Sam the Record Man sign to spin again near Yonge Dundas Square: The iconic signage that once adorned Sam the Record Man’s flagship store on Yonge Street will get a new home this summer, with Ryerson University taking further steps to ensure the signs will shine bright over Yonge-Dundas Square, a stone’s throw from where they once stood. The university has enlisted Sunset Neon to restore the massive signs and install them atop 277 Victoria St. Work is expected to begin this spring and the signs are expected to be up by the end of summer. The main sign, a 15-by-11-metre behemoth, features two neon spinning discs and will be a familiar sight to anyone who wandered through downtown Yonge from the 1960s through 2000s.
Female-run Chesterfield record store rides the crest of the vinyl revival: Record shops are back in fashion – and Chesterfield has its very own temple to the turntable. Tall Bird Records on Soresby Street has now been going three and a half years. And now its owner, Maria Harris, is attracting attention as one of a small but growing number of female vinyl entrepreneurs. Maria, 53, said: “I suppose I am quite a rare breed. “Vinyl is generally a very male preserve but it can also be a selling point. “On balance the majority of my customers are men but there are more and more women who come in as well.”
From Bowie to Beatles – the rare records that could fetch you £8,000 at auction: If you were a proud owner of a turntable back in the sixties, there’s a chance you may have a few old vinyls (“Vinyls” is not a word. —Ed.) collecting dust in storage – but it could be time to dig them out. New research has revealed the most expensive LPs ever to sell – and own – with the Sex Pistols’ God Save the Queen worth an astonishing £8,600, in original mint condition. Other fabulously valuable finds include hits from The Beatles, the late David Bowie and jazz legend Kenny Dorham – which in working state, could cash you in a huge £2,343.78. Here’s our pick of the top 10.
Numark launches new affordable direct-drive turntable, NTX1000: Numark has unveiled a new affordable direct-drive turntable, the NTX1000. Designed from the ground up, it features an S-shaped tonearm with height adjustment, damped cueing, three pitch ranges (± 8, 16, and 50%) and is built to be resistant to heavy vibrations and external feedback. Numark are the latest brand following Pioneer and Denon in trying to step into the gap left by Technics, whose new SL-1200GR deck has priced out many DJs. As the company says: “Numark recognizes your need for a professional turntable that capitalizes on the resurgent popularity of vinyl for DJ gigs. But we’re mindful that you need for both versatility and value. The NTX1000 gives you everything you’re looking for.”
