Vinyl Lovers Unite: Charleston Record Expo Returns this Weekend

CHARLESTON - Want to replace your mother's cherished Elvis LP you "accidentially" smashed as a kid? Perhaps you feel digital recording can't capture the warmth and feeling present on a vinyl record. Or maybe you just inherited a family member's old turntable and want to try it out.

On Saturday West Ashley Shoppes Center is the place for you. will be hosting its second 2011 Charleston Record Expo 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. in the open storefront next to with 14 vendors selling thousands of LPs, 7"s, 45s and other related items.

"Record conventions held for and by buyers and collectors have been going on for ages," Monster Music District Manager Galen Hudson said. "They were really popular in the 70s and 80s, but kind of went away somewhat when CDs took off."

In March Monster held it's first Charleston Record Expo, the first such convention in the Charleston area in about 15 years, Hudson said. The event was such a success that he plans to make it a semi-annual event.

"For those of us who love records vinyl never died, but there has been a lot more interest in vinyl lately," Hudson said. "We were fortunate enough to get a lot of really great record collections and we thought we need to share this."

Most of the 14 vendors scheduled to attend the Expo are individual collectors/sellers, though in addition to Monster's offerings, two or three of the other vendors also run retail operations, he said.

Hudson said he is already looking for a larger space to accomodate more vendors for the next Charleston Record Expo in the spring.

"We've had to turn down some vendors this time because we don't have the space for them," he said.

During the Expo the Hello My Name is BBQ truck will be selling food in the West Ashley Shoppes Center parking lot, and following the event, Monster will host live music in store featuring subterranean bleu mind(s), Joel T. Hamilton, The Explorer's Club, and The Shaniqua Brown.