What to do when an obsession/interest costs too much money? (I have too many interests, help)!

[Progster]

I wonder if any of them contain content that is not available online, let alone available free of charge.

I don't think so. Most, if not all, are available through streaming services such such as Spotify, or can be listened to/bought on Bandcamp, itunes, Deezer, etc.

In the past, the main point of buying them was listening to the content on them.

This is still true today. If one buys music, then logically they intend to listen to it, otherwise why would one bother?

If most people can easily listen to all the content without buying copies, the takes away that reason to buy them.

For most people, this is indeed the case. That's why streaming services such as Spotify are so popular, and those who don't want to pay for the service can use YouTube, or some sites such as Bandcamp will let you listen without the obligation to buy.

Yet there is still a market for phyical copies. People still buy them and there are a number of reasons:

1) A physical copy engages more of the senses; you can see it, feel it, you have the artwork plus any posters, notes or inserts that might have been included. This is missing in a digital download. There's often much more to a release than just the music.

2) Collectors might want to collect rare records, as many releases as possible by one particular artist, or collect releases belonging to one genre. Usually, they want something tangible. There are some people on RYM who listen and rate as many albums as possible without buying them - I suppose that is a kind of collecting in a similar way to trainspotting being a kind of collecting, but I don't fall into this category. I like to own physical copies.

3) There are some people out there who just buy vinyl records because they think it's hip/trendy, they might not want to listen and might not even own a turntable. They might display the albums on the wall, or just have them without playing. I don't think this is common, though.

4) Some collect for the sake of collecting and don't listen to them, but leave them sealed in the expectation that they will one day become valuable. I'm not one of those. I listen to all of the records/CDs that I buy.

5) Some people want to support the artist by buying their music, whether that be in physical form or a download, just as some football supporters still go to the stadium to watch a game rather than watch it on TV.

 

[Myrtonos]

I don't think so. Most, if not all, are available through streaming services such such as Spotify, or can be listened to/bought on Bandcamp, itunes, Deezer, etc.

This takes away the original main point of buying a copy.

This is still true today. If one buys music, then logically they intend to listen to it, otherwise why would one bother?

So you think listening to something to which they can listen without buying it be a point of buying it, let alone the main point of buying it?

As for reasons to buy physical copies, how about actual bonus tracks missing from a digital download? That is an example of the sort of thing I mean.

Is there any content out that that is available for purchase that is not available online free of charge?

 

[Gerontius]

I don't think so. Most, if not all, are available through streaming services such such as Spotify, or can be listened to/bought on Bandcamp, itunes, Deezer, etc.


This is still true today. If one buys music, then logically they intend to listen to it, otherwise why would one bother?


For most people, this is indeed the case. That's why streaming services such as Spotify are so popular, and those who don't want to pay for the service can use YouTube, or some sites such as Bandcamp will let you listen without the obligation to buy.

Yet there is still a market for phyical copies. People still buy them and there are a number of reasons:

1) A physical copy engages more of the senses; you can see it, feel it, you have the artwork plus any posters, notes or inserts that might have been included. This is missing in a digital download. There's often much more to a release than just the music.

2) Collectors might want to collect rare records, as many releases as possible by one particular artist, or collect releases belonging to one genre. Usually, they want something tangible. There are some people on RYM who listen and rate as many albums as possible without buying them - I suppose that is a kind of collecting in a similar way to trainspotting being a kind of collecting, but I don't fall into this category. I like to own physical copies.

3) There are some people out there who just buy vinyl records because they think it's hip/trendy, they might not want to listen and might not even own a turntable. They might display the albums on the wall, or just have them without playing. I don't think this is common, though.

4) Some collect for the sake of collecting and don't listen to them, but leave them sealed in the expectation that they will one day become valuable. I'm not one of those. I listen to all of the records/CDs that I buy.

5) Some people want to support the artist by buying their music, whether that be in physical form or a download, just as some football supporters still go to the stadium to watch a game rather than watch it on TV.

This is pretty neat, and a good explanation of why folks collect physical copies. For me, I collect actual hard copies because they can be given as gifts, traded for money, stored offline & enjoyed anywhere.

