Bowling Green, KY | Iconic record store reopening in Bowling Green: While so many of Toledo’s independent (and even corporate-owned) record stores went under with the rise of music downloads and streaming services in the early twentieth century, one stalwart record store in Bowling Green held strong. Finders Records was a mainstay on Main Street in Bowling Green since 1971, giving a place for generations of BGSU students and townies alike a place to hang out and discover new music. Unfortunately, even though physical media, specifically vinyl records, are making a comeback with younger generations, Finders finally gave up the ghost in 2023 when founder and owner Greg Halamay made the decision to retire and close the store. But that may not be the end of the story.
Los Angeles, CA | Where music still lives in crates: At High Fidelity, music is something you can hold, collect and share. Inside High Fidelity, music doesn’t live in a cloud. It sits in crates. You flip through it, hold it in your hands and take it home with you. “Records and vinyl still matter because it is something that you own,” said Raymond Limon, co-owner of the store. “Something you could hold, something you could look at even the smell of old records is very distinct.” Ownership. This is what keeps his store relevant in a digital world. Raymond has been around records since he was 17. His sister helped him get a job at Aaron’s Records in Hollywood, and what started as an after-school job turned into a career. “People played music all day. There were rockers, punks, hip hoppers, goths—everybody was super cool,” he said. “Once I got into music and records, I never looked back.”
New Braunfels, TX | New Braunfels record shop turns up the volume with expansion: Yard Sale Records is hitting a high note, doubling in size less than two years after opening to accommodate the surging demand for vinyl and vintage media. Howard Lovell opened Yard Sale Records in March 2024 at 880 S Business IH 35 Suite 600, and focuses on selling vinyl records, CDs, VHS tapes and other vintage items like toys and clothing. Lovell said that the shop has built a loyal following, prompting an expansion that started in October 2025 and is still ongoing. …Lovell moved to New Braunfels from Houston in 2020 and spent several years traveling to markets selling vinyl records before opening his storefront. Lovell said he’s really come to love the New Braunfels community and enjoys establishing connections with his customers.
Ithaca, NY | The Persistence of Vinyl: There’s not much to do in Ithaca on a rainy Saturday—unless you know where to look. This weekend in particular held an event I was excited for as a lover of music and a gumshoe of music lovers: the Ithaca Vinyl Records & CDs Fair. The Downtown Ithaca Conference Center took on the persona of an audio-fanatic’s dream basement, hosting makeshift isles overflowing with CDs, vinyl records and various music paraphernalia. I wasn’t sure where to begin; not just as a shopper, but as an investigator. I wanted to pick the brains of these vendors who had come from far and wide to peddle their wares, because I’m sure they too wonder why vinyl records, against all odds, still hold appeal to a world where almost any song can be cued up at the push of a button.
Waco, TX | Record Store Plays a Charitable Tune: Vintage Mío in Waco is a record store that gives back with every record sold. Armando Cardoso opened Vintage Mío after leaving the corporate world right before the COVID-19 pandemic. He found himself having to rely entirely on his online record store, which had previously just been supplemental income. “I did have some records I acquired. just like you know, garage sales or estate sales,” said Cardoso. “I started selling them online to just go ahead and supplement my income. Little did I know that I’d be gaining more followers throughout the weeks, the months, the years, and well, this is what I do now.” A unique facet of Vintage Mío is that charity is directly tied to the business.
WI | Why are vinyl lounges popping up in Wisconsin? Designed to bring music lovers together, vinyl lounges are trending in Wisconsin. Vinyl records are experiencing a resurgence, with sales reaching $1 billion in 2025, a 10 percent increase from the previous year. …Across Wisconsin, communities are welcoming vinyl lounges, whether they’re the sole focus of a bar or café or a recurring event within these establishments. These are in both small towns and big cities alike. How they work is that local DJs—or even those visiting from outside the area—host an evening where they bring in their own highly curated selection of vinyl and play it on a turntable for all to hear. These are intimate peeks into a DJ’s musical taste, preferences, and style. But they also foster community among music lovers. Here are four new vinyl lounges in Wisconsin.
Salt Lake City, UT | Like a book club for albums: These Salt Lake City music lovers meet to talk records: The album club started in 2025 and meets at the Salt Lake Art Museum. Some of Utah’s biggest music lovers aren’t only gathering at local concert venues, or in the aisles of beloved record stores—but once a month at the Salt Lake Art Museum. This diverse group of people—across ages and backgrounds—meets and sits in circles in the still-developing main gallery of the museum. They’re ready to jump in with notes on their phones or scrawled in notebooks. This gathering is known as the Album Club, founded by Jake Clements and Samuel Hart. “The premise behind album club is that it is sort of like a book club, except instead of reviewing or discussing books, each month, we discuss albums,” Clements said.
Torrance, CA | The Last Standing American-made Jukebox Company Keeps Delivering the Hits: Rock-ola, 99 years old in 2026, builds the intricate machines in its southern California factory. Just one year shy of its centennial anniversary, the Rock-Ola Jukebox Company is still manufacturing the colorful machines that play hit songs in diners and bars across the United States. The company was founded by David C. Rockola in Chicago in 1927 as a builder of gumball machines, pinball machines and penny-weight scales. In 1935, Rockola decided to start manufacturing the increasingly popular jukeboxes which brought people’s favorite modern music to them with a drop of a coin…
UK | In 1989, the world’s first scented vinyl was released, but why? …The first-ever scented vinyl was technically launched in 1979, with Stevie Wonder’s Journey Through The Secret Life of Plants being lightly scented with a flowery note that reminded people of roses. However, they reportedly halted pressing these when it was said that the smell negatively impacted the sound quality, proving that there was much more to scented vinyls than simply dousing them in something nice-smelling and hoping that would do the trick. The first successful scented vinyl actually arrived in 1989, with Madonna pressing the first editions of Like a Prayer with aromas of frankincense and patchouli. This decision was made in order to enhance the religious themes of the material, linking the sensual experience with the music’s spiritual and ritualistic atmosphere.
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