Still have those old vinyl records and the turntable you used until CDs took over in the late 1980s? You may be well positioned to take advantage of a wave of “vinyl frenzy,” as reported in a recent New York Times, article about a new vinyl factory in New Jersey.

Using equipment from the 1970s, Independent Record Pressing in Bordentown is struggling to keep up with the booming demand, which has led to a six-month delay in processing orders for new vinyl, according to Princeton Record Exchange owner Jon Lambert.

Maintenance of the old machines is a challenge. As reported in The Times, Independent should produce as many as 1.5 million records a year, but the machines are still not fully functional. Record pressing machines are difficult to find and difficult to maintain. Spare parts are scarce. The six presses at Independent Record Pressing were bought from a Montreal plant that shut down last year.

“Sales of vinyl [in the U.S.] have increased nine-fold in the past 6-7 years,” Mr. Lambert explained. While the annual promotional celebration known as “Record Store Day,” which began in April 2007, has helped promote vinyl sales, Mr. Lambert attributes the comeback of vinyl to more basic attributes of LP records.

“Vinyl has a warm, more naturalistic sound than digital,” Mr. Lambert pointed out. “The packaging with liner notes and art work is more appealing. It’s a much more interesting piece of art.”

Vinyl, according to CNN, is in its most prolonged revival since the introduction of the CD. Nielsen Music’s 2015 mid-year report states that vinyl sales, up 38 percent so far this year, “now comprise nearly nine percent of physical album sales.” And, according to Nielsen, vinyl sales figures are under reported because many vinyl manufacturers don’t print bar codes on their record sleeves, and many independent shops don’t report to Nielsen.

Unsurprisingly — or surprisingly, depending on your age — leading the new vinyl surge is Taylor Swift with her album 1989, which, at mid-year, according to Nielsen, had sold 33,500 LPs. 

“Vinyl would never work at all if it weren’t a good format,” explained Mr. Lambert. “Eight-tracks are never coming back. And there’s a retro-chic factor.” Fifty-four percent of vinyl customers, according to The Times article, are 35 or younger. Mr. Lambert sees a reaction of Millennials against the habits of their CD-buying parents, “Young people want to be cool.”

“The tactile power of a well-made record at a time when music has become ephemeral” as well as the “fuller, warmer sound from vinyl’s analog grooves” are two factors cited by The Times to account for vinyl’s growing popularity.

As interest in vinyl records has grown, the demographic base, according to Mr. Lambert, has broadened. The vinyl inventory at Princeton Record Exchange is about three-quarters used and one-quarter new, but the
customers are no longer overwhelmingly 35-55-year-old males. “A lot of teenagers have embraced vinyl,” Mr. Lambert reported. “There are a lot more young folks in the store, and a lot of women too. This speaks to a positive future.”

Used vinyl has always drawn a wide range of buyers from all over the world. to Princeton Record Exchange. “What I love about this store is when you see all ages, fans of all types of music,” Mr. Lambert observed. “An eclectic mix is the way to go.”

A staunch advocate for the quality of vinyl over the convenience of more recent formats, Mr. Lambert described his prized 60-year-old jazz records that “sound as good today as they did when they were made.” “Vinyl frenzy” might be more than just a passing trend.