In some areas of retail, the good old days are back again.

I know I recently blogged about vinyl — as in designer purses and department store record aisles — but another story about stacks o’ wax caught my eye. UpstateLink.com in South Carolina noticed the resurgence of independent record stores in the Greenville area. The fact that there are seven such stores in a relatively small market (population 56,002 in the 2000 U.S. Census) tells me that enterprising retailers can modernize just about anything that has nostalgia value.

Vinyl record stores have always been around, despite the domination of music CDs and DVDs. But the few I’ve visited were either too claustrophobic (one was literally stacks of wax) or too trendy (another appealed to the urban grunge crowd even though it offered all musical genres). Websites for two of the South Carolina stores show good merchandising worthy of today’s best CD retail outlets. Their websites look good, but are somewhat graphics-laden and thus slow to load on some computers.

What I think the stores really have going for them is that they offer a club-like atmosphere, including live performances, barbecues, radio station promotional tie-ins and post-concert events after bands finish their sets at local venues.

There’s no question that fans of vinyl consider themselves a trendy minority, so they value retailers who cater to their needs. The same is true of other nostalgia-style businesses, like consignment shops, as this New York Times story relates. Wealthy clotheshorses are rushing to buy designer threads at incredible discounts, and easing their green consciences by purchasing recycled clothing.

The entrepreneurs who have discovered the buying power of vinyl and consignment shoppers are proof that nostalgia sells. Dress it up in a well-designed retail store with great merchandising and you’ve got a niche market almost to yourself. Add an e-commerce website and your ability to sell expands virtually worldwide. There’s nothing old-fashioned about that.