Marlon Trachsel lives with his girlfriend and baby daughter in the countryside of Bern, Switzerland. A plastic engineer by trade, the dude loves to spend some of his free time looking for vinyl, especially that of the Misfits variety. It's nice to have Marlon join the Record Collector club.
How long have you been collecting records?
I bought my first records when I started to go to punk and hardcore shows in 1999. In the beginning, I was not really into collecting vinyl and only bought records now and then, some show exclusives or 7“, but I soon became addicted to collecting records. I've been collecting seriously for 12 years now. First I collected all different pressings from my favourite bands like H2O, BoySetsFire, etc., but with all the re-pressings, it has become an endless story [laughs]. Nowadays, I’d rather save up for some rare records that are on my wantlist than buying every new release... quality over quantity.
Where/how do you usually find your records these days?
I buy most of my records online, eBay, Discogs, Instagram, or message boards for sold out and rare records, and mailorder or distros for new releases. But what I like most about collecting records is digging through boxes either at record fairs, distros at shows, or in stores all around the world. If I travel, I always check out the local record stores. I easily lose track of time while I'm digging. It‘s always interesting and you never know what you find.
What is the most you paid for a single record, where/how did you obtain it, and what was it?
I've overpaid and underpaid for records. I knew that it could get expensive when I started to collect Misfits records, fortunately, I got some before the prices really exploded. These days, it's nearly impossible to add something new to the collection. I guess I should have started 20 years earlier [laughs]. To come back to your question, this year I had the chance to buy a white 3 Hits From Hell. I never thought that I will spend so much for a single record, but I wanted it for so long and these don’t pop up often, so I bought it. Some months later, another copy was on eBay and it already sold for much more than I paid, so I'm still happy I made that deal.
If you had to pick one record label you feel had/has the best track record of quality releases, who would that be and what are some key titles you love?
Definitly Revelation Records. Sick of It All introduced me to hardcore and the s/t 7“ is just amazing. Gorilla Biscuits Start Today is one of my al-time favurite hardcore records and the list of bands on Revelation Records—like Warzone, Ignite, Judge, Shai Hulud...and so on—is overwhelming.
Of everything in your current collection, what is your most prized record and why?
Glassjaw's Coloring Book, it was sold in a bundle with the ticket for their Paramount show in 2013. The vinyl is seperated in a 7“ a 10“ and a 12“ ring in different colors which is randomly combinated to 120 copies. It’s just a true collectors item and also a great memory from the show.
Is there anything that frustrates you about the current record collecting scene?
Shipping prices from the States to Europe cost more than the actual record... this sucks. And of course flippers. It’s like they are everywhere! You have to be up to date with pre-orders cause they sold out super fast and 5 minutes later they’re on eBay or Dicogs. Best example is the Gorilla Biscuits 30th Anniversary Box Set. I’m super happy that I was able to pre-order one, but there are a lot of serious collectors who wheren’t able to grab it and now eBay is flooded with copies.
Which records are still on your want list that you've had a tough time tracking down through the years?
I would love to own the Antidote Thou Shalt Not Kill 7”, a small hole Misfits 3 Hits From Hell, and of course, a colored Earth A.D.! Besides that, I've been looking for a copy of Glassjaw’s Don Fury demo tape for years!
***
Follow Marlon on Instagram.
Tagged: record collector
