Just an idle thought that struck me recently, thought I'd throw it out there.

First off, I'm an avid CD buyer when it comes to music, cannot be doing with downloads, I like to have something tangible in my hand.

Most recently, I have taken to always buying music in groups, at least 4 albums at a time. This stemmed mostly from taking advantage of offers / minimising shipping costs and things like that. However, I've discovered that this has a noticeable benefit. In the days of yore, when I was somewhat poorer and could only afford single CDs at a time, I would tend to end up overlistening to the new CD almost completely at the exclusion of the rest of my selection, sometimes to the point where it would be a good long while before I could listen to it again. Nowadays, I can chop and change between the new stuff and I find this helps prevent things suffering any 'staleness' due to overlistening.

I'm terrible for listening to CDs until I nearly never wanna hear them again

My other bad habit (sometimes) is just skipping to certain tracks, never really giving the rest a chance - you'd think I'd learn after all these years

A friend works in the local record shop and he says that business is fairly low (it a one man operation and my friend helps out over lunch time and stuff).

It makes me wonder if record shops (especially independent ones) need to rethink their business, some people will always want CDs or vinyl or whatever, but the majority will jump on the next technological bandwagon, which at the moment is downloads...

I agree, but I recently tried just downloading and burning the tracks to CD, and it was better than buying an official CD for the fact that I was holding the thing barely 20min after deciding to get it. I think in the long run that may well win. You still have to wait a fair time for a hardcopy even with an express delivery, or travel quite a way to find a decent shop.

Only admitting to one bad habit?

I buy CD's in bulk, especially if they are cheap, or will buy as an extra to get deals like on Amazon, needing £15 to get free delivery so will buy enough to get that discount. I think that the most I have bought in one go is around 120 CD's I needed a rucksack to get them home.

Up until a few years back, I too would buy an album and listen to it repeatedly until I knew the lyrics by heart and the meanings in them. Then I wouldn't listen to them for ages. Typically I'd play it all once, then go back and listen to my fave tracks for a while, then listen to the other tracks, then listen to the CD. Then get fed and listen to something else. The other day I listened to The Eminem Show - something that I had not listened to in years. I didn't specifically select it but it happened to be the next album on my car stereo. It was an amazing experience to listen to it and still appreciate it the way I did all those years ago.

Now I tend to download music, I tend not to pay attention as much. The last album must've been Jay-z's The Blueprint 3. Could barely tell you the track names, let alone sing any of the lyrics.

You know that it's only a fiver with Amazon now, and even that may have changed?

That's exactly what I did when I was younger. I still know every word to every track on certain albums, and it's almost painful to hear the tracks in the wrong order.

More recently, I just don't listen to music so much. I do listen to music on-line via MySpace et al but so far I've never actually bought a download. Socially, I think most of my music comes from Youtube which is not great quality but does come with pictures!

I still buy CDs, which usually have free delivery unless I'm importing them in which case they work out stupidly expensive. I think all of my music purchases this year have been from Japan, including paying nearly £30 for a single on the day of release

Yes but all the CD's I want are under that.

I haven't bought any CDs for years. I think the last one was the Cure B-Sides booklet with 2 or 3 CDs in it.

I'm just not really interested in music these days. I listen to podcasts and talk radio, unless the GF or her daughters are in the car...

i do all my music buying from Play or Amazon usually 2 or 3 at a time, but since all the music i like is rather old i rarely end up paying more than a tenner for all of them

I am the same. I do not listen to music stations except when in the car with friends. The only way I hear new music is in movies on TV and in podcasts. Music has to compete with my entertainment spend because of games DVDs beer etc.