Records are making a comeback, really?

In an age where our music collections live on hard drives and iPods, it's difficult to believe that record sales have actually been climbing for the past five years. And when we say "record sales," we're talking actual records. You know, those big black discs with grooves in them that are piled in your parents' basement. Even more surprising is that the majority of sales are taking place in independent record stores. According to Nielsen, the stores were the point of sale for 67 percent of all vinyl albums in 2011 and that's even increased already this year.

As someone who was around when records WERE the only choice you had, I found it great that there is an actual "Record Store Day" in America.  I missed it, but I love it nevertheless.  This past Saturday was "Record Store Day".  Record Store Day (RSD). RSD was started in 2007 to celebrate local and independent record stores across the country. Five years later, the annual holiday continues to grow each year. More and more RSD-exclusive LPs, EPs, and 45s are released, sending collectors to their local record stores in droves.  According to the New York Times, turntables sales are also growing, and in January were up 50 percent over last year. If your interest in collecting vinyl records has been piqued, make sure to get out to your local record store today and pick up some RSD-exclusive wax. But once you get home with a bag full of records, what will you play it on?  Here is a nice guide, thanks to PC Mag.