Collecting Used Records Makes A Comeback. But Some People Never Quit

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Collecting Used Records Makes A Comeback. But Some People Never Quit
by Nick Law - November 22, 2008

Used records are starting to make a comeback. Some collectors might even tell you that they never really went away.

I recently went over to a friend’s house to watch the Cubs come up short (yet again). We were real excited to watch game 1 of the ALDS, both truly believing that given the team’s regular season first place record and 2008 being the century mark, this could finally be the year that the Cubbies win it all.

The excitement lasted until about the 5th inning when Cubs pitcher Ryan Dempster game up a grand slam that seemed to completely silence Wrigley Field. We both tried hard to think of something else to talk about.

I had previously noticed out of the corner of my eye earlier that my friend had a case of used records sitting next to his TV stand with Bachman Turner Overdrive’s Not Fragile leading the pack. “BTO, huh? I observed, trying to call attention away from the fact that Dempster had just walked another. “I have that CD in my car.”

“Records sound so much better,” said my friend who was already reaching for the album in an attempt to drown out commentator Tony Gywnn’s annoying voice. We were only a few songs in and I could already hear his point. I mean, who doesn’t like the sound that a used record makes when you first drop the needle?

My problem for the longest time was just that, the needle. I have had an old record player since I was 5, but somewhere around age 10 I broke the needle playing Ninja Turtles (don’t ask).

I began my quest searching high and low at every used record store I could find for a new needle. By this time, however, CDs were all the rage and nobody carried record player needles. I would have to wait another six years for an invention called eBay to come along before I could listen to my copy of Sports by Huey Lewis and The News again.

Listening to some of my friend’s records that night brought me back. It made me understand why people not only collect hard to find used records, but listen to them as well over more popular mediums such as CD players and iPods. Sure, you can’t jog with a record player strapped to your arm, but if you’re at home in a peaceful setting, nothing else can compare to dropping the needle and hearing that 10 seconds of crackling before one of your favorite albums starts.

As the game dragged on and BTO belted out “You Ain’t Seen Nothing Yet,” I couldn’t help but feel the overwhelming sense of irony now present in the room. The Cubs would go on to lose the series in a 3 game sweep to the Dodgers, but at least I was able to hear some good music in the process. Anything beats the combination of that TBS announce team and the literally thousands of Frank TV ads in between.

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