{"id":72904,"date":"2023-11-24T16:34:48","date_gmt":"2023-11-24T23:34:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/saitjournalism.ca\/?p=72904"},"modified":"2023-11-24T16:34:48","modified_gmt":"2023-11-24T23:34:48","slug":"record-renaissance-vinyl-collecting-on-the-rise","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/saitjournalism.ca\/thepress\/2023\/11\/24\/record-renaissance-vinyl-collecting-on-the-rise\/","title":{"rendered":"Record renaissance: Vinyl collecting on the rise"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"
Record renaissance<\/strong>: Mark Corner shows his extensive vinyl collection at Everwillow, S.W. Calgary, Alta, on Thursday, Nov. 9, 2023. Corner started collecting in the \u201860s, and he now hosts Alberta\u2019s largest bi-annual record fair, the Calgary Music Collectors Show. (Photo by Janille Delos Reyes\/The Press)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

V<\/span>inyl records have outlived CDs, cassettes, and MP3 players.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Despite the vast array of streaming platforms available, vinyl record sales surpassed CDs in 2022 to become the<\/span> most-sold physical music format<\/span><\/a>, according to the Recording Industry Association of America.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s nothing like the sound of the stylus hitting your record once it\u2019s on the turntable,\u201d said collector Mark Corner. “<\/span>The analogue is more of a wide and warmer sound. It may not be as crisp as a digital source, but it\u2019s a nicer version because that\u2019s the way it sounds in the studio.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Corner is the creator of the <\/span>Calgary Music Collectors Show<\/span><\/a>, which is held in October and April each year. The event has grown into the largest event of its kind in Alberta.<\/span><\/p>\n

The modernization of the music industry made listening easier for many people. With streaming platforms offering a complete music catalogue, subscribers can access almost all recorded tracks throughout history.<\/span><\/p>\n

But for Corner, no amount of convenience compares to the sound produced by vinyl.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWith streaming, you can listen to a number of different sources of music; you can mix it all up,\u201d he said. \u201cBut when you\u2019re listening to an album on vinyl, you\u2019re listening to the album the way the artist meant for you to listen to it.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

For Corner, vinyl collecting connects him to the artistry of the musicians he looks up to.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s like a piece of art,\u201d he said. \u201cSo you appreciate the record itself. You appreciate the label, the liner notes that come with the inserts you can read.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

It was at the grocery store checkout counters that Corner was introduced to vinyl records. Instead of the tabloid magazines displayed on the stands nowadays, Corner was greeted by records of bands like The Monkees and The Beatles as a young boy.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Matt Homme, another record collector, says it can be a meditative experience.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s something soothing about listening to vinyl,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s a whole package.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In a digital world, consumers hope to find warmth in the nostalgia brought by physical media, and record collectors are transported back in time once the needle scratches the track. The tangible aspect and the ordeal of hunting for specific records gratify collectors and encourage them to continue this avocation.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

T<\/span>he vinyl-collecting scene is also seeing a boon in new collectors.\u00a0<\/b>With younger demographics interested in vinyl, the record-collecting culture is expanding, allowing more space for new blood.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s surprising to me, but it is a huge resurgence,” Homme said. \u201cIt\u2019s good news for people like me,\u201d
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

However, the revival of records is also causing prices to soar, burning holes in some collectors’ pockets.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s going to be very difficult for new collectors to quench the thirst for new records on a consistent basis,\u201d Corner said. \u201cI don\u2019t see the price coming down anytime soon, unfortunately.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Homme also expressed concern with the current landscape of vinyl production.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s wider breadth of music being printed and re-issued than before,\u201d Homme said. \u201cBut so much stuff is being re-issued that sometimes the quality of the vinyl suffers.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

As new market outlets are established on the Internet, it also affects the cost of re-selling and the way collectors acquire specific pieces. According to Corner, buying LPs on websites like Discogs<\/a> and eBay<\/a> often costs consumers more than physically hunting records, as they pay for convenience.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Despite these drawbacks, Homme is happy to see new entrants in the audiophile community. \u201cIt\u2019s crucial,\u201d he said. \u201cWe need them to keep the business alive.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

When Corner started collecting vinyl in the 1960s, he did not expect to continue growing his collection.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI remember paying about $3 a record,\u201d he said. \u201cBut they increased the cost of records to around $5.99. I said, \u2018No, there\u2019s no way I\u2019m gonna be able to afford this hobby anymore.\u2019 But I managed to keep going.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

After 50 years of collecting, Corner has dedicated his house\u2019s basement to storing half a century\u2019s accumulation of vinyl records. Records by David Bowie and Lou Reed and bands like the Ramones, and Nirvana adorn the shelves. They are among Corner\u2019s most prized possessions.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Corner hopes for the current collectors to keep going as well.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cEventually, a lot of old collectors are gonna pass it on,\u201d he said. \u201cWe want the younger people to keep the industry growing; hopefully, it\u2019ll stick around for another 50 years. But we will see what happens, right?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"
Record renaissance: <\/strong>Mark Corner shows his extensive vinyl collection at Everwillow, S.W. Calgary, Alta. on Thursday, Nov. 9, 2023. Corner started collecting in the \u201860s, and he now hosts Alberta\u2019s largest bi-annual record fair, the Calgary Music Collectors Show. (Photo by Janille Delos Reyes\/The Press)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Despite the vast array of streaming platforms, vinyl record sales surpassed CDs to become the most-sold physical music format in 2022, according to the Recording Industry Association of America. [ READ MORE ]<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"author":865,"featured_media":72910,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_ef_editorial_meta_text_assignment-slug":"S2 Record Renaissance JDR ","footnotes":""},"categories":[5,1592],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-72904","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-entertainment","8":"category-music"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/saitjournalism.ca\/thepress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/72904","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/saitjournalism.ca\/thepress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/saitjournalism.ca\/thepress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/saitjournalism.ca\/thepress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/865"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/saitjournalism.ca\/thepress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=72904"}],"version-history":[{"count":11,"href":"https:\/\/saitjournalism.ca\/thepress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/72904\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":73146,"href":"https:\/\/saitjournalism.ca\/thepress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/72904\/revisions\/73146"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/saitjournalism.ca\/thepress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/72910"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/saitjournalism.ca\/thepress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=72904"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/saitjournalism.ca\/thepress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=72904"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/saitjournalism.ca\/thepress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=72904"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}