How to Collect Picture Disc Record Albums

Collecting picture disc record albums is a hobby that can be enjoyed by the young and old alike. They come in all shapes and sizes, and by every type of recording artist imaginable. There are classic picture discs from yesterday that can be found and new ones still being produced today.

What is a Record Album?

A record album is the device commonly used in ancient times ( twenty-five-years ago) to hold recordings of music for audio playback. For those not familiar with the concept, a record album is a twelve-inch disc made of vinyl. They have a hole in the middle to hold them onto the turntable of a phonograph (record player) and delicate, intricate grooves which when rolled over by a needle (or a diamond chip) spinning in a circular pattern at 33 1/3 rpm (revolutions per minute) produce music which can be heard through gigantic speakers.

A record album differs from your standard record in that it usually contains a collection of songs by one particular group, such as the Beatles. A standard record, 7 inches wide and played at 45 rpm, holds only two songs, one on the front and one on the back. These were much cheaper and would enable you to purchase only the specific songs that you liked, which proved to be the downfall of certain recording artists now known as, one hit wonders.

A record album is similar to the modern compact disc (CD) only they were much larger and had music grooves on both sides of the disc. A brand-new record album would produce superior playback, the first couple of times you played it, but the tiniest nick in one of the grooves would create scratchy irritating sounds that over time would become worse and worse. Within a few months of repeated playback you would need to replace your favorite record album with a new one.

How Record Albums were Packaged and Sold