Alphabet or Genre

gce

So I'm needing reorganize my records but I don't want to have to do it 3 or 4 times until I get what works for me. Maybe some of you vinyl guys can share how you categorize your albums?

I went to play a record the other day and I just could not find it because it's hard for these old eyes to see the writing on the side of the album. Thinking about sticking tabs out or maybe put the 45rpm's in a different place or...or...or, just looking for your ideas that have worked for you.

Or I could do it like John Cusack did...

https://youtu.be/AQvOnDlql5g

Moose68Bash

I'm going through a similar process with a similar quandary right now as I am relocating all my CDs to racks I have installed in the basement.

Right now, I'm sorting alphabetically by performer or performing group, except classical music is sorted by composer, with one exception -- Yo-Yo Ma has his own category because I listen to his recordings so often.

I plan to put tabs in the shelves to mark the alphabet after I get the sorting underway.

I look forward to reading ideas others offer you.

tonyb

I'd say go alphabet.....everyone understands that, right ? Music however, isn't always cut and dry as to which genre it falls under.

Erik Tracy

I do genre, then alphabetized. I have a separate 'section' for recent acquisitions that haven't been RCM'd and given a new inner sleeve.

The 'right way' is the one that works for you.

MrBuhl

My collection has gotten to the point where I'm Alpha by Genre. So each genre is separated by plastic alpha tabs (only about 1500 lp's) I just got to the point where I couldn't find stuff as easy with out more separation. (bought the white plastic full size tabs that stick out about an inch online and used a label maker for major artists/alpha)
I have general categories of
Soundtracks/Musicals
Classical
Blues
Jazz/Big Band
Rock/Pop
I can't even imagine how P-Man does it! Whatever you decide to do - good luck, it took me a full day to organize it. And when I add more in from my "new arrivals" stack, it's a process. But without it, the whole thing is even more of a pain!

cfrizz

Alphabetical by artist name.

tonyb

cfrizz wrote: »

Alphabetical by artist name.

That's twice in 76 years Cathy. Be careful.....or I'm gonna have to start sending you Christmas cards.

Emlyn

For vinyl: Genre first, but only by "Everything Else" and "Classical". Too many genres otherwise for me and artists cross over from one to another. In the Everything Else category, alphabetical by artist name (skip leading "The" and "A") arranged by name (Jackson Brown under "J" but Carlos Santana under "S" because his band's name didn't use his first name), alphabetical by album title, then by version release year. I have too few classical in vinyl format to bother with anything more than composer.

I agree it's difficult to see what's there by the spines and keep track of things especially when the LPs are protected by outer sleeves, which is why I'm probably going to get some LP Bins and alpha tabs soon:

http://www.lpbin.com/lpbinLPStorage

mhardy6647

My son helped me organize rekkids after we moved to NH (when he was "home for the holidays"). The parent-child dynamic wasn't pretty :-P. Grateful Dead -- under "G" or "D"? We had some differences of opinion. Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers -- "T", "P" or "H"?

Actually it was all in good fun -- but he (the right handed mathematician) and I (the left-handed scientist) do think rather differently :- )

gce

Thinking if any had pictures of what they did would help too. I'm kicking around doing Genre and then alphabetical by artist like some of you. That way I don't have as much to look through if I want Rock, Blues, Jazz or whatever.

I've also seen where people would put all there albums in Discog's and organize them that way but like I said seeing the sides can be a challenge if the whole collection is only alphabetical by artist.

Would love to hear what P-Man does, it's got to be the best solution with all the albums he has!

Moose68Bash

gce wrote: »

Thinking if any had pictures of what they did would help too. I'm kicking around doing Genre and then alphabetical by artist like some of you. That way I don't have as much to look through if I want Rock, Blues, Jazz or whatever.

I've also seen where people would put all there albums in Discog's and organize them that way but like I said seeing the sides can be a challenge if the whole collection is only alphabetical by artist.

Would love to hear what P-Man does, it's got to be the best solution with all the albums he has!

@pumpkinman,

I, too, would like to hear your solution!

Would you give us a little help, here, please?

gce

DSkip wrote: »

I think he just randomly grabs one. How else do you explain him always listening to something different?

Yeah, but he'd have to know where he randomly grabbed it so he could randomly put it back.

pumpkinman

To many genres for me guys. I alphabetize and I bought those plastic dividers that they use in record stores. A few artists have their own divider. Canned Heat, Eric Clapton and John Mayall to name a few. With band names I use the first name. Grateful Dead would be under G. Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers I would file under P. I started to load them into the Discogs database but it was just to much work and I gave up quickly. I too have a new arrivals section Must be approaching 7,000 LP's at this point. My problem is remembering what I have and not finding it. Finding it is the easy part. If you don't have too many LP's the Discogs way to organize is great and the info on your collection is always at your fingertips.
At Chili's with the wife I'll shoot a few pics when I get home.

P-man

pumpkinman

My racks are simple. Made of 1x3's MDF with 1/2" and 3/4" EMT.

@Moose68Bash

pumpkinman

Emlyn wrote: »

For vinyl: Genre first, but only by "Everything Else" and "Classical". Too many genres otherwise for me and artists cross over from one to another. In the Everything Else category, alphabetical by artist name (skip leading "The" and "A") arranged by name (Jackson Brown under "J" but Carlos Santana under "S" because his band's name didn't use his first name), alphabetical by album title, then by version release year. I have too few classical in vinyl format to bother with anything more than composer.

I agree it's difficult to see what's there by the spines and keep track of things especially when the LPs are protected by outer sleeves, which is why I'm probably going to get some LP Bins and alpha tabs soon:

http://www.lpbin.com/lpbinLPStorage

That's what I'm saying

[Deleted User]

I do it alphabetically by cost/value ratio. However, anything under $10 dollar in
discogs value goes into the general vinyl pool/pull to be sorted by genre. Psychedelic has now merged w/ outcrops to create Psychotronic.
Bing Crosby/Hey Jude is right next to dino, desi & billy is next to Dr. John right now.
That will change.

gce

Thanks P-Man...pictures are worth a thousand words. Man you must have everything from the looks of it.

ukcolin99

I know this is a vinyl post, so happy I have CD's and iTunes..

[Deleted User]

Looking around at the confusion as I'm mid-cleaning,
I also have a crate of LPs that were played on WMMS
all the time. This might morph into the wife's LP / stuff
she likes that I've purchased for her. So Mods like the Who,
Todd and Rod will go there.

pumpkinman

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=GU_QPwcT1aU

vmaxer

gce wrote: »

Thanks P-Man...pictures are worth a thousand words. Man you must have everything from the looks of it.

Well a video is worth more.

Thorton

pumpkinman wrote: »

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=GU_QPwcT1aU

That's a crap load of albums. Nice collection.

voltz

alphabetically by performer or performing group, Tom Wait is in the T's & Joe Walsh in the J's, Santana is a S, though Frank Zappa gets a Z