Rob Ostermaier/THE POST Charles Kohrmyer works to preserve old country and gospel music in a record collection that has grown so large, he has to store it in a shed behind his house.

Charles Kohrmeyer's record collection is so large it has its own building.

The retired Lodi township man said he has no idea exactly how many records he owns, but they - along with an assortment of old radios and stereo equipment - take up every available inch of space in the large shed where they are housed. From the appearance of the room, one would have to estimate his collection numbers more than 1,000 recordings.

"I had them in the house, until the floors started sinking," he said. 'When they started sinking I figured it was time to move them out here."

The records and the shelves they rest on are so heavy that the floor in the building has to be bolstered by a pair of steel beams. None of this, however, dims Korhmeyer's enthusiasm.

"I'd like to expand," he said, and described his plans to create more room.

Korhmeyer said he has been amassing his collection since his discharge from the United States Army in 1964.

"It's mostly country and bluegrass - old time music," he said, as he rummaged through the room, searching for another record to play.

Korhmeyer's collection is made up of every shape and size of records one can imagine. Some shelves are stacked from top to bottom with old 45s, others are filled with LPs, others still contain portfolios of old 78 rpm discs. In a box on top of one shelf, he even has a few old Edison cylinder records.

Most of the music, though, is rooted in Appalachia and the Old West. Korhmeyer proudly points out some of his prized possessions, yodeling records, albums of Civil War ballads, recordings of white gospel groups and even collections of songs sung by Hee-Haw regulars.

When asked if he has any favorite musicians Korhmeyer gladly singles out a few.

"Jimmy Driftwood," he said. "He did 'The Battle of New Orleans.' Most people know it from Jimmy Horton, but Jimmy Driftwood did a better version. Wendy Bagwell - he's gospel, but he can crack you up real quick."

Korhmeyer's collection, though, is not just for his enjoyment. He is slowly recording many of his albums on cassette tapes and recordable compact discs.

"I'll never get the whole collection recorded," he said. "I just try to find the oldest ones and record those."

Korhmeyer's records have also found their way into the hands of local disc jockeys, and he is more than happy to make tapes for those who ask.

"Every once in a while when somebody wants something, I'll record it for them," he said. "I've got a guy right now who I've got to make a few tapes for."

As for how the records get into Korhmeyer's hands, he's not picky.

"Yard sales, auctions, anywhere people sell them - if they've got albums I'll buy them," he said. "I like to buy them where people sell a lot at once."

Unlike most record collectors, Korhmeyer is not picky about the condition his records are in either.

"I've got some in real bad condition," he said, motioning to a box of flood-damaged vinyl. "If they're scratched it doesn't bother me. If they're dirty I use Ivory soap on them."

Korhmeyer is careful to keep his records from warping, however, and said it remains cool in his record building during the summer. He is concerned with preserving the old records he has, as most new music doesn't appeal to him.

"I don't care for the new stuff," he said. "They kept changing the music. In the '50s when rock 'n' roll came out they had to change country music and make it rock 'n' roll. If they hadn't done that country music wouldn't have lasted. Some of that rock, I didn't like. I didn't like The Beatles. I wasn't really crazy for Elvis either."

Korhmeyer said he believes there is still a sizable audience for his kind of music.

"I think there's a pretty good bit of people out there who like this stuff," he said.

If not, he's more than willing to sit back and enjoy it himself.

" I just pull them out and listen to whatever," he said. "I stay out here as much as I can - maybe all day."