The annual Fitzroy Bowls Record Fair hits Fitzroy Bowls Club this Sunday with free entry and a massive US vinyl collection.
Melbourne record store owner Keith Glass is bringing records to the annual Fitzroy Bowls Record Fair that haven’t been seen much in Australia.
Glass ran Missing Link and Archie & Jugheads locally and has spent the past couple of decades running Mobile Records in Mobile, Alabama, and recently moved back to Australia with a serious collection of original US pressings that rarely show up here.
Sunday’s fair promises a bigger-than-usual trader lineup, with personal collections and newly imported records all priced to move on the day. Videos showing some of the vinyl on offer are already circulating, with more promised before Sunday.
The annual Fitzroy Bowls Record Fair
- Where: Fitzroy Bowls Club, St Georges Road, North Fitzroy
- When: Sunday, 12 January, 10am-3pm
- Entry: Free
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Glass’s Mobile Records haul makes this fair worth checking out if you’re into original US pressings. Running a record store in Alabama for 20 years means access to stock that doesn’t typically make it to Australian shops, and he’s brought that collection back with him.
Vendors accept card and digital payment, though cash still works better. Parking is available around the venue, with public transport nearby. Bowls club pricing applies to drinks throughout the day, which helps when you’re spending hours flipping through crates in January heat.
Fair runs from 10am until 3pm, giving you five hours to dig through what traders are offering. Multiple vendors means different price points and collecting focuses; some bring personal collections they’re thinning out, others import specifically for fairs like this.
North Fitzroy location puts the fair in familiar territory for Melbourne record hunters. Fitzroy Bowls Club has hosted this event annually, building it into a fixture on the local vinyl calendar.
Videos teasing Sunday’s stock show varied genres and conditions, from pristine original pressings to well-loved copies priced accordingly. More videos drop before the weekend, giving potential buyers a preview of what’s available before committing Sunday morning.
For more information, head here.
