Top 20 Smash Hit Years For Ben And His Record Shop!

Published on: 27 Nov, 2013
Updated on: 27 Nov, 2013

Little did Ben Darnton know that when he opened his collectors record shop at 5 Tunsgate, Guildford, in November 1993, that he would still be thriving 20 years later.

About the break open the bubbly: Ben Darnton (left) with writer and regular customer John Silke.

This month has seen celebrations and words of congratulations from his many regular and faithful customers who flock there to seek out choice second-hand vinyl records, CDs and DVDs.

And continuing the celebrations, Ben is hosted the Guildford Mini Record Fair at the Keep pub in Castle Street this Saturday (November 30).

There will be 10 stallholders selling lots of second-hand records from 10am to 4pm – a chance to browse your favourite music with a pint in hand – what a treat!

The ultimate Aladdin’s Cave of second-hand vinyl records, CDs and DVDs.

As the Guildford Dragon has reported before – Ben’s Collectors Records is a shop not only for the serious record collector, but the enthusiast, and for the more casual browser too. It’s a veritable bargain basement with a mind-blowing host of undiscovered treasurers. How many shops in Guildford can boast that?

He’s first to admit that back in the early 1990s trading was easier with lower rents and rates and even cheap parking for customers!

He says of that time: “The compact disc was firmly king. Sales of records, videos and tapes were on the wain. But despite the later arrival of digital downloads and DVDs and Blu-ray discs, there’s still a passion among music fans of all genres to actually own and collect discs, especially vinyl.”

With all the positive publicity records have had in the media recently, Ben’s reasonably priced vinyls are being avidly snapped up by younger fans eager to hear the classic sounds of yesteryear and to feed this hunger.

Saturday’s mini record fair is on the back of the regular Guildford Record Fairs Ben has been organising in the Guildhall under the clock in the High Street. There are about 500 visitors to each fair.

Linking in nicely with his 20th anniversary, Ben was recently runner up in a shops competition run by Experience Guildford. The presentation for which took place at the Mondolay Hotel.

For more details visit his website www.benscollectorsrecords.com and also see his Facebook pages for regular updates and new arrivals in store.

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