich has a revelation. Focusing on one particular seeker and his knack for finding obscure titles others have missed, she describes him strategizing his search by “pursuing his prey with the kind of vehemence typically employed by a PI stalking a client’s ex-wife, or a cop chasing a kingpin. It felt calculated and thorough.”
The difference? Unlike those delicate 78 rpm records, a kingpin doesn’t shatter when you accidentally brush against him, can’t live invisibly in cobwebbed basements for decades and upon discovery doesn’t hold the mysterious, beguiling sound of a lost past time-traveling into the present.
