An orange bandana covers the ceiling light, creating a sunset hue and giving the room a calming, almost sacred glow.

A “Kill Bill” movie poster and images of bands and flags are plastered on each wall, encasing a floor crowded with clothes and trinkets, an unmade, lone mattress and a huge, cushioned bamboo chair.

But the posters and clothes aren’t the centers of attention in Cameron Del Rosario’s temporary bedroom.

“These records make the house look cool, vintage,” del Rosario said.

The Elizabethtown sophomore has a vinyl record collection of about 550 on a black bookshelf that sits in the corner of the room.

The records, mostly 12-inch standard, meticulously preserved by cardboard sleeves and plastic covers, are organized alphabetically on the top row and by splits and compilations on the bottom.

Other records of varying sizes, including seven-inch discs, overflow into smaller boxes surrounding the shelves. The covers are uniquely decorated, some boasting original artwork, others only a band name.

And most of those band names are those of recent artists, despite the previously decreasing production of vinyl records.

“Vinyl records are making a comeback,” Del Rosario said.

First made commercially available by RCA Victor in 1930, 12-inch vinyl long-playing records, or LPs, were designed to play at 33 1/3 rpm. The launch, however, was initially a failure during the Great Depression because of the lack of affordable playback equipment, according to The Record Collector’s Guild website.

But in 1939, Columbia Records continued to make vinyl records, which were previously made with shellac. Since vinyl produced a better sound quality, it became popular and remained the most popular form of audio entertainment.

Reel-to-reel tapes surfaced in the 1960s and stereo sound was favored by the public, leaving vinyl production industries to find ways to reduce static in records. Consumers’ interest in stereo records grew throughout the ’60s so much that companies largely discontinued conventional LPs and playback equipment by 1968.

Now, music is available with the click of a button and is easily portable. With the rise of CDs, iPods and other MP3 players, vinyl records have become virtually obsolete.

“There will always be a niche for vinyl records in smaller markets,” said Cosette Collier, a professor in the recording industry department at Middle Tennessee State University. “But there’s nothing portable about vinyl and people like to carry their music around.”

Collier, who teaches mastering, vinyl restoration and techniques for recording, among other classes, said she is amazed that many of her students inherited and actually listen to vinyl records from their parents.

Matt Pfefferkorn, manager of The Great Escape record and comic book store has a passion for vinyl that he said is common among his customers.

“I’m a vinyl enthusiast,” he said. “I love them ’cause you can hear every instrument in the song. It’s a warmer, full-range sound.”

Pfefferkorn has a collection of more than 5,000 vinyl records.

Vinyl makes up half of The Great Escape music inventory. Wall-to-wall blue shelves hold everything from 50 Cent and Duke Ellington to Billy Joel and Dolly Parton records.

Pfefferkorn said he has seen a resurgence of vinyl purchases in the past two years.

“There will always be a calling for vinyl records. Too many different age groups love them,” he said.

A collector since ninth grade, Del Rosario discovered his love for records when he booked shows for a hometown band that only released their music on vinyl records.

“My mom gave me an allowance each week. If I had to choose, if I saw a record I wanted, I would buy it before I ate.” he said. “And I’ll buy the same record twice because I’m a nerd like that. I want all the colors.”

And though his friends playfully tease him about his collection, suggesting that he could sell all of his records and buy a car, Del Rosario said they think it’s pretty impressive.

With the knowledge of how vinyl records are made, the patience to sort through flea markets until he finds the record he’s looking for and a Stanton turntable, which he said is the “good stuff DJs use,” Del Rosario is resurrecting the excitement people his age had in the 1950s and 1960s.

“I guess records are more fun because you have to work for it,” he said. “With CDs, you just pop ‘em in and they play. With an LP, you have to take the time to put the stylus on it carefully so it doesn’t scratch.”

Fanatic? Absolutely. Obsessed? He said so.

He’s looking into insuring his albums in case of fire or water damage. His friend Doug even saved him as “Vinyl” in his cell phone contact list. And he has every intention to keep adding to his collection.

“I haven’t been able to buy as many recently since I’m in school,” Del Rosario said. “But I’m proud and pretty happy with my collection. If they stopped making albums altogether, I would still have these as a reminder . I think I’d be alright.”

Reach Angela Oliver at diversions@chherald.com.