London based The Vinyl Factory has established a podcast series. It features 4 discussion rounds about vinyl records.
Nicole McKenzie (Sounds of The Universe), the founder of Dicogs: Kevin Lewandowski, Eglo Records’ Alexander Nut and Bill Brewster (djhistory.com) are discussing the impact the internet has on vinyl records. Internet services such as Discogs or eBay are having a huge influence on vinyl records.
Online services have changed the way records are bought and sold
An agreement is being established that the internet rapidly changed the way records are bought and collected. People from all over the world are enabled to purchase vinyl records. Above all, to collect them but also to sell them. You can live as remote as the Highlands in Scotland or the Outback in Australia (mind the heat!) and still building up a great vinyl record collection.
Likewise, it also raised money awareness within the community. Records that could be found for 1 or 2 pounds 15 years ago are now sold for 40 pounds. Because there is much more knowledge what, for example, a special edition is of value.
The Vinyl Factory: ‘it needs two, online presence and a well-sorted shop’
Fear, that online selling is killing record stores is being denied by the group. (If something threatened record shops than it was the invention of the MP3 Format nearly 20 years ago.) They agree upon the fact that for being successful as a record shop you need both, a good online presence and well-sorted shop. A professional online presence offers all the convenience of online shopping including fast shipping and unlimited choice. On the other hand, a shop brings you this personal relationship with the record dealer. Certainly still important for many record collectors, as much as for inspirational reasons or for interaction with other mind-liked people.
The Vinyl Factory podcast: “VF Podcast: Has the internet ruined the joy of record collecting?” can be streamed over SoundCloud.
Next time, The Vinyl Factory podcast is going to discuss the “issue with reissues”.