Vinyl Album Sales Increase 89% in 2008

Who says analog is dead?

Integrators may want to consider adding turntables to their offerings again. According to Nielsen SoundScan, sales of vinyl LPs reached 1.88 million units last year. That's more than double from just two years ago and up 89 percent from 2007.

According to the L.A. Times, the trend has led to several new record stores opening in the L.A. area. Moreover, some of the albums have price tags as high as $100. The L.A. Times says the record stores are thriving because of collectors and casual audiences.

My cousin opened a record store in Ventura, Calif. a few years ago: Grady's Record & CD Refuge. A lot of his inventory comes from people just giving albums away. He also does a solid business on eBay.

LPs need turntables, of course. According to the article, new low-cost units are popping up on the market. Integrators might consider a good/better/best offering of turntables for clients. If you really want to reach the affluent, take a look at this list of the 10 most expensive turntables, including Goldmund's Reference II that sells for $300,000.

Still no word on how 8-tracks are doing these days.