Melina Pieters’ Mina’s Vinyl Paradise Instagram account is
a haven for Pink Floyd, Marillion and David Bowie albums, but there’s a special place for German punks Die Ärzte, too..
What was the first record you bought?
“I was about 12 years old when I started to collect records. At that time, I regularly visited my friend in Stuttgart. She had just discovered her passion for vinyl and pulled me into a shop in downtown Stuttgart. There, I bought my first LP, Toto IV, as well as some other Toto records, because I was a huge fan at that time. My parents were convinced it was only a phase and my 13th birthday gift was a very cheap and simple record player. They were wrong, because I’ve been a passionate collector from then until today!”
Which artists and genres are you most interested in?
“My absolute favourite is Marillion. I discovered them at the age of 13 by chance when I first listened to Kayleigh. Today, I’m the proud owner of every one of their albums on vinyl and I’ve been to about 20 concerts, including the Marillion Weekends in the Netherlands. Later, I came across Pink Floyd, who are also among my big loves nowadays. In general, I’m a huge fan of progressive rock, and my passion for David Bowie has not diminished.”
How many records do you have?
“Currently, I own about 650 records that have piled up over the last 12 years, but there is still room for more. There are definitely more albums on my wishlist than in my collection. If my passion had always been as strong as it is now, I would certainly own five times as many records as I do.”
What’s the most valuable record in your collection?
“My most valuable records are definitely those of the German punk band Die Ärzte, as all their albums have a small circulation and will never be pressed again. As a collector you have to be ready to take off, as the prices jack up instantly. For example, today the 2006 Best Of box is traded for up to €700. Other valuable records in my collection are Alice Cooper’s Along Came A Spider from 2008 on clear vinyl and Marillion’s 2013 reissue of their concept album Brave.”
What’s the Holy Grail record that you’d most like to own?
“One of my favourite movies is Stanley Kubrick’s masterpiece The Shining from 1980. I would die for the soundtrack on vinyl! I’d also like to have the limited French Harvest pressing of Pink Floyd’s Animals on pink vinyl from 1977 and the orange promo vinyl of The Wall, which was distributed by Harvest at a press conference in Italy. But that would be too good to be true.”
What’s your listening setup?
“My turntable is an old Swiss-made Lenco L-247, which I received a few years ago from a friend of my parents. I use the Bose Acoustimass 3 Series IV speaker system, which is connected to my Sony STR- DE197 receiver.”
