Dust Off The Old Turntable
Who said the vinyl LP is dead?
Surely not the organizers of the KPBX album sale.
The local public radio station has accumulated over 12,000 vinyl albums for its seventh annual record and video sale happening at the Masonic Temple on Saturday and Sunday.
Since the sale began in 1990, KPBX has peddled predominantly used LPs at its music sale. Even with the compact disc being the most popular music format by exponential proportions, the LP-oriented event has grown more popular every year.
“We have more (vinyl) this year than we’ve had in years,” says KPBX business manager Linda Stowe.
The sale is a fund-raiser for KPBX. All titles come solely from donations. And all proceeds benefit the listener-supported station.
Records sell for just $2 and $3 apiece. Many genres of music are represented, from rock and pop to reggae and blues to classical and jazz. Conditions vary, but for the most part, the albums are in good to mint condition.
“A lot of times we get entire collections from people who just aren’t looking for vinyl anymore … who have been meaning to get rid of their 150 albums,” says DJ and special events assistant Patrick Klausen. Lately, Klausen has been spending most of his time sifting through the venerable vinyl.
The fact that this sale is quite popular isn’t surprising.
Vinyl has made a considerable rebound in recent years, despite the industry’s attempt to drive the format into oblivion. According to the Record Industry Association of America, 2.2 million new LPs were sold in this country in 1995. That’s up from 1.3 million in 1993.
Call it a penchant for nostalgia or a refusal to be suckered into believing LPs are inferior to CDs, but bands and consumers still demand vinyl.
Audiophiles have maintained for years that the old LP sounds warmer, fuller and truer to the original recording than a computer-processed replica, the CD, which they say is tinnier and isn’t always as durable. Vinyl’s shortcomings - crackles and pops are commonly heard - are just part of its charm.
Of course, the lure to vinyl isn’t just the music. It’s the striking visibility and tangibility of the jacket artwork, especially on albums from the ‘50s and ‘60s when the art was more outrageous and brimming of innuendo. A perfect example is Herb Alpert’s “Whip Cream and Other Delights,” which features a buxom brunette licking her finger and wearing nothing but a coat of fluffy whipped cream. Several copies of this album will be on sale this weekend.
“Each (cover) is almost a social statement from the different eras,” says Kathy Sackett, special events director for KPBX.
Each year, attendance continues to grow, which is the main reason the sale was moved from Cavanaugh’s River Inn to the Masonic Temple.
Nearly 1,000 people are expected. Though most are from the area, the sale, according to Sackett, draws people from Oregon, Montana and Canada. Further, record hounds, usually collectors, gather at the door as early as a couple of hours before the first day of the event.
Collectors salivate over the sale because albums are only marked up to $3. No matter how collectible a piece is, KPBX doesn’t charge collector prices. So if a Beatles “Butcher” cover winds up in the sale, which it has on a few occasions in the past, it will be sold for just $3. In mint condition, it lists for a cool $1,000.
One would think that such rarities would have long been snatched up by KPBX’s staff before the sale.
“That’s the beauty of this. The staff is not allowed to go through (the albums),” says Stowe. “The listeners and the collectors, they know that by going through them they’re going to find that gem. That’s what I like about this; everybody has a fair chance to find the gold.”
The sale doesn’t just encompass LPs. The venerable 78 rpm, 45 rpm and eight-track tape as well as cassettes, compact discs and even video tapes will also be sold. Quantities are much less, though.
Although the event brings in some revenue for the station, it’s not nearly as significant as the amount of exposure it generates.
“Other people come to it that may not have been aware of KPBX or public radio,” says Stowe. “So, it’s a real good outreach. We definitely get diverse kinds of people.
“It’s a real fun event,” she continues. “Where else can you make a $2 donation and get a record you’ve been looking for, for a long time?”
KPBX is still accepting donations. You can bring albums to the sale on Saturday.
, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Color photo
MEMO: This sidebar appeared with the story: AUCTION KPBX Recordings and Video Sale will be held at the Masonic Temple, 1108 W. Riverside, on Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Use the Main Street entrance; the elevator at the Riverside entrance will not be in service.