Is The Vinyl Records Store Dead?
The vinyl records store that was the main attraction along college streets or the Saturday hangout at the mall is down but not out! The CD nearly killed the vinyl record, then digital downloads from sites like iTunes tried to deliver the knock-out punch, but the vinyl format just will not go away.
There is something about holding a physical object that makes music in your hands, however, and vinyl discs are just downright sexier than CDs! The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) reported 2008 record sales increased over 100 percent over 2007 year-end sales, shipping 2.9 million LPs and EPs compared to 1.3 million records the year before!
Though more numerous in larger metro areas than small towns, stores that stock and trade vinyl records are fighting back. You can find them in strip malls across America, usually set back from the street, but they are there. I have a couple that I visit often. I love the feeling when I step in the door; it is like stepping back in time. There is usually some Procol Harem or Pat Benatar playing on an open turntable behind the desk, and the guy working the register is the definition of laid back.
Do you have any music on vinyl? If so, how long since you put it on the turntable? If you walked into a records store, what would you check out? Would you just wander through the aisles nostalgically, or are there some specific recording artists or albums you would want to look for? With me it is some of both. Usually I have an agenda, because if I do not I can spend a LOT of time or a LOT of money (or both) before I leave. So, I usually give myself an allowance (okay, on this trip I am going to look for such and such, like a decent copy of Pink Floyd The Piper at the Gates of Dawn at an affordable price), but then I like to just wander and look around for a while. I always find a disc that floods me with memories of days long past. Many records will instantly bring back a very poignant memory of exactly when I first heard a certain record or song. I can usually hear the music and see the faces of friends long left behind. Often I will buy a record just for that reason. Then I will take it home and put it on the record player right away and enjoy a totally selfish nostalgic moment that reconnects the now me with the then me and makes me feel just a little bit more right.
If you are having difficulty finding old records to fill in your collection, you may want to try an online store like myclassicvinyl.com that specializes in both new and used vinyl records. These web stores will typically carry a larger inventory that is replenished more frequently than the used records store in your local strip mall. Some of them have pretty good return policies, but be careful, some carry a no returns, proceed at your own risk warning.
However and wherever you choose to shop, do not abandon your vinyl records simply because you think they are going out of style and will be impossible to find. If you like the size and flexibility of CDs or you prefer the convenience of a digital downloaded music library on your computer and iPod, vinyl may not be for you. But, if you do not mind an occasional hiss or skip (and actually think of it as texture and ambience), then continuing to invest in your vinyl records library may not be such a crazy thing after all.
Carry on, my wayward friend!
About the Author
Shop for vinyl records, turntables, and interesting books about musicians and the music they play at myclassicvinyl.com, one of the best shopping sites on the web for new and used vinyl records.
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