Collections Interview
Name: Paul
Forum Username: Breakinguptheguy
Location: Glasgow , Scotland , UK
Age: 22
When and how did you get into Garbage?
I was 12 years old, and it was Spring 1996. I was quite heavily into indie music back then and am indie compilation CD called ‘Best Album In The World…Ever' was being advertised. I saw clips of Stupid Girl..and I was like ‘Who's that?'. Over the course of the year I heard more about them but didn't know anymore tunes, til my friend taped Queer for me, and then I saw them play the MTV EMA's with Milk and that was it. My Christmas shopping list was revised to get the album, the singles and the video.
When did you start collecting?
I got a hold of the #1 Crush single from Europe and then I found out about the 7” vinyls in 1997 sometime, and bought up all the stuff I could find. Then came Version 2.0 and it's cool packaged items, and from then on I was hooked.
Do you or did you have any aims when you started out collecting?
My first aim was just to get all the singles on CD and that was it. Then I came across a few promos and imports and before I knew it I was collecting more or less everything. I got my first promo video ‘Push It' when I was 15. I still have a soft spot for the promo videos to this day.
How big is your collection?
I currently have about 350 official playable items, another 100 or so merchandise/memorabilia items, about 40 bootlegs/interviews, and about 60 live show CDs as well as a clippings collection that runs to about 1,000 pages from 1995 thru to this year.
What is your favourite Garbage item in your collection?
Hard to pick. I love a lot of them equally. I guess it'd be a tie between The Trick Is To keep Breathing releases, the Shut Your Mouth singles or the Breaking Up The Girl remix promo cd. There is a common theme there….all of them come in green coloured sleeves. Maybe the video promo I got that has 13 different videos on it would rate up there, if not on top, too.
How much do you think you have spent on your collection?
Between 5 or 10 grand. I cant remember how much I paid for things off eBay. I've had some great bargains (trash39 for a fiver) and I've paid way over the odds for things as well. Count in postage, packaging, internet services, Paypal fees… it all adds up.
What’s the most you have spent on a Garbage item?
Interestingly I don't think I've ever spent more than £50 on any single item. Which was for the Vow 7” metal sleeve, back in 1999.
What’s the most you would ever spend on a Garbage item and what is it?
I think I'd pay upwards of £100 for either a TRASH01 or a copy of ‘In Print' or what I really want is the rubber press pack that was given to journalists on Garbage's first ever press junket – on board a River Thames ferry!
Does your Garbage collecting Obsession stretch to seeing the band live in concert?
Eg: Do you follow the band from Show to Show for a period during a tour?
Yes. I've seen them 4 times now since August 1998. Twice in Glasgow , twice in Edinburgh . I'm off to London for the june Brixton show, then when they come back for a full European tour I'm doing London , Scotland , possibly another show in UK , and maybe France and Sweden . I've been wanting to visit Wisconsin and Australia , so maybe I can arrange a week or two away to coincide with any shows in the future. I've never really had the money to do the ‘full tour' thing, but I'd love to!
Will you ever sell your Garbage collection? If you were asked this same question in 5 years time what would your answer be?
Actually I’ve sold off about 10 things I’d gotten for two reasons 1). I needed to raise money quick for the London show and 2). The things I sold in particular didn’t mean that much to me. I don’t mean that in any way to undermine the specific releases I sold, but I just didn’t have the same connection to them I have with some of the other Garbage releases I have.
In fifteen years who knows. My joke to my mum is always “Don’t bother with life insurance to pay for my funeral, just lob the lot on eBay, that’ll pay for it”!