Huh, half of vinyl buyers don't own a record player???

An journey into the fetishisation of ancient gadgetry

I came across an interesting story the other day. Its main point was this: 50% of vinyl buyers in the US don’t own a record player.

Yes, you read that right. Half of people who buy records don’t actually have any way to play them.

To put that another way, vinyl sales managed to surpass CDs for the first time in 35 years on the back of casuals who don’t listen to their purchases.

Bubbling inside me there’s a desire to dunk on these people, to call them posers or idiots or idiot posers with stupid hair.

To counteract that, here’s a genuine question (and one we’ll return to later): who cares?

There’s nothing as good as pulling an old meme out of retirement for one last rodeo.

Vinyl is delightful, an aesthetic joy. Why not own them simply to, well, own them?

And while increased interest in records has pushed up prices (and production to the edge of its capacity), it’s hard to feel too salty about its miraculous recovery. 

Yeah, as a long-term collector it does suck how expensive records have become, but why be a hater when you can just be cool?

All this got me thinking about why old technology is so attractive; what makes us fetishise it, see it as more authentic?

Alongside records, we’ve seen other gear making a comeback in recent years, from wired earbuds and instant cameras, to iPods and typewriters.

As someone who’s dabbled in all the above (yes, I know, I’m that sorta guy), it’s interesting how short-lived the regular use of these items is.

Generally, I — and many other people I know — only manage a few weeks of regular use before returning to modern versions.

Yes, wired earphones are cool — but goddamn Bluetooth ones are so much more convenient. The iPod is an amazing bit of kit, but I have all my music on my phone. Records sound delicious, but Spotify is so easy. And typewriters? Weirdly, saving a document is pretty useful.

GET BACK WHERE YOU BELONG!

In my mind, there are a range of logical explanations for this adoration of ancient tech.

Maybe it’s about nostalgia, the idea of harkening back to a simpler time. Maybe, in this increasingly digital world, people find comfort in the physical reliance of analogue. And maybe, just maybe, it’s a status symbol, a way subtly display that you have the time and wealth to use inefficient things.

Yet, in response to all this, I will repeat the question I posed earlier: who cares?

There’s beauty all around us, often in unexpected places. If someone finds joy in something, let them. More than that, encourage them. What difference do their passions make to us?

Buy that iPod and never listen to anything on it. Use that typewriter three times before letting it collect dust. Take one, and only one, instant photo.

Half of people who buy records never listen to them — and there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that.

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