Vinyl in Fort Collins

Rise in popularity

Following the pandemic, Vinyl has seen a mass uptick in popularity, in 2022 actually becoming the most bought musical physical format surpassing CD’s since 1987. Many of your parents probably had a record collection or had a close friend/sibling with one. With the demand increasing, many vinyl pressing plants are struggling to keep up, and many more plants are soon to come all over America.

Reasons for getting vinyl

Aesthetic- Having records span your wall is a great feeling, having a turntable just feels good to look at. The retro vibe is something that is often strived for, in clothes, demeanor, or movies. This older vibe for listening to music is perfect. It's like cementing your place in a love for music.

Culture- Instant connection between collectors becomes apparent. Many collectors like myself are always eager to showcase their collections. The local record stores create an amazing community making it easier for music fans to unite.

Intention- When switching a record, you have to be very intentional about what you are going to play. Unlike with any digital format, it’s not as simple as just pressing shuffle on a playlist. Carefully picking out the record is an art form, this pushes the culture as when listening with others a connection is built over the record you play, extending further than just a few songs that last 10 minutes.

Collectability- People love collectibles, whether coins, action figures, or shoes. Records are the same way, with rare vinyl often being pressed and sometimes worth some money.

Record stores in Fort Collins

All Sales Vinyl, 120 S College Ave, 4.6 Stars

Wide selection and amazing vibes, the staff is super helpful and easily accessible in the middle of the old town. Also sells turn tables, cleaning supplies, and posters.

Bizarre Bazaar LLC, 1014 S College Ave, 4.6 stars

While more of a bookstore still offers a good selection, commonly super cheap alternatives out in front of the store.

Driver 8 Records, 246 Pine St, 4.8 stars

The owner is very nice looking at the reviews, each record has a not about the condition which is always helpful when buying used records. Numerous reviews rave about the place and seems very welcoming. The store doesn’t put out any of the poppy records.

Intersect Records, 2160 W Drake Rd A-1, 4.6 Stars

Very good vibes, located near a brewery. The in-person selection is quite limited, they encourage you to shop at their online store

Little Horse Vintage, 226 Pine St, 4.6 stars

A large assortment of vintage vinyl, books, and magazines. Cool store some reviews are mixed about the customer service.

How to take care of your vinyl

Storing

Always store them vertically, storing them horizontally can cause warping. A large amount of records is heavy putting that pressure on the records is hard for them. Furthermore, this helps dust stay off slightly better. Store in a clean, dry place any humidity can also cause warping. Any dust and debris on your vinyl can easily cause imperfections and ruin the listening experience.

Inner Sleeves

Inner sleeves are important for your records. Constantly sliding them in and out can cause scratching. Generally, there are multiple versions. Paper: the cheapest alternative, often comes with vinyl. This works, but with extended use is possible to cause scratching, the paper may retain moisture, as well as the paper releasing its dust which could be bad for the record. Polypropylene (PP) Sleeves: are visible but lack anti-static features. Polyethylene (PE) Sleeves: with flexibility and anti-static good balance for record safety, are slightly more expensive than paper sleeves. Rice Paper/Mylar Sleeves: the best protection, but super costly only recommend for the most valuable records.

Outer sleeves

Helps keep the cover art intact and clear. Value the visibility and see the cover art to allow for easy organization. Polyethylene sleeves, are inexpensive and effective in protecting your records while still allowing a clear view of the album cover. High-density polypropylene sleeves, a higher clarity and thicker feel. Polyester sleeves, most durable and still highly transparent would be a very good option. PVC sleeves, are very thick and have good enough visual clarity. Good for the short term but other options will probably work better over the long term.

Cleaning

Before and after every spin, using a carbon fiber brush will remove dust and static charge for a better listening experience. Let the record spin while lightly brushing it starting from the middle and moving outwards for the best clean. For a deep cleaning getting the right mixture of fluid and water and a brush available in any store or online would work. If your collection is quite expensive, consider a cleaning machine, which will work well but is quite expensive for most listeners and will not be worth it. Wood glue is an old tried and true solution, allowing wood glue to set on the vinyl before peeling it up. Wood glue and vinyl's are made of a similar material so the glue won’t get stuck to your record but will pick up everything else. Try this on an old throwaway vinyl before you clean your prized records with it.

Try the vinyl listening experience, it is amazing for all music listeners! Take our tips to improve and preserve your collection.

Turtle Modesitt is a junior here at Poudre High. Outside of school, his interests include skiing, rafting, and being outdoors. Post-graduation he plans on traveling the world and taking a gap year before eventually going back to school. Taking a large interest in school his column will dive into the meaning and influence of albums, focusing heavily on the HipHop and RnB genres