It was, of course, to be expected: after vinyl, cassette and even reel-to-reel tape, CD sales are now beginning to show an upward trend.
The craving for retro has been obvious in recent years. Prices are skyrocketing for old hi-fi gear, radios, record players, home computers and more. Things that until recently were hard to sell at thrift stores around the country are now – increasingly steeply priced – in great demand. The prices of the much sought-after vinyl are also rising rapidly. And now the CD seems to be a new target for retro-lovers. This physical medium, which appeared in 1981, completes the circle in terms of retro-madness. For the first time in 17 years, sales of silver discs are increasing, according to RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America).
Player
In part a reason is a group of people who prefer to have something tangible in their hands, in addition to streaming. But there will certainly also be a section of hipsters who want to experience how their (grand)father experienced his musical youth. The problem is that there are fewer and fewer good CD players to be found. Especially in the portable field trying to find a decent one is like searching for the well-known needle in the haystack nowadays. Or accept big compromises and go for a cheap Chinese device of equally cheap quality. Can we expect a mountain of (portable) CD players from just about any A-brand soon? Time will tell how far CD-retro mania will take hold. And especially how long it will last in order to be commercially interesting enough.