"In 2020, 27.5 million LPs were sold in the United States, up 46 percent compared to 2019"
Playing with these numbers it comes (roughly) to this.
In 2019, 18 million people bought one record each (over the course of 12 months).
In 2020, same 18 million people bought one more record each and half of them bought an additional record. So, 9 million people bought one record and 9 million people bought two records each.
If we propose that vinyl comeback means that people really like records, we could assume that each vinyl-lover bought more than one record in 2019. Let’s say they bought two which is still a fairly low number for someone into records and who is going through keeping and maintaining vinyl-playing equipment. That would make it 9 million people who bought two records each in 2019. One record every six months.
Now, is it safe to assume that in reality an average vinyl lover bought at least four or five records in 2019? That would bring us to, maybe, 4 million buyers in 2019.
As impressive as the percentage of growth appears to be, it may really bring us to everyone just buying an extra record, two, or three in 2020. That would, optimistically, be one extra record every four months. Which does not seem to me to be some feverish unstoppable shopping.
Of course, I may be wrong on all of the above. I was just trying to imagine how many people really buy (new) records and what is the dynamics of their dedication.
Playing with these numbers it comes (roughly) to this.
In 2019, 18 million people bought one record each (over the course of 12 months).
In 2020, same 18 million people bought one more record each and half of them bought an additional record. So, 9 million people bought one record and 9 million people bought two records each.
If we propose that vinyl comeback means that people really like records, we could assume that each vinyl-lover bought more than one record in 2019. Let’s say they bought two which is still a fairly low number for someone into records and who is going through keeping and maintaining vinyl-playing equipment. That would make it 9 million people who bought two records each in 2019. One record every six months.
Now, is it safe to assume that in reality an average vinyl lover bought at least four or five records in 2019? That would bring us to, maybe, 4 million buyers in 2019.
As impressive as the percentage of growth appears to be, it may really bring us to everyone just buying an extra record, two, or three in 2020. That would, optimistically, be one extra record every four months. Which does not seem to me to be some feverish unstoppable shopping.
Of course, I may be wrong on all of the above. I was just trying to imagine how many people really buy (new) records and what is the dynamics of their dedication.