Sitting on the cream-colored floor, sophomore Carly Colbert sifts through boxes of vinyl records. Among the records of modern artists such as Taylor Swift and Twenty One Pilots lie the works of Frank Sinatra and Bing Crosby.

“I like classical music,” Colbert said. “It sounds kind of old-fashioned, but I kind of like (the sound of it).”

Colbert is not alone in listening to records. According to an April 2015 study conducted by Nielsen, a group specializing in marketing research, vinyl sales in the United States have increased by 260 percent since 2009. Colbert said the appeal comes from the rise of “hipster culture.”

“I think a lot of people are just like, ‘It’s cool,’ or ‘it’s vintage.’ All that stuff is coming back,” Colbert said.

Along with the increase in popularity of records came one in popularity of the artists who originally recorded their songs on vinyl decades ago. Although Colbert has her own collection of modern records, most of her discography comes from her grandparents’ personal collections. She said some of her grandparents’ records are decades old.

“I have all these handed-down vinyls, and I just think it’s really cool,” Colbert said. “It’s a lot different to normal music on your phone.”

Like Colbert’s, sophomore Sophie DeFrench’s collection also includes older records handed down to her from her grandfather. The artists who wrote her vinyls include A Flock of Seagulls, Pat Benatar and Elvis Presley. DeFrench said her favorite songs come from Presley’s records.

“I have (Elvis Presley) live at Madison Square Garden,” DeFrench said. “My grandpa had a record collection of 200 different ones, so I always listen to them.”

Even though many people have large collections, collecting vinyl isn’t a cheap process. Older records can retail for thousands of dollars, and even modern albums don’t come at a low price. Recent releases can sell for an average of $20 to $30 per vinyl.

Additionally, there is a limit on discography offered. Each vinyl has a certain amount of pressings, and this can make it hard to find copies. Turntables also come at a high cost.

“[Turntables] can go from $90 to $100,” Colbert said. “You have to invest in it if you really think you’re going to listen it to a lot.”

Colbert added that routinely listening to records, as well as rough handling, can wear out the vinyl, causing the songs to skip or stop playing completely.

“You really have to be careful with storing (vinyl), because otherwise, they’ll get kind of ruined,” Colbert said.

Today, there are many other options available for people who enjoy listening music that forgo the cost of vinyl and the upkeep that it requires. Services such as Spotify and iTunes offer thousands of songs and are much more affordable than records. Digital services, such as the ones mentioned above, also allow users to shuffle or pick songs they’d like to listen to. As a result, digital music is the preferred form of music for many people.

According to Andy Skinner, owner of music shop Indy CD and Vinyl, the difference in sound quality between vinyl and digital files is actually highly noticeable.

“Sonically, a record does sound better,” Skinner said via email. “On a great sound system, side-by-side, a record will sound better than an mp3 (player).”

Skinner said even for people who aren’t vinyl experts, the difference in sound quality is still very noticeable.

According to DeFrench, the sound of vinyl tends to be more realistic than those produced by digital music files.

“Any music can play through anything,” DeFrench said. “But, there’s a little crackle to the old (vinyl), and I like that.”

In addition to having a different sound quality, the vinyl industry has also begun to modernize, inadvertently changing the music industry as well. Vinyls now come in an array of colors and designs. They can also be cut into unique shapes. Turntables themselves are upgrading too.

“The record player I have is actually electronic, which is a lot easier (to use) than other record players,” freshman Grace “Gracie” Field said. “It’s convenient because of the speakers, and you can plug your headphones into it, so it’s a little more updated than the usual record player.”

According to Skinner, the vinyl industry is advancing in various other ways. Modern labels are reprinting records that don’t have many copies currently available for purchase. As sales increase, the prices of turntables seem to be falling, making them more affordable as everyday purchases for consumers.

“Prices of turntables and stereo components can vary wildly depending on what it is you are trying to accomplish,” Skinner said. “But, with some research, you can certainly put together a great turntable system without breaking the bank.”

Even having increased modernization and rising sales that are rising significantly faster than those of other forms of music, the successes of the vinyl industry may be only temporary. Competing companies such as Apple have begun to release their own music services. This doesn’t worry Colbert, though, who said she enjoys simply listening to vinyl.

“I think it’s just a cooler experience listening to it right there,” Colbert said. “I don’t even know how the whole thing works, but it just fascinates me.”