People laughed when this accountant quit his job for vinyl records but look at him now.
Trading spreadsheets for vinyl records might sound risky, but for Jon Ordon, it was the best career move ever. Thirty years later, his 200,000-record inventory and nationwide sales operation prove his gut instinct was right all along.
What Drew Jon to Vinyl Records
Jon’s love affair with music began in 1980. At 12 years old, he purchased David Bowie’s “Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps)” album, which had gone to number one in Australia that year.
“From an early age, let’s say when I was 12, I started buying cassette tapes, which, um, led to LPs,” Jon recalled.
“I just love that beautiful analog sound, that warm sound. It sends shivers up your arm”
This emotional connection to vinyl’s distinctive quality has remained central to his life. Jon describes how records on a quality system create an immersive experience, unlike any other format.
“If you sit down and listen to a record on a quality system your mind can just drift… it feels like you’re there listening to live music,” he explained.
“There’s something about that vinyl sound that keeps pulling you back to the needle.”
Jon would often put on records and let himself be taken away by the music. He’d frequently buy albums without knowing whether he’d like them. Then, he kept those he enjoyed and sold the others. This approach eventually evolved into his business model.
Why He Abandoned Accounting
While working as a chartered accountant after leaving school, Jon’s mind was constantly drawn elsewhere.
What began as a hobby gradually evolved into something more. By 1991, at just 21 years old, Jon made the big decision to leave accounting behind and open his first record shop in West Ryde, Sydney.
Unfortunately, this career change wasn’t met with universal approval.
“My father was a little bit dismayed,” Jon recalled. “He said, ‘You’re totally nuts!'”
Others were also skeptical about Jon’s choice to invest in vinyl at a time when the industry was moving toward CDs.
“People told me I was dealing in obsolete technology as everyone was dumping records and moving into CDs,” he said.
“I told everyone there were other people who had a passion for records and I’d be successful.”
However, he soon proved them wrong.
How He Built His Record Business
After establishing his first shop in West Ryde, Jon expanded his business. He eventually owned two record shops in Hornsby before purchasing Revolve Records in Erskineville in 2014.
Acquiring inventory often involved purchasing entire collections without knowing their complete contents.
One notable acquisition came from a deceased estate in Sydney with approximately 40,000 albums stored in a shed.
With collections this size, Jon kept the most valuable items while about half were typically donated to charity shops.
He also began organizing record fairs across Australia while running these physical stores.
This record-selling community became a vital part of his business strategy.
At fairs, sellers would share information about collections that matched each other’s interests. Soon, it created what Jon described as a “stamp club” atmosphere where everyone exchanged knowledge about recent finds.
“You become a little bit of an expert in all these different little fields,” Jon explained about his success.
“You kind of know what’s common and what’s not.”
Throughout the years, regular customers became an important part of the business. This included English cricket commentator Derek Pringle, who made special trips during Ashes series to buy obscure Jamaican music.
Where is he now?
Jon’s record business took an unexpected turn when he decided to leave storefront retail behind.
Now based in the Blue Mountains, he houses his massive inventory of 200,000 records in a dedicated storage shed. This collection spans decades of music history, from bargain-bin albums to highly sought-after rarities.
In fact, Jon himself admits he isn’t entirely sure what hidden gems might be buried in the stacks.
Rather than staying in one place, however, Jon continues traveling across Australia in his white van, selling records at fairs in different cities. These events keep him connected with other collectors and vinyl fans and maintain a sense of community.
But, after more than three decades in the industry, Jon still sees himself as a collector at heart.
His personal collection of nearly 3,000 albums remains untouched by his business dealings. This collection is filled with what he considers as ‘special records’, though. Organized by genre and alphabetized, each holds deep sentimental value, like records from his youth that he considers his “memory box.”
“Oh, definitely an addict. It’s just the sound, the history, the artwork, and finding things you never knew existed,” he said.
“There’s so much strange music still undiscovered out there. It’s like sound archaeological work.”