Vintage Vinyl

Vintage Vinyl has been part of the Chicago-area record world since 1979. This interview keeps the focus on longevity, obsessive curation, obscure genres, and the condition standards that decide whether a record belongs in the bins.

Interview with Vintage Vinyl

Vintage Vinyl is one of the longest-running record names in the Chicago area. What's the secret to that kind of longevity?

I opened VINTAGE VINYL in August, 1979 as an outgrowth of my passion for record collecting and music. I have been in the shop ‘tending the crops’ nearly every day that the door is open. I’ve made great friends and gotten to know the musical tastes of all of our repeat/loyal clients. From the first day my goal was to bring our clientele the best quality and most obscure records in the world of every genre.

How has the clientele evolved across the decades — same collectors aging with you, or constant new blood?

After 47 years, our customer base has evolved over the course of time. I still see our longest, most loyal friends on a regular basis…people whose collections I have helped curate. We are seeing a new demographic of people in their late teens/early twenties with a curiosity and attraction to records as a medium for hearing music they know and are beginning to explore.

What do your regulars hunt for most — and how has Chicago-area taste shifted over the years you've watched it?

VINTAGE VINYL has always been known for leaning heavily into the obscure of all genres. We have introduced many to rarities in the psychedelic, beat, freakbeat, mod, krautrock, progressive genres. These are my ‘go to’ places when playing records all day in the shop. It is the music that I grew up playing and continue to play in my band, THE MIXTURE.

What comes through in the collections people sell you — the city's jazz, blues, soul, and rock history has to surface constantly?

The amount of collections that I take in generally has a very eclectic mix of genres. Over the last half a dozen years the collections have tended to be very carefully curated and well cared for.

What's been quietly strong in the bins lately?

People tend to come here for the rare and obscure…lately there has been a move towards electronics (‘60’s/’70’s) and Brit-pop, which we championed in the ‘90’s. I’m VERY happy to see a resurgence in many of the more obscure British pop bands of the era.

When someone wants to sell records, what's the best way to start — and after all these years, what still makes a collection exciting?

It usually starts with a call (847 328 2899) or an email (mail@vvmo.com) query and we take it from there. Seeing a collection that has been well cared for is the most exciting thing for me. It tells me quite a lot about the person that owned those records.

What condition details actually decide whether a used record makes your bins?

For us the condition of the record AND the cover need to be in top grade for us to get it in the bins….our standard has never deviated in all the years of operation.

First visit to Vintage Vinyl — what should someone know about the place?

A few steps through the door tells anyone about what VINTAGE VINYL does. Our organization, quality, our colour scheme (pink and black were Elvis’ favourite colours!!!). And we expect that any visitor will treat our records with the respect that they deserve.

Last updated: 2026-08-08

Store owners

Add a VinylPackman badge

Use this small badge on a Press, About, Links, or News page to point visitors back to the feature.

Show badge code

Need to fix store details?

Owner or staff? Send a correction for review.

Correct this listing