"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
You can tell how much people value LP's by the price they sell for in local thrift stores. In Portland OR, they go for $2 or more. In the NYC area, they are $0.25. "The medium is the message."

John
No surprise to me, I doubt the "general" public realizes that LP's are still made; why would they think differentlty, they don't see them in the places they see music for sale, nor do they see turntables next to CDP's for sale.

I suspect that most that enlighten others about vinyl, do so in a prideful (smug) manner.
You attempted to hold dialogue with employees of the USPS about a non-mainstream subject? You're at fault here.
Chadnliz, OT but I totally agree with you. Here in my area of NYC (serviced by one of the notoriously bad UPS stations) you can hear people laughing (or furiously ranting) about the level of intelligence of the postal employees on a daily basis...at work, on the streets, in restaurants, at parties (really, it's a big deal.) it's hard to believe they can even get themselves to work.