Today, we bring you the 2nd in our series of features of staff over at Independent Label Collective. They recently celebrated their 1 year anniversary and we figured it would be a great time to showcase the fine people who work their and their thoughts on record collecting. Today we bring you Tracy Wilson, our Vinyl Collector of the Day.

A little background on Tracy: She has been involved with record distribution for quite some time. Prior to ILC, she worked at both Caroline and Fontana Distribution. She was the front person in a great 90′s band, the Dhalia Seed and as of late has her own project dubbed Ringfinger (in which she collaborated with members of Isis, Cave In, Denali and more on her full-length). She also runs a small label with some friends known as Little Black Cloud Records. I actually worked with Tracy back in the day when Suburban Home was distributed by Caroline. She is a fantastic person and as you will soon read an avid record collector. Please read her thoughts why she collects vinyl, her thoughts on colored vinyl (very interesting answer), records she would like to see pressed, recent purchases, and more. Thanks Tracy for taking the time to answer our questions.

Another thing to note is that it is very nice to feature a female record collector. I know there are more of you out there; if you are reading this, make sure you submit a VC of the Day feature.

You can find our VC of the Day questions here.

Click the link to read more about Tracy Wilson.

VC: Your name and the city you live in.
Tracy Wilson / Richmond VA

VC: Do you catalog your records online? Where are they? Are you on the VC Message board? What is your username?
No to all of the above.

VC: How many records do you own?
More than 4,000 I think. I have never actually tried to count them all.

VC: Why do you collect vinyl?
I’ve been collecting since I was a kid. I love the tactile experience of the listening to a record from the cover art to the lyric sheet to pulling it out of the jacket and placing it on my player. It’s a very zen act to me.

VC: What was the first record you remember purchasing with your own money?
The Go-Gos “Beauty and the Beat” 1981

VC: What is your most prized record in your collection?
I am a weirdo who doesn’t have just one prize pick. It’s like trying to pick one pixel from a 50ft TV screen.

VC: What release would you like to see come out on vinyl that hasn’t yet been released?
I own a Love as Laughter cassette only release from the mid 90s that would make me very happy to have on LP. A Greyhouse collection of everything would be nice to finally have on wax too. NJ pride!

VC: What is the most you have spent for a record?
You don’t want to know. Hundreds.

VC: What has been your greatest vinyl score (least amount of money spent for a valued record)?
I picked up about 1/2 of the My Bloody Valentine catalog at the Princeton Record Exchange for under 100 dollars a long time ago. (like over 15 years ago)

VC: What out of print record would you kill to own?
There are so many but in particular there is a 7″ Valeria Mongardini I would die to own. I wouldn’t mind having the Dolly Mixture LP either.

VC: What are your thoughts on color variants? Do you collect any artists in particular?
As a DJ color wax is actually a big hindrance because not only does it not sound as good as black vinyl but it also is more difficult to cue up in low light. I found the whole releasing / collecting a record on a million colors
a detraction from the music itself. For me record collecting is about the music – not the OCD mentality of trying to own it all to show off on a shelf.

VC: Do you sell or trade records?
Sell occasionally.

VC: Do you have any good record stores in your home town? Which ones do you frequent?
There are several in RVA. Plan 9, Vinyl Conflict, BK Music, and Deep Groove. I work at the latter so by default I shop there the most often.

VC: Your last 5 records that you purchased?
Alps – Le Voyage, Chin Chin – Sound of the Westway, MOLES – Untune The Sky,
Suzie Jane Hokom – The Help 7″, Girls At Our Best – Pleasure