Home Grown: The collector with a Rega 3, 1980s B&O Beocenter, and an AT Sound Burger

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Because every record collection has a story.

Home Grown is our series profiling you lot and your excellent record collections. Taking our cue from the brilliant submissions to the #VFRecordCollections thread on Instagram, we want to share a little of your hard-earned love for vinyl with the world.

Each week, we’ll be profiling a different collector from around the world and finding out what makes them tick. Want in? Send us a pic and a few words about your collection to [email protected]


Name: Steve Carr

Instagram: @everyrecordtellsastory

Location: Leigh on Sea, Essex.

Size of collection: 433 albums, 178 singles, 22 EPs.

How long have you been collecting for?

I bought my first record – ZZ Top’s Eliminator – in 1984. For the next ten years I built up a collection of mostly heavy rock albums, until 1992 when I sold them all. For nearly twenty years my record collecting urges remained dormant, until 2011 when I bought a Dansette-style, all-in-one record player. Within a year I had swapped the Dansette for a Rega and was fifty albums in.

What part of your set up are you most proud of?

I have three record players: my main player – a Rega 3 – which is lovely, a vintage 1980’s Bang and Olufsen Beocenter 7007, and a portable Audio Technica Sound Burger. I like them all for different reasons.

What record are you most proud of?

My small collection of records that are signed by the musicians. These include Richard Hawley, John Grant, Suede, Mercury Rev, Johnny Marr and others.

What does your record collection mean to you?

Records are my favourite way to relax, to listen to music and I also think the best way to represent and understand an artist at any given period of time.

What better way to experience what Van Morrison sounded like in 1974 than to play an original copy of Veedon Fleece? And I love the little geeky extras. The switchable covers in Pulp’s Different Class or the zipper on The Rolling Stones’ Sticky Fingers. The gatefold cover, fanclub insert and information on the label about where each song was written in David Bowie’s Aladdin Sane. LPs are little round time capsules, forever capturing the artist at key moments.

There is also much enjoyment in finding records. For new music, I go to my local record shop: Five’s Records in Leigh on Sea, or Rough Trade in East London. For old records I like to find an original copy, especially when you can find it at a bargain price. There are loads of used record shops and record fairs – it’s always good to have a nose around – you never know what you might find. There are few things more satisfying than finding a record you wanted for £5 or £10 that might have cost you £20, £50 or more online.