Vinyl and Pine in Springfield, Oregon, brings together records, books, and audio equipment for local listeners and visiting collectors. In this interview, the owners discuss physical media, collection buying, and the community around the shop.
Interview with Vinyl and Pine
Vinyl and Pine — where does the name come from, and what's the shop about?
Our shop is records and books so the name is a reflection of getting back to the core materials that the items are made of. Our shop is focused on getting back to physical media from streaming so highlighting those materials felt aligned to that.
You're in Springfield, right by Eugene in the Willamette Valley. What role does the shop play locally, and who's coming through?
Most of our shoppers are locals who live in the neighborhood, people who come downtown to browse, shop, and eat. We do get some record hunters from further away who want to hit all the spots in the area.
What does the record side look like — the formats and genres you lean into?
We have mostly vinyl but our CD and cassette sections are growing. We are fairly split new and used vinyl. No specific genres, we have a little bit of everything. We also have new and used audio equipment for folks looking to start or upgrade their system.
Who's finding the vinyl — locals, students from Eugene, people passing through?
We see people of all ages, from young kids just discovering vinyl to folks who had a collection in the 70s or 80s and have since moved on from collecting. It's great to see their eyes light up remembering what all the albums meant to them. The best thing is to hear someone say, "Oh I love this album!" The connection people have to music is truly special.
What kinds of records feel right in a shop like yours?
We don't keep a super close pulse on what's hot right now. We try to be aware and get things in when it feels right but a lot of those prove to be a flash in the pan. Everyone wanted Brat, and then three months later no one would touch it. We stock a lot of older or more obscure titles but when the right person finds it, it's a must to add to their collection.
Do people bring records in to sell or trade, and how do you handle that?
We do buy used records. We are always willing to look at what people have and see if we can make a deal. We assess them based on resale market for the album, demand we see from our customers for certain genres or artists, and condition. Condition is huge.
What do sellers bring in expecting a fortune that just doesn't sell?
Elvis. Unfortunately he just doesn't have the market he once did and his albums are so common in the collections we are seeing that we just get too many of them. Also The Beatles. They're classic but they pressed a lot of albums and most people don't have anything rare that garners much money, much to their disappointment.
The Willamette Valley stays damp much of the year. What condition problems do you see most, and what would you tell someone to do differently?
We see a lot of mildew, we see some mold. We see quite a few items that have been chewed on by critters in your garage or attic. I would say to folks to store their records indoors if they can so it's more climate controlled. Ideally don't smoke around them, we get some collections that you can smell coming because they've been in a house where someone smoked for decades, and I'm not just talking about cigarettes. Also we see a lot of items with extensive scratches on them, accidents happen but do your best to handle them gently when you play them if you want to be able sell them at some point.
What's the wildest thing that's ever walked in?
We haven't been in this business too long yet but we did get an original pressing of The Velvet Underground & Nico with a mostly unpeeled banana which was a great find.
Who's a regular whose taste has quietly shaped what ends up in the bins?
No one person in particular but if someone mentions something to us we don't have, we usually add it to our next cart. We want to have what people are looking for and we can't be aware of everything all the time so we really rely on those recommendations.
Last updated: 2026-10-13
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