York man's vinyl collection spans nearly 60 years

John Fletcher has collected vinyl since the 1960s and now holds about 3,000 singles and 2,500 albums; the collection is insured for £12,000 and he says he once pulled unwanted records from skips.

John Fletcher has been collecting vinyl for almost 60 years and answers questions about why the hobby matters to him. He began buying records around 1963 and values the physical object as the end product of many people's work. He recently moved the collection into a purpose-built room and pared it down to fit the space. He also recalls rescuing unwanted albums and singles from skips when cassettes and CDs became popular. Key details: - The collection includes about 3,000 singles and 2,500 albums. - The whole collection is insured for £12,000 and he revalues it approximately every two years using sources such as the Record Collector Guide, Discogs and eBay. - He stores records carefully: cleaning them, matching period company sleeves, placing them in polythene outer sleeves and filing alphabetically in year order, with special categories for genres and artists. - He mentioned specific items and values, including early Pink Floyd albums around £350–£400 each and a cited sale of a mint Sex Pistols single for £13,000. - He does not operate as a dealer; spare items are donated to charity or schools, and he said the collection will likely go to his two sons or be sold in the future. Summary: Fletcher's collection represents a personal archive of music across decades and includes locally produced vinyl that he sees as a social record. He maintains detailed storage and valuation practices, and has indicated the collection will either be inherited by his sons or sold, with the timing undetermined at this time.