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The arrival of the compact disk (CD) in the 1980s signalled the gradual disappearance of vinyl from record shops in favour of the new digital format. Nowadays, vinyl is sold only in specialized stores that are visited by nostalgic types who believe it to be a far superior format to the CD.

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Even during its golden age, when all new recordings were launched in this format, vinyl was already highly collectible. Today, vinyl is as popular as ever among collectors looking for that rare, hard to find recording, or simply those albums that have yet to be issued on CD.

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There are usually three reasons why someone starts collecting vinyl: the care that the records require in order to conserve their quality (prompting some collectors to buy a second copy so that at least one remains intact); the fact that they are linked to the origins of music, converting them into a piece of history that will never disappear; and, above all, the collection is an intimate part of the memories and nostalgia of the collector, something which makes the records irreplaceable.

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The lovers of this format tend to possess large collections, starting from the first albums they bought as children and often reaching several thousand recordings (many deleted), something like the incunabulum of a booklover.

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Added to this is another fact of vital importance: against all appearances, the sound of a vinyl recording is more faithful to the original than a CD. The vast majority of music lovers share the opinion that an analogue recording is warmer, more musical and better defined than a digital recording. This is possibly the main reason why, at the beginning of the 21st century, in this digital age, the lovers of music and tradition cling to their vinyl records and give them the status of collectors' items.

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In any case, whatever the reason, a person's continued faith in vinyl records is always determined by their particular taste in music.

Where to find them
Vinyl collectors' fairs are the ideal place to buy and sell old records. These events are also a forum for exchanging opinions, displaying the most unusual curiosities and linking up with people who share your taste in music, whether it be rock, pop or jazz, the most popular categories among collectors. In Spain, between the 8th and 10th November, the XVIII Record Fair takes place in Barcelona.

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Alongside these fairs, specialized vinyl stores can be found in the main cities. Some of the most important are:

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- Guitar Shop
C/ Jes�s, 46
Sitges

- Kebra Disc
C/ Sitges, 3 y 8
Barcelona

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- Discorrollo
C/ Mel�ndez Vald�s, 59

- Disco Express
C/ Fernandez de los R�os, 51

- DiskPol
C/ Jes�s del Valle, 8

- M�sicas Paganas
C/ San Roque, 4

- Planet Rock
C/ San Bernardo, 5

- Dark Music
C/ Gran V�a, 40. 6� floor