A record show at Royal Canadian Legion Branch 124 last Saturday gave vinyl fans a reason to browse and buy close to home as cross-border tariffs and shipping costs squeeze online sellers.
The pop-up show was organized by Legion board member Chrystal Haverstock to raise money through door donations and connect local “vinyl junkies,” as she calls them, with a small group of vendors.
For Simon Vaughn, a vendor and DJ who lives three blocks from the Legion, the event reflected a hard shift in how he makes sales, directly affected by the ongoing U.S.–Canada trade war.
“With the tariffs being a minimum of 30 per cent on what we sell, there’s not really much room for profit,” said Vaughn.
Vaughn said he and his partner are “retired online resellers” after pulling their shop, Chasing Nostalgia, because the numbers stopped working.
“My market went from being pretty big to very small … if you want me to ship you a CD, it’s going to cost $25 Canadian. Nobody wants to pay that,” said Vaughn.
On Tuesday, Prime Minister Mark Carney told the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, that “great powers” are using economic integration as “weapons,” while referencing “American hegemony” regarding the ongoing trade war.
Vaughn said costs have changed what makes sense for sellers, pushing them toward local networking and pop-ups instead of relying on online orders.
He is lining up consignment plans with White Whale in Niagara Falls and the Apothecary candy store on King Street in St. Catharines, with potential work with Vintage Venture in Niagara Falls. He said he also has a future pop-up planned at Limited Distillery in Virgil.
The first pop-up at the Branch 124 on Dec. 21 drew 105 people and raised $455. Though the Legion initially hesitated on committing to the record show, said Haverstock, it ultimately received a positive reception.
“This is not something that everybody understands … it’s very specific and clients are hard collectors. But people will travel and they will go anywhere to get this stuff,” said Haverstock.
Vaughn said lower-cost events continue to matter more as shoppers watch their budgets.
“Shows that are affordable, like $20 and under, [are] amazing, because everybody knows the economy’s not rich, and people are having a hard time now more than ever,” said Vaughn.
Barry Grant, a Brock University professor selling from his personal collection, said he has been doing it for years to get music into the hands of people who value it.
“I think people like the ‘warmer’ sound of vinyl as opposed to digital sound,” he said.
Grant said buyers are not only returning to the format, but often searching for different music than past collectors. He was pleased to see people of all ages coming out to buy physical records.
Dana Kadikoff, another vendor, said physical records offer something streaming does not.
“Vinyl is back. Everybody’s collecting it again, and they got to have that in their hand,” said Kadikoff.
Volunteer Genevieve Habib said the Legion also used the show to promote free memberships for 2026, the branch’s 100th year.
“You don’t have to be a Legionnaire or a family member. It’s open to everybody now,” said Genevieve Habib, volunteer.
The next St. Catharines Record Show is set for March 1 at the Optimist Centre from 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., with $5 admission.
