100th Post - Thank You!

I wanted to do something special for the 100th post on HiFiCollector.com. Not because anyone asked for it, but simply because it's a milestone that I'm proud to celebrate on behalf of the great community we are forming.

First and foremost, thanks to all of you who have become regular readers and contributors. Whether you discovered HiFiCollector.com through Google, one of the many audio forums, or by word-of-mouth, as the saying goes, "I don't care how you got here, I'm just glad you came." Honestly I don't know that's an authentic quote, but it should be nonetheless, so thank you - one and all.

Secondly, I wanted to solicit for further gear photos and stories. I'm running through my gear at a dizzying pace, so in order to continue posting new gear to this site, I'll need contributions from our HiFiCollector.com community. Perhaps I could have sandbagged - paced my posts a little better, but honestly, I was having too much fun and opted to jump in with both feet - create a buzz about the site, and spark interest far and wide. Judging by the site statistics, I think I've succeeded. Check out the map graphic above of just the visitors from the last 60 days. It's hard to tell from those little dots, but that's nearly 4,000 visits - Stupendous!

Finally, I thought I'd share a bit more about my interest in vintage audio gear. This fascination with mid-to-late 70's gear dates back to that time when all this gear was new and I couldn't afford it. I've heard similar stories from collectors and audiophiles, and I believe this also applies to many varieties of collecting. Coveting these things can lead to a lifelong desire to gather as much as one's wallet and/or significant other will allow. Shelves full of gear though don't always bring satisfaction. As many of you may attest, collecting is an ongoing process, and our craving for gear doesn't stop simply because we run out of shelf space. When my shelves are full I simply look around for the most dispensable piece and start looking to trade or sell.

Sounds like I care more about gear than the music I play through it, doesn't it? At the moment this is true. I'm addicted to the gear, and although I do enjoy listening to music, I get an equal thrill from watching the bouncing watt meters on my power amp or switching out my Polk towers for a pair of vintage Advents. Why switch out components? Am I looking for audio perfection or just experimenting with sound?

Well, I know that I don't want to achieve audio perfection (not yet, anyway), I want to continually strive for perfection. This is where my enjoyment is at the moment. I have a goal though, and that goal is that someday I'll settle on a system long enough to sit back and actually enjoy the music I'm listening to. There is so much good music out there, and for me - so much undiscovered jazz and classical. My hope is that I'll find similar satisfaction from musical discovery and the adventure therein, that I do now from my love of gear and the thrill I receive from collecting and keeping this site going. This change of focus from gear to musical enjoyment might be a conscious one, or it may coincide with my back becoming damaged to the point where the heaviest thing I'm able to lift is a CD - time will tell.

So thank you! 100 posts is just the beginning. There's way too much undiscovered vintage gear out there, and I can hear it calling my name.