Music collector finds tear-jerking letter inside used vinyl record — from the original owner's mom

Collectors are often on the hunt for unique or rare treasures, but sometimes the most meaningful finds are priceless in sentiment rather than cash value. That was the experience of a music enthusiast, u/Muctur, who bought a used vinyl record and found a deeply touching letter from the previous owner’s mother tucked inside. Moved by the unexpected discovery, they shared the letter on Reddit, striking an emotional chord with the online community.

"Bought a used LP. I found this inside. Right in the feels," the caption of the post read. The letter began, "Dear Collector, Just in case you want to know where this record is coming from- I am Mark's mother. Mark left us in 2002. He suffered a heart attack at age 39 while running in the Oregon coastal mountains. The only consolation we have is he died in a beautiful place doing what he loved the most. He loved running, music, and, of course, his son Kai." The mom shared that her son was an ocean surfer. "Mark collected all this music in the 80th while he was in college. I would occasionally ask him when he schlepped (sic) all this music home (2000 CDs + over 600 vinyl LPs)! 'What do you want me to do with all this music if something should happen to you?'" 

"'Listen to it, Mom,' he would say. Well, I did listen to a few, but now it is time to share them. I am doing the best I can- doing research, listing, shipping, etc. But it is good therapy for me to see it being shared all over the world. The money from it will go towards Kai's education," the mom continued. "Thank you for your support. And when you play it, play it loud for Mark! Cheers, Sabine," the mom concluded her letter. The record was an original "Superunknown" by Soundgarden with blue vinyl, per a comment from the buyer. People in the comments loved the heart-touching note by Mark's mother.

u/foreverin16bit wrote, "Damn, just when you think humanity took a crap, something like this touches base with reality and how we all are connected in some form or fashion. Music is the lifeblood for most, including me. His mom has allowed her son's life to transgress with his music and the love he had for it. Big ups to the family, and I am truly sorry for their loss." u/jimmyrhcp remarked, "Music transcends language and is something we can all enjoy. Great to see that his collection is helping with the healing/grieving process." 

u/obso1337user commented, "This will likely go on deaf ears (or blind eyes as it's the internet), but in the mid-2000s, I was part of a Nick Cave fan forum. One of our members went missing for a while, which we all thought was weird because he was such an active member of the community. His username was BrownCow and he was funny, kind and loved to troll people for a couple of posts before giving up the game and laughing with everybody. We found out that he had died. I don't remember from what, but it wasn't suicide, I'm certain of, and one of the forum members found out how to contact his family. The family decided that the best way to give out his music collection was to mail it bit by bit to his forum friends. To this day, the most cherished music for me that was not given to me by my own father is that of a friend, which I received after his death. To this day, I honor his death every year by listening to the three CDs (two of which are bootleggers) in his honor. We miss you, BrownCow."