Give them a spin, again

The independent record stores still thrive in some parts:

By Sara Stephenson
Features Writer
Published: November 17, 2008

The vinyl record sales doubled worldwide in 2007 and continue to rise, according to a September 2008 Wall Street Journal article.

Stores that sell vinyl in Stillwater and Tulsa have also noticed an increase in sales.

The Antique Mall at 116 E. Ninth Ave. has at least six dealers who sell vinyl records.

“They’ve gone up quite a bit in the past four to five years,” said Amy Pitchford, who has worked at The Antique Mall for two years.

Pitchford said the most records sold are from the classic rock and pop genres; jazz is also a popular genre while country is the least sold.

The most common buyers of records at the mall are college students. Of course, there could be many reasons why students are buying more vinyl.

“A lot of people say the sound quality is better,” Pitchford said.

Records are also cheaper than CDs with most priced between $4.50 and $10.

“I like the artwork,” Pitchford said.

The Antique Mall has almost always had records for sale but recently have been selling more.

Rory’s Corner Mall at 123 E. Ninth Ave. also sells vinyl records. The store is across the street from The Antique Mall and has been in business for three years.

The owner, Daniel MacRory, has been in the collectible business for seven years.

MacRory said he has also noticed an increase in record sales over the last year.

He said he researched the subject and found that the recent increase was because of a mistake with an REM album.

A company in Seattle ordered 500 LP albums instead of CDs, and the LPs sold out within a week of release. Record companies started producing more LPs, and worldwide LP sales increased in February because of the REM accident.

Fifty percent of his sales come from high school and college students, as opposed to 25 percent a few years back.

“In my opinion, they’re getting a more defined ear,” MacRory said.

MacRory said he has always been on the cutting edge of music from eight tracks to MP3s.

In 1994, he decided to convert back to LPs for his listening pleasure.

“Digital music takes all of the fun out of it,” MacRory said.

LPs keep the raw distortion of the music, which digital music takes away, he said.

MacRory said 70s rock is the most popular genre he sells and he said he can’t seem to keep Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, The Doors, The Grateful Dead and similar bands’ albums on the shelves.

Meanwhile, Starship Records in Tulsa hasn’t noticed a demand for any particular artist.

The sales are pretty evenly spread, said Calvin Compton, who has worked at Starship for three years.

Compton said the store’s vinyl sales have increased mainly because there seems to be a resurgence in production with more indie and underground musicians putting out vinyl, he said.

Record buyers at Starship generally range from 18 to 35 years old , he said.

Whether because of sound quality or expense, record sales have indeed increased in Stillwater and Tulsa.

“The general idea is to preserve vintage stuff,” Pitchford said.