At the Montclair Book Center, you can find J.D. Salinger and Gary Shteyngart on nearby shelves, so why not Santana next to Frank Sinatra? This past Saturday, during Montclair Center’s sidewalk sale, the Glenridge Ave. indie debuted its new (old) vinyl section, which contains several hundred record albums — many of them from store owner Peter Ryby’s personal collection.

Santana Abraxas sits next to Sinatra’s Strangers in the Night.

Among the samplings: Who’s Next ($8.99), Bruce Springsteen’s Born to Run ($6.99), the Police’s Synchronicity ($7.99) and a variety of Frank Sinatra albums in the $3.99 range.

“I don’t know any stores here that carry [vintage] vinyl,” says assistant manager John Ynsua, who built the downstairs shop. Crazy Rhythms, the former record store on Bloomfield Ave. in Montclair, closed in 2000.

As to who’s interested so far in the old-fashioned 33’s, Ynsua says it’s both Baby Boomers and kids of high school and college age.

“Some of our very young employees are all excited about it. I’ve seen high school kids in here asking about old records,” he said. “It’s a lost technology that people want back.”

A turntable sits next to the record collection and once a set of headphones is added, patrons will be able to play the records and see if they like them. The LP section also includes some used CD’s, music catalogues, sheet music and songbooks.

But don’t get excited about the possibility of dumping your old L.P.’s at Montclair Book Center for cash or credit. They’re only taking dealers’ collections for now.

11 replies on “Vinyl Comes (Back) to Montclair”

  1. Several hundred‽

    Pshaw! – I’ve got over a thousand…

    (and that’s not even counting the 45’s)

  2. If only my hubby could off load his collection of 10,000+ vinyl selections from his disco DJ days. Paying thousands a year to keep them in storage so they don’t deteriorate; searching in vain for someone to take them off his hands. Never been offered more than $1 per item for vintage James Brown unopened/unused Sun label vinyl to all genres into the 1990’s. Shall not tell him about the plethora of vinyl at The Book Center, no matter how much I love Peter.

  3. Me too !! At least 850-900 Disco Singles and the big singles (size of albums). A few that qwere never released as well.
    Still like them !!

  4. And in other news, Raymonds just installed a phone booth for those who miss a real, warm-sounding wired phone connection, rather the “tinny” hollowness of a cell phone.

  5. When i got married back in the 60’s I gave my 45’s to my brother Mike. His ex-wife threw them out in the throws of their divorce. Oh well. life goes on. However, I have retained a few gems ie: “Big Bambu Sobrinos De Cheech Y Chong .Alcoy.” Rolling Paper in still inside.

  7. The prices at the Montclair Book Center seem very fair. Plus, it’s always a fun and cool place to hang out and browse. I always find something I love when I go there.
    I have a lot of vinyl, some of which I’m keeping forever (Ramones album signed by all four original Ramones) and some of which I love but need to unload to make room for my fiance, who’s moving in in a few weeks! So come to my big vinyl unloading yard sale this Saturday June 18th at 11 Godfrey Road from 9 am to 4 pm and buy all kinds of amazing vinyl!! “Confessions of a Male Chauvinist Pig” by Artie Kaplan. Vintage ( mid-60’s) Van Morrison! Tom Lehrer “That Was The Week That Was” original TV show recording and more.
    PLUS: big pitchers of my famous homemade iced tea.

  9. I have around 400 LPS and my Phillips turntable from 1978 that still works as good as new! Lucy, seriously, if you can’t find a buyer for the James Brown, we should talk. I collect JB records. The disco you can keep. 🙂

    Email me at pets@baristanet.com.

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