Long Beach’s vinyl community is thriving. We have a vinyl listening club. We have vinyl-centric events. And, thanks to Lauren Snook’s pop-up, Collectng Dust, we have a vinyl swap at Alex’s Bar come Saturday, Nov. 29, from 1PM to 6PM. (Yes, that is the very weekend of the famed Shop Small Business Saturday.) Held at the iconic red-and-black venue at 2913 E. Anaheim St. (and its parking lot), the swap is shaping up to be one of those distinctly Long Beach afternoons—equal parts music, makers, tacos, and community energy.
“It’s a community-driven vinyl fair celebrating Long Beach’s record culture,” Lauren said. “It’s one of those events that feels like exactly what ‘shop small’ is meant to look like.”
Wait—what can we expect from this record swap in Long Beach?
The event will feature over 20 local vendors, live vinyl DJs spinning sets all afternoon, tacos from Bocaditos, and on-site ultrasonic record cleaning by Vinyl Laundry.
It’s free, 21+, and built to keep Long Beach’s vinyl scene accessible, vibrant, and thriving. For Lauren, taking over the curation of the Alex’s Bar swap was about sustaining more than just an event—it was about protecting a culture.
“I recently took over organizing this record fair to keep our local vinyl scene alive and sustainable for the vendors, the DJs, and everyone who keeps this culture beating,” she says. “Times are tough, and I just want to see our people thrive.”
The roots of Collectng Dust in Long Beach
That sense of care didn’t come out of nowhere. Collectng Dust—yes, spelled intentionally without the “i”—is the result of a deeply personal evolution.
Lauren has been vending nearly every weekend for the last two years, clocking in 71 pop-ups in just 18 months, after fully diving into her side business in early 2024. But the roots stretch far deeper.
“Before all this, I was a dancer. For 27 years, it was my entire identity,” she says. “When I got sick for the better part of a decade, I lost all of it… Even listening to music hurt.” It was vinyl—quietly traded, sorted, and rediscovered at home—that brought her back. “Selling records helped bring it all back. Pop-ups helped me find my people. Music feels safe again. I found community, purpose, friendship—and pieces of myself I thought were gone.”
That rebirth is what powers Collectng Dust today. Lauren’s booth has become a fixture at fairs across the city, from Good Luck Vinyl Club events to independent markets, and now she’s channeling that experience into curating something bigger than herself: a vinyl event built for and by Long Beach.
“This city and its creative community mean everything to me,” she says. “If you’d consider featuring or sharing this event, it would make a huge difference for all of us trying to keep Long Beach’s unique spirit alive.”
