BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — There's a major comeback in vinyl sales across the country, with sales reaching their highest levels in decades.
Record sales topped $1.4 billion in 2024, according to an online shop.
"I think it's the best way to listen to music," said Phil Machemer, owner of Revolver Records.
Machemer tells me that customers of all ages have been stepping into his store to browse his selection.
"If you sat here for a day, you would see a really wide range of ages," Machemer said.
For the first time since 1989, the Buffalo & Erie County Public Library is seeking record donations to expand its vinyl collection, which includes 18,000 albums.
WATCH: Buffalo & Erie County Library seeking vinyl donations as sales reach 40-year high
"The discovery of having a vinyl record, playing it all the way through, discovering songs you might not know you love. That's part of the fun," said Sean Piazza from the Buffalo Erie County Library. "You can really take control of your musical experience of the vinyl record, and that's wonderful. That's what the library is all about, and I think that's what this campaign is all about."
The library is also looking for local artists to donate their work, ensuring the archive includes the sounds of Western New York.
"Handsome Jack out of Lockport and then Spaced, Buffalo Hardcore Punk," said Adam Rubin, Special Collections Librarian. "These are kind of local music happening right now, and it's kind of the history that we're trying to collect as it happens."
You can donate here and get merchandise here.
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