Collectors going mad for vinyl

Shaun O'Brien shows off his best buy - a Kraftwerk record. Photo/George Novak

Boxes of vinyl records were thoroughly searched for hidden gems by collectors at the Mount Record Fair.

Organiser Brian Wafer, who organises fairs around the North Island "from Palmy to Thames, I leave out Auckland and Wellington" said yesterday had been a fun, busy day for all involved.

Vendors had come from Tauranga, Rotorua and Auckland and had a huge range of music for all tastes, "good or bad".

Collectors scour boxes of records. Photo/George Novak

The records ranged from locally produced albums of the kinds of bands you would only see down at the local pub to classics like Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd.

Mount DJ Shaun O'Brien was looking for house music - "some real eclectic stuff to fill out my collection" - and came out with a stack of records.

His best buy was a Kraftwerk remix of a famous track called Trans-Europe Express.

"As soon as I saw that, it was straight in my basket."

Nick Newman, 23, scored three classics - Abbey Road, Dark Side of the Moon, and Led Zeppelin 4 - which he paid for with his birthday money.

Once he has Rumours by Fleetwood Mac, he will hang the four on his wall at home.

Vendor Andrew Maitai said New Zealand albums had been selling well, as had many newer albums.