"Of course all songs are written by someone."

Not strictly true. All songs get written down by someone, except the ones that don't. The people who made the songs didn't always write them down. Sometimes they couldn't.

As for records, I buy records (and that includes CDs and tapes - I call them all records) three ways. I buy them of guest at folk clubs who have impressed me. I buy them at folk festivals from specialised dealers. And I look through the mixed up boxes of vinyl in charity shops and boot fairs and jumble sales. I tend to steer clear of the kind of record shops here they have records in categories like easy listening and country and comedy and so forth.

I don't think I've sung a song in years except ones that I have heard someone else sing first. Apart from the ones I've made myself, and I'd never presume to call them folksongs.