Wow. Yes, so I actually read the entire article, and again...wow. The responses to this misinformed individual have pretty much already been made, either in his original article or here in this forum. Talk about apples and oranges. The two most interesting points I garnered from the reading were first, the only categories where increases were made was cassettes (very nominal) and (Surprise Surprise!) vinyl records. The overall decline I would assume is mostly from streaming. Seems a great way to introduce yourself to an artist or genre. However to this point recorded music has always been a 'possessive' endeavor (for me anyway). My generation 'streamed' AM radio in the beginning, and then FM. You couldn't get the material on demand, but you were guaranteed to hear it again in an hour or so. Younger X's, Z's and millennial's choose to spend their resources on other things (like $8 cups of coffee). They are generally much more mobile and less interested in purchasing things like homes or diamonds. Kudos to them all. I've been buying records for going on 60 years. Wasn't a sealed one in the more than 4K examples. However in the late 80's and early 90's I began to purchase multiple copies of popular artists like REM, U2, Nirvana, Soul Asylum, etc. and left them sealed. Since retirement I have been very fortunate to recoup my investments, ten fold and more. My second observation is that no one has even mentioned CONDITION when espousing on the pros and cons of used records. Always took very good care of my vinyl, running most less than 'perfect' pressings back to the retail outlet for an exchange. And yes, most are still in NM/M- condition. Whether from the 60's or 2K, my asking prices reflect this. As I watched what 'collectible' records started selling for 40 years gone, I weathered the "just take 'em to Goodwill" pressure of this time period. Happy now, supplements my paltry retirement and Social Security payments today. Peace and enjoy the music as it was meant to be heard. AB
Did vinyl sales just hit the proverbial brick wall?
Interesting read here about the state of vinyl. Personally, I had no idea what the percentage of vinyl sales was “merchandise” never to be opened or played.