"Is that a record??? "


I guess I just found out today how out of touch I am with the rest of the non-audiophile world. I went to the local USPS office to return a damaged LP. I still had the package it came in from Acoustic Sounds, which had 'LP' written on it in several places. So the Postmaster says to me incredulously "Is that a record???!!!" . I calmly say "Yes". The woman in line behind me says "Reeeally!!!...one of those plastic thingyyys???". Again, I repeat my reply, "Yes, it's an LP".
Postmaster: "Wow! I had no idea they even made them anymore."
Me: "Yes, they still make them".
Woman: "Are you serious?"
Me: "Yes, they still make them. In fact, more today than even 10 years ago."
Postmaster: "You mean they still make NEW!! records???"
Me: "Yes."
Postmaster: "What kind of music do you buy?"
Me: "Mostly Jazz".
Postmaster: "Why do you buy them?"
Me: "Because they sound better than cd's."
Postmaster: "I've heard that before, but all of my old records sound like crap."
Me: "Well you do have to take care of them."
Postmaster: "I thought I was taking care of them....I guess I wasn't".

Now I'm not trying to start another vinyl vs. cd debate, been there done that. It just blew my mind that here are two folks around the same age as me, late 40's, who were stunned to find out that vinyl was still availible. I mean I guess I don't expect everyone to know this, but I was a bit taken back by their appearant shock. You'd have thought that I drove up in a Hudson automobile wearing a Fedora hat.

Am I THAT out of touch? I feel like a ostrich with my head in the ground listening to tunes.....out of touch with the real world............

Cheers,
John
128x128jmcgrogan2
Well anyone who has ever went to a Post Office shouldnt be surprised, most Postal Employees can only feed themselves by the grace of God.
Along similiar lines, a friend gave me his record collection, because he was into CD's for the ease. So after cleaning some, still working through them, played him one and he could not believe it. He thought they had been beat up beyond repair. Sounded great to me and him. So tell your postmaster to get a record cleaning machine and find out just how good vinyl can be
Chadnliz,

That's a horrible thing to say about postal employees. All the USPS workers I've crossed paths with have been terrific - intelligent, courteous and dedicated.

I find people are far more surprised to learn that I'm still using tubes than still buying and playing vinyl. Lots of people still have a few LPs around, and sometimes even a turntable, but almost no one has tubes any more. Just as with records, the question is always "Why?", and the answer is "Because I like the way they sound."

More than once these conversations have led to people either giving or selling me their LPs or old stashes of tubes. They always enjoy knowing they're going to someone who loves and appreciates them as much as they once did.

I have a friend here with 2-3000 mostly jazz LPs that he rarely listens to, and when he does plays them on an old Radio Shack tabletop console, with the original stylus and no record cleaning ever. I've offered to pay him, but he can't bear to part with any of them.

Sigh...

David
Oh man you always offend somebody, and ofcourse nobody has ever had anything negative to say about the US Postal Service......joke or not.
My 12-year old nephew saw me with a vinyl record...

"Unclejeff, That's the biggest CD I have ever seen..."

UJ