The trend that brought vinyl records back into the mainstream is not new. For a few years now, we’ve seen even fairly casual music fans getting into vinyl as a preferred means of playing audio at home. It’s clear, though, that if anything, the trend has only intensified in 2020. As was noted by The Manual just a few months ago, this marks the “first year in more than a generation” that physical vinyl record sales have surpassed CD sales.
Granted, CDs aren’t exactly the hottest commodities these days, but this still speaks to the ongoing surge in vinyl popularity. Honestly, this has been pretty cool to see for those of us who value vinyl or enjoy collecting records. But the trend also presents some exciting options given the holiday season we’re entering (or any gift-giving occasion). Simply put, if you need a good gift for someone who loves vinyl, there are some easy ideas to work with.
First, naturally, is the idea of buying a modern turntable. And because of the vinyl trend, this is a lot easier than it might have been several years ago, in that major electronics stores now sell turntables (as opposed to just retro outlets online). Even better, some of the same stores have reward programs and holiday specials that make these gifts more affordable. Groupon outline how Best Buy, Target, and Walmart currently offer some of the best reward programs in retail, with perks like free sign-ups and 1% of purchases back. Besides the occasional holiday discount to look out for, these programs can actually make a modern turntable a fairly reasonable purchase and — obviously — an excellent gift.
If you want to take things even further, you can also consider getting a set of modern speakers, which tend to pair pretty easily with turntables. Some of these machines today even have Bluetooth capability, but even those that don’t can hook up to amplifiers and speakers the old-fashioned way. And here too, you can get some pretty impressive modern equipment at fairly reasonable prices. Some of the same stores just mentioned will sell compatible speakers from the likes of Bose, Apple, Sony, and Sennheiser. And you can also look for discounts with trendy companies like Sonos, which have taken to offering perks in ads on podcasts and social media platforms.
That about covers things as far as equipment is concerned. But you can also look into actual records as gifts. Whether to accompany a turntable or as a gift for someone who already has one, the right record can be a real treat for a music lover. Of course, you might not always know what music somebody already has, so our recommendation would be to go for something new.
That doesn’t necessarily have to mean brand new music when it comes to vinyl. Events like the Flaming Tunes return on vinyl that we wrote about back in July are not uncommon. And for that matter, publications like Paste Magazine and a few vinyl-specific review sites do an excellent job of keeping us updated on new vinyl releases on a fairly regular basis. So, while you can often find brand new records on vinyl (2020 hits like “Punisher” by Phoebe Bridgers and “How I’m Feeling Now” by Charlie XCX are already available, for instance), you can also find new releases of older music. Really, you’ll have a lot of options to consider without worrying too much about gifting a record someone already owns.
Hopefully, this has given you a few ideas if you’re looking to music for holiday shopping. Even if you aren’t, though, it’s all worth keeping in mind. The vinyl resurgence has been a ton of fun, and the equipment and records alike are only getting easier and more affordable to get your hands on.
