How long have you been collecting records for?

I was born in a household that had a decent record collection. My ears were tuned to drums and guitar sounds even before I learnt to talk, courtesy the records of ‘The Ventures’ and ‘The Shadows’. Later on with time, the record player became defunct and slowly fell silent. For years and rather decades it gathered dust. In the mean time, when I was about 11, I had discovered some group called ‘The Beatles’ in a peculiar looking album(read cassette, that my uncle had) of 4 long haired men crossing a road. I had listened to that album on a Sonodyne tape deck and were completely taken by it. That was another start if I am to mention. Now where was I? Oh yes! Slowly digital revolution took on and though I was listening to songs/albums/artists that I was well versed in, I was missing some kind of connection. I was not being able to feel the music in my two hands, some long lost sense of attachment or warmth. And then one afternoon in 2011, I was staring at the dust laden household records in a cupboard and decided to look for help in the mother of all inventions, the Internet! And it worked! I wouldn’t have been giving this interview here unless that Big Bang happened. I found the Vinyl community. People not from my country but from distant lands (read Americans) helped me rediscover vinyl. The tangible touch of music that I was missing for long, I thus found a new beginning. I started buying on my own from 2012.

How large is your vinyl collection?
Approximately around 250+. I only buy records that I listen to. NOT a hoarder!

Which is the most valuable record in your collection?
The one I am holding in the accompanying photo with this interview article. Rolling Stones, Exile on Main Street. This reissued double LP surely made me feel a pinch in my pocket.

Tell us about your Turntable setup
While I am all game for a proper vintage setup of integrated amps and clothed heavy wooden speakers ( and nothing beats that, trust me!) I for now have a very meagre setup of a HITACHI HT-21 semi-automatic turntable, a pre-amp of Behringer and a 2.1 F&D speakers.

Any advice to people that are about to start their collection?
What?! You haven’t started yet? Get educated and start collecting. Invest in records instead of those stupid shares and mutual funds. And the foremost thing once you start, know how to hold a record. You ain’t experienced magic unless you haven’t heard the ‘Bump’(the stylus hitting the groove) and the ‘static’ before the onset of music. Those big literatures and album art from the cover comes alive as the record spins. An indelible mark on your psychology is forever printed by records till you breathe your last. Amen!