CITYWIDE The old nostalgic musical medium of yore, the vinyl LP is leaving behind a sad track record.
But while the vinyl record industry struggles, specialty stores closing across the country, including most recently the House of Records on Pico Boulevard in Santa Monica, business for the gramophone record is experiencing a resurgence, most likely thanks to a subculture of record collecting fans, consisting of old timers that have been amassing records for years and newbies that have taken an interest in wax.
Unfortunately for these hardcore collectors, a vinyl record can be hard to come by if they’re looking on the Westside, with options limited to a handful of stores, including Record Surplus in West Los Angeles.
Music aficionado Neil Cantor is the proud owner of more than 1,700 LPs and 2,000 RMP records, a modest vinyl record accumulation compared to some collectors.
“I’m more about quality than quantity,” said Cantor, a long-time employee at Record Surplus.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on December 22, 2007. Read the original PDF.