U Vinyl records opening in Horam – satisfy your passion for music

In 2015, Karl decided to set up a business buying and selling vinyl records. As a collector himself since a child, music has always been a true passion. Back then, vinyl was not as popular as it is today and it felt like a huge risk to take. Initially Karl sold records on eBay, mainly, in truth as a way to fund purchases for his own collection. Ebay is a great place to search out second hand items, it brings together a like minded group of record collectors and provided a large audience for Karl’s niche business.

“The business grew and we were fortunate enough to maintain this growth whilst maintaining our commitment to selling decent records at affordable prices. Our customers regularly return to us knowing that the records we sell are graded expertly and that we fully understand pressing variants and idiosyncrasies.,” explained Karl, founder of U-Vinyl.

Dark Side Of The Moon – a rare find

U-Vinyl have had a few rare records through their doors over the years. For example, the first UK pressing of Pink Floyd’s “Dark Side Of The Moon” has a solid blue triangle on the centre label instead of an outline and this can be worth upwards of £150 as long as the condition is excellent. They have had three in total. Apparently you can tell the difference when you play the record – the audio quality is far superior, this makes it highly sought after and therefore in demand by record collectors across the globe.

“U-Vinyl specialise in 1980s albums which are in pristine condition. They certainly aren’t worth as much as the rarer ones but they are a joy to sell and we have more fun play testing them,” explained Fran, co-owner U-Vinyl.

At the start of the covid pandemic in 2021 Karl and Fran had no idea what would happen to their business. Their business relies on buying second hand stock and that was not an option for many months. They had some scary times not knowing if the business would survive. Luckily they had a lot of stock but also decided to bring in some brand new vinyl which led to them thinking about opening a shop. They have also acquired many beautiful pieces of vintage hi-fi equipment which is also for sale..

Most of their business is online which provides the main income stream. It was mostly Karl running the business and they realised that came with limitations. So, Fran took the plunge and decided to join her partner to provide not just an extra pair of hands but also someone to share the responsibility for growing and sustaining the enterprise.

The idea of getting a shop seemed even more attractive and as luck would have it they found the perfect location March 2021. It is an ideal space for an office and small showroom area, sharing with like minded business Crystal Vintage, who specialise in quality vintage clothing. The two businesses gel and sit well alongside each other. Horam has a buzzy feeling to it too with lots of other creative businesses close by and also being near to Heathfield, Hailsham and Uckfield.

In the near future they are planning an open day for people to come and get their record collections valued, browse the racks or come and view the hi-fi separates range. U-Vinyl provide online bookings and all visits are strictly appointment only (due to Covid) as the shop isn’t huge and they want to keep customers safe.

“It’s also important to us that we are more than a standard record shop. We want to really get to know our customers and give them time and space to browse and play test records in a leisurely way – there’s even a sofa to park yourself on and wallow in the music! In addition, we also offer free delivery on all vinyl records purchased on our website if you live locally. The best place to start is www.u-vinyl.co.uk or our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/uvinylrecords, ” commented Karl, Founder of U-Vinyl

There is even talk of the idea of a VIP club for loyal customers where they will keep an eye out for the records at the top of their wish list and give them first refusal when they come in. Above all, they are just excited to meet fellow vinyl obsessives and to provide a first rate service to the local community.

Appointments can be booked here: https://www.u-vinyl.co.uk/book-online – come and say hello! Go to our events page for details of Saturday May 1st open day.

U-Vinyl, Wickers Yard, Vines Cross road, Horam, East Sussex TN21 0BY

Call: 07906 332910