The birth of the CD and minidisc once threatened to kill off vinyl, but its power in the market is now recognised and increasingly collector's editions are released on fresh vinyl. This volume is a comprehensive guide to collecting vinyl records, and is suitable not only for those new to this huge and wide-ranging subject, but also for the more experienced collector who wishes to broaden his or her vinyl collection. The guide explores 50 years of music, unravelling the themes of music for collecting, tips on records to watch out for, and advice on pitfalls and dangers. The book is divided into the principal genres of music, such as Jazz, Easy Listening, Rock, and Blues, with further sub-divisions within those main sections explaining each type of music in more detail. Each of these sub-sections has listings of the most popular or most collectable records for that area of music, as well as fact boxes providing interesting, amusing, and valuable anecdotes on what makes a certain record collectable or how it came to be recorded.Background information is provided on the history and roots of the genre, how it has developed towards other musical movements, the principal artists, and whom and what to collect. Four eight-page colour sections bring the artworks of some of the most famous album covemrs to life. Information is also provided on the various types of disc available, explaining the different terminology that the collector may come across. Acetates, white labels, test pressings, differing commercial pressings, and promos are identified, and clues to packaging detail are given, as well as practical advice on how to store and care for your record collection, helpful websites and dealer contacts.