Val Shively of Upper Darby has four million records, mostly 45s, that he’s collected over his lifetime.

Four million.

“Or maybe it’s five million, I don’t know,” Shively remarked.

A small portion of them can be found at his Upper Darby shop, R&B Records, along with Val Shively himself, writes Dan DeLuca for The Philadelphia Inquirer.

His shop has earned Smithsonian magazine’s title of “world’s greatest record store,” though Shively’s not keen on customers browsing for Oldies.

He and his collection are also the subject of a documentary, “ReCollections: Val Shively — 50 Years of Collecting Records in Philadelphia.”

Among the collection is Shively’s personal library of 11,000 or so rare, mostly mint-condition group harmony records from the 1950s and 1960s.

Now, at 79, Shively is wondering what kind of legacy he’s leaving behind.

“If this was the Indianapolis 500, I’m on the 496th lap,” Shively says. “My collection is my life’s work. If it doesn’t stay together after I’m gone, what was the point?”

The Library of Congress has expressed interest in Shively’s extensive collection and knowledge.

So has the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland.

Find out more about Val Shively’s life and collection in The Philadelphia Inquirer.