MaxVinyl started in 1999 when Max Hooley, the owner, purchased 5000 vinyl records from a second-hand shop that was closing down.
“I had always been a lover of vinyl records from my younger days when I bought my first single back in the 1960s. From building up a collection over the next 30 years I realised it would be fun to start a business of buying and selling records and with the increasing power of the internet, this could be my vehicle for selling.”
“I had no desire to own a shop so I made the early decision to stick to Mail Order and this is how the business has been conducted ever since.”
“In 2001 I started to advertise monthly in the Record Collector magazine and still do to this day. This provided me with a good customer base and in the earlier days gave me the basic experience of supplying a product to a customer, who ultimately liked what he saw and returned to buy again.”
Business Stock
“My stock was ever-increasing with purchases from second-hand shops, local auctions and individual’s collections.”
“Sales expanded following registration on eBay in 2003 and with creating my own website. Maxvinyl.com was launched in 2004. This enabled customers to view stock, select a purchase and pay for it securely on-line without the need to make contact with me. The increasing internet market has proved to be a vital ingredient in my business expansion.”
“Currently stock stands at over 20,000 records. with 1980s singles and LPs along with 1970s Rock LPs being the current best sellers. There are many collectors seeking that elusive Progressive Rock album from the late 60s / early 70s period and these seem to be most in-demand, with the opportunity of supplying these becoming scarcer. However, I never know what the next phone call or e-mail will produce as collections are offered for me to consider.”
Nostalgia And Sentiment
“One aspect of collecting records is the nostalgia value especially when one holds an LP cover of a record which reminds you of possibly your childhood or youth and this feeling just cannot be experienced with CDs. Hence early on, I made the easy decision not to trade in CDs, but just to stick to my passion – vinyl.”
Customer Satisfaction
“It is of the utmost importance to me that my customers are satisfied with the product I am supplying. Thankfully I seem to be doing something right as the number of returning customers is increasing all of the time. It is most gratifying to read the feedback sections on my web-site and from eBay customers and this gives me tremendous satisfaction that people feel the way they do about my business and they know it has a caring and friendly reputation.”
How Do I See The Future?
“Vinyl records are clearly still immensely popular and I envisage the desire to have that “elusive record” or “favourite lost LP” as part of a collection increasing and hopefully people will still buy from Maxvinylrecords.co.uk knowing the product and service are of the highest standard. We continue to sell throughout the U.K.; such is the power of the internet and the universal love of vinyl!”
Max Hooley, Proprietor