Feeding the Beast

Collecting wax is a fickle bitch. Constantly trolling reddit threads, hunting down the next fire releases we can’t imagine missing out on. Searching for that next crowdfunding Qrates project that everybody is sleeping on while we completely ignore the monetary component of this game. We just wanna get our Bezo’s on, and let that dopamine wash over us like a tidal wave of sweet sweet ignorance. However, at some point during that ignorant bliss, we slip back into consciousness, slowly realizing that we have blown through the monthly budget like a runaway freight train. The game just sucks us in like quicksand, there’s just so much great music! It’s our happy place, but also a place of constant change, forcing us to adapt or get left behind. Our record collections are ever-changing and growing with us, like a child. Constantly needing to be fed. Nagging for your attention like a toddler at dinner time. New vinyl releases don’t care what we have going on in our own personal lives, and whether we are paying attention or not. When fire drops, it’s on us to either cop, or grab a machete and wade through the secondary jungle, and NOBODY wants that! That’s why, as a waxfeend, we have to do our best to stay ahead of the curve, at least with the artists that we follow the most. However, the first tough lesson we learn is that we won’t get everything we want, period! Unless your pockets are deep like uncle Scrooge, you are going to be forced to make decisions. Collecting wax has become arguably more popular than it’s been in decades. As i stated in an earlier post, the yearning for something tangible has become all too real in this day and age, and the music industry seems to be at the forefront of that revival. Limited pressings, colored variants, and $50 lp’s have become the norm, as opposed to the exception. Fear of missing out is at an all time high for collectors, and unless you have extraordinarily deep pockets, you may be left out in the cold. Which is extremely disheartening in many ways. Young music fans, or people with limited budgets shouldn’t have to miss out on owning their favorite music. I enjoy colored wax and limited runs as much as the next guy, and I am all for offering options, but at its core, the music should ALWAYS be accessible to everyone! We all have very different motivations for how and why we collect our wax. Our personal experiences with music influence and shape what we buy. Hopefully, as we journey together, through Waxfeends, we will continue to push into new territory and explore even further, testing our ultimate aural boundaries, and continue feeding our inner wax beast.