The popularity of vinyl albums is on the rise, with stores stocking an increased number of records.

But why the resurgence?

With apps like iTunes and Spotify able to put almost any song through our speakers, surely there is no need for such “archaic” ways of listening to music.

Bendigo Record, Comic and Toy Fair organiser Peter Pascoe said the ritual of listening to records was a major reason for the vinyl revival.

"On a personal level, for me it is about the whole ritual about getting vinyl," he said.

"Getting the record player, the cleaning and handling process and putting the needle on the record make you very receptive to the music."

Pascoe described the ritual process of listening to a record as an immersive experience.

"As far as playing records goes, you've got to be home and in a relaxed frame of mind to be reflective of the music," he said.

Pascoe said there was also a lot of romance in collecting the records.

"I grew up buying vinyl but I think the reason why the younger generation are jumping on it is as a reaction against MP3 and the convenience of music," he said.

"A lot of people have 10 or 20 thousand songs but would only listen to five per cent of that. If you spend money on a record, you want value for money. You will sit down and listen to it."

For many people the attraction to records comes from the album artwork and the many iconic covers we associated with records.

Images like a baby floating in a pool next to a dollar bill (Nirvana's Nevermind), a faded red cap sticking out of a pair of jeans (Bruce Springsteen's Born in the USA) or four men walking over a zebra crossing (The Beatles' Abbey Road) are all images that resonate with music lovers.

"There are some very iconic covers, props that you can hold in your hands and that helps burn an image in with the music you listen to," Pascoe said.

"You can't get an artist to sign an MP3. You might meet the band or buy a signed album from an artist and it instantly becomes a collector's item."

The romance of records also rings true with Lyttleton Terrace's Hardcopy Entertainment owner Peter Taylor.

"There's always been collectors so records never died really," he said.

"We have seen a new generation come in but also the older ones who are looking for albums they had forgotten about.

"People buy picture frames to fit album covers in. It's not a downloadable thing, it's a keepsake."

Taylor has been with Hardcopy since it opened 18 months ago and with the boost in popularity of records comes the need for quality record players.

"We've sold quite a few record players. I think people enjoy the actual touching, feeling, smelling and hearing of playing a record. It is a feeling that covers all the senses,” he said.

Howard Croft of High on Music in Kangaroo Flat has run his record store for 15 years. His store specialises in pre-loved records.

"I think it's been about the same. I suppose at the start I had more of a monopoly," he said.

"Now there is more popularity and with it there's more sources (to buy records from)."

The popularity of vinyl albums also shows in the Australian Record Industry Association figures.

In 2007 just 17,996 vinyl albums were sold, according to ARIA. By 2011 that had risen to 44,876 and 77,934 in 2012.

From 2012 to 2013 vinyl sales rose by 77 per cent (statistics for 2014 are yet to be released).

Hardcopy Entertainment employee Jill Barker was amazed at the rise in record sales.

"Surprisingly there have been a lot of young people in their late teens,” she said.

"They've been to a friend's house and seen or heard these records and thought 'wow'."

Barker said the records were often bought only to display.

"They don't want to play them, just display them," she said.

As well as old albums being rediscovered or re-released, some artists are opting to press vinyl records as well as release albums through digital streams.

With special orders coming in each week, Barker expects the store's vinyl collection to get even bigger.

Pre-loved albums were the main focus of the Bendigo Record, Comic and Toy Fair that began this year.

"We will keep doing it twice a year as long as people keep coming," Pascoe said.

"The fact it was all there under the one roof is what made it popular.” 

Pascoe said about half the fair was based around records.

"That was major drawcard. It was mainly old records and secondhand vinyl.

"There were traders dealing in new vinyl and music but mainly old stuff, which indicates the old stuff is becoming popular again."