Blackbird Records in Wooster is a treasure trove of vinyl records and much more. (Photo from Blackbird Records)

By Ken Drenten

Tucked away in the small town of Wooster in north central Ohio is Blackbird Records, a store that’s a throwback to the heyday of record stores in the 1970s.

If you, like me, can remember back when “vinyl” meant 33-1/3 rpm LP records and 45 rpm single “platters,” Blackbird Records is a great place to get your vinyl fix.

I remember that the very first record I purchased with my own money was Paul McCartney & Wings’ “Venus and Mars” in the summer of 1975. After that, I built up a collection of hundreds of records then got rid of them in the late 1990s after CDs seemed to make vinyl obsolete. Oh, how I regret making that decision!

Over the past few years, I’ve been purchasing many of the records I used to have, but not all of them. I have probably about 150 records now, a few of them purchased at places like Blackbird Records.

People like me are one reason why vinyl records are making a big comeback. People are buying new and used records like never before because of the album art, the artists and the bands, the lyric sheets and other ephemera, and the warm, organic sound of vinyl records played on vintage stereo equipment.

Part of the thrill is going to a record store and browsing through stacks of records and finding that gem that you’ve been coveting for months. And although you can always order records online, you can save on shipping costs by spending some gas money and going to a record store like Blackbird.

The store has 1,200 square feet of music, including thousands of new and clean used classic vinyl records, CDs, cassettes, concert posters, band t-shirts, autographed memorabilia, turntables and much more.

Blackbird Records is located at 126 S. Market St., Wooster, hours are 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday.

While you’re in the Wooster area visit Secrest Arboretum, Hartzler Family Dairy, Books in Stock, E&H Ace Hardware, Buckeye Agricultural Museum, Tulipan Pastry and Coffee Shop, and much more.

Another small-town record store to check out is Legend Records in Mt. Gilead. This store has a unique shopping experience called “VIP Shopping.” Customers call ahead and reserve a time to shop at any time at their convenience and commit to spend at least $50 and to limit their time to 2 hours or less. The store is located at 37 S. Main St., Mt. Gilead, call (440) 479-5883.

Learn more about places to buy vinyl records in Dusty Tires.

NOTE: Due to the Thanksgiving holiday, there will be no fiction or Ohio Travels with Dusty Tires posts this week. Happy Thanksgiving and Go Bucks!

Ken Drenten is creator and editor of Dusty-Tires.com, a travel blog for out-of-the-ordinary places in Ohio.

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