I find that most people in my life have at least one "thing" they are collecting. It is often an insight into their personality and it is fun to hear people talk about something they are passionate about.
Record collector here too. I can tell you exactly when I started, and it was when I saw a copy of Beggar's Banquet by the Rolling Stones for 50p in a charity shop. Didn't even have a record player at the time. Now I've got 471 records and counting and spend far too much money on the hobby.