Vinyl Revival !

Compact Disk Market Shrinks as Listeners Want the Soulful Sound of Vinyl Recordings

LA JOLLA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Vinyl records and turntables, once relegated to garage storage boxes are enjoying a strong resurgence according to online vinyl record seller, GEMM. “Sales of vinyl records have increased 20% since 2005,” said Roger Raffee, co-founder and company CEO. GEMM (Global E-commerce Mega Marketplace) began selling vinyl records online in 1994. Today GEMM’s consortium of sellers has over 20 million vinyl records available for sale. Considered by music aficionados to be the grandfather of online music sales, GEMM, functions purely as a marketplace where buyers and sellers transact deals for everything from classic rock albums to recordings from current indie bands. The site also offers CDs, DVDs, books, videos, turntables, musical instruments, collectibles and computer supplies. Unlike online auction sites, pricing is set by sellers, i.e., no bidding wars. Satisfied buyers complete performance ratings to assure reliability in dealings with online sellers. GEMM takes a small percentage of the final sales price. GEMM charges no set-up or maintenance fees and operates its own e-commerce and security assurance program entitled Green Shield.

Some suggest renewed interest in album sales is driven by the dance club DJ craze. Audiophiles claim that vinyl records produce a warmer, richer sound. Whatever the case, CD sales dropped 10% in 2006 and 20% in 2007 while sales of vinyl records have increased nearly 10% a year since the late nineties. Not just classic recordings, either. Elvis Costello recently announced that his new recording, Mokofuku set for release on April 22nd will only be available on vinyl and through digital download. Online purchasers, many, classic recording collectors from as far away as Great Britain and Asia, appreciate the depth of inventory found at GEMM as well as its ease of use. GEMM provides a look-back at previous searches and a filtering feature to help users refine their search. If a search is made for the early Fleetwood Mac LP, Bare Trees, “Fleetwood Mac” is the search query with a filter for “Vinyl Only.” Within seconds, several listings popped up on the screen. And just what are those Japanese collectors buying through GEMM? Remarkably, some of the popular vinyl LPs shipped to Japan by GEMM sellers include recordings by Telly Savalas, Andy Griffith and Ann Margaret.

Visit GEMM at http://ROBCOLLECTVINYL.gemm.com