Paul Mahwhinney

Here, courtesy of Sean Dunne and Vimeo, is a vinyl junkie’s wet dream.

Pittsburgh PA’s Paul Mahwhinney is, due to health problems and poor market conditions, forced to sell the world’s largest record collection.

The collection’s value was once appraised at $50 MILLION. In February, he closed his store, Record-Rama, when the collection failed to meet a $3 MILLION minimum bid.

The only possible buyers of a collection that size are the record companies, but they have their own problems.

(Philly people – note the Dynagroove record that pops up at 0:48. (OK, so it isn’t THAT Dynagroove))

This collection is virtually unprecedented, a veritable Library of Alexandria of vinyl.

Another library, the Library of Congress, took a look at his record collection a few years ago.

Based on their survey, they estimate only 17% of the records produced between 1944 and 1966 are available commercially.

Paul Mahwhinney has the other 83%.

Here’s hoping the collection, or the parts therof, finds a good home.

However, at the other end of the Quaker State, Philly’s own Val Shively is no slouch either;

(link from Eric O’Connor on Postal Blowfish)