Most recordings you own by a single artist, group, or composer

Claudia Muzio, Ponselle, Caruso, Gigli, Battistini, etc. opera singers
Rachmaninoff, Hofmann, Pennario, Lewenthal etc. for pianists
Heifetz, Milstein, Rabin, Hassid, etc. for violinists
Segovia for guitar, Zabaleta, Laskine, etc. for harp
Bing Crosby pre-1935 (all on 12 LPs in chronological order), Ruth Etting, Bessie Smith, etc. for pop vocalists
Rosenblatt, Oysher, Peerce, Tucker, etc. for cantors
Django Reinhart, Bob Wilber, Barney Kessel, Shelley Manne, etc. jazz
I have many collections of entire recorded output of many musicians in my 42,000 LP/78/CD collection. I’m pretty sure my list is unlike most collectors/listeners on this forum.

I have a ton of the older Wagner stuff on CD, radio broadcasts, Bayreuth, Knappertsbusch, Von Karajan, you name it, box sets up the yin yang. Yes, I mean a ton, literally. OK, so I bit off more than I can chew. Haven’t even opened most of it. Latest acquisition and fresh out the freezer: remastered CRO2 cassettes, Solti Vienna Gotterdammerung and Die Walkure. Unfreaking believable! So analog, so dynamic!

Because I mostly have greatest hits of oldies from 50'-80's, the number for each artist is pretty low. Thank you thrift and Goodwill bins. However I do have about 20 Dead Lps. and cds.  Also 7 or 8 of Eva Cassidy.

Fleschler, that is interesting you’ve that many albums, virtually a library of music. Are the many you mentioned, those for whom you have the complete output?

How do you go about acquiring so many? Do you buy up others collections for example, or go to record conventions? Or simply buy online and haunt used record stores? And have you had the opportunity to listen to most of your albums at least once? Just impressed and curious.

You rarely see 78’s anymore at least in my neck of the woods, western Virginia. There was one record shop in Manhattan I visited on a trip back home many years ago that had a lot of old jazz recordings on 78’s, but I’ve seen few since.

Geoffkaitt, I’d appreciate if you'd recommend a couple or so of your all time favorite Wagner recordings from your collection? Thanks,

Mike

My parents started buying records for me at 2 before I spoke.  By 5, I had 300 records (classical, childrens and 50s R&R).  Through the years, I purchased from stores and collections.  One ethnic collection of unused 78s was purchased from a store going out of business for 50¢ each, about 400.  The last collection I picked through I purchased about 800 LPs from the late Tom Null collection (200,000+) last year.  He was the owner/producer of Varese Sarabande and Newport Classics.  I could have purchased the entire collection very very cheaply, but I did not want or could store that many LPs (and tapes).  

I only occasionally purchase more LPs now and 78s are only from local garage sales.   I have 2000 unplayed classical 78s from the 30's & 40's for sale for 20 years at $1000 but no one is interested.  Tough sell except on ebay for much higher prices but I have no time for ebay sales of 78s.

I purchase CDs on line all the time (7,000+).  I rarely buy a dud.  My friends are remastering engineers and give me hints on great jazz recordings.  My classical and pop recordings are chosen based on reviews or my knowledge of the recording, mastering engineer or producer.  E.G. I know that any Bones Howe early stereo recording is going to be great sounding.   

I only keep recordings if I would want to hear them three times annually;  otherwise, I sell it (or attempt to).  I've sold 18,000 78s and LPs in the past 20 years.   It's my own rule.  

I listen to music at least 1.5 to 2 hours at night, more on weekends.  All through school, I would study with instrumental music in the background (vocal would interrupt my concentration).  My audio systems are so involving, that I eagerly anticipate hearing music daily.  I also perform and record high quality local musicians (occasionally at the Gindi, Disney, Royce, Ford halls and chamber music).