Local record stores Skeleton Dust Records, Omega Music, Blind Rage Records, Catacomb Records, and Resignation Records are co-sponsoring the event and will give away five $20 gift cards to attendees.
Nearly 20 vendors and boutique pop-ups will be on hand, including Vinyl Shock Records, Boomerang Records, Universal Sound Vinyl, Feel It Records, Joseph Abrams & Elaine Banks, Stanley’s Records, and Watch It Again.
Record fairs — like record shops — can be overwhelming. So many choices that your brain briefly forgets every band you’ve ever loved. One solution, according to Skeleton Dust owner Luke Tandy, is simple: do the dig.
“I find it more satisfying for me, personally, just to browse,” Tandy said. “A new arrivals section in a shop or at somebody’s booth at a record fair is my favorite thing to go through. There’s just a mix of stuff, no genres really. Just whatever they have and see what’s there.”
Last year, to combat my own forgetfulness, I wrote down two artists I wanted to hunt for: The Muffs and MC5. I found both at the same booth. I could’ve just as easily struck out — which is part of the point. A mix of the Tandy method and the Berry method will likely yield the best results.
While vinyl remains popular, CDs and cassettes have seen a recent uptick in sales.
“Records are obviously still popular, but there is the issue of them getting more and more expensive all the time,” Tandy said. “Younger people — especially those who have a limited budget who still want physical media — are buying CDs. They’re affordable and it’s something they can hold in their hands. There’s a whole ‘90s nostalgia thing happening too.”
Plenty of collectors now rely on online marketplaces like Discogs, but physical spaces still matter.
“You’re getting a different experience, something more organic,” Tandy said. “You can’t get that online. If you’re into the experience of interacting with people, having a real world experience, I think there’s value in that. One of my favorite parts is being in a room with a bunch of other people and you’re all into the same thing.”
Some attendees are completionists or crate diggers; others are DJs searching for their next record to spin, or casual listeners killing an afternoon. Flipping through a crate, whether you buy something or not, still counts. You’re taking inventory as you go, sleeve by sleeve, learning what you didn’t know you were looking for.
Brandon Berry covers the music and arts scene in Dayton and Southwest Ohio. Reach him at branberry100@gmail.com.
HOW TO GO
What: Dayton Record Fair 2026
When: 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Feb. 8
Where: Eudora Brewing Company, 3022 Wilmington Pike, Kettering
Cost: Early bird admission $5, 11 a.m. - 12 p.m.
Free admission, 12 p.m. - 5 p.m.
Parking: If Eudora parking lot is full, overflow parking is at We Care Arts (3035 Wilmington Pike) or Five Rivers Church (1450 E. Dorothy Lane).
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