Web Extra! Slideshow

Scroll down to see a slideshow of photos from Val's halla Records

Everyone has been predicting the demise of the independent record store for some time, but if the recent Record Store Day promotional event is any indication, reports have been greatly exaggerated. Val Camilletti of Val's halla Records reports that last Saturday was very busy, "double a good Saturday," and people were still coming in on Sunday, looking for vinyl - that is to say, old-fashioned LPs and 45s, which seem to be making a comeback.

Oddly enough, the demographic causing the surge is the same one she served back in the 1960s when she was just getting started in the business: teenagers. Unlike their parents, who deserted vinyl in favor of CDs a couple of decades ago, claiming the "sound was better," Val says today's teens realize the sound of vinyl is actually superior. It is especially superior to songs downloaded from the Internet.

But there's also a social dimension, Val says. Teens are discovering what their parents forgot, that it's more fun to hold an album, put it on a turntable and read the liner notes.

"They're approaching it with the same kind of passion," she observes. "They're curious about the artists. They're forming a relationship and talking about the album."

In other words, it's cyclical. "It's wonderful to see," Val says, "especially when you've been watching this for four decades."