Margaret Chickey refuses to buy a Britney Spears CD.

“I will never buy it,” said the freshman elementary education major. “If it is just that one song, I’ll just download it.”

As the music world has crossed into to the Internet, there has been one question.

Are record stores losing money?

Susan Prignano, a sales associate at 4th Street Records, said she thinks record stores are struggling.

“There is so much access to the Internet and it’s really hard to keep up with it,” she said. “If you compare it to the ’90s before downloading, there has been somewhat of a decline.”

At 4th Street Records, the online age has not affected the store much.

“Music is still one of our top sellers below Eastern hoodies,” Prignano said.

She said the music market in the store is steady.

At other stores, owners have decided to take a different route when capturing customers.

Jeff Brandt, owner of Exile On Main Street in Champaign said he tries to carry music people can’t find online.

Exile specializes in vinyl records.

Brandt said these records are flawless in terms of sound.

“Vinyl is a complete perfect style of music,” he said. “Music on mp3 players sound awful.”

Brandt said sounds on mp3 players, and even compact discs, are compressed files and filled with unnecessary noises.

“Things just get lost,” he said.

Brandt said his sales in vinyl CDs have increased the last two years.

Children also find an appeal in the vinyl records.

Steve Kisar, owner of Old Main Book Shoppe in Champaign, said parents bring their children in to buy records.

“I have all wide-ranged ages,” Kisar said. “People in their 20’s, college-aged, high school and middle school.”

Kisar said owning vinyl records have become popular in his store.

“Someone just came in the store recently and bought $1,400 worth of rare vinyl records, and paid cash,” he said.

Kisar said the reason is because vinyl records tend to be cheaper than compact discs.

“Some people will have a downloading party and DJ party with the vinyl records,” he said.

Chickey said she usally burns CDs from her friends.

“It is just easier and cheaper,” she said.

Chickey said if she likes more than three songs on a CD, then she might buy it in the store.

The Old Main Book Shoppe only sells used materials.

“I sell material that is not available online and has gone out of circulation,” Kisar said.

The store also sells other merchandise to help bring in customers.

“We sell books, phonographic records, used postcards, magazines and paper goods.”

Stores have strayed away from the sale of popular mainstream music.

Jeff Nettleton, assistant manager at Borders in Champaign, said more popular music is heavily affected by online sales.

“We use other musical outlets,” he said.

Borders tries to sell music in the jazz and classical area.

Nettleton said the store has a different kind of shopper.

“Our customers tend to be more diverse,” he said. “The Internet is not their key source for music.”

At Exile, the owner still values his customers.

“People like shopping in record stores and having that environment,” Brandt said.

Jessica Leggin can be reached at 581-7942 or at jmleggin@eiu.edu.

Paul Weber, a junior finance major and six-month employee of 4th Street Records, sorts CDs Thursday afternoon. Some record stores have seen a decrease in sales as popularity in downloadable music sites increases, but employees of 4th Street think their di

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