Choosing music

This series is about the question that comes before every purchase: what do you actually want on the shelf, and in what form? It is about music you will still pull out a year from now. That sounds obvious, and yet many collectors have a pile that has never been on the turntable.

It often starts with the format. Vinyl asks more of you each time: getting up, turning it over, a spot with room for it. A CD is cheaper, smaller and plays on equipment many people already own. Neither is better; they suit a different way of listening. The guide on vinyl or CD sets out the difference in money, space and sound, and the guide on collecting CDs explains why second-hand CDs have become so cheap.

Then comes the question of where you buy. Second-hand is the cheapest route to a collection, but a record that looks fine in the crate can click at home. What to check in the shop or at the market is covered in the guide on buying second-hand records. If you want to build with a fixed amount a month, the guide on building a collection on a small budget shows where the cheap records are, and why the unplayed pile is the real cost.

Sometimes you are not buying for yourself. An album as a gift only works if it can be played at home and suits what someone already listens to. So the guide on giving vinyl as a gift starts with a habit rather than a list of recommendations, and explains what 180 gram and coloured vinyl do and do not tell you.

What these guides have in common: they help you buy less and better. They say what something costs, and also when you are better off leaving it. If in doubt, start with the albums that already come off the shelf most often and only buy around those.