Retro Tech: Fans Of 8-Track, Betamax Unite Online

You wont find the latest Mariah Carey CD in the vast inventory - not even a cassette for that matter. But that hasn't slowed the stady flock of customers that file past one another among the narrow asiles and shelves searching for illusive titles from artists who for the most part have not released anything new for over a decade.

What accounts for the popularity of Recycled Records is the small niche it fills for users of extinct technology. Vinyl records, ranging from LPs to 45s, line the racks in neat rows and rotating racks filled with 8-tracks get the once over from both dedicated collectors and the just plain curious. "I started out with a garage full," says Santana. "Most of it my own stuff, the rest was given to me by friends who no longer had a use for them when they switched to CDs."

One man's trash has become another man's treasure. Santana began amassing more stock by making the rounds at neighborhood yard sales and thrift shops and five years ago set up his business in a small but intimate building formerly occupied by an insurance company.

"Most of my customers are regulars who put the word out about which titles they are looking for. If I don't have it here, I'll keep an eye out for it when someone brings in a load they want to sell."

For over 45 years vinyl LPs ruled the roost among music lovers and for an entire generation of baby boomers they were the center of the rock & roll universe. Even the album covers became an intricate part of listening pleasure. One could put on the latest chart-topper, kick back, and examine the liner notes or scrutinize the artistic expression on the front of the jacket, which could range from gaudy (Sgt. Pepper) to genial (The White Album).

In 1983 the first major challenger to vinyl came along in the form of the compact disc, touted for it's "perfect sound" and the appeal among consumers, companies began pressing fewer and fewer vinyl copies of new releases. The LPs days were numbered.

The final nail in the coffin came when Sony, Arista, and others stopped accepting returns for credit on unsold records from retailers, which only served to cause decreased orders. The king of the hill was dead, long live the king.

Fate also befell another competitor for listeners' dollars. Originally intended to be installed in cars, 8-track players soon found a place next to the home stereo. They were compact, easy to store, and the sound was impressive.

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