The Austin Record Convention turned out to be a good indoor choice for the stormy Memorial Day weekend. Covered parking was available next to the Palmer Event Center (desirable in case of tornados or hail) and the admission fee was only $5. In-between thunderstorms, Bill and I joined a decent-sized crowd there on Sunday afternoon.

I was skeptical about the show’s advertisement: “The largest music sale in the U.S.A.” But Palmer’s large exhibition floor was filled with vendors, so perhaps this was really true.  Everyone seemed to be leaving with stacks of record albums.

I was surprised to see other media types as well: DVDs, CDs, VHS, and even cassette tapes. But it seemed like most people (mostly guys) were browsing the long rows of boxes filled with vinyl records. There’s not much demand for those other formats these days.

A few vendors specialized in collectibles, including Beatles and Elvis memorabilia, and some sold only music-related posters.

I heard a young woman exclaim, “I found a sealed Frank Sinatra!” That doesn’t sound particularly exciting to me, although I can understand how serious collectors could spend a whole weekend looking through all those boxes. We gave away our vinyl records years ago, but still have a few boxes of DVDs and CDs. And I bet they are worth more money than my dusty box of Beanie Babies!

© Austin Downtown Diary, 2015. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Austin Downtown Diary with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.