Record Collecting Still Thriving in the Twenty-first CenturyWritten by Charles Essmeier
It may surprise many to find that hobby of record collecting, long thought dead after introduction of compact disc, is still alive and well. Granted, many music fans have long replaced their records with CDs, but for many Baby Boomers and Generation X-ers, hobby of buying and collecting record albums and singles continues to be a focal point in their lives.
Records offer tactile sense of a substantial product, unlike CD. The seven-inch, 45 RPM single often came with a picture sleeve that has no equivalent among compact discs. The nostalgia of records draws many back to their younger days. And records still sound great. A recent check of Bay auction site showed 959,857 records for sale. That’s just under one million records!
These records aren’t selling at garage-sale prices, either. At any given time, there might be six thousand records by Beatles for sale, some of which have sold for up to $40,000. Elvis isn’t far behind; his first five singles, issued on small Memphis-based, Sun label, routinely bring $2000 at auction in nice condition. Other artists, such as Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, James Brown, or Madonna have issued records that not only command sky-high prices, but also draw a lot
| | Baroness Elisa and Synergy to Perform in Balestrand Sognafjord Sunday May 29th Written by Daniel J. Rowe
Baroness Elisa (www.baronesselisa.com) is performing with “Synergy” on luxury Fred Olsen cruise liner Braemer in Balestrand Sognafjord, Sunday May 29th. "Elegant, but not stuffy" best describes atmosphere on board Braemar which came into service in 2001. At 19,089 tons and with 376 well-appointed cabins and suites, Braemar upholds Fred Olsen tradition of small-ship intimacy without compromising on personal space. On board, Baroness’ performance is small and intimate before returning to United States for a charitable event in South Florida later this summer. Baroness Elisa defines best in cabaret theater and South Florida audiences are invited support leading Gay and Lesbian organization, Compass,in a spectacular charity fundraiser in Delray Beach on Sunday, August 7th. Compass, Inc. (www.compassglcc.com), is Palm Beach County gay and lesbian community center dedicated to promoting pride, diversity, and public awareness of, for, and by Palm Beach County’s lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) residents and visitors. Compass provides social services and support for gay youth and gay families. Compass also offers a clean, safe meeting space for a variety of national, state, and local organizations as well as social, service, support and athletic groups that meet diverse interests of county’s LGBT people. Compass is largest LGBT community center in Southeast United States and is seventh largest in nation in budget size, staff size and diversity of funded programs.
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