Vinyl records seeing resurgence in popularity

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- Nick Navarro, Owner of Tower District Records in Fresno, says a lot of buyers pop in looking for classics, making an old hobby new again.

"In the last couple of years, it's just been a crazy unprecedented resurgence," he said.

In 2021, vinyl records accounted for 7% of total music sales at $1 billion.

It's the classics that are music to the ears of customers.

"Stuff like the Beatles, AC/DC, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, those are all very popular still," Nick said.

"You just never know what you are going to find," says Freddie Monfredi. "It's like getting to the bottom of the crackerjack box."

At Tower District Records, you'll find a little bit of everything, from David Bowie to Bob Dylan.

"We have people who say, 'Oh man, I sold my records years and years ago.' and now they're coming back," Nick said.

That is exactly what happened to Ricardo, who is a regular at the local shop.

As prices continue to skyrocket, collectors say they will continue to hunt for their favorite pieces of vinyl, and record shop owners predict the demand will become even more popular.

"I used to see pieces of vinyl that were anything between 25 cents, a dollar, $2, $3," he said. "Now, you see pieces of vinyl like the one I am buying right now, and it's up to $80, $90."

"I don't see this rise in popularity in vinyl going anywhere anytime soon," Nick said. "In fact, what sort of has been a crisis right now is independent artists trying to get their music on to vinyl."