Dexter Campbell says he now has records in his collection that are rare, some never before heard on Jamaican radio.

"Mi have a album name Scandal, a various artiste album, then mi have some rare Bob Marley albums like one name Revelation Part 1 and 2, Lee Perry produce it. And mi have a next one name Soul Rebel and Prince Busta one wey name Barks Law, but is a whole heap. But sometimes when I go on tour, the records that I don't see in Jamaica I buy it," Campbell said.

Not only are some of these records unknown to many Jamaicans, they can also attract a 'pretty penny', all because they have become collector's items.

Collector's items

Campbell says "why some of these records become collector's items is because they never use to promote it on radio. Instead, they promote the American and English music, like the Jazz music an dem ting deh. And then the people dem wey wi call 'music fanatics' come a Jamaica an pay big money fi it and get we conscious about di music an den we haffi dig deep inna wi pocket fi get it."

Campbell says "Mi pay $15,000 for a Bob Marley record called Habits and on the next side is Amen by Peter Tosh and Bob Marley. This was early last year and it should be more expensive now. Di people dem use to hide it and di music collectors from all over the world, true dem want it, dem pay big money for it.

"Wi know bout One Love and Simmer Down, but odda Bob Marley song like Judge Not, which is Bob Marley's first tune, an wi nuh know bout dat ... at one point it was selling for US$3,000," he said.

And Campbell will tell you that among the favourites in his collection "is one called Rude Bwoy Prayer by Alton Ellis, because it sends a message", duly singing 'Mama pray for me, so you live so you die'. "Bob Marley sing a next one called Habit, (which says) if yuh have bad habit, bwoy yuh nah guh live," Dexter Campbell said.

Original music

With an expensive collection like Campbell's, it might be difficult to change with the times and move from vinyl to CDs. In addition, Campbell says he prefers to stick to his vinyl "because it's original music, foundation and easier to preserve".

"If a vinyl is dirty you can wipe it off and play it and it's more sustainable than the CD wey easy fi scratch up. The vinyl a di foundation ting, di vinyl nuh spoil, yuh jus clean dem up an store dem," he said.

Furthermore, in 2001, when Campbell started to travel, he discovered "you had to go with vinyl albums, disco mix and dem tings, and tune like Dennis Brown's How Could I Live and Prince Mohammed's A Bubble Wi A Bubble and 40 Leg Inna Him Head were among some of the hottest at the time."