It’s not hoarding if it’s vinyl.
If you collect records, you know this meme is true; some would even claim a totally altruistic motivation for continuing to feed a large collection: It’s keeping albums out of landfills and preserving them for future generations.
It’s been a couple of years since the Four Corners Vinyl Record Club has hosted a swap to help collectors and newbies hunt for their particular holy grail. But, alas, the wait is over – from 4 to 6 p.m. Tuesday, Ska will be the place to go to buy records and equipment, talk about records, hear local musician Rob Webster spin records – and drink Ska beer.
There are way worse ways to spend a Tuesday night.
Phil Gallacher, president of the record club (and advertising and marketing special for Directory Plus), said that in the past few years, there has been an increasing interest among younger people in playing and collecting vinyl records.
“The last record swap we did was in 2020 at the college. It was the biggest swap we ever had,” he said. “And since that time, everybody’s been home because of COVID, buying records – the kids have been getting into it now.”
If you go
What: Durango Record Swap.
When: 4 to 7 p.m. Tuesday.
Where: Ska Brewing World Headquarters, second floor, 225 Girard St.
More information: Call 749-4446, email animasman@hotmail.com or visit the Four Corners Vinyl Record Club’s Facebook page at https://bit.ly/3DJ1B5T.
Tuesday’s swap will feature 10 vendors, Gallacher said, adding that if you’re new to records, don’t be afraid to ask questions, either about the albums themselves or the equipment needed to play them.
“We want to provide an outlet for these people to come over and ask question if they don’t know how to hook something up or if they don’t know how to find something,” he said. “Or if they’re interested in a certain artist – that’s the purpose of the function of the swap.”
Gallacher said the goal is to hold swaps more frequently – he said the club is aiming for one in August and another in November. And for Gallacher, it’s the social aspect of the club that’s most important and fun.
“I started the record club after Robert (Stapleton) closed Southwest Sound as just a platform to keep the community involvement with those people,” he said. “That’s what’s so great about Ska having the social aspect of these records and drinking beer and talking about your records, I feel like it’s nice that this group now has a home.”
And if you’re relatively new to vinyl – according to record Industry Association of America, Gen Zers are outpacing millenials when it comes to buying albums – this is your chance to add to the albums you may have gotten from your parents.
“This record swap is going to be a little different because we’re going to see that influx of younger people that really have just been handed down their parents’ records. A lot of parents are giving these younger children their records and there’s this and there’s this exploratory, this exploration of the music,” he said. “That’s what makes this thing so lasting, so different. I think there’s a real passing of the guard here to this next generation.”
katie@durangoherald.com
