Richmond, VA | Vinyl Revival: Richmond record store owners weigh in on vinyl sales surpassing CDs for the first time since 1987: Hey what do you know, according to RIAA, vinyl records have surpassed CD sales for the first time since 1987, with approximately 41 million vinyl albums sold last year compared to 33 million CDs. We figure this happened years ago. While streaming services continue to dominate the music industry, accounting for a vast majority of recorded music revenues, the resurgence of physical music formats, particularly vinyl records, has captured the attention of music enthusiasts and collectors alike. We decided to go to the source and ask local Richmond record store owners a few questions.
Hanover, PA | York County vinyl record store reopens after 24 years of closure: A new vinyl record store, named Squid Wax, officially opened its doors to the public earlier last month. The not-so-new Squid Wax record store, owned and operated by Hanover native Shane Warner, first opened its doors to the rocking world of Hanover back in 1997. The then 24-year-old Warner had previously worked as a manager at a franchised record store named Record Town, which was located at the North Hanover Mall. After managing Record Town, he finally decided to own and operate a shop of his own. Warner’s nickname growing up was “Squid,” and a slang term for vinyl records is “Wax” – hence the store name, Squid Wax. …Now, 24 years later, Warner, whose an insurance agent by day, decided to leap back into the record business by leasing a space on 43 Rear Frederick Street, which was previously leased by his wife for her massage therapy clinic. “In a way this is a redemption,” Warner stated. “I failed once, but life is short, so why not [reopen]?”
Billings, MT | Billings record store sees vinyl sales grow exponentially: At Cameron Records on Central Avenue, you’ll find everything from Pink Floyd to Taylor Swift. The store has seen a record number of sales each year since it opened in 2019. Nationwide, sales of vinyl records recently surpassed CD sales, and that’s no surprise to Cameron Records owner TJ Goodwin. “At any given day, we’ll have between 10 and 15 thousand records in the store,” Goodwin said. Cameron Records is a haven for vinyl record hobbyists, and the old pastime has new life. Goodwin said record sales topped more than 40 million nationwide last year. “This has not just been an uptick over the last couple of years, it’s grown 10%, 14%, 15% over the last few years. It’s been exponential,” said Goodwin.
Philadelphia, PA | Vinyl Record and Retail Store, Latchkey is Hosting an In-Store Throwback Market With 80’s & 90’s Themed Memorabilia: Independently-owned vinyl and retail store Latchkey ( 1502 E Passyunk Ave.) just announced that they will be hosting their first first-ever makers market “Latchkey Presents: A Makers Pop-Up Shop,” on March 25th from 11 am to 4 pm. Guests can expect an extensive showcase of local artisans and vendors setting up shop in-store and as well as some outdoors. Latchkey owner Marc Faletti will also be on-hand with his own one-of-a-kind line of up-cycled and artfully repurposed clothing under his label Lyrical Vintage. This market is the perfect spot for fans of music and vintage to come together to enjoy locally-sourced wares, goods, and more, including VHS, art, textiles, and vintage clothing. Those attending Latchkey’s inaugural A Makers Pop-Up Shop can mingle and purchase items from numerous vendors and artisans, in addition to Latchkey’s collection of expertly-curated records, collectibles, candles, jewelry, games, and other 80’s and 90’s-themed memorabilia.
Seattle, WA | Vinyl Revival: The unlikely resurgence of records: Roll Over Compact Discs, and tell MP3 the news: Vinyl is back. You heard that right. The same format that ruled the music industry during the glory years of the Rock and Roll 1960s and 1970s — only to be written off and declared all but obsolete with the advent of compact discs by the late 1980s — is enjoying something of a moment right now. In fact, according to 2022 sales figures just released by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA); Vinyl Records this past year just outsold Compact Discs for the first time since 1987. But don’t call it a comeback. As one might expect, nostalgia has driven much of the back-to-vinyl charge. But while albums from artists like The Beatles and Fleetwood Mac are readily available everywhere from independent music stores like West Seattle’s Easy Street Records, to the record bins that have recently begun reappearing in places like Target and Walmart, other releases from the classic era can be much harder to track down.
Dallas, TX | Dallas Startup Tuned In Grading Sees Potential in Vinyl Record Resurgence: Services offered by Tuned in Grading—co-founded by Rogers Healy, Jeff “Skin” Wade, Luke Sardello, and Waric Cameron—aim to enhance the value of vinyl record collections. Vinyl records, once consigned to music’s dustbin, have mounted a comeback that could have them accounting for $2.6 billion in global sales by 2027. Tapping into the resurging interest, four North Texas friends have founded a third-party service that authenticates and impartially grades vinyl records to help owners safeguard their collections. The co-founders of Dallas-based Tuned in Grading are real estate entrepreneur and investor Rogers Healy, Ben and Skin Show radio personality Jeff “Skin” Wade, and Josey Records/Eastwood Music Group partners Luke Sardello and Waric Cameron. The startup’s process has customers boxing and shipping their records to Tuned In, where a team uses a proprietary method to inspect, grade, and encapsulate each one in a tamper-resistant case, without using heat. Records receive a holographic label as well as an identifying QR code before being shipped back to the customer by UPS or FedEx.
Toledo, OH | Local vinyl enthusiasts, retailers weigh in on resurgence in popularity: A year-end report from the Recording Industry Association of America said more vinyl records were sold than CDs in 2022, the first time that’s happened since 1987. Listening to music on a turntable is the most popular it has been since 1987, according to the Recording Industry Association of America. A year-end report from RIAA said more vinyl records were sold than CDs in 2022, the first time that’s happened in 35 years. There are a couple of reasons for the resurgence: Growing interest in vinyl from Generation Z and millennials, as well as the COVID-19 pandemic, have contributed to the revival, RIAA said. Listening to music on a turntable is the most popular it has been since 1987, according to the Recording Industry Association of America. A year-end report from RIAA said more vinyl records were sold than CDs in 2022, the first time that’s happened in 35 years. There are a couple of reasons for the resurgence: Growing interest in vinyl from Generation Z and millennials, as well as the COVID-19 pandemic, have contributed to the revival, RIAA said.
