Young Vinyl Lovers Spin Old Records into New Trends

A growing number of young people are discovering a love for vinyl records, helping to bring back the popularity of this classic music format. Record dealers across the West of England have noticed more teenagers and young adults visiting their shops and record fairs. Roger Joffe, who co-owns Wanted Records and organizes the largest record fair in the southwest at Bristol Beacon, says that young customers are interested in a wide range of music. They buy everything from trance and dance music to traditional jazz and artists like Duke Ellington. Joffe believes that the physical experience of holding a record is appealing to younger fans, especially compared to just streaming music on their phones. He expects around 2,000 people to attend his next record fair in October, showing just how popular vinyl has become again.

Joffe explains that many older collectors stopped buying records when CDs became popular, and some even got rid of their collections. Now, these same people are trying to buy back the records they once owned, which has made some 1990s vinyl albums very valuable. For example, original Oasis albums on vinyl can sell for over £200 because there are so few of them. Lucas, a 25-year-old from Cheltenham, started collecting records at 19 and now works at Badlands Record Shop. He says his collection has grown a lot since he started working there. Lucas thinks that buying records is a better way to support artists and local shops than just streaming music. He also believes that young people are more aware of this and want to make a difference by buying physical music.

Jacki Harvey, who co-owns Vinyl Realm in Devizes, has noticed that many of her recent customers are students who received money as gifts after passing their GCSE exams. She jokes that some young people want to stand out and not just follow mainstream artists like Taylor Swift. Many of these young customers discover music online and then come to the shop to buy the vinyl version. Jacki also sees older customers selling their collections as they move to smaller homes or new lifestyles, like living on a canal boat. She says that searching through boxes of records is a relaxing and enjoyable experience for many people. However, she warns that not all old records are valuable, especially those that were mass-produced by famous bands like The Beatles and Elvis. Chris Hawes, who runs Atlas Records near Taunton, says that his staff are all under 32, showing that the vinyl business is attracting a younger crowd. He notes that classic albums by Pink Floyd, Fleetwood Mac, and The Beatles are still top sellers, but sometimes a modern event, like a song being featured in a popular TV show, can make a record sell out overnight. For example, Kate Bush's music became very popular again after being used in Stranger Things. Some records, like a special David Bowie set, can sell for thousands of pounds. The renewed interest in vinyl is bringing together music fans of all ages, with young people playing a big role in the revival.