This year vinyl sales will top more than two million for the first time in 30 years – bringing an industry back from what once seemed certain death. In 2004, just 200,000 new records were sold.
Our renewed love affair with vinyl has created a huge growth in the value of collectable old records.
Vinyl records previously viewed as junk quietly gathering dust in the attic or at the back of garages are now shrewd investments worth hundreds of pounds.
Brigid Harrison-Draper, a vinyl collector and contributor to magazine Record Collector, says: ‘There is no substitute for vinyl.
‘It offers a warmer and more personal sound quality that has the power to give you goosebumps – you rarely get this feeling from downloaded music or CDs.
‘Even the needle crackle and pop can add to the intimacy. From the moment you look at the cover and pull the record out of the sleeve, the experience is more rewarding.’
Brigid, from Leigh in Greater Manchester, believes that while collecting vinyl can prove profitable it should primarily be done for the love of music.
She says: ‘You have to enjoy rummaging through stacks of old records in charity shops or record stores, not sure what you are even looking for – until you actually find it.
‘Although the experience can at first feel intimidating, it is worth striking up a relationship with staff in the store so they can look out for vinyl you might like to add to your collection.’
Among the gems 18-year-old Brigid has discovered is the 1963 single From Me To You by The Beatles, bought from an Oxfam shop for 10p but worth £50.
Find new, collectable, vintage, secondhand vinyl at eil.com
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