A new record shop has opened on the high street in Arnold offering a selection of classic records and albums. Vinyl Destination, which is located in Front Street, has already built up a following thanks to a viral Facebook video made by Conservative MP for Gedling, Tom Randall.
Vinyl collectors will be happy to see the shop sells a collection of new and old records spanning decades from classic rock to Oasis to ska. Vinyl has been experiencing a surge in popularity as record sales are set to overtake CDs in 2022.
Manager Mark Levy has been in Arnold for around 35 years and worked in retail before switching to a vinyl store. The records he sells come from his personal collection along with hidden gems he has bought from vinyl fans looking to downsize their collection. His store is next to the discount cards stores, which is run by his wife.
"I've been here for five years selling bedding and textiles. It was a good living before the last lockdown when footfall in Arnold just dropped by 80 percent. I've just had back surgery so I've been off for three months and wanted to do something different. I had the shop kitted out ready to go," he said.
"All of the albums here are ones I had at home in my house. I'm not a collector but I buy and sell records. I've had them for years but I just got them out of storage. The store opened on Friday and it's been absolutely fantastic. People have come in and given us really good vibes."
A video made by MP Tom Randall for Gedling announcing the launch and encouraging Arnold shoppers to pop in went viral after it was shared on Facebook. The video quickly gathered likes and comments before spreading to Twitter where vinyl fans discussed the records they had been able to find in-store.
Collectors who are looking to downsize their collection will be able to bring their records in-store to cash them in. The store only selects the very best and Mark has an eye for classic records.
He said: "We want to buy stuff off the public but we want the good gear which is late 50s, 60s and 70s We don't want the Des O' Connors or charity shop stuff. I want to be able to offer nice stuff and variation. Your shop is only as good as the stuff you can buy in so you have to keep different things going all the time. It's taken off and vinyl sales are doing so well. Vinyl sold more last year than it did 30 years ago."
"I've just had a nice collection of Pink Floyd come in that I've bought off someone. The same person had Johnnie Winter and Led Zeppelin in there. It was all good 70s stuff and I have some beautiful blues and jazz here, too."
When it comes to sales, younger generations have been discovering the joy of vinyl over music-sharing platforms like Spotify. What is it about vinyl that creates the difference? Mark believes it's down to the sound.
"The youngsters are coming in now. I don't sell anything brand new - this is all of the older stuff. I do have a lot of new house and dance from the 90s and I have more Oasis than you can shake a stick at. I will be selling some of the newer albums and I'm hoping to be cheaper than the supermarkets."
He added: "The sound makes the difference with vinyl. You put the record on the turntable, especially some of the older ones, and you hear that little bit of crackle. It's just proper and it's real."
