Record Store Day: the Preston record shop helping put vinyl back on the map

Preston records opened on Preston’s box market in the city centre last week and have seen ‘lots of interest’, its owner says. Eamon who runs Preston Records says he was a record collector when he was younger, but when he moved abroad in his twenties all his records disappeared.

The site has already proved popular with music lovers keen to get that hands on a physical copy of their favourite artist’s music rather than just listen via streaming services. And Eamon says his varied collection, which included most genres of music, ranges from pricey £60 rare editions or bargain bucket treasures troves.

He said: “As lots of people have done when they have lost their collections, I am restocking. Luckily doing what I am doing now, I can hold things until I’ve played them, and move on to something else. So I keep a small, selective collection for myself, but I’d rather customers take them off my hands. As everyone will know records can go up to the value of thousands of pounds. I don’t have anything of that value here, my stuff is generally middle of the road. I’ve got anything from £2.00 album boxes right up to things that are selling at £40, £50 and even £60.”

Eamon is expecting extra customers on Saturday (April 22) – Record Store Day, which celebrates independent music shops. Despite the advent of streaming, vinyl records continue to hold a place in music lovers’ hearts.

The format experienced a sharp decline during the late 80s and early 90s but has rallied in recent years, surpassing CD sales in 2020 for the first time since the 1980s. Cassette sales have also seen an upturn in recent years, with the total number of sales have risen from 3,823 in 2012 to more than 195,000 in 2022.

Eamon said: “I have only been open a week, but I have been very encouraged, there is lots of interest.” The shop owner said he is open and looking for trades in records, so people can swap records for his stall.