The Art of VINYL

 

HMV did perfect that finest of arts 

that is to sell vinyl - and various 

related items... 

Alas, the times and day of this sort of 

shop appear to be over. 

That Goonies tee was a bad omen, too.  

Nostalgia 

has its very precise limits. 

Record stores are a thing of the past - 

especially if they are vinyl record 

companies dictated stock & prices; 

a lot of it excessively overpriced 

for the average music afficionado! 

So many well-known stores  

have closed since the advent of CDs 

and - most importantly - streaming 

that the idea to resurrect one of these 

(inside the rather cozy confines of 

Toys R Us stores - themselves in 

struggling times)  

was doomed from the onset. 

Sure, the place attracted a certain 

number of "collectors" and 

long-term fans (long in the tooth, 

that is! And I was tempted to type 

"long-suffering" too!) 

who constantly verse nostalgic 

about the old days; 

but just like they're not about 

to fork over 22$ for an 

action figure (ReAction figure?) 

depicting an old favorite 

from their childhood --- 

likewise, they will not pay 

those prices for vinyl records 

in this day and age! 

There was no chance at all, no! 

Here is one of those ReAction figures 

-reimagining, in brilliant fluo colors, 

some very classic characters- 

and these collectors' items 

were to be found a mere aisle away 

from the "HMV shop" within 

the combo that existed already: 

Toys R Us/Babies R Us 

Seasons of Change's 

song "Monster" seemed to be 

embodied here; lest it was 

the soundtrack for this colorful Mummy?

...not my Change, nor my Seasons... 

But that's another story! 

The bottom line was this: 

vinyl records of bands such as SOC 

were best found at used record stores 

for no more than 5 ($) bucks. 

Likewise, action figures that size 

better go for no more than 5 ($) bucks too.

Only a certain maddened crowd 

is willing to "bid" any sort of 

extraordinary amount 

for collectibles of the kind 

on websites such as eBay! 

They're buying scarcity there; 

uniqueness, value that might 

increase exponentially in some future. 

They're buying a piece of the past; 

often their past, their youth ~ but not 

always. Sometimes, it's a sort of 

time travel that is sought. 

It is the only one we know of, hmm? 

That's not really there, in the HMV shop 

or with these ReAction toys ~ is it? 

There are none of those intangibles. 

None of the authenticity, none of the flair. 

That sheer scent of something vintage... 

There's none of that, really, present here. 

These are new spins on tired old tunes. 

The fan only overlooks the tired aspect 

through his rose-colored glasses 

of sheer saudade ~ actually! 

That longing to grasp what is out of reach 

already;  a memory, a sunken treasure. 

You cannot buy any of that in new 

products manufactured to look 

"that way" but priced by today's 

recession-laden standards. 

It was never going to take off. 

It couldn't ~ not when you can get 

that exact same music in many other 

ways - and you probably already have it!

Ultimately, it was an experiment 

that failed even more spectacularly 

than the resurrection of Zellers 

inside the boutiques of The Bay. 

Not even a cute teddy bear mascot 

like Zeddy could save that one. 

Times are simply not for 

this sort of thing anymore. 

UPDATE: 

I say that and yet, 

even in 2025, 

there are those inexplicable fads 

that start up, out of nowhere it seems, 

and contradict all the trends 

- against all rhyme or reason... 

The sheer fact that some will go 

the extra mile to find one of those 

and they're willing to pay up to 

300 ($) dollars for it 

MAKES ABSOLUTELY NO SENSE 

AT ALL - IN 2025... 

But that's another story, too... 

🪫🪫🪫