Is there a 12-step program for CD addicts?

[Hardbopjazz]

Step 1: Admit you buy too many CD's. never

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How can you tell if you but too many CD's and records? I've only bought 7 for the month of March. And yes, March has 31 days making it one of the longer months. Now February I just bought 4. Not a problem in my opinion.

[John B]

How can you tell if you but too many CD's and records?

When you start buying cds you already own.

When you have a stack of cds you bought the month before that you still haven't listened to for the first time.

Other than that, I don't believe it is possible to buy too much music.

[Hardbopjazz]

Is it safe to say your not married?

[John B]

Is it safe to say your not married?

No, I am happily married. My wife is, luckily, very understanding of my passion for music.

[AfricaBrass]

How can you tell if you but too many CD's and records?

When you start buying cds you already own.

When you have a stack of cds you bought the month before that you still haven't listened to for the first time.

Other than that, I don't believe it is possible to buy too much music.

GUILTY!

At my worst before I was married (about 8 years ago), I had over 120 unopened CDs on the shelf.

I was buying at least 1 CD a day (usually more). I started going to different stores (far from my house) because I was embarrassed to be buying so many CDs.

[Hardbopjazz]

At my worst before I was married (about 8 years ago), I had over 120 unopened CDs on the shelf.

I was buying at least 1 CD a day (usually more). I started going to different stores (far from my house) because I was embarrassed to be buying so many CDs.

Wow, I thought I only did this. I use to go to tower records on 66 street and Bbroadway for lunch about 6 or 7 years ago. It got to a point where all the clerks in the jazz section new my name and what I usually bought. One time when I walked in, one of the clerks came up to me with 2 CDs in his hand and said, "I pulled these aside for you when they came in today. I know you're going to want them". That's when I realized I spent too much time buying CD's.

[wesbed]

A female friend wondered why I have unopened CDs in my closet (such as Mosaic CDs). I advised her that I have to buy these boxes because some of the sets won't be available forever (case in point: the recent New Orleans and T/K/M boxes). She made the comment that there is no reason for me to have the CDs if I'm not going to listen to them. I made my point that, yeah, I just feel better knowing I have them, I can afford them, so what's the bother.

I asked her about all the books she buys that sit on her shelf, unread, or partly read, with bookmarks scattered hither & thither between the pages. She said, "Oh yeah, those. I think I now understand your CD dilemma."

I have only a One Step Program to kick my craving for CDs:

BUY MORE CDs! Bwaaa haaaaa haaa...

[AfricaBrass]

Hardbopjazz,

I'm glad that I wasn't alone. I think I knew the layout of the stores better than most of the people who worked there. It wasn't uncommon for me to help customers find things (especially when employees couldn't ).

I got really tired of being asked by some of the clerks, "Oh, back already?" - Oof!

I almost have an aversion to going CD shopping anymore. B)

[AfricaBrass]

A female friend wondered why I have unopened CDs in my closet (such as Mosaic CDs). I advised her that I have to buy these boxes because some of the sets won't be available forever (case in point: the recent New Orleans and T/K/M boxes). She made the comment that there is no reason for me to have the CDs if I'm not going to listen to them. I made my point that, yeah, I just feel better knowing I have them, I can afford them, so what's the bother.

Have you ever used the excuse. "When they go out of print, they'll be worth a fortune" and then quote ridiculous ebay prices.

Of course, you know the whole time that you never plan on selling your sets.

You can't imagine how many times my wife has suggested I sell my Mosaics. She looks at them like they're gold.

[AfricaBrass]

I asked her about all the books she buys that sit on her shelf, unread, or partly read, with bookmarks scattered hither & thither between the pages. She said, "Oh yeah, those. I think I now understand your CD dilemma."

Good comeback!

I'll have to use my wife's shoes as an example.

Heck, she only has two feet! She can't wear them all at once.

[alejo]

I walked into a record shop yesterday and freaked out when I came across a bunch of great 70s/80s records on SoulNote, Enja, and Silkheart in the sale bin. I grabbed a large stack of LPs and headed to the front desk. When the guy behind the counter saw me, he said: “Oh hey, I thought about you when we where putting that stuff out.” To make things even more comical, my wife was standing next to me at the time and she just started laughing.

Now, I’ve only talked to this guy a few times, once about Ran Blake and the other about a cool Hungarain 1970s(?) rock CD he was playing. (Cue Wonder Years Music) It was at that time I realized that I spend way too much time in records stores and that things will never be a simple as they where when I was 11…you get the picture. Unfortunately, I don’t think I can stop trolling the used LP/CD stores. I just have too much fun, but I realize I do have a problem and have started seeking medical help.

