This post was written by Hatchet reporters Emily Holland and Jeanine Marie.

A slightly hungover and bored Jon Meyers founded the blog The Vinyl District in 2007 – just as D.C. record stores were rapidly going out of business.

Originally created to combat the so-called “corporate behemoths” of the Internet-fueled music industry, The Vinyl District is now a major sponsor of the D.C. Record Fair, which celebrated its fifth birthday Sunday at Penn Social.

The D.C. Record Fair merges the nostalgia of vinyl with its newfound popularity by including DJs, such as Geologist from Animal Collective, a full bar and, new this year, a unique coffee blend provided by Zeke’s Coffee.

“We’ve gotten more crowds and I guess the crowds have gotten younger and more female than when we first started. It used to be a bunch of old dudes, not all old dudes, but, you know,” said Neal Becton, owner of Som Records, which sponsored the event.

Kevin Coombe of D.C. Soul Recordings, another sponsor of the fair, said this vinyl community is sustained by “word of mouth” and plain old experience.  To get the best deals, both Meyers and Becton recommend attendees arrive very early or very late.

“Early because you get the first look at the records before anyone else if you’re looking for that and going late is the best time to get bargains because the dealers don’t want to carry stuff out. They’re not going to make deals in the first hour, or they’re less likely to, but they’ll usually make deals in the last half hour,” Becton said.

The fair has changed locations around the District as a way to keep things fresh. Coombe said moving the fair also makes sure that people in all corners of the District can have access to the large collection of records.

Buyers are also encouraged to ask different dealers – who come from all over the East coast – for specific music genres because many of the dealers are familiar with each other and can point buyers and collectors in the right direction.

“Ever since we started, our record dealers have always wanted to come back, so that tells me it’s working for both the people selling and the people buying,” Coombe said.