A Popular Jersey Shore Vintage Record Store Closes Up Shop
Vintage Vinyl in Woodbridge, NJ is closing its doors for good. When I heard this news, I was not just saddened but a little surprised. Vintage Vinyl has been THE destination for Jersey Shore music lovers for 42 years. National vinyl record sales have also been on an incredible high the past few years. But according to founder and owner Rob Roth, he says,” it’s time to retire”.
As a self-described music aficionado and a collector of vinyl records, the pandemic brought me closer to my albums. I alphabetized my vast assortment of records, compact discs, and cassettes. In the process, I found a few rare gems hiding, I had forgotten about. Going to the record store to find more, was a treat. I am not the only one. As I mentioned, records have been a popular item of late. Music lovers across the country reached deep into their pockets and shelled out tons of money at their local record shop. According to the Recording Industry Association of America’s annual survey, vinyl sales reached a record high of $619.6 million in 2020. That’s an increase of 29.9% from 2019 sales totals of $479.5.
For Rob Roth, the pandemic influenced his vision for the future through a different lens. “I have children and grandchildren I want to see,” he said. As his lease expires at the end of the year, the Monday announcement of the store's closing was included in a letter to the many on the store’s customer mailing list. Rob Roth’s message to his faithful was “Thanks for 42 wonderful years, it’s been a great ride".
It may be in your best interest to make one last visit to this cathedral museum of Jersey Shore history before the doors close for good on July 31. One last visit to thumb through the record bins and take in the vibe. After many Record Store Day’s, live performances from musicians, and hours and hours spent in deep thought rekindling your relationship with music, the idea of Vintage Vinyl not around anymore is breaking my heart.
Rob Roth may have said it best, “everything comes to an end." He is correct. Nothing lasts forever. But, the music always will.
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