[wesbed]

Have you ever used the excuse. "When they go out of print, they'll be worth a fortune" and then quote ridiculous ebay prices.

Of course, you know the whole time that you never plan on selling your sets.

You can't imagine how many times my wife has suggested I sell my Mosaics. She looks at them like they're gold.

Funny you should mention. Yes, I did do this... just last week. I pointed to my Paul Desmond Mosaic box. I said, "See that? There are four CDs in there. They'll easily sell for $100 per disk on eBay. I'd say $400 isn't bad for a set that cost me $60, wouldn't you agree? Just think what my six-cd sets are worth."

Ha haaaaa, haa ha ha ha....

[AfricaBrass]

I knew it!

For a while, whenever my wife and I exchanged gifts (anniversay, valentines, etc...), I'd get her jewelry and she'd buy me a Mosaic set. I think she was thinking that it was a good investment.

[John B]

The "investment" argument can be a good one. I once sold a single cd for over $200 on ebay. That disc paid for most of my new music purchases for quite a few months.

[wesbed]

Of course, none of my nice Mosaic sets explain this little flaw:

Whoops.

Edited March 29, 2004 by wesbed

[AfricaBrass]

I have 4 cabinets from Ikea that hold over 800 CDs apiece and my "man room" looks still has piles and boxes of CDs. I remember a guy I knew (who had over 10,000 CDs) telling me about his problems with storage for them. I remember joking about how I wished I had his problems.

But now, I understand. I hate not being able to finds stuff. It drives me crazy.

[Dave James]

Here one way to determine if you've gone around the bend. I'm aware of this line of reasoning only because I've fallen back on it more than a few times to rationalize a particular buying decision. I recently used it to help justify my purchase of the Coltrane Prestige box. Here's how it works. In this formula, we'll call the cost of the box "X". I already own six of the CD's that are included in this set. We'll call these "Y". I know I can sell "Y" for $24.00 at my local CD recycler. So, in my screwy little world it doesn't take much to convince me that the box really doesn't cost "X", but (X-Y). What the truly troubled like myself find a way to ignore, though, is the fact that the six CD's I already own originally set me back around $72. This we'll call "Z". So, the total cost of the box is really not (X - Y), but (X-Y) + Z. You know what I say to that? I say, get out the checkbook, I'm about to make a killing.

That, my friends, is what addiction is all about.

Up over and out.

[wesbed]

This we'll call "Z".  So, the total cost of the box is really not (X - Y), but (X-Y) + Z.  You know what I say to that?  I say, get out the checkbook, I'm about to make a killing.

Man, I laughed out loud at this remark. I don't know why, it just seemed funny (due to the logic being all too familiar).

I've made all kinds of CD purchases via fuzzy logic. Like, "I might as well go ahead and get it while they've got it in stock." Or, "What the hell, I've been wanting this for a long time anyway." As if these were valid reasons for spending more money to buy more CDs.

Edited March 29, 2004 by wesbed

[AfricaBrass]

I love the fuzzy logic in CD addiction.

That "Z" always gets me too!

Years ago, when I was in college, my roomates and I would go CD shopping. We'd all spend way more than we could afford (and then have to live on a diet of Top Ramen). I think we all justified it by thinking, "if he can afford it than I can afford it" - Oof!

[Jazzmoose]

Thanks a lot, Dave. "Z" never occured to me before...

[AfricaBrass]

Back to the 12-step program

Step 1: Admit you buy too many CD's. never

step 2 : Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity. Yeah, my wife. She showed me I better get sane. Ouch!

step 3 :

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[couw]

buy more LPs, they don't fit into your CD player.

(lovely poem BTW:

I try to fit the LP

into

my CD player

I won't fit)

[gdogus]

What the truly troubled like myself find a way to ignore, though, is the fact that the six CD's I already own originally set me back around $72.  This we'll call "Z".  So, the total cost of the box is really not (X - Y), but (X-Y) + Z.  You know what I say to that?  I say, get out the checkbook, I'm about to make a killing.

That's true, as far as it goes. But consider that (Z) is in fact a "sunken cost" - that is, it's money already spent and thus unrecoverable without the transaction that yields (Y). If the money so recovered is then liquid and deemed available, it might well be re-invested in the transaction represented by (X-Y). So really, Dave's warped logic is good business practice.

But I'm an addict too, if you dig.

Edited March 30, 2004 by gdogus

[Brad]

My 12 step program is to buy at least 12 more CDs before Thursday

[Dan Gould]

I've discovered an excellent one-step program:

Buy a house that you can afford only if you revert to the college-era Ramen Noodle diet.

1 midprice CD=10 weeks of Ramen Noodle dinners

CD addiction kicked