Is The Vinyl Records Store Dead?

Is The Vinyl Records Store Dead?

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Is the vinyl records store dead?

The vinyl records store that was the main attraction along college streets or the meeting place at the mall is down but not out! The CD nearly killed the vinyl LP, 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 records are just downright sexier than CDs! The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) reported 2008 record sales doubled over 2007 total sales, shipping 2.9 million LPs and EPs compared to 1.3 million units the year before!

Though more numerous in larger cities than small towns, stores that stock and trade vinyl records are fighting back. You can find them in strip malls across America, off the beaten track, but they are there. I have a couple that I visit frequently. I love the feeling when I step in the door; its like stepping back in time. There is usually some Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young or Carole King 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 checked it out? If you walked into a records store, what would you look for? 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 thoughts of days long past. Many albums will instantly bring back a very vivid 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 vinyl LP 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 whole.

If you are having difficulty finding old records to fill in your collection, you may want to try an internet store like myclassicvinyl.com that specializes in both new and used vinyl records. These sites will typically carry a larger selection 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 label.

However and wherever you choose to buy, do not abandon your vinyl records simply because you think they are going out of style and will be very difficult 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 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.



Article Originally Published On: http://www.articlesnatch.com


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