Organize my lp record collection

How are your records organized? It gets tough near the end with compilations and record co. labels.
Should 49th State Hawaii Records Co., Waikiki Records Co., Hula Records, Inc. and such be put in the library by company?

How about exotica artists like Les Baxter? Should the soundtrack albums or his Balladeers be with his exotica stuff?
Are there any other anomalies I am missing? Jawaiian, lounge, jazz, Guy Warren, Perez Prado.....
Thanks for the help.

Haha...when I was living in Portland, OR I started cataloging my collection using an actual library system of filing...everything alphabetically by artist & by title for compilations. But I found that not very browsing friendly for physically trying to find things. I ended up filing them the way we used to do it at KCCN-AM Honolulu back in the days when we still used LPS....Alpha by artist, then comps grouping the well known labels that were known primarily FOR compilations together (49th State, Waikiki). I also have group all my "Luke Leilani" budget labels Hawaiian LPs together, because I really enjoy just loooking at them. It was easier to find things. I put my exotica and "other south pacific" records seperately.
In the library system, Soundtracks should go under film title. And for some things like "South Pacific" or "Hawaii (James Michner's)" that makes sense, but some obscure film by an artist I like (Such as Les Baxter's "Bora Bora" or "Sacred Idol"), I'd file under the artist as I'd be more likely to look for it there. My rules are not hard & fast..I always just figure "Well, where would I naturaly LOOK for this?" With nearly 3,000 LPS..I want it to make sense to ME...:)

Simply file things in a way that will allow you to remember where they are. I must have Les Baxter LPs split up in 5 different genres. That works for me. If organizing by spine color works for you, do it that way.

I split my records into rock/pop, blues/country, exotica/lounge, and misc/comp. The only thing I do a little differently than some folks is that I sort artists down further into mono and stereo sections.

gabbahey

for me, when its organized, its:
Surf/Instro/Spy/Spaghetti Western/Space
Hawaiian/South Pacific Islands/Exotica,
Jazz
then other,
Metal/Classic Rock/Alternative
Soundtracks/Rock and Easy listening separated

all alphabetical by band, then if many titles by a band, chronological,
then Compilations at the end of that category in alphabetical order.

I'm prob. missing something.
but that'll do for now.

Jeff(btd)

Thanks everybody! Fortunately, I only have about 300 albums that work well in a home tiki bar. Although, it is highly likely that that could jump another hundred before the year is out.
Kaiwaza thanks a bunch! I just recently noticed the back of Hawaiian Holiday. The one with your name on it. Not the other 50. :D
OnyaBirri, yours sounds tough to me. :) I have to keep Baxter together, Balladeers maybe someplace else. :lol: Are you from the SD? Or relate to Onya Birri.
Gabba, dig it. I do the mono/stereo.
Jeff, good seeing you at the Sand Devils LAST gig at Brad and Marion's. I try to hide the metal lps. But, it sneaks in when I'm alone in the lounge cleaning.

I know it's kind of "anti-LP" but how about just numbering the albums and then listing artist, title, genre, label, year, etc in a computer database. You could probably even keep it on your SmartPhone for easy barside access. You just search the database for whatever you were looking for and go directly to that numbered album. They even make color coded number tags so you can easily see if something is out of place.

I understand your love for vinyl (not that kind of vinyl!) but the search function is one of the big advantages of digital files. This way you get the best of both.