Blab Music
Tom Verlaines 4,000-Record Collection Goes on Sale Through Discogs and Academy Records
Fans of Television frontman Tom Verlaine will soon be able to purchase items from the late guitarist’s personal vinyl archive. Beginning June 26, the collection will be available on Discogs, with a selection of titles also offered in person at Academy Records in Brooklyn on July 10–11 before returning to Discogs on July 31. Each Discogs purchase will include a certificate of authenticity.
The archive contains roughly 4,000 records that illustrate the breadth of Verlaine’s listening habits. The set spans jazz, avant‑garde, garage rock, psychedelic music, experimental recordings, and underground releases from around the world. Highlights include personal copies of Television’s “Little Johnny Jewel” single and the band’s debut album Marquee Moon, as well as albums by the 13th Floor Elevators, Nico, Albert Ayler, the Sonics, Love, and Slint.
Academy Records co‑owner Cory Feierman said the collection “is more of an X‑ray than a mirror image.” He added that Verlaine approached his buying with a spirit of adventure and discovery rather than a pursuit of personal holy grails. Discogs’ Russ Ryan noted that the records came to Academy because Tom trusted the shop, and that the company’s role is to keep the collection in circulation rather than lock it away.
The sale follows the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts’ acquisition of Verlaine’s archive earlier this year. The library’s purchase covers the musician’s working life, including lyric drafts, notebooks, correspondence, and unreleased recordings. The archive is now accessible to researchers and the public in various forms.
Academy founder Mike Davis, who had known Verlaine for more than two decades, recalled that the musician specifically requested the records be entrusted to the store before his death. “Before he passed, he specified that he wanted and trusted the records to go to Academy,” Davis said.
The public sale provides a rare opportunity for collectors to own pieces of a key figure in New York’s music history. The selection reflects Verlaine’s wide-ranging influences and his role in shaping Television’s pioneering sound. The archive’s release also underscores the communal nature of record collecting, allowing the music to pass from one set of hands to the next.
As of now, the sale is scheduled to run in three phases: an online launch on June 26, an in‑store event on July 10–11, and a final online round on July 31. The collection’s availability through Discogs and Academy Records ensures that fans worldwide can access the material. The New York Public Library’s stewardship of the broader archive guarantees that Verlaine’s legacy will remain available for future study.
The sale marks the first time the public can own items from Verlaine’s personal collection. The archive’s contents, ranging from rare jazz cuts to Television’s own releases, offer insight into the sounds that informed the guitarist’s work. The event also highlights the continued relevance of vinyl in contemporary music culture and the importance of preserving artists’ personal histories.
In summary, Tom Verlaine’s 4,000‑record collection is now on sale through Discogs and Academy Records, with a schedule that spans June and July. The New York Public Library’s acquisition of the broader archive ensures that Verlaine’s legacy will remain accessible. Collectors can expect to find personal copies of Marquee Moon, rare jazz and experimental releases, and other titles that illustrate the breadth of the late musician’s listening interests.
The archive contains roughly 4,000 records that illustrate the breadth of Verlaine’s listening habits. The set spans jazz, avant‑garde, garage rock, psychedelic music, experimental recordings, and underground releases from around the world. Highlights include personal copies of Television’s “Little Johnny Jewel” single and the band’s debut album Marquee Moon, as well as albums by the 13th Floor Elevators, Nico, Albert Ayler, the Sonics, Love, and Slint.
Academy Records co‑owner Cory Feierman said the collection “is more of an X‑ray than a mirror image.” He added that Verlaine approached his buying with a spirit of adventure and discovery rather than a pursuit of personal holy grails. Discogs’ Russ Ryan noted that the records came to Academy because Tom trusted the shop, and that the company’s role is to keep the collection in circulation rather than lock it away.
The sale follows the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts’ acquisition of Verlaine’s archive earlier this year. The library’s purchase covers the musician’s working life, including lyric drafts, notebooks, correspondence, and unreleased recordings. The archive is now accessible to researchers and the public in various forms.
Academy founder Mike Davis, who had known Verlaine for more than two decades, recalled that the musician specifically requested the records be entrusted to the store before his death. “Before he passed, he specified that he wanted and trusted the records to go to Academy,” Davis said.
The public sale provides a rare opportunity for collectors to own pieces of a key figure in New York’s music history. The selection reflects Verlaine’s wide-ranging influences and his role in shaping Television’s pioneering sound. The archive’s release also underscores the communal nature of record collecting, allowing the music to pass from one set of hands to the next.
As of now, the sale is scheduled to run in three phases: an online launch on June 26, an in‑store event on July 10–11, and a final online round on July 31. The collection’s availability through Discogs and Academy Records ensures that fans worldwide can access the material. The New York Public Library’s stewardship of the broader archive guarantees that Verlaine’s legacy will remain available for future study.
The sale marks the first time the public can own items from Verlaine’s personal collection. The archive’s contents, ranging from rare jazz cuts to Television’s own releases, offer insight into the sounds that informed the guitarist’s work. The event also highlights the continued relevance of vinyl in contemporary music culture and the importance of preserving artists’ personal histories.
In summary, Tom Verlaine’s 4,000‑record collection is now on sale through Discogs and Academy Records, with a schedule that spans June and July. The New York Public Library’s acquisition of the broader archive ensures that Verlaine’s legacy will remain accessible. Collectors can expect to find personal copies of Marquee Moon, rare jazz and experimental releases, and other titles that illustrate the breadth of the late musician’s listening interests.
