Hello, Goodbye

I honestly don't remember what started me on the Beatles path. Much of it came from a friend of mine who put me on the road to wanting more than just what the radio played. He was the biggest Beatles fan I had known to date and it must have worn off on me.

I was born in 1961, so I was just a child at the height of Beatlemania. I have vague memories of snippets from the radio, but nothing concrete. A driver's license allowed me to go to record stores on my time. A lack of funds directed my spending to the used record stores, where albums could be had for a buck or two.

Years ago it was easier to accumulate a record collection because, well, there were records. I remember dragging out my turntable to listen to an album and my then 8 year old daughter asking what that was. Like many people, my music today is all digitized and I carry around thousands of songs in my pocket. Very different from the days of big beautiful black discs that we played once to record on a cassette tape and then jealously protected from heat and dust, savoring the beauty of the artwork on the album cover and the unmistakable sound of soft static and often a persistent, regular, soft click.

As the years passed, I found himself seeking out original records wherever I could find them. It was a constant work in progress and one which was enjoyable...learning something I may not have known, trying to avoid counterfeits, digging through estate sale boxes, flea markets and swap meets.

Collecting was put on hold behind family, home and career. I always thought once things settled down I would allow myself to answer the siren call of Beatles collecting.

Life, as they say, has a way of getting in the way of living. January 2009 brought unemployment and the worry of making the mortgage payment. It was finally time to sell the Beatles records. The response was less than I hoped, but times were tough. The majority sold before we packed up and moved to another state. The balance would eventually be listed and sold, with the final sale on April 03, 2010.

Like many people, I have found having something is never as enjoyable as sharing it with others. While I miss the thrill of the chase in collecting the Fab Four, I am pleased others have taken up the same challenge and was happy to be a part of their hunt for the big score.