Vinyl record collecting a profitable hobby

What’s old is becoming new again.

 

While most people listen to music on their phones or iPods, many still prefer to take in the tunes on vinyl. Vinyl record collecting has become an increasingly popular hobby. According to Dr. Disc record store employee Nick Angelini, record sales have been consistently up over the past two years.

 

“We definitely sell a lot of Vinyl,” said Angelini. “Maybe not more than CDs but more than you’d expect for a format that is well, dead.”

 

“At least most would think it’s dead. It’s very much alive.”

 

Collecting Vinyl isn’t just a fun hobby, it can also be profitable. Die-hard collectors are always on the lookout for rare albums and unique pressings to not only feature in their collections, but turn around for a profit.

 

Travis Hicks is one such collector. Hicks, along with 5 other friends, recently pooled their money to buy a bulk lot of vinyl records.

 

“A friend of mine came across a record lot of 400 records on Kajiji, said Hicks. “The six of us got together and decided to purchase it”

 

The group held a draft of the records in order to divide them fairly and fellow collector John Manuel made his money back almost immediately.

 

“The rarest one I found was in the basement when we bought a lot,” said Manuel.  “It was this psychedelic Canadian band called The Spirit of Christmas and it sells for $300.”

 

The two collectors aren’t done selling. After the draft Hicks brought all the leftovers to a flea market and is selling the rest dirt cheap.

 

“They’re fairly well picked through by now,” said Hicks, organizing his one and two dollar bins at the market. “Mostly we’ve got a lot of unheard of stuff and like 50 Herb Alpert records for some reason.”

 

“We took all the good stuff, but there’s always people looking to pick up a record for a dollar or two. I’m just looking to make my money back.”

 

What is the appeal of listening to and collecting vinyl records? According to Hicks and Manuel, the answer lies in what you can touch and feel.

 

“I like it because it’s something tangible. It’s something to hold in your hand and it’s really fun to listen to,” said Manuel.

 

“It’s tangible, is the main reason for me,” agrees Hicks. It’s something to hold, something to lose yourself in.”

 

Dr. Disc in downtown Windsor and Ah Some records on Tecumseh Rd. E are two great places in town to shop for records if you want to hop on the bandwagon.