KEARNEY, Neb. (AP) - Vinyl record sales have made a comeback nationally, and Buffalo Records co-owner Bryce Jensen is proud that his Kearney business is a part of that resurgence.
U.S. vinyl album sales exceeded CD sales in the first half of 2020 for the first time since the 1980s, according to a music revenue report from the Recording Industry Association of America.
Vinyl album revenues were $232 million, the RIAA report cited, while CD sales were $129.9 million. Vinyl sales increased nearly 4% in the first half of 2020 compared to the same period in 2019 while CD sales slid 47.6% in the first half of this year.
Jensen, who has owned Buffalo Records with his brother-in-law Rex Herrick for the past five years, told the Kearney Hub, “It’s kind of neat that our little community in the middle of Nebraska can have that impact, too.”
At Buffalo Records, Jensen and Herrick sell used, which they call “pre-loved,” and new vinyl records. Only the new record sales would be accounted for in RIAA’s report.
Regardless, Jensen said business at Kearney’s small independently owned record shop has steadily increased since they opened it five years ago. Jensen said buyers from across the country seek out the store.
“There (are) people who love record stores that will make an effort to hit any record stores along their travel path for their vacation,” he said.
Vinyl lovers can find unique albums when they travel far and wide to shop at different stores, Jensen said, because people listen to different music regionally. For example, he said Buffalo Records has an abundance of Johnny Cash and Willie Nelson albums, which may be harder to find in bigger cities.
“So it’s kind of a unique thing. You pop into a record shop and get a dose of that community and what they were into in the past and in the present,” Jensen said.
All new vinyl records come with a digital download.
“So you get the best of both worlds,” Jensen said.
Jensen doesn’t believe that people’s affinity for vinyl records has caused the demise of CDs.
“Digital kind of killed CDs in the first place, I think,” he said. “I think records surpassed them because people just aren’t buying CDs. They’re just not practical anymore. There’s nothing really attractive about them. They cost just as much as a download.”
CDs also scratch easily and degrade faster than vinyl, Jensen said.
“There (are) records that are from 50, 60 years ago that look like you just got off a shelf,” he said. “But there (are) CDs, you just brush them wrong and I got to skip forever.”
While RIAA reported that vinyl sales revenue was up 4% compared to the first half of 2019 digital subscriptions and streaming combined with permanent digital download revenue dominate the industry with 8.7% growth in the same time period.
Jensen, too, streams music. But because he loves the physical experience with a record, he said he will seek out an artist’s record once he discovers that he likes their work. He enjoys owning a physical object that he can take care of and flip through. The experience reminds him of past moments, such as concerts he attended.
“The digital experience does not give you that,” he said.
Jensen thinks people are turning to music more during the spread of COVID-19. At the beginning of the pandemic, Buffalo Records sold T-shirts that said, “Music Gets You Through Anything.” Jensen said he believes in that motto.
“I think it (music) has so many healing qualities to it, and hearing another human voice that are going through what you’ve gone through or celebrating, it helps out so much,” he said.
Buffalo Records never closed during the pandemic, but offered curbside pickup in the spring. Since then, employees have worn masks at all times. They also offer hand sanitizer to customers and sell masks, though patrons aren’t required to wear them.
“We try to encourage safety. We think it’s very important, and it’s worked so far for us,” Jensen said.
Jensen and Herrick operate Buffalo Records as a side business to their day jobs. Jensen is executive director of the World Theatre and Herrick is a maintenance worker for Community Action Partnership of Mid-Nebraska.
Jensen said the record store is a labor of love and he and Herrick are in the business to break even, a goal they have met even through the pandemic.
“We haven’t had a hit in business at all. If anything, it’s been a decent few months for us,” Jensen said.
“So I think that speaks volumes to vinyl because they (people) could be sitting at home, and everyone has been for months, and they could just be digesting music from there. But everybody has the urge to get out, get to the record store (and) buy something fresh to put on the turntable,” he added.
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