Vinyl’s New Life
During the last couple of years, there was a spike in vinyl sales. This year, the format is expected to grow 23.4% and Newbury Comics has already seen a 43% increase in vinyl dollar value. Buyers seem to say that their love affair with the lost format stems from its social use. “When Valentine and his friends play music on the laptop, one of them simply gets up to change the playlist. When they spin vinyl, they crowd around the turntable, passing albums around, admiring the artwork and sharing stories about the songs,” wrote Ed Christman and Cortney Harding in a recent Rolling Stone article. Moreover, record companies make higher profits per unit with vinyl than they do (and made) with CD sales. As a result, many are pushing vinyl full-throttle by including digital download coupons with each purchase. It could be a passing fad. But it also prompts another reflection: Could there be more perceived aesthetic value in a tangible, analog product?
