Story by Stephen Zegalia
Photos by Annabelle Klachefsky
Record enthusiasts of all kinds converged in the Eugene Hilton on Sunday from 10 am to 5 pm for the 23rd Annual Eugene Record Convention. For an entry fee of $3, attendees gained access to a collectors dream: 108 tables selling or trading tens of thousands of records, with prices ranging from 50 cents to more than $2,000. In addition to records, all kind of music ephemera was available as well, from 8-tracks to the vintage string case from Elton John’s touring guitarist Davey Johnstone, complete with original strings from the 1970s.
Bill Finneran, the founder and coordinator of the convention, eyed the hundreds of records on display at his booth as he spoke: “I started with records when there was no such thing as a ‘record collector’ because all anyone listened to or had was records.” When asked about his motivation for starting the festival, Finneran says, “I love music, and this is how people can share that.” That mindset was evident all over the room, as collectors bargained, traded, and gave tips to their friends on where to find the elusive records they were looking for.
University of Oregon student Richard Griscom looked as though he was having a successful time finding what he was looking for as he carried around a bag thick with the day’s record haul. “I went last year but I didn’t have a record player at the time,” he says. “So this year I came back and got some good ones.” Griscom purchased around twenty records ranging from classic rock to classical music, and was heading off to find a record by his favorite metal band, Isis. “I think they broke up, but it shouldn’t be too hard to find here,” he says.
This was the first Eugene Record Convention for Maxwell Schnur, who made the trip from his hometown of Eureka, California, to sell some of his collection at a booth. Schnur, who said he has been collecting records for about five years, was looking to streamline his collection by selling the records he either didn’t want or didn’t need anymore.
“It gets to a point where you need to trim the fat. I’m looking to sell like fifty to a hundred records, and I’ve already made some money. So things are looking good.” He adds, “Eugene’s a great place for something like this.”
