Vinyl Collector of the Day, Johnny “Problem” Kuntzmann

(my dog, my leg and the new Leatherface)

Today, I bring you our Vinyl Collector of the Day, Johnny “Problem” Kuntzmann. Johnny recently relocated to Seattle from Wilmington, Delaware. Johnny was nice enough to take the time to answer our questions about why he collects vinyl, his first vinyl purchase, his thoughts on sorting/cataloging records, recent purchases, records he would love to own and see pressed, and more. Thanks Johnny for taking the time to answer our questions.

You, too, can answer our questions and submit your Vinyl Collector of the Day feature. What are you waiting for? You can find the questions here.

Click the link to read more about Johnny.

VC: Your name and the city you live in.
Johnny “Problem” Kuntzmann, until recently Wilmington, DE. but as of a month ago Seattle, WA.

VC: Do you catalog your records online? Where are they? Are you on the VC Message board? What is your username? Do you use Limited Pressing? What is your username?
Ya know, I tried but its far too daunting a task, my records aren’t even in any sort of order.

VC: How many records do you own?
No clue but if I had to guess, maybe 200 or so 7 inches, another couple hundred LP’s and a handful of 10 inches and oddities.

VC: How do you sort your records? How do you store your records?
Sort? Thats a really good idea, I should look into it. Store? The typical Ikea Expedit.

VC: Why do you collect vinyl?
I just always have, when I started buying music as a kid vinyl was the predominate format and I just always bought it if it was an available option.

VC: What was the first record you remember purchasing with your own money?
It was either Clash “Combat Rock” or 7 Seconds “Walk Together, Rock Together”. I was lucky enough to get into skateboards around the same time as music and some older skatepunk kids schooled me on cool bands.

VC: What is your most prized record in your collection?
Not that its got monetary value but my wife and I received a copy of The Fastbacks “Very, Very Powerful Motor” signed by Kim Warnick congratulating us on getting married.

VC: What release would you like to see come out on vinyl that hasn’t yet been released?
I’d love to see the Thorns of Life material released in ANY format but preferably vinyl.

VC: What is the most you have spent for a record?
Not sure, probably like $60 for a pressing of Misfits “Walk Among Us” that I needed.

VC: What has been your greatest vinyl score (least amount of money spent for a valued record)?
I have a lot of records I’ve bought when they were first released that went on to be considered high ticket items, like early Revelation records ect. and I guess having friends give me early Screeching Weasel 7 inches for free because they knew I really dug the band and they had “outgrown” their punk phase.

VC: What record(s) have you regretted not buying? (Not one you should have ordered – but actually had in your hand at a record fair, seen in a shop, had in your shopping cart, but did not buy.)
Probably the Shaking Street pressing of The Queers “Grow Up”

VC: What out of print record would you kill to own?
I’d love to have a copy of the Ruby/Slash records press of Sweet Baby “It’s a Girl”.

VC: What are your thoughts on color variants? Do you collect any artists in particular?
I dig ’em but that’s a bit of the comic book geek in me, I love variants and weird stuff, Dead Weather’s new triple decker record thing looks rad! Screeching Weasel, Misfits and the entire Rip Off Records catalog are sets I’m trying to complete.

VC: Do you sell or trade records?
Not really.

VC: Do you have any good record stores in your home town? Which ones do you frequent?
I’m really just discovering my new home town but it seems like Seattle has several rad vinyl-centric stores.

VC: Your last 5 records that you purchased?
Just preordered the new Justin Townes Earle, Forgetters and the new Tumbledown. Also recently picked up Leatherface “The Stormy Petrel” and the 180-Gram release of Lucero “Rebels, Rogues and Sworn Brothers”.