By Kevin Guimond of Sterilite Corporation
It’s Here to Stay
Spotify, Sound Cloud and Pandora – you’ve probably heard of these music streaming services that continue to grow at a rapid pace. In contrast, physical media sales continue to dwindle, with one glaring exception – vinyl. In fact, vinyl record sales have grown for 11 straight years and in 2016 alone, vinyl record sales topped 13 million units! With sales booming, even Sony announced that they are getting back into vinyl production in 2018.
The vinyl trend is being driven by a wide range of listeners from Millennials to Baby Boomers, and artists from all genres and generations are catching on and are releasing their albums on vinyl. You may recognize the artist Twenty One Pilots, who has not one, but two of the best-selling vinyl albums of 2016. They join other greats like The Beatles, Fleetwood Mac, Prince and Miles Davis on this list. Check out the link above to see if your favorites made it!
Yes, I’m part of the growing trend and have a few of the most popular albums in my collection, such as Fleetwood Mac’s “Rumours.” I can see why it’s a top vinyl album with some of the band’s most popular songs “Go Your Own Way,” “Dreams” and my favorite, “The Chain.” Other great records within my collection include Styx’s “The Grand Illusion,” ABBA’s “Greatest Hits,” a unique live album from the legendary Elvis Presley, and many more. I feel fortunate to enjoy the experience of the warmer sound that fills the room, even with the occasional crackling noises which I feel add a level of texture to the overall nostalgic experience.
Store and Protect Them
With the investment my family has made in timeless vinyl records, I wanted to make sure to store them efficiently and keep them preserved. Here are my solutions:
Sterilite’s 64 Quart Latching Box stores the albums perfectly! The Latching Box lid and latch ensures my records are stored safely and prevent damage. It not only fits the many records my family currently owns, but there is space for plenty more. This Latching Box is ideal for those who have a large collection of records. Should you have enough to fill one box, you can securely stack a second on top without concern for damage. As you build your own collection, you can organize your stored albums and label by genre, year or even chronologically. Have fun and enjoy separating your country albums from rock, the 60s from the 2000s, or even ABBA from ZZ Top.
Sterilite’s File Crate is a good solution for those who have a smaller collection. In addition to handles that make it extremely portable, it provides ease of access to your albums. So if you’re just starting to form your collection or have a more limited selection of music that you like to listen to, this is your ideal solution.
I hope you’ll find these tips helpful whether you’re new to vinyl or a long-time listener. Rock on!
I was glad to see your email when I opened it up and saw the album Fleetwood Mac Rumours. That caught my eye and was glad to see that you have a storage box for albums. Will be looking at the local Walmart or Target for this item
Posted by: David W Covington | 08/08/2017 at 12:39 PM
My Dad worked at a radio station for a few years. We have a large collection of vinyl records - mostly in Spanish and have them stored in various racks. This is probably the best solution for them. Thank you
Posted by: Gina Valdez | 08/11/2017 at 12:08 AM
Do you have a latching box for 45's? We have a juke box that takes 45's and have enough 45's to fill it many times. It would be nice to have a latching box for the overflow.
Thanks
Posted by: Joan Donovan | 08/12/2017 at 04:29 PM