Helena, MT | New owner signals a fresh start for Montana Book and Toy Company in Helena: …Rice knows she’s taking over during a stable time and plans to make some changes. Rice won’t sell toys anymore, but will add a music section. She will sell vinyl albums, record players and other music-themed items. She plans to sell more paper products and with a master’s degree in non-fiction, she will expand that section of the store. Rice also hopes to bring in more author readings and collaborate with bookstores around the state to make a visit to Montana worthwhile travel for authors.
Port Macquarie, NSW | Port Macquarie Record Fair at The Duck on Clarence attracts a crowd: Vinyl fans packed into the inaugural Port Macquarie Record Fair on July 7. More than 5000 records were on offer across the music genres and eras during the event at The Duck on Clarence. Record collector and one of the event organisers, Jason Sherman, said there was a new wave. He said vinyl had become more and more popular. “At the end of the day, everybody loves music,” Mr Sherman said. People stood shoulder to shoulder as they sifted through the records on offer. The record fair attracted people of all ages.
Leicester, UK | Remember the Leicester music shops where all the cool kids hung out? When Saturday afternoons were spent browsing racks of vinyl. Long before the days of streaming services which allow you to buy your favourite music from the comfort of your own home, record shops selling vinyl discs were the haunt of teenagers. In many cases, they frequented local businesses rather than larger national stores. We feel sure names such as Daltons, Bush’s, Russell’s, Bosworth’s and Marshall’s will bring back particularly fond memories for music-lovers. These shops were, in many cases, long-established family businesses that also sold gramophones, sheet music, musical instruments, radios and, later, televisions. If you bought a record from any of these shops, you could buy a special cardboard sleeve that was much stronger than the standard paper one issued by the record manufacturer.
Burlington, NC | Live at the record store: As the sound of string instruments rose in volume, the energy in the room began to feel electric. Fans from across Alamance County packed into the snug lobby of Main Street Vinyl, 321 S. Main St., Burlington, on Friday to witness area band Gipsy Danger shoot a live music video. Gipsy Danger uses bluegrass instruments to perform popular songs from a variety of genres. The band consists of five men — P.D. Ross, Clayton Durham, Marty Robertson, Jared Matthews and Wayne Reich — who share a passion for the kind of music they grew up listening to. P.D. Ross, the band’s guitar player, is a regular customer at Main Street Vinyl. After coming to the shop a few times, Ross and Main Street Vinyl owner Joshua Garrett began talking about the possibility of the band playing in the store.
The Zephyr Apollo record player promises track-skipping using an app: While many people are enamoured by the sound of vinyl, not everyone enjoys the less-than-convenient playback functionality. The average turntable won’t repeat the record when it gets to the end, let you skip tracks or even program ‘playlists’, all from the comfort of your favourite chair. The Zephyr Apollo record player is promising to do all of this, saving your knees the journey from sofa to tonearm every time you want to change track while also promising high-end, hi-fi sound. “Analogue sound, digital technology” is the sell, with the turntable aiming to combine a high-end analogue deck with the digital controls which, while not a new invention – many top-end turntables in the 70s and 80s had automatic return, for example – are rarely seen on turntables now. Control of your vinyl from an app on your phone would certainly be a 21st century twist, however.
The Best Budget Turntables right now: This year’s coolest and best record players under £300 – as chosen by the experts – and where to get the best deals. Vinyl is back, vinyl is cool and, don’t be fooled, vinyl is here to stay. How do we know? Because record companies like vinyl: they’ve found a way of getting music fans, young and old, to pay for collectible product again – hence the current rush to release coloured vinyl, vinyl boxsets, 7″ single collections, you name it. If you want to join in – or dig out your old records and revel in your music in an old-school way – then you’re going to need a record player. There are load of cheap decks out there, but they’re not always great for sound OR for the upkeep of your records. The turntables below are all less than £300 – some are less than £100 – and all have been tested by our buddies on What Hi-Fi and TechRadar.
31 Vinyl Records That Are Worth A Fortune Today: Some are costly because they are rare, whereas some are costly because of the meaning behind them. …Some vinyl records have become expensive thanks to the artists involved or the age of the vinyl in question. Obviously, an autograph of a star will make one far more expensive than a regular recording can be. Others can be amazing in their cost due to their rarity or who is involved in it. Some albums also benefit from an error or a strange story around them as well as the sheer rarity that adds to their value. It’s amazing to see how some cheaply made records are now worth more than works of art, especially if they are in good condition. Here are 30 vinyl records worth a fortune today to show how this classic record style can still be a huge hit.
