Music collectors in Winnipeg were out in full force on Sunday digging for hidden treasures. The Manitoba Music and Record Sale took over the Caboto Centre on Sunday for its annual fall sale. More than 90 tables in the building filled with vinyl, CDs, cassettes and other music memorabilia were available for attendees to browse. “I would say 90 per cent of what you’re going to find in the room is vinyl records, but there are CDs, cassettes, posters, T-shirts. I mean, any rock memorabilia,” said Mike Huen, one of the event organizers. Huen said interest in the festival has grown in the past decade, as a younger generation continues to show an interest in physical media. He said the average age of attendees in recent years is under 40 years old. “The young generation started to see the value in having it physically in front of them. All of a sudden, about five years ago, vinyl started selling outselling CDs, and this year we’ve just seen a resurgence in CDs coming, so now the CD market is really starting to take off.” Huen said it’s the tangible aspect of vinyl and CDs that are leading people back to the format. “When you just pull out a record, it doesn’t matter which record you pull out, it’s got artwork on it, it’s got a story to tell,” he said. “You’re holding something physical. You’re holding something that has a desirability to it. It’ll never go bad. “As long as people are out there and they’re buying turntables and they’re listening to the music, it’ll always stay good.” The festival returns in Spring 2027.
