Look in your basement. You could have a treasure trove sitting in a damp cardboard box. Once the preferred medium of aging rockers and Luddite dinosaurs, records are now hip – and valuable. “Rock music can be an extremely cheap genre to collect, but if you’re interested in more obscure psychedelia, tiny local bands, and sub-genres like that, then the cost can be astronomical,” says Rick Wojcik of www.dustygroove.com. In fact, according to Jim Dawson and Steve Propes’ book “45 RPM”, the most expensive 45 single will run you about $23,000. That’s about $8,000 per minute of music.

Vinyl wasn’t always this hot, as your dusty records will probably attest. Invented by Leo Baekeland and Union Carbide in 1930, vinyl mapped out the earliest jazz and blues recordings, ushered in rock ‘n’ roll and gave us disco beats. However, an ’80s disco backlash as well as a new technology called the cassette tape threatened to bury the record permanently. A generation later, hip-hop DJs, jazz purists and hipsters musicians respect vinyl not only for its classic, sensual aesthetics, but the quality of the sound. The soft, malleable grooves of a record still capture sound better than digital music from your iPod.

Aside from the coolness factor, records are an affordable way to bone up on your music. “[Collecting records] can still be one of the cheapest ways to acquire music,” Wojcik says. “Both classic albums and rare treasures can be found cheaply.”

Most major cities have used record stores. eBay and the Internet, while a great way to browse, should only be used if it is from a reputable source. Finding quality records is a lot like purchasing fruit: you want the record to be shiny, with no marks, scratches or flaws. Also, because records are flexible, check for heat warps.

Collectors say it’s a worthy hobby, even if you don’t find that hidden treasure. “The important thing in collecting is to find music that you like and collect that,” says Rick Morey of www.thelaughingpapillon.com. “If you don’t get the return you are expecting, you still have a great collection that you like.”

SIDEBAR:
Getting a record player, or turntable in modern terms, isn’t as intimidating as it sounds. A brand-new record player will run you between $100 and $200. Popular brands include Gemini, Numark and Technics. There are basically two models: belt drive and direct drive. The cheaper belt drive is fine, that is unless you plan on scratching records like a hip-hop DJ. Make sure it also comes with at least one stylus (the record needle) and cartridge (record needle holder).

Used record players are also good - if you go to a reputable place. Try asking your local record store owner for suggestions. “Here in Chicago, we routinely send customers to a few of these outlets because they’ll get a great turntable for a good price, usually all refurbished and repaired,” says Rick Wojcik of www.dustygroove.com. And you might want to ditch the “classic” player you have in the attic. “Unless it’s a real gem, the ‘in the door’ cost of repairs to turntables are often as much as buying something new.”

Tags: 45 RPM, United Hemispheres, vinyl

This entry was posted on Saturday, September 1st, 2007 at 4:32 pm and is filed under Journalism, Music, Pop Culture, United Hemispheres. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.