A passionate music and movie collector, Shawn Barry lives in Reading, PA. He's a big Pittsburgh Steelers fan, but I won't hold that against the man (OK, maybe I'm just salty because the New York Giants are playing like shit right now). Anyway, Shawn is the latest member of the Record Collector club, and I think he's a swell guy.
How Long have you been collecting records?
I've been collecting records on and off for about 5 or 6 years now. I've always loved buying music in stores as a kid and flipping through album inlays and studying the lyrics and trying to learn everything and anything about each release, so collecting vinyl just made sense to me.
Where/how do you usually find your records these days?
Primarily I buy my records directly from labels/bands or distros such as Rev HQ, State of Mind Recordings, etc. When all else fails I've bought a lot of records using Discogs and eBay over the years and I do try my best to go to various record stores if I can.
What is the most you paid for a single record, where/how did you obtain it, and what was it.
The most expensive record I have is probably a test pressing for the split 7" between State of Conviction and Schnauzer. I obtained the test pressing by reaching out to Jason Popson, the singer for State of Conviction (most notably one of the singers in Mushroomhead, In Cold Blood, etc.). He's a really cool guy and I've been a huge fan of his music for years, so to be able to score a test pressing directly from him was definitely a real treat as an avid fan.
Of everything in your current collection, what is your most prized record and why?
Other than the State of Conviction/Schnauzer split test pressing, I would probably say the record release copy of Wisdom In Chains' The God Rhythm because the show was held here in Reading at Club Reverb and it's a nice reminder of a killer show.
Is there anything that frustrates you about the current record collecting scene?
I absolutely hate it when people list things incorrectly on Discogs. It makes it so much harder to track things down for a lot of people especially if there are multiple listings for one record. I also really can't stand the amount of record flipping there is online. I see it all the time and it's just a shame to see people trying to make a buck off those who have a genuine interest in the music and now must pay a premium for something they love.
Which records are still on your want list that you've had a tough time tracking down through the years?
That's a tough one to answer as I always just add little by little here and there, but I am trying to track down a solid red copy of In Cold Blood's Hell on Earth, and the East Coast Tsunami Fest exclusive version of Wisdom In Chains' We Never Sleep.
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Tagged: record collector
