From Edison’s phonograph to Emile Berliner’s flat disc invention, records have been around for 100 years, and with 1.88 million records sold last year in Canada and the United States their popularity is still intact. Photo by Seth Hennessy

50 Cent owes Thomas Edison a favour. If 100 years ago the phonograph had not been invented, it would have been challenging for 50 Cent to release his latest album on vinyl last November. It is almost that simple. Nielsen Soundscan reports that 1.88 million records were sold last year, the most in one year since 1991, when the CD format was only eight years old, proving that vinyl still has a pulse.

Stuart McLean’s Vinyl Café books, films like Youth in Revolt or Shaun of the Dead, (in which characters argue over which records they can spare to throw at attacking zombies) and the new station Vinyl 95.3 all reinforce the idea of vinyl as still being marketable. As for rarity Gibbs suggests buying vinyl can be a “treasure hunt” or a race between friends to find a specific record.

However, for a record to be valuable for a reason other than personal affection, there should be some difficulty in finding it. “We do get that bump in sales when an artist dies,” he says, citing Michael Jackson’s death as an example. “Everyone was convinced their Thriller was worth a million dollars,” but since there are “tons of copies” floating around from the eighties, it is worth much less.

Internationally issued, one-time releases or other specifics are necessary to hold financial weight and respect in the record-collecting world. This value is especially high if the record is by one of the “Holy Trinity” artists, a term Gibbs uses for the three bands most sought after by casual and hardcore collectors: the Beatles, Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd Vinyl has proven itself worthwhile to major labels as contemporary artists like Norah Jones, Weezer, Kings of Leon and others are now releasing albums on vinyl.

This has not surprised Wayne Chamberlain, a long-time music connoisseur and owner of around 700 vinyl records. “I think that the music producers realize that the sound from a vinyl record is something special. People like the old ways of doing things. Nostalgia has been a popular concept for years.”

His daughter Kathryn agrees and owns several vinyls herself but is open to any artist new or old on vinyl, as long as she likes the music. “The newer ones are much better quality, and it would be totally awesome to have them,” she says. Blacktop Records, a Welland-based label, released a record featuring artists Jonah Matranga and Kevin Seconds when owner Ben Andress believed he had the right songs and that there was a market for the format. “CDs are a hell of a lot cheaper to make than vinyl,” he admits, but that it is no regret since he has already sold many copies since Dec. 22 and plans on releasing more of this “classy” music form.

“The second you drop that needle down and that warm audio seeps out, it’s a reward,” he says. “It is pretty much the only way I buy music now.” Vinyl has even had an impact on newer technologies to compete. For example, a USB turntable has been released that can transfer songs onto the computer and into MP3 files. Whether it is Gibbs and Chamberlain, who experienced vinyl in their youth, or Andress and Kathryn, who both grew up with vinyl-spouting parents, all are attracted to vinyl’s sounds and benefits more deeply than any new fans who lack such advantages.

Gibbs theorizes that new fans are interested in feeling a “sense of ownership” or “authentication as a true fan.” That feeling is harder to achieve through downloading music or ten-times re-released CDs that take away the earthy charms of a record.

“Sometimes it’s not the technical [aspect]; it’s capturing the energy.” Andress agrees that the charm also lies in the simple pleasures of big artwork and a chunky record that “feels great in your hand.” The yearning for vinyl could be deeper than the needle grooves on an old Zeppelin album and more than just a cool trend. “If they can hear good vinyl, it can be a religious experience,” says Gibbs of the born-again fans, lingering fame and enduring magic of vinyl records.