THE STORY OF CRIMSON VINYL

How a Love of Heavy Metal, Physical Media, and Community Sparked a New Chapter in Perth’s Vinyl Scene

There’s a moment every music lover remembers — that first time you walked into a record store, flicked through the metal section, and felt like you were discovering a secret world built just for you

For me, that moment happened in the 80s. I’d wander into a shop, head straight for the metal crates, and make decisions based on nothing more than a band name I heard at last weekend’s party or an album cover that looked like it might melt my face off.

Queensrÿche’s Rage for Order.

Roxx Gang’s Things You’ve Never Done Before.

The latest from Metallica, Ozzy, Megadeth, Anthrax.

Back then, the ritual mattered. Picking up the album. Reading the liner notes. Dropping the needle for the first time. Feeling the room shift as the opening track kicked in. That wasn’t just listening — that was experiencing music.

Somewhere along the way, the world got faster. Music became instant. Disposable. A subscription. A swipe. A playlist. And if you cancelled your subscription? Everything you “owned” vanished.

That never sat right with me.

Why Crimson Vinyl Exists

Crimson Vinyl wasn’t born out of a business plan. It was born out of frustration — and love.

Frustration with streaming.

Frustration with the lack of metal in major retailers.

Frustration with having to order special items from overseas and waiting weeks (or months) for them to arrive.

But also love.

Love for physical media.

Love for the hunt.

Love for the moment when you find the missing piece of your collection and it feels like discovering the holy grail.

Before Crimson Vinyl existed, Perth’s vinyl scene had passion — but it didn’t always have range. Especially if you were into metal. New releases were limited. Back catalogue items were hit‑and‑miss. And if you wanted something special? You were probably ordering it from the other side of the world.

I wanted to fix that.

I wanted to bring back the feeling of discovery.

I wanted to give people access to the albums they loved — without the endless wait times, without the uncertainty, and without the feeling that metal collectors were an afterthought.

That’s how Crimson Vinyl began.

The Heart of the Business: Passion, Ritual, and Respect

Physical media means something different to those of us who grew up with it. It’s not just about sound quality — it’s about connection. It’s about intention. It’s about listening to an album the way the artist meant it to be heard, not skipping through singles released months before the full record drops.

To this day, I refuse to listen to digital singles before an album release. I wait for the vinyl. I want that first spin to be pure. Complete. Unbroken.

That’s the energy I bring to Crimson Vinyl.

Our customers deserve more than a faceless online store or a big‑box retailer where the staff know how to scan a barcode but couldn’t tell you the difference between a first pressing and a reissue.

Collectors deserve someone who knows the music.

Someone who understands the back catalogue.

Someone who can talk pressing variants, band history, and why that album matters.

That’s what we do differently.

The Crimson Crew: Where Community Shapes the Shelves

One of my favourite parts of this journey has been the people. The conversations. The moments that remind me why this business exists.

Like the biker‑dude who squealed — actually squealed — when he found Britny Fox.

Or the guy who went through my crates and let out the same sound when he spotted Fastway’s Trick or Treat and Deathrow’s Raging Steel. Both went straight under his arm.

Or Lucas — a 9‑year‑old bass player I met at a fair. He had enough pocket money for Iron Maiden’s Live After Death, but not enough for Saxon’s Denim and Leather. He walked away gutted.

Lucas, if you’re reading this: come see me at the next fair. That Saxon record is yours.

These moments matter.

They shape what we stock.

They shape who we are.

Every time someone chats with me at a fair or messages me online, I ask the same question:

“What’s missing from my stock?”

The answers have been consistent — old‑school Alice, Linkin Park, black metal, punk, Deftones, Korn, more thrash.

And trust me… they’re coming.

Behind the Scenes: The Work No One Sees

People see the crates, the fairs, the posts, the excitement. What they don’t always see is the work behind it.

The late nights don’t bother me — this is my passion.

But there’s a lot that happens quietly:

• contacting independent bands to see how we can support them

• working with suppliers across the UK, Europe, the US, and Australia

• pushing those suppliers to hunt down rare items

• researching new releases, reissues, and back catalogue titles

• expanding networks so we can bring more to our customers

And through all of this, I’ve been lucky enough to have Aggie by my side.

Aggie is an essential part of Crimson Vinyl — even if our musical tastes couldn’t be more different. She loves trance. I love metal. We are polar opposites. And no, before anyone asks, we’re not expanding into trance anytime soon.

But her support, her perspective, and her belief in this business have been invaluable.

Quality Matters: New vs Second Hand Vinyl, Packaging, Care, and Trust

One thing that sets Crimson Vinyl apart is that we only stock new vinyl. That’s a personal preference I’ve carried with me since long before this business existed. Over the years I’ve been disappointed too many times by second‑hand records that looked fine on the outside but played with scratches, distortion, or that dull, worn‑out sound that takes the magic out of the moment.

At fairs, I’ve noticed I’m one of the very few sellers who focuses on brand‑new stock — most retailers prefer the thrill of hunting down older titles to bring to their customers, and I genuinely respect that. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with it; it’s just not my path. For me, offering factory‑fresh, sealed vinyl ensures every customer gets the clean, crisp listening experience they deserve, without the gamble.

Also, we dont believe in DROPSHIPPING - what you see in our stock lists, are the albums we have in our store. You order today comes straight from our stock!

One of the biggest trust signals in this business is how you ship a record. Collectors know the pain of receiving a damaged album — and I’ve been there myself.

When we started, I ordered mailers from AusPost. I thought they’d be great. They weren’t.

So I switched to a local supplier — The Box Man — who specialises in packaging. Now every order is:

• packed in high‑quality vinyl mailers

• bubble‑wrapped

• boxed securely

• sent express with tracking

My benchmark is simple:

Would I be happy receiving this?

If the answer isn’t yes, it doesn’t leave the house.

And customers have noticed.

One wrote:

“The packaging, the quality and after‑sales service was brilliant. Will definitely be buying more.”

Another said:

“These were sent inexpensively from Perth, express post and well protected. Can’t be any happier with service like that.”

That’s the standard we hold ourselves to.

The Community Speaks

The reviews we receive aren’t just testimonials — they’re proof that what we’re building matters.

Connor completed his entire Metallica studio album collection thanks to Crimson Vinyl.

Adam found elusive additions to his collection and said he’d be back at the next fair.

Jamie cracked open his Coroner album and said, “Blimey, it’s good.”

Craig called our service “best bar none.”

Scott said he “couldn’t be any happier.”

These aren’t just reviews.

They’re the heartbeat of the business.

The Next 12 Months: Where We’re Heading

Crimson Vinyl is still young — but the vision is big.

Over the next year, we’re aiming to:

• expand our stock fivefold

• support independent overseas bands by helping bring their albums to Australia

• launch a loyalty program to reduce costs for regular customers

• grow brand awareness so more people know who we are and what we stand for

Brand awareness is always a challenge for new businesses. But with the community behind us — the Crimson Crew — we’re building something real.

Why We Do What We Do

At the end of the day, Crimson Vinyl exists for one reason:

• To bring the joy of physical music back into people’s lives.

• To help someone find the record they’ve been searching for.

• To see that smile when they pick it up.

• To recreate the magic of the 80s record store experience — right here in Perth.

  
  

This is why we do what we do.

And we’re just getting started.

Let’s keep building your story, and your collection.

Whenever you’re ready, the crates are open.