As iPods have gotten smaller and smaller, the demand for vinyl records has grown larger and larger. Over the past year, vinyl record sales “had a thirty two percent increase in sales,” according to junior Annie Engen, who has been researching local record store Hymies Vintage Records for her DECA Promotional Plan, where she wrote a paper about how to promote the store. With music being just a click away, what strange appeal does vinyl have that is able to draw in newcomers, including some Edina High School students?

Junior Hugh Jones got interested because “there was an artist [he] wanted to support.” Although the technology is decades old, many artists have made the move back to vinyl and some release solely on the medium.

Others have started journeying into vinyl for its “interactiveness,” said Engen. Records offer a physical object that plays the music instead of streaming it online. Some feel that it creates a better sense of ownership of one’s music library. Even more interactive is the buying experience, as one has to hunt down a record from one’s favorite artists instead of just searching and downloading on the Internet.

The Minneapolis area offers a wide variety of vinyl hotspots, such as the aforementioned Hymies Vinyl Records or the trendy Electric Fetus, both Minneapolis institutions. While Electric Fetus and even Urban Outfitters offer a good variety of new music, they can be pricey. If vintage is more your style (or if you’re broke), try Cheapo or even Half Price Books. These two stores focus more on used records from quality artists, which can go for less than the download prices.

Even with such increasing popularity, and popular artists like Lady Gaga, Daft Punk, and Lana Del Rey releasing new vinyl albums, it is difficult for many to see vinyl having a future in the digital age. “I don’t think that [vinyl] will ever become as popular as MP3 downloads just because it’s not portable,” said Engen.