Discogs and Permanent Records Present Public Sale of Acclaimed Journalist Mikal Gilmore's Personal Music Collection

First Drop Features Rare Releases from David Bowie, Joni Mitchell, New Order, Bad Brains, Descendents, AC/DC, Alice In Chains & More

Today, Discogs , the world's largest music discovery and record collecting platform, and Permanent Warehouse, the Discogs-exclusive sister shop of Los Angeles institution Permanent Records , announce the public sale of the personal music collection of acclaimed journalist and author Mikal Gilmore.

Building on the extraordinary success of Discogs and Academy Records' sale of Tom Verlaine's personal collection - which launched last month with an initial online offering of 1,000 records, and sold out in under six hours - collectors around the world will soon have another rare opportunity to own a piece of music history. Beginning Friday, July 17, Discogs and Permanent Warehouse will present the first drop of the Mikal Gilmore collection, available exclusively through Discogs. The debut drop will feature more than 1,000 of the collection's most sought-after LPs, singles, CDs, andmusic ephemera, drawn from a collection of more than 30,000 items, with additional drops to follow.

For nearly five decades, Mikal Gilmore has been one of music journalism's most trusted and influential voices, chronicling the artists, albums, and cultural movements that shaped modern music. Since joining Rolling Stone in 1976, he has built a remarkable body of work through definitive reporting and landmark interviews with artists including Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, Patti Smith, Mick Jagger, Neil Young, Tom Waits, Leonard Cohen, David Bowie, and countless others. Beyond Rolling Stone, Gilmore has served as music editor for LA Weekly and the Los Angeles Herald Examiner, authored acclaimed books on rock history, and continues to explore music and culture through his Substack Night Beat - developing the deep relationships and unparalleled access that have made him a firsthand witness to the evolution of rock, punk, folk, soul, jazz, and popular music.

Gilmore's archive is a living record of decades spent at the crossroads of artists, labels, and the music industry. Alongside original and first pressings are hundreds of promotional copies, advance releases, test pressings, press kits, and other pieces of music history that arrived directly from the musicians, record companies, and industry figures whose work he covered. Many still include promotional inserts, correspondence, and other ephemera that reveal the relationships behind the records themselves.

The first drop showcases some of the collection's most coveted pieces, including test pressings of Bad Brains' Rock for Lightand New Order's Movement; a promotional copy of Alice In Chains' We Die Young; first pressings of Joni Mitchell's Blue and Descendents' Milo Goes to College; and David Bowie's The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars alongside a copy of Low complete with original promotional materials. Many of the artists represented are the very musicians Gilmore profiled throughout his career, giving collectors the rare opportunity to own records connected not only to the artists themselves, but to one of the journalists who helped shape how generations experienced their work.

"Mikal Gilmore's archive is one of the largest and best collections we've ever had the privilege to handle," said Lance Barresi, owner of Permanent Records. "The condition is immaculate and the amount of ephemera included is mind-blowing. There are more promos and press kits in these 17,000-plus records than we've ever seen before in one collection. The personalized notes from some of the people that sent these records to Mikal are beautifully heartwarming too. Mikal took great care of his records and we're honored to help find them new homes."

-Lance Barresi, Owner of Permanent Records

At its core, Discogs exists to preserve and connect the history of recorded music. Discogs Drops extends that mission by bringing landmark collections to the global collecting community, ensuring that the stories behind the records are preserved alongside the records themselves. Built through nearly five decades at the heart of music journalism, the Mikal Gilmore Collection offers collectors the rare opportunity to own a tangible piece of that history while ensuring this remarkable archive continues its journey in the hands of the next generation of music lovers.

About Discogs

Discogs is a music discovery and record collecting platform empowered by a community of obsessed fans from all over the world. With a comprehensive, crowdsourced discography integrated with a global music marketplace and personalized collection management tools, Discogs helps music fans and record collectors around the world discover music, buy and sell records, connect with community, fuel their collecting journey, and deepen their connection to music.

About Permanent Warehouse

Before the vinyl resurgence, Lance Barresi went against the mainstream and opened a brick-and-mortar record store called Permanent Records in Chicago in 2006 while many others were closing and big box chains were moving away from physical media. Over the course of the last 20 years, Permanent has become a well-respected institution for rare and collectible vintage vinyl. In 2019, the Permanent Records' Roadhouse, an independent live music venue, full-line liquor bar, AND highly-curated record store was established and it has already become known as a legendary venue and hub for the Los Angeles music community.

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