Rising Oil Prices Threaten Vinyl Record Costs, Industry Experts Warn: In September 2026, the price of a barrel of crude oil has climbed to roughly $110, a level that could push the cost of vinyl records higher. The link between oil prices and vinyl production dates back to the 1973 oil crisis, when a sudden quadrupling of oil prices forced record manufacturers to cut costs, resulting in thinner, lower‑quality discs. …The embargo lifted in March 1974, but the price of oil had risen from about $3 to nearly $12 per barrel, a 300 % increase. The spike triggered inflation, a shift to fuel‑efficient vehicles, and a significant impact on the recorded‑music industry. Vinyl records, made from polyvinyl chloride (PVC), a petrochemical by‑product of crude oil, became more expensive to produce.
Oxford, UK | Oxford record shop to close as redevelopment plans approved: A record shop in Oxford will have to close as a planning application lodged with Oxford City Council have been approved. Riverman Records has been successfully run by long-time record shop owner Andy Tucker in Walton Street, Oxford, since 2019. But a planning application submitted and approved by the landlords of the premises to Oxford City Council revealed a proposal to turn the shop into a one-bedroom flat. At the time the plans were lodged Mr Tucker said the plans “didn’t come as shock” as the building owner advised him that he was exploring the change due to new environmental standards for commercial properties coming into force. The shop owner said: “I knew that change was on the horizon.”
Brandon, CA | New record store opens in the Shoppers Mall: Music lovers and collectors now have a new destination to explore as Sunshine Records opened its doors at Shoppers Mall in Brandon. The new store offers a wide selection of vinyl records, CDs, movies, collectibles, and pop culture merchandise, bringing a unique retail experience to shoppers in the city. For vinyl enthusiasts, the arrival of Sunshine Records will provide a welcome opportunity to browse both new and classic albums without leaving the city. The growing popularity of vinyl records has helped fuel renewed interest in music-focused retail stores across Canada, with collectors seeking everything from new releases to timeless classics.
Ville Platte, LA | Would Floyd Soileau have made Louisiana music history if he hadn’t messed up his gig as a DJ? “Ask him,” Todd Ortego prompted. Ask him what? “Ask Floyd about the time he played the wrong record,” he said. Ortego is already laughing on this August afternoon visit with Floyd Soileau as Soileau prepares to tell the story of how he started out as a disc jockey at KVPI-AM in his hometown of Ville Platte before opening a record shop in 1956. …It’s where he produced recordings of Louisiana artists, some of whom made it into Billboard magazine’s top 20. But it was a wrong record on the turntable at KVPI that set him on the recording path. Those were the days before vinyl gave way to CDs, which were finally overtaken by digital formats—the days when cover art was as important to the album as the music itself.
Toledo, OH | Vinyl Fun! The Toledo Record Riot! GO VINYL CRAZY AT THE MALL! The Record Riot comes to Toledo’s Franklin Park Mall on Sunday September 6th. 40+ dealer tables with LPs, CDs and more. $5 admission, $15 early at 11 AM. Door prizes, great music, too! PUNK METAL HIP HOP NEW RELEASES. Don’t miss the big vinyl dig!
Penticton, BC | Music lovers, rejoice: Almost time for Okanagan Vinyl Festival in Penticton. One of the largest single-day album and audio gear sales in B.C. is coming back to Penticton. The 13th annual Okanagan Vinyl Festival returns to the city on Saturday, Sept. 19. This year’s event comes to Okanagan College’s Penticton campus, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Parking at the site, 583 Duncan Ave. West, is free for attendees. The event serves as one of the main fundraisers for the Peach City Community Radio Society, Penticton’s CFUZ 92.9 FM, one of the province’s last remaining independent and volunteer-run radio stations. “One of my favourite parts of Vinyl Fest is seeing people excitedly showing off their finds and talking music with other attendees,” Peach City Community Radio Society president Claire Thompson said.
Bentonville, AR | AUX ARC Record Fair returns to the Momentary Sept. 20. The Momentary in Bentonville will host the AUXARC Record Fair Sunday, Sept. 20, from noon until 5 p.m. Robert Bishop, event coordinator at the Momentary and previous host of the KUAF Vinyl Hour, visited the Anthony and Susan Hui News Studio to speak with Ozarks at Large’s Sophia Nourani about the upcoming record fair and to catch us up on his work in Bentonville.
Chester, UK | Worst record covers exhibition to open at Chester museum: From cringe-worthy design to full-blown artistic disasters, these are the worst record covers ever put to vinyl. A new exhibition at Chester’s Grosvenor Museum celebrates the most bizarre and unintentionally hilarious album artwork in history, curated by Huddersfield collector Steve Goldman. The award-winning display, titled Worst Record Covers in the World, will run from September 26 to January 17, 2027. Visitors can expect a colourful, nostalgic, and often baffling journey through sleeve art that missed the mark by a mile. Councillor Lisa Denson, cabinet member for a fairer future, said: “This crazy and wonderful collection features over 700 records, and the Grosvenor Museum will be displaying some of the funniest, strangest, and worst record covers.
Ferndale, MI | Saving Your Valuable Vinyl Record Collection After a Basement Leak in Ferndale: Your basement floods. You rush downstairs. The carpet squelches under your feet. Then you see them—rows of record sleeves warped and soaked, album covers curling at the edges. That sinking feeling hits hard. Vinyl records aren’t just music. They’re memories, investments, and irreplaceable pieces of culture. In Ferndale, where basements are common and vintage vinyl is part of the local identity, this scenario plays out more often than you’d think. Flooded Basement Cleanup in Grosse Pointe Done Fast and Done Right. The good news. Quick action can save most of your collection.
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