ARE VINYLS WORTH THE MONEY?
“Vinyl is the real deal. I’ve always felt like, until you buy the vinyl record, you don’t really own the album.”
Since vinyl collecting has become a lot more common within the last few years, it leaves you wondering if paying the £30+ per vinyl is actually worth the money. Shops like HMV are keeping the float of physical media alive with their range of vinyls, moving from original black to different variant pressings.
IMAGE - HMV CHELTENHAM VIA TWITTER
WHY TURN TO PHYSICAL MEDIA?
When it comes to media such as vinyl pressings, it’s interesting the number of artists that create pressings and the number of variants they produce. There isn’t anything special about these different variants apart from the fact that they are different colours.
I could argue that with smaller artists, having limited pressings and different variants of vinyl is what boosts sales for their merch. Comparing this to bigger artists, such as Sleep Token, they release different variants of the same album over and over, especially within the last year; I could argue that when it comes to bigger artists, this seems like a cash grab for collectors.
MY PERSONAL COLLECTION
According to discogs.com, there are currently 20 recorded variants of Sleep Token’s Even In Arcadia album, and that is just that album; I haven’t included the variants for the singles, EPs or the other six Albums.
This puts the question of “Are Vinyls Worth the Money?” into perspective, essencially you are just buying the same album over and over, with the disc being a different colour. As a vinyl collector, I ask myself this question every time I come across a different variant of an album I already own. Another thing to consider is what these will be worth over time. For example, the RSD (Record Store Day) single of Caramel by Sleep Token is currently worth more than double what I paid for on the day, meaning that if I were to sell, I would gain a profit. Some scalpers buy up multiple vinyls for a low price and sell them to collectors for more. That’s not the case with every single vinyl out there; with some losing commercial value over time, it’s generally to do with the market and how sought-after that particular artist is.
Turing to physical media is a personal preference and is different for every collector. For some, it is worth the money, and for others, it is not.
TAKEN BY KAT HERON - FELIXTOWE RECORD SHOP
WHAT TO CONSIDER WHEN COLLECTING?
Rarity - How rare is the vinyl? Is it a different variant? Deluxe album? Alternative Cover? Limited Pressing? Independent Releases? You don’t need to have a rare vinyl; personally, I like to collect the rarer ones as I have no intention of ever selling.
Alternative Covers - Different to the original, the Deluxe pressing having an alternative cover or just a different sleeve.
First Pressings - A first pressing is the most authentic; there’s nothing wrong with a repressing either.
Will you listen to it? - Consider what music you love and will listen to on the regular; vinyls are there to be listened to and not just to look at.
Storage - Having adequate storage, keeping the vinyls upright to avoid warping in hot weather. Vinyl sleeves are a must to keep the exterior sleeve intact as well as to keep dust away from the disk itself.
Turntable - I will never recommend a Crosley player; the risk of the lid closing and destroying the vinyl is too high. I recommend doing your own research into what is best for your setup as well as what is affordable to you.
