Guildford Record Fairs Continue To Grow In Popularity

Published on: 19 Oct, 2017
Updated on: 25 Oct, 2017

Guildford Record Fairs are held in the Guildhall in Guildford High Street.

Guildford Record Fairs are a regular event in Guildford High Street’s historic Guildhall.

The fairs, hosted by Ben Darnton of Ben’s Collectors Records in Tunsgate, have been running for seven years and continue to grow in popularity.

The next fair will be on Saturday, October 28 from 9am to 6pm. Entry is free.

Two further fairs follow this year, on Sunday, November 26 and Sunday, December 17.

Statistics compiled by the British Phonographic Industry show that spending on vinyl is now outstripping that spent on digital downloads. Their report, published earlier this year, suggested that sales of vinyl records had reached a 25-year high and that the deaths of some of the music world’s ‘giants’, such as David Bowie, had been a key driver in sales as people invest in records as ‘mementos’.

The Guildford Record Fairs encourage record sellers from around the county to bring along their vinyl records, browse the stalls and meet up with like-minded collectors. The events can attract more than 500 visitors, so stall holders are always busy.

Ben opened his collectors record shop in November 1993. The shop caters for all styles, in all formats, including cassette tapes and 8-track cartridges.

Ben Darnton, founder of the Guildford Record Fairs and owner of Ben’s Collectors Records in Tunsgate.

Despite the current disruption in Tunsgate caused by the building of the new Tunsgate Quarter development, Ben’s Collectors Records is very much open for business as usual, from Monday to Friday between 10am and 6pm, 9am to 6pm on Saturdays and 11am to 5pm on Sundays. The shop only closes at Christmas.

Ben’s Record Store – open for business despite the disruption.

For more information about the Guildford Record Fairs and Ben’s Collectors Records, call 01483 301165, email bendarnton@aol.com or visit www.benscollectorsrecords.com.