The ‘Vinyl Resurgence’ as a ‘Reality Resurgence’ at Princeton Record Exchange on Record Store Day

On Saturday, April 12, Princeton Record Exchange will be rocking the 15th annual National Record Store Day.

Record Store Day (RSD) serves as a vibrant celebration of the culture surrounding independently owned record stores. With each passing year, its popularity continues to soar. On this special day, hundreds of limited-edition titles are exclusively available at brick-and-mortar record stores like Princeton Record Exchange (PREX).

As society becomes ever more reliant on the virtual world, there seems to be a backlash to the sterility of these interactions. Record stores around the country are experiencing some of their best years ever as the vinyl resurgence steams ahead. Jon Lambert, owner of PREX, has been watching this trend closely. “It is heartening to see the growing interest in physical media.  Younger folk seem especially to be driving this trend. I can’t help but think that the isolated COVID years were especially difficult on teens. Their joy at being back in a real space, with real objects, among real people is clear”.

The vinyl resurgence is not merely a nostalgic trend; it’s a reality resurgence that has captivated music enthusiasts worldwide.

According to the Recording Industry Association of America, in 2024, US vinyl record revenues grew 7% to $1.4 billion, marking the 18th consecutive year of growth. While many of these records can be found online or in “big box” stores, the main attraction of RSD is a large number of titles that are not available anywhere except participating independent record stores. At last count, there are over 400 limited edition titles being released.

Adding to the collectible appeal, most of these records have very limited production runs, typically from 100 to 5,000 pieces.  They may be previously unreleased recordings or alternate takes, and are often on colored vinyl, are numbered, have unique packaging or are otherwise special. A complete list of releases can be found on Record Store Day’s website.

These records are allocated by the distributors to stores around the country, and the stores don’t know what they’ll receive until just before the day.  Typically, PREX orders around two thousand RSD records each year and gets a very good fill. Consistently ranked as one of the top record stores in the country, Princeton Record Exchange has been buying and selling new and used music and movies since 1980.

On RSD, the store opens at 10 a.m., but eager customers often line up much earlier to maximize their chances of snagging the rarer titles. Last year, several hundred people were waiting at opening, creating a real sense of fun and camaraderie among like-minded music enthusiasts. With the ever-increasing base of vinyl fans out there, Princeton Record Exchange trusts that this Record Store Day will be the biggest yet.