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The number of stores selling vinyl records has increased dramatically over the past few years as a new generation, as well as those around in the 1960s and ’70s find pleasure in seeing the movement, as well as hearing the sound, of the record player.
Take a look at any of these stores, and the vinyl covers, along with the names, allow the sound of the more recent past to come alive – names such as Patti Smith, still a strong presence in the world, and the likes of Nick Cave share the shelves with iconic groups such as Nirvana and Dire Straits.
Iconic records such as Horses and Dark Side of the Moon are popular among collectors, while new albums like Olivia Dean’s The Art of Loving are coveted by the younger crowd.Credit: Michael Howard
Doug Bear, record producer and owner of Rare Records (also the name of his recording company) in Point Cook, west of Melbourne, would be a great candidate for the television show Hard Quiz, knowing names and dates with extreme accuracy.
His store, operating since 1991, contains records by Fleetwood Mac, released in 1977 and priced at around $55 for a new copy, to an original pressing of the record Nevermind by Nirvana, for its 1991 original pressing for $2500.
Some records such as Patti Smith’s Horses album, released in 1975, are consistently in demand. “I was fortunate to spend time with Patti at Uluru when she took time out on her last tour. It was just serendipitous,” says Bear.
Sometimes, there are records that seem to come out of nowhere, with customers in droves simply requesting a certain record. He cites British musician and songwriter Olivia Dean who can’t be presently found at Rare Records.
Taylor Swift performing in Australia in 2024.Credit: AP
She produced The Art of Loving in both black vinyl for $70 and in a limited edition, in lilac, for $90. Likewise, Taylor Swift released her The Tortured Poets Department with several different record covers and also with different bonus tracks unique to each one.
“It’s a great way of increasing sales as Taylor Swift has a huge fan base who doesn’t want to miss out on any of her songs,” says Bear. “So rather than buying just one record, her fans bought up to four.”
While musicians such as Swift attract a younger audience in the main, others, such as Kate Bush, attract both the young and those who recall when she first performed Running up that Hill in 1985.
Cover of In the Court of the Crimson King by King Crimson.
“Sometimes, it’s a television series such as Stranger Things featuring Bush’s song in series four, that creates a bump in sales.”
One record that holds special appeal for Bear and reflected in sales, is the King Crimson album In the Court of the Crimson King, released in 1969 and featuring an open-mouthed creature that would have found its way into many collections, including into this writer’s home, in the 1970s.
Priced at $150 for an original record, it shows the length that musicians went to in attracting attention. “If there’s a criticism to current covers, it’s that some appear relatively underwhelming by comparison,” Bear says.
The Searchers, selling new and used records in Melbourne’s Smith Street, Fitzroy, is bustling with customers looking for a certain record. Established by co-owner Max Kohane 20 years ago, there’s every style of music to be discovered, from rock and heavy metal through to jazz.
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“I started seeing younger people getting into records about 10 years ago,” says Kohane, pointing out some of the more popular records such as those produced by Pink Floyd and also by Black Sabbath in the 1970s.
While a number of records sell for between $30 and $50, there’s the ‘top shelf’ records that command serious dosh. A record by the Japanese band Powerhouse from the 1960s, one of the rarer records, comes with a price tag of $600.
Another by Judas Priest, titled British Steel, released in 1980, features the palm of a hand balancing a razor blade and is a little more affordable at $100. As Kohane points out, it’s often the record cover that adds to the price, with a Pink Floyd album Dark Side of the Moon, including postcards and a booklet, retailing for $250.
Although many purchasing vinyl are attracted to its history, the sound or even its rarity, others simply enjoy adding to their record collections. Ben, who regularly visits The Searchers and who does not want his surname used, started collecting when records were just a few dollars.
He can’t put an estimate on the number he owns but estimates it to be in the thousands. “You wouldn’t say that I’m an audiophile. It certainly doesn’t concern me if there’s a scratch on a record. That just adds to its history.”
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