Taylor Swift inspires new generation of vinyl collectors - here's how you can get them restored in Sussex

James Anderson, owner of Slipped Discs in Steyning and Shoreham, is confident he's the only business in Sussex – and possibly much further afield – that offer specialist vinyl care and restoration services.

In an interview with the All About Horsham Magazine (aahorsham.co.uk), James said: “Record collecting is traditionally an old man’s game, but more young people and women are getting involved, which is great.

"Many of the best-selling artists of today, including Taylor Swift, Billy Eilish and Harry Styles, are releasing records on vinyl and that’s encouraging new collectors. There’s also demand for classic records from the 1990s and early 2000s, when CD was king.”

With this in mind, James is keen to reach a wide range of audiences from his two shops in Shoreham and Steyning.

Speaking to the Worthing Herald / Sussex World, he explained: “We are championing old music and allowing people to discover it – as well as new releases.

"We are offering both ends of the spectrum and championing as many different genres as possible.”

Slipped Discs first started in Cobblestone Walk, Steyning, in 2020 – at the start of the Covid lockdown.

"We were there for two years in an outdoor shed,” James said.

"We moved onto Steyning High Street in 2022, dealing with second-hand, high quality records and some new releases.

"We also have a shop in Shoreham-by-Sea, which we opened in April this year.

“Shoreham is the opposite with mew releases and classic re-presses. The two shops caters for different markets.”

Slipped Discs specialises in vacuum-based, vinyl cleaning.

James uses the Loricraft PRC4i – a record cleaning machine that uses a double-ended pump system to clean vinyl records. It is made by SME Audio, a precision-engineering company, which is also in Steyning.

Another piece of equipment is the vinyl flattener which is an orb, made in Japan. It can flatten orbs or dished records to ensure a 12-inch size.

James also has a a jukebox dinker – a tool used to cut large, clean, and accurate holes in 45 RPM vinyl records for jukeboxes.

He added: “We’d like to get customers in to see the benefits of the Loricraft machine so they can see the difference.

“The services for the clean is £3 per disc. Flattening takes four hours and it’s £15 per disc. The dukebox is £1 per disc.”

On Saturday, October 19, Slipped Discs is taking part in National Album Day. Supported by Radio 2, #NationalAlbumDay ‘celebrates the art of the album’.

The business is also among more than 260 independent record shops which takes part in Record Store Day – one of the biggest global events on the music calendar.

Visit Slipped Discs on Shoreham or Steyning high streets. For more information, email [email protected] or visit www.facebook.com/slippeddiscssteyning/.