Hidden gems and buried treasures at the Moncton Record Expo
Vinyl lovers packed a community centre in Riverview, N.B., Saturday in search of a hidden gem or the missing piece to their collection at the Moncton Record Expo.
Record buying has become a popular hobby over the past few years, despite the fact many of the golden oldies found in the bins at the expo can easily be downloaded for free.
Matt O'Blenis, one of the many vendors on hand from around the Maritimes, has close to 14,000 records of his own.
“The appeal for records is — you're going to get the best possible sound quality. You get the cool package, you can read the liner notes and look at the pictures. People love that. There's also a nostalgia factor for a lot of older people," said O'Blenis.
Expo organizer Martin Leblanc said he had to open 30 minutes early Saturday morning because there were close to 50 people outside the building waiting to get in. He had to cancel the last sale due to the pandemic and was happy to see buyers come out in droves.
"People actually feel comfortable now. I've seen a few people wearing masks and we have hand sanitizer. It doesn't seem like anyone is scared," said Leblanc.
Angele Vautour said she got back into the hobby during the pandemic.
"We had records from way back and dusted them off and took them out of the closet and then we got into it again. With COVID, there's not much to do, so you entertain yourself with records. We have vinyl nights," said Vautour.
But collecting nostalgia can come with a cost. Some records can be as much as $50 to $100 or even more depending on the age, condition and how rare they are.
Proof what's old is often new again, as collectors continue to hunt down those hidden gems or missing pieces.
The next Moncton Record Expo is scheduled for August.
Correction
This is a corrected version of this article. The cutline of the image in the previous version names the band “The Monkees,” as the “The Monkeys.” This correction has been made.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
Decoy bear used to catch man who illegally killed a grizzly, B.C. conservation officers say
A man has been handed a lengthy hunting ban and fined thousands of dollars for illegally killing a grizzly bear, B.C. conservation officers say.
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
OPP responds to apparent video of officer supporting anti-Trudeau government protestors
The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) says it's investigating an interaction between a uniformed officer and anti-Trudeau government protestors after a video circulated on social media.
An emergency slide falls off a Delta Air Lines plane, forcing pilots to return to JFK in New York
An emergency slide fell off a Delta Air Lines jetliner shortly after takeoff Friday from New York, and pilots who felt a vibration in the plane circled back to land safely at JFK Airport.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Loud boom in Hamilton caused by propane tank, police say
A loud explosion was heard across Hamilton on Friday after a propane tank was accidentally destroyed and detonated at a local scrap metal yard, police say.