My Records

I’m doing something I’m afraid I might regret. I’m selling my 45 rpm record collection.

I started buying all the songs on the CHUM top 30 chart when I was 12. Starting with The Guess Who and Three Dog Night and building the collection. As I listened to the radio, I knew all the songs, all the words - and even the intro times!

As a teenager I worked at Sam The Record Man and my boss paid me (partly) in records, I the collection of 45's and LP’s grew, significantly. I acquired coloured vinyl and 45's with artist covers.

I was too young to know the late 50's and 60's but, as a music fan, I went back and learned the songs, like Buddy Holly and Little Eva and bought them, too, so my music trivia of the 60's thru the 80's is pretty solid. (Anyone wanna challenge me to Trivial Pursuit!) Some are original vinyl; others are reprints.

When I went into radio I continued to buy vinyl but with each relocation to another city, it made sense to leave my treasured 45's with my parents in Toronto rather than pay a moving company by the pound. When my parents moved into a retirement home about 10 years ago, the 45's came back to me, still in the original boxes from 25 or so years ago.

I’m torn between keeping the records because I’m a collector and they're part of my history, and selling them because their taking up space and I don’t even own a turntable so I’m not going to listen. My wife says I love the actual songs more than the hard vinyl so hopefully this massive sale will not be too hard on me.

Tomorrow a radio guy is coming to load all my records in his truck.

I will either feel relieved or sorry.