MANITOWOC, Wis.— Jim Vogel opened the brown cardboard box to find five new compact discs sandwiched between several vinyl records.
“CDs!” he said quietly as he fully opened the box.
After years of declining sales, people are still asking for and buying compact discs.
“I think they are more difficult to find for people,” Vogel said. “So, they end up at stores such as mine because historically we’ve sold them since they were a new team in the 80s and we still continue to bring them in and offer them both new and used.”
(Spectrum News 1/Nathan Phelps)
He’s the owner of Dr. Freud’s Institute of Fine Recordings in downtown Manitowoc.Vogel saidthe reasons people buy both new and used discs vary.
“I would say it’s generally an older demographic, however there are younger kids who may get a used vehicle that has a CD player in it and they want something to put in it.,” Vogel said.
Recording industry figures show sales of new CDs saw an upward bump in 2021 — the first in 20 years.Salessettledslightly through the middle of last year but are still higher than 2020.
(Spectrum News 1/Nathan Phelps)
According to the Recording Industry Association of America, CDs accounted for almost $200 million in sales through mid-2022.
Vinyl records are probably the biggest comeback story in the music business. Compact discs aren’t at that level.
Allie Rappel has her mother’s CD collection in her car, which also happens to have a CD player.
“It’s really cool to listen to things my mom used to listen to and have that connection while I’m driving,” she said.
While Rappel grew up on CDs, she’s drawn to vinyl.
“They are nostalgic,” she said about the discs. “I just think I’d rather buy an album than a CD.”
(Spectrum News 1/Nathan Phelps)
Which she did.
Vogel said CDs haven’t yet reached the revival or novelty level of records and cassettes.
“It’s yet to happen, but it’s hanging on,” he said. “There are people that still want them. I have customers that that’s what they buy and there are people who don’t want to go back to records.”
