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 socialRead More…

Cohabitation: it’s an endless series of compromises, all supposedly worthwhile in the name of true love and cheaper rent. We don’t just share our homes and beds with our spouses and significant others — we also share a lifetime’s worth of possessions, and the obsessions that drive us to amassRead More…

Vinyl records capture the imagination. In my hometown of Olympia, Washington, independent craft artists fashion bowls to and household items out of vinyl, appealing to the local indie market. In Brooklyn, the hipster set has revived an interest in vinyl records. I, too, have always seen the charm in theRead More…