I have been collecting 78rpm & cylinder records (of course) and they can be played off line and off the grid too if you still have an original hand-cranked phonograph. Which I do. I've got lots.

Without physical copies, I can't use the phonograph collection. Course I could get a couple record formats just to demonstrate each machine with, but then it loses the interest of being a working collection, and they become about as interesting as a plinthed locomotive--you can see the design & the mechanism but you don't see it really doing its job as it was intended.

Now books are just more fun to read in paper. No tech required. And some of us choose to have a life where not all recreation is tied into the internet; sometimes it is more fun to do without that.

 

[Progster]

This takes away the original main point of buying a copy.

Not for me it doesn't. I like to own a physical copy for the reasons I mentioned in my previous post - I'm a collector, and I cannot collect by just listening. There's much more to it than just listening. But I can only speak for myself, I cannot speak for other people. As @Gerontius points out, one can listen offline. I listen to my records on my turntable in my living room with a much better sound quality than when I listen online by streaming.

So you think listening to something to which they can listen without buying it be a point of buying it, let alone the main point of buying it?

People generally buy downloads or physical copies of music which are also available for free streaming without obligation of purchase because they collect, or because they want to support the artist. Listening is the point of buying, but also collecting or supporting the artist. If listening were the only reason, perhaps people wouldn't buy. Sometimes, only one or two tracks from an album are available for streaming, in which case they might buy the album in order to listen to the whole album.

As for reasons to buy physical copies, how about actual bonus tracks missing from a digital download? That is an example of the sort of thing I mean.

Indeed this may be an incentive for some people to buy a physical copy.

Is there any content out that that is available for purchase that is not available online free of charge?

I'm sure there is, but I can't think of any examples right now.
Actually, there is one band, Crystal Thoughts, who have a couple of tracks from their albums on Youtube, but not the whole album, nor can you listen elsewhere online, so if you want to listen to the whole album, you have to buy a physical copy.

 

[Paroxism]

I used to be all over the place with my interests, and it seriously cost me a small fortune. They've got some awesome tips on managing your passions without breaking the bank. I'm kinda new to this forum, and I'm already learning a lot from you all.

 

[Shevek]

The stuff I collect I shop for carefully, and generally buy for less than the scrap value. Then I spend lots of time fixing it up.

 

[lovely_darlingprettybaby]

I can get pretty intensely interested in things that require too much money in order to be as exhaustive as I want them to be. I have a handful of Obsessions/interests, many involve collecting, and I just cant continue to prioritize them all anymore and I don't know what to do about it. I know that I have too many things I'm interested in, and while my research into them can be as deep as I want, my collecting/actual depth with them is limited by time and resources. I never have enough time to deep dive into them as much as I want to, and I end up not being able to engage with ones I am still very interested in because of time limitations. When I am interested in something I want to explore it as far as possible and feel very uncomfortable if I cant. I am wondering if anyone else has any issues like this? How do you deal with them? How do you decide which to invest money/time into over others?

-Salem

Interests:
Nintendo handhelds and other vintage consoles (Collecting, using, researching)
Pokémon/Zelda/games (Collecting, playing)
Pokémon TCG/MTG (Collecting, playing)
Board Games (Collecting, playing)
Haunted houses/Halloween props/special effects (Going to, making props, researching)
Picking/yard sales/thrifting (Collecting unusual items)
Dice (Collecting unusual forms, researching)
Arcade/impulse/pinball machines (Playing, researching, would buy but cant afford)
Uranium glass (Collecting)
Unusual musical instruments [woodwinds and percussion mostly] (Collecting, playing, researching)
Contemporary art (Collecting, making, visiting museums)
Vitreous enameling (Making, researching)
Alternative fashion (Researching)
Avant-garde music (Listening)
Obscure/cult films (watching)

I do not have anything like this but the want to buy cute unique collectable items
As well as just shop for cute things in general is huge for someone with ASD.
I like looking for collectable items on etsy, eBay and online

 

[Gerontius]

Sometimes it needs a break. I had to quit taking horseback riding lessons as I was paying out of pocket. Circumstances can always, and do, make things better or worse.

P.S. does your horse have a sense of adventure and need exercise?