Vinyl records seem to be making a comeback in recent years as organizers of a local record fair say demand continues to grow.
Longtime collectors Doug Jones and Melisa Penney-Jones founded Record Fair NL after groups full of collectors looking to buy and sell began taking off on social media.
What started out as a small event 4 years ago has now blossomed into a main event at the St. John’s Farmers Market held twice a year.
(Photo via Record Fair NL.)
The couple says their last event in November 2022 was their largest one yet with over 1,000 people coming out to browse through over 20,000 albums.
Jones says the vendors always bring in a variety of albums for the events to provide something for everyone. “If you’re a new collector, you can find that $1 essential album, or if you’re a seasoned collector, there might be something there that you’ve been looking for for years,” says Jones. Besides buying and selling records, the venue allows people the opportunity to socialize with others who share a similar interest.
With digital streaming services easily accessible these days, Penney-Jones believes there is nothing quite like a vinyl record.
She says many people, both young and old, enjoy having a physical copy of something they can also listen to. Through the years other forms of music such as 8-track and CD’s have come and gone, but vinyl has stood the test of time.
The next Record Fair NL takes place at the St. John’s Farmers Market on May 28 from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.
