Why I Still Buy Vinyl Records (It Has Nothing to Do With Sound Quality)

Some people buy records for the so-called “warm” sound of vinyl (which is mostly just distortion combined with a high-frequency cut, sorry). Others treat music like Pokémon, where they need to own every single record that’s dear to them. But I like vinyl for an entirely different reason, one that isn’t really replicable in the digital world.

Finding Records Is Like Looking for Diamonds in the Rough

A large part of my fascination with vinyl comes from the pursuit of interesting records. I’m in it for the hunt. Digging, as it is referred to by people who are way cooler than I, is the practice of shopping for records that pique your interest or satisfy certain criteria.

Anyone who is into the hobby has their own idea of which records are a must-buy and for many (myself included), this journey is a big part of the appeal. It’s also something that’s mostly missing in the digital world. Apple Music, Spotify, and YouTube are still important tools for discovering and enjoying new music, but I’m never going to dedicate a whole Saturday morning to combing through playlists on a screen.

The joy of record shopping is that you’re never quite sure what you’re going to find. Thumbing through a musty-smelling box of used records that have been loosely categorized is like looking for a diamond in the rough. This is especially true when 99% of the vinyl you come across in some places is garbage.

When shopping for records, I’m way more interested in the things I never knew existed before I walked through the door. Every crate is like a lucky dip, even the bargain bins. I can lose hours doing this and walk away with one or two records, feeling completely satisfied.

The Weirder, the Better

A large part of vinyl’s appeal relates to the kind of records I’m looking for. I don’t generally buy reissues, since I’m not really interested in catching them all. I’m far more fascinated by dusty old records than new ones, though I’ll break my own rules from time to time.

What I’m really after is the weird stuff. This has caused me to go down a few odd rabbit holes over the past decade, and I have probably spent way too much money. Funk and soul were always on my radar, but before I started digging through crates at a Melbourne record shop called Licorice Pie, I didn’t realize just how incredible anime soundtracks of the 1980s could be.

The first record that led me down this path was an NHK TV adaptation of a Swedish children’s story called The Wonderful Adventures of Nils. While much of the soundtrack is as goofy as you’d expect, there are moments that blend silky smooth orchestras with jazzy guitar. I took one look at the incredible artwork couldn’t resist:

I quickly became obsessed and managed to acquire a fat stack of similar records, from other shows like Lupin the Third, Mobile Suit Gundam, Space Runaway Ideon, and Sengoku Majin GoShogun. The weirder the better, I say! Many of them even have bi-fold sleeves and come with inserts that features beautiful artwork. This, for me, is another huge part of the appeal.

But I didn’t stop there, and soon I started looking into the musicians associated with the same scene and era. This led me to discover gems like Sunrise by the Inoue Takayuki Band, digging further into funk-infused disco soundtracks for Japanese TV shows I’ve never seen (and probably never will).

I should qualify this by saying I’ve always had delusions of doing something with these records. Sampling them, and somehow developing enough musical talent to create my own music. This means I also spend my time looking for breaks, sound effects, spoken word, and soundtracks. DJ tools, like loops and samples that are perfect for scratching, are great too.

Sound effects archives are what production companies and broadcasters would use in the days before digital audio. Other curios include spoken word records of world events, stories, and educational records. I have a rare collection of Australian advertisements from the 1930s through to the 1980s. I have a weird record about steam trains in rural Victoria. I have countless sound effects archives.

I have made some more predictable purchases too. Buying physical records is a nice way to support small local bands. Buying your favorite video game soundtracks on vinyl is novel, and they make interesting display pieces. My two favorites are a collection of TECMO game music from the 80s, and the Music From Ys, the soundtrack to the original Ys JRPG.

It’s a bug, a curse, a hobby, and a money pit all rolled into one!

Record Shops Are a Dying Breed

You’ve probably noticed from my links throughout that most of these are on YouTube, and many are on streaming services like Spotify too. But digital music discovery leaves a lot to be desired, and I’d never have expanded my horizons in such weird and interesting ways had I not gone the physical route.

With the advent of digital everything, record shops have become less relevant. While vinyl has experienced a surge in popularity over the last decade or so, retailers are still struggling. Supporting small businesses and collecting physical media is a win for everyone as long as you can spare the cash. The best of these shops include a turntable or two in the corner so you can quickly preview any records you find.

Of course, success will largely depend on where you live. You’ll have to find the best local record stores, but sometimes looking further afield can work wonders. I find a lot of vinyl in flea markets and antique centers, but I find the best bargains in thrift stores.

The quality of vinyl in these places usually leaves much to be desired, which is what makes finding something interesting or genuinely good so much fun. Set your expectations low and never pay more than a few dollars for a battered old record. It’s the one kind of retail therapy I can really get behind.

As someone who grew up with big box PC games that came with chunky manuals, floppy disks that were prone to failing, and cassette and VHS tapes that you’d have to physically rewind; I find that the convenience of the digital world sometimes lacks a physical touch.

I say this as someone who is a huge fan of Game Pass and who listens to Apple Music all day long. I leapt at the chance to buy an iPod-esque MP3 player with a hard drive inside it as soon as I could. I also haven’t got the space in my house for the music and game library I’ve accumulated digitally.

So selectively buying records is one connection to the world of physical media that I’m not quite ready to let go of yet. I bought a nice turntable (and even got it working on a HomePod over AirPlay), and now I’m in the process of finding a neat way to store my collection.

Do you have more space than I do for physical media? You might want to start collecting music CDs, dabble with cassette tapes, or become a real weirdo and start collecting LaserDisc.