Vinyl record store in Bridgeport sees booming sales in opening months

This article comes from our media partners at Connect Bridgeport.

BRIDGEPORT, W.Va (WDTV) - For the last several months, a Bridgeport business has been booming along Main Street by offering an old product that has had a rebirth in the past decade.

Right before Christmas last year, Roundabout Records opened on Main Street. It’s a store that specializes in vinyl records.

Vinyl records were a staple for decades before falling out of style, but over the last decade, vinyl record sales have soared.

Roundabout Records is owned by Christopher Lacaria, a 2002 graduate of Bridgeport High School and teacher at North View Elementary School.

“We specialize in the rare and obscure, but that’s not to say that’s it. We have something for anyone,” said Lacaria, who works at the store with his wife, Emily.

Lacaria says the records available stretch from Taylor Swift to Captain Beefheart and everything in between.

“We have roughly 3,000 albums. I don’t want to overwhelm you with quantity, but quality. On most of my records you will say ‘oh my God, where did you find these.’ In a lot of places, you might find one or two crates like that,” he said. “Here, you’re going to find 28 crates of mind-blowing albums.”

Lacaria says he has always been interested in vinyl records. His family has past ties with records.

“My earliest pictures, I have one or two records in my hands because my family was in the vending business and we had jukeboxes,” said Lacaria. “When my father would switch records out, he would give me the old ones and that started an infatuation because I was listening when no one else was.”

Lacaria is thrilled with the ability to have a business related to what started as a hobby. However, he says the recent boom has made things a little more difficult.

“From a collector’s standpoint, it is harder to find vinyl and the prices are going up,” he said. “Still, I’m glad that this is back and in demand.”

Lacaria pointed out the business is also a record label and recently did a limited run of 50 cassettes for a group out of Clarksburg called Cellophane Riot. As of the end of last week, Lacaria said only two remained.

He also pointed out that they are an independent shop. Lacaria said he can order from various distributors for just about anything on the market.

Roundabout Records is open Tuesday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and on Friday and Saturday 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. You can call the store at 304-931-1681.

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