Music lovers gather for the Syracuse LP Vinyl Records and CDs Fair

A bit of snow did not stop hundreds of music lovers gathering at St. George’s Church this past Sunday for the Syracuse LP Vinyl Records and CDs Fair. This event gathered numerous local vendors to sell their collections of vintage records, CDs and other forms of physical media.

For many fairgoers, this event is more than a simple music farmer’s market. It is a continuation of traditions and practices, taught over generations by loved ones. 

CD collector and long-time Record Fair participant Cody Manley credits his father for starting his love for the hobby.

“I’ve been coming to the Record Fair for well over a decade now. My dad’s been really into collecting physical media; he’s a big record and CD guy. He kind of just passed it down to me,” Manley said while casually flipping through a CD stand.

Manley’s dedication to collecting stemming from his childhood were mirrored in many of the other attendees. But for some, the allure of finding rare items is what drives them. 

“I like the minutia, the weird little stuff you have to learn…Everyone knows what a Beatles record is worth, but does everyone know the weird variants? Does anyone know this weird record you’ve never heard of that looks like a dollar record but it’s $300? I love how there are so many of those and no one can know all of them,” said CD and vinyl collector Luke Pitzola.

Photo by Cameron Crook

The fair not only featured vendors selling vinyls and records, but also DVDs and handmade art.

In any community of collectors, there is an increased value placed on elusive items. The same holds for records, which is exactly what drew Pitzola to this year’s fair. At the event, he managed to find a particularly rare vinyl record.

 “I got this original U.K. pressing of The Strokes album This is it, with the original cover and the song ‘New York City Cops’ that they cut, because this was put out right around 9/11, so they had to take it out… Usually, you need to find a U.K. version to get it,” Pitzola said.

The Records and CDs Fair, despite having “records” and “CDs” in the name, is not exclusive to those formats. Vendors were selling not only vinyls and CDs, but also DVDs, Blu-Rays, magazines and fan art. One vendor who went by the name of JP had a stand where he sold his own hand-made artwork.

“Primarily, all my stuff is fan artwork. That’s my main focus. I also like to partake in purchasing. There’s a lot of the type of records here that I like to get that are harder to find in other places,” said JP, showing off a hand-drawn portrait of musical artist Tyler The Creator.

The fair, gives collectors a space to fully explore their niche. It has been a staple in the lives of Syracuse music lovers for decades now, according to event promoter and vendor Jack Skutnik.

“I’ve been doing this in Syracuse for 35 plus years… But I had started shows in Binghamton, Utica, Ithaca and Scranton prior to this. I like records, I like people and I like doing something good for people,” Skutnik said.

The main theme that repeated at this event was that it wasn’t about driving sales or making a profit, but rather about bringing music lovers and the greater Syracuse community together.

 “A lot of people tell us that they’re glad that we come and do this,” Skutnik said. “I guess we provide a good service! We’re not selling pots and pans, we’re selling something that you’re going to take home and get a lot of use out of it, and a lot of good things. It’s good all the way around!”