Take those old records off the shelf, as Bob Seger once recommended, because the Rochester Music Expo is back in town.
The annual buy-and-sell event for record collectors will be held Sunday at the Cornerstone Plaza Hotel Soldiers Field.
And old records — specifically vinyl records — are expected to be a hot commodity, said Tim Schloe, one of the organizers of the show. Vinyl records, which just two decades ago looked ready to follow the dinosaurs into extinction, have made a major comeback with music fans and collectors.
"It really has happened since Record Store Day started," Schloe said of the annual event, which began in 2008. "Every year after that, there has been an increased awareness of vinyl. People decided that vinyl music was more important to them than CDs and downloads."
Record albums, because of the size of their packaging, often come with artistic cover designs and extensive liner notes. Unlike with downloads, you can even tell who wrote the songs.
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But it's not just old-timers who are returning to vinyl, Schloe said.
"It has brought in a lot of 20- and 30-somethings," he said. "You have to be there to put the needle on the record, flip the record over. People tend to feel more involved and committed. They actually set aside time to sit and listen."
Collectors and retailers, of course, have taken note. Record stores, like the new Rochester Records , are scrambling to stock vinyl records, both used and new. Rochester Records, in fact, will be one of the dealers at Sunday's show.
In addition to the records themselves, the music on them is important, Schloe said. Collectors who start building their library of vinyl records usually do it with classic albums like the Beach Boys' "Pet Sounds" and the Beatles' "Revolver," both of which came out 50 years ago, in 1966.
"There's a reason those records sell — they're great records," Schloe said.
OK, vinyl records are in the midst of a comeback, but what about cassette tapes?
"They never did go away," Schloe said. "A lot of independent bands are putting out a cassette because it's so hard to get vinyl pressed today. The plants are so backlogged."
Collectors are also seeking out older cassette titles, he said. "They sell very well at Rochester Records," Schloe said.
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The Rochester Music Expo will feature a dozen dealers buying and selling records, CDs, cassettes and music memorabilia from all genres and era.
It's not just vinyl albums that are being sought. "We are also actively looking for 45 RPM records," Schloe said.
