A common theme that you’ll read in the Digging for Gold column is keeping in touch with your contacts, and constantly trying to add new ones to increase your chances of adding great records to your collection. Past articles have focused on thrift store and garage sale finds, along with an example of being the first call when one of your contacts finds a deal. In this column, I want to talk about a different angle – using social media to connect with other vinyl enthusiasts.
I have an Instagram page to showcase my vinyl finds and collection (@vinyl_73 if you’d like to check it out). The Instagram vinyl community is quite large, and there are always great records posted and the opportunity to meet like-minded collectors. The interaction that I’ll be discussing is a perfect example of how music and records can connect us as people, and lead to great trades and conversation.
I had posted a copy of the Bitches Brew record from Miles Davis, and a gentleman that follows my page made a comment about how the record is on his want list. Being that I had two copies of the record, I sent him a message that I would gladly trade one if he would like. As luck would have it, he lives about 30 minutes from me – quite a surprise considering the worldwide reach of Instagram. That’s all it took, and we spent the next couple of weeks exchanging want lists and pictures and planned to meet up for trades. If you recall from last months column, I was able to dig a nice vintage jazz collection from an old friend of mine. Well, what better place to meet than to dig that jazz collection again. My new Instagram contact was elated to meet there and have a chance to dig this haul, and we traded the stacks that we had built for each other after the crate digging.
We ended up exchanging about 25 records each, and we both made out very well for what we were looking for. Also, he was able to purchase some records to check off of his want list from the jazz collection that we went through first. It was a very productive record day to be sure, and an overall enjoyable meeting.
Through music and vinyl, we have the ability to meet and interact with people that we would normally not meet. My particular meeting was a good one – friendly, productive, and the building blocks were set for future trading, discussions, and friendship. Both of us were able to add great records to our collections for sure, but more important is the interaction. Take a minute as you scroll through your social media accounts and reach out to someone near you. Strike up a conversation. Be cool to each other. Share your collections, music knowledge, whatever – and the vinyl community, and the world as far as that goes, will be better off for it. Thanks, Miles Davis, for being the bridge to expand the hobby in this instance.
Again, you can check out more about the records pictured and others on Instagram @vinyl_73. Until next time, good luck in your searches and keep Digging for Gold!
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