Tyler, TX | National Vinyl Record Day: August 12th is National Vinyl Record day, and while many people have moved on to streaming music, Curious Collections in Bryan is hoping change some hearts. August 12th is National Vinyl Record day, and while many people have moved on to streaming music, Curious Collections in Bryan is hoping change some hearts. Vinyl records made their debut in the early 30’s and fell out of use in the early 90’s, but now, shop owner, Mary House says, “vinyl is back.” House opened Curious Collections in 2016 with her dad’s old record collection. “He had a climate controlled collection full of vinyl, and he passed away a couple of years ago, and my brother and I cleaned out all the storage unit and decided that I was gonna bring a 26 foot moving truck full of stuff and open up a record store,” she said. And three years later, the shop is still going strong for a bit more than just general nostalgia’s sake.
Peoria, IL | For some music lovers, every day is National Vinyl Record Day: Monday morning, like every morning, Craig Moore had his turntable spinning. At his Younger than Yesterday record shop, he was grooving to “Arap Saci,” by Erkin Koray, who in the ’60s pioneered Turkish rock. “He is known around the world as the Turkish Jimi Hendrix,” Moore said. “Some of his stuff is worth a fortune, if you can find in it in mint condition.” I knew none of that before Monday, which is part of the wonder of chatting with Moore. He and his shop, at 2615 N. University St., overflow with nuggets of nostalgia and knowledge. But he was unaware of the reason for my intrusion: what, I asked, would he be doing to mark National Vinyl Record Day? “I didn’t know there was such a thing,” he said. Neither had I, until I saw a blurb on a news feed. In 2002 in California, San Luis Obispo County proclaimed Aug. 12 — the date Thomas Edison invented the photograph, in 1877 — as Vinyl Record Day. A not-for-profit organization has since been pushing to get people to recognize the date as National Vinyl Record Day.
Palm Beach, FL | National Vinyl Record Day: Why are there so many record stores in Palm Beach County? Analogopolis Records, Films, Games & Things is a mouthful of a title for a record store. Let owner Tom Procyk explain. “There are all these record stores with crazy names,” he said. “I was looking for something hard to say and hard to pronounce, but once you hear it you won’t forget it.” The 36-year-old music enthusiast opened Analogopolis (rough translation: city of sound) in a Juno Beach shopping plaza last November. His red-walled store is tastefully curated, with over 1,000 vinyl platters presented alongside everything from throwback laser discs to vintage Florida post cards. Of course, Procyk is ready for The Question. Yes, vinyl is hip. Yes, vinyl is making its zillionth comeback. But is it possible for a physical record store to survive and even thrive in an age of online streaming? “Everybody asks that, a couple times a day,” said Procyk, a former film projectionist. “I figured the time was right. I’ve got a strong customer base that comes every week to buy albums. “I’m not going to be rich, but it’s better than punching a clock.”
Hudson Valley, NY | Where to buy vinyl in the Hudson Valley: It was a sad day when I realized that I should have saved my vinyl record collection. Yes, I was one of those who got tired of packing up my record collection every time I moved in the 80’s and 90’s. CD’s seemed to be so much more portable, NOT! Anyway back in 1990 something I sold all my vinyl records at a yard sale. Some nice gentleman with what seemed like a lot of cash at the time loaded up my entire collection in to his trunk and drove off. I was so thrilled until about 5 years ago. Five years ago I realized that I not only missed my records, I missed my record player. My 80’s stereo sold at the same sale as the records. Since then I have gotten a new record player and have started collecting records again. Today, August 12th is National Vinyl Record Day so I am thinking that if you are like me it would be a good day to start building back your collection.
Chicago, IL | On Vinyl Record Day, a few thoughts about record albums: I heard on the radio news this morning that this is Vinyl Record Day. That got me looking around my apartment at two very different kinds of record albums: the skinny 33 1/3 RPM ones I collected as I was growing up, but also the record albums I inherited from my dad. Those record albums taught me the origin of the word. They’re as thick as scrapbooks. (Maybe a photo of them will work for a follow-up post or comment; not today, so on with verbal descriptions.) Inside the covers of the albums, like an index to a scrapbook, there are places for Titles and Artists. I keep them in order of the way they’re written in my dad’s precise handwriting, a different record in each pocket. Some are 45 RPMs, with the huge holes in the middle that people my age (never mind) will remember filling with plastic gadgets. The larger album holds heavier records I barely recognized when I first got them out after many years — very heavy, one song per side, and probably glass as often as vinyl. They’re 78 RPMs.
Kamloops, CA | PHOTOS: Sunrise Records officially opens its doors in Aberdeen Mall: Well, it’s official, Kamloops has its newest record store! Sunrise Records held their grand opening at Aberdeen Mall on Sunday morning. Though their plastic bags didn’t make it in time for the launch, hundreds of customers made their way into the River City’s hottest new store. Located across from SportChek, the store features all the latest pop culture icons as well as various blasts from the past. From KamloopsBCNow, here’s hoping Sunrise Records is here to stay!
Allentown, PA | National Vinyl Record Day: Q&A with owner of Double Decker Records in Allentown: Jamie Holmes opened Double Decker Records in Allentown in 1996 primarily as an underground store, selling alternative, punk, metal, indie rock, or as Holmes described it “all stuff that was off the beaten path.” Since then Holmes, 45, has broadened the categories and genres of the music his store sells. With vinyl making a comeback, Holmes’ has seen a lot of new customers, and his store at 808 St. John St. is coming off its best year ever. …Q: Have you seen an uptick in business that correlates with the recent comeback of vinyl? A: Records have definitely gotten much more popular than they used to be. Last year was actually our best year ever. The demographics have changed a lot — it used to be a lot of younger people, now we have a lot of people who are in their 50s and up and then we have younger people too.
