The advent of music-sharing websites contributed to a new generation of record collectors dedicated to preserving the symbolic-exchange value of rare vinyl records. In “The Fetishism of the Commodity and Its Secret,” Marx explains that term “symbolic-exchange value” refers to “the exchange of objects as a symbol of a social relationship between human subjects” (Marx 1867: 331). The classic illustration of commodities with exchange value would be gifts and ritual objects. This section of the study will investigate the symbolic-exchange value of rare vinyl records within the framework the blogosphere—the totality of blogs on the Internet and for the conversations taking place in these spaces. Furthermore, this study will examine the effects music-sharing websites have had on the symbolic-exchange value of rare records over the past five years.

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