He Andreas!
Very strong view of things there! Nice to read you so passionate about it!
honestly: I’ve been a DJ all my youth and I was always very passionate about (electronic music in this case) vinyl as well. Much because of other interests there was not SO much time to dig through recordstores and I just raised a collection of about .. 700? 12inces. Still a lot of stuff already and probably more than a usual music fan would collect.
But I actually stopped buying records! And I’m quite of the opposite opinion by the time now!
I remember how I carried around a 100 record cube around for gigs. How I had bruises on the hips and sore arms 
Sometimes you had a fat whitelabel test press just because of a small part of a track. Or a whole album because of 1 or 2 songs.. And now I have that stuff standing in my flat in Berlin where I already moved away..
So I got myself a Traktor Scratch Pro and started to digitize too. And the first times I played the MP3s of some really precious songs I felt … that feeling of like I really take something of that valuably vinyl. You know: Each time you play a record you destroy it a little. But this time I was on the save side!
Now when I collect digital music. Yes I don’t have a physical representation of it! And I don’t think its necessary anymore. Of course you can have Terrabytes of music and have never listened to 99% of the songs.. But it can happen to vinyls in a similar way when a full crate is sold for 10€ .. it sometimes ends up in the attic!
I for my part feel passionate about SONGS about Music no matter what medium! If its not live: Its canned either way. ( Sure: I’d like to get rid of most of my records for the digital version but some of them: I’d probably never give away! But in general I’m not passionate about that physical posessions the same way I don’t care for cars, big house or bling bling.. )
When on the dancefloor it finally comes out of the speakers and makes some body move is it really important anymore?
I think I take the same time and thought into setting up a digital set like I used to do it with vinyls. And thats what really counts for me! But: I’m glad that I don’t have to carry that much, glad that I can search with a couple keystrokes, place tags and even share songs in the middle of the night to play them right away!!
And after all I’m quite glad that less energy and resources were wasted on transporting the music.
Oldschool vinyl has its place for sure! Its simply part of the story! And I myself propelled that story long after people told it to be dead already!! (I skipped CDs completely)
But for me its really ok to let go. I have SO much stuff in my life. Physical stuff as well like those records too. And I’d really rather have LESS of it!! ( had to remember george carlin here ;] http://youtu.be/MvgN5gCuLac )
Well… sure: This digital distribution opens other ways to abuse of it all. On one hand its easier to get music without crediting the artists or music companies and to pile up unusable redundand heaps of digital rubbish..
But on the other: Artists can now bring music to the people more directly, get funded directly too! (e.g. bandcamp.com – “name your price”) or simply ask for donations and get money without having an “evil inhuman megacoorperation” inbetween.. ;]
And I really like to pay for the digital song only! (Less stuff!) And I’d love to pay you too for doing this here! No Shit: Why not have a flattr button or paypal donate?
Finally cool songs of Eggy Ley´s Jazzmen! Thanks a lot!
Pardon me for long reply. But I find it really interesting that we have a kind of opposite situation here. Hope you don’t hate me now :]
sincerely cheers:
ëRiC