Record Stores

http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_25746768/record-store-robbery-suspect-who-held-denver-police

record stores, never more relevant

Two best record stores in Denver are on E. Colfax. What was that guy doing on Colorado?

Stopped at Stinkweeds in Phoenix last week and am happy that it's still going strong: http://www.stinkweeds.com

The store I work in LUNA Music (as weekend guy) just celebrated our 20th birthday. Stop in if yr passing through Indianapolis: http://www.lunamusic.net/

I might be a little biased, but I think it's a pretty sweet spot.

some guy came in and this is what he said:

"do you buy records? or is this it?"

what does that mean?

i found myself explaining what a store was to him. and i felt silly.

http://eil.com/images/main/Peggy-Lee-Is-That-All-There-619526.jpg

i think sometimes people get confused and think that they have stumbled into my living room.

"You've got quite the collection. How long did it take you to amass all this?"

uhhhhhhh....

it would be like going into an antiques store and saying: man, you sure do have a lot of chairs! how long did it take you to find all these chairs?

best description of a VG+ cover ever:

Media Condition: Very Good Plus (VG+)
Sleeve Condition: Very Good Plus (VG+)
LP in good shape, a few faint paper scuffs and fingerprints on each side, no playback issues. W/Takoma Records inner. Sleeve has edgewear, corner wear, light ringwear, light scuffing, woc (rear).

ALSO WE POOPED ON IT.

M - there are no mint records
NM - sealed
VG+ - opened, handled, maybe played once
VG - played, has surface noise and pops etc
G - has a shit load of surface noise and pops etc
F - we pooped on it

uk goldmine grading seems more useful/meaningful to me

i don't even wanna fucking deal with selling VG or lower on discogs, the spectrum of buyer expectations is just too wide

ymmv

obviously it's totally different for a store, where you don't really have time to play-test everything

i do VG covers all the time if the record is REALLY clean and its something that people really want. i mean most old records have VG covers.

you can't have WRITING on a cover and call it VG+. i mean you can't.

yup, that is a VG- cover specifically cuz of the writing imo

i put a record up on discogs today for 60 bucks. the median price is about 60 and there was only one other copy for sale on discogs right now. their price? 400 dollars. i sold my copy in about 2 hours. sometimes i don't get what people are up to...

https://www.yelp.com/user_details?userid=N2KyxS3XojYIzP_gzTgt_Q

First thing I'd like to say Is that that owner didn't say hello, or even acknowledge my presence the ten minutes I was in his shop. Instantly put a bad taste in my mouth. Not that I needed help, but damn, I'm sure people aren't beating down his door with business. Records in my opinion were quite over priced. Selection was pretty bad too , a few thousand random rock records.. small jazz and classical section... I hit A, B, C & M and was over it by then. Unless you're going to Greenfield anyway, I would save your gas.

https://scontent.fbos1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/15578430_10157932861345298_8076768788314792337_n.jpg?oh=dc69c1f96651af5348970b7921be0aa2&oe=58F69830

graphic courtesy of my brother via facebook.

lol

I prefer to be ignored by the shopkeeper unless I need help

i'm fine with a "let me know if i can help you find anything" when i enter

i used to work at a record store, one of the cd/game exchange (formerly called record exchange) stores in the DC area and it was store policy to ask to hold all bags behind the counter. i fucking hated that so much. the cds and games were locked behind cabinets anyways, why the fuck do i need your bag too?

sometimes i don't feel like yelling hello. i'm really far away from the front door. sometimes i will. but usually i wait until people come closer and i make eye contact and say hi.

https://scontent.fbos1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/1915662_10153627195753802_5667831438800049308_n.jpg?oh=97556f092942af6786cc897d3ed6315c&oe=58EEFC57

sometimes i just wave.

yea im also fine with being ignored

I usually think "the owner of this store does not need another friend" and decline to engage until I purchases I'd like to make.

*have purchases

scott do people ever ask "what's new? / what's good / what should i buy?"

sometimes people ask me about things that they see. i could definitely, uh, "upsell" more if i wanted to. people love to be told what to buy. people totally buy things where i write on the plastic sleeve "Great!" and "Stoner classic!" and stuff like that. i could do that more too.

the people who buy the most never ask me anything though. i definitely cater to people who enjoy volume shopping. finicky people are not my fave customers. though i try to be nice to everyone.

what do you mean by finicky people?

Yeah I have def been swung by a store-scribbled label. Not to buy sth totally cold but maybe if I was kinda curious or on the fence already. Even stuff like ''beat but plays!'' has had an effect on me.

there are people who are very skittish and afraid of buying the wrong record and they have a very small list of things that they KNOW they absolutely want and everything else is viewed with suspicion and they often want a lot of convincing and reassurance. like. and this is 100% the opposite of what i am like but i try to be supportive. (i have a box of 45s for a buck a piece and recently a couple of people stood and listened to dozens of them on their phone. took them an hour or more. they spent five bucks. but at least they didn't make a horrible mistake and buy the wrong one dollar single. in my opinion, sometimes you need to hear the wrong records. or even bad records. but that's just me.)

i think I mostly listen to the wrong records

local store in my area always has something good for between $5-10. I've found enough stuff that I really like that I don't mind whiffing now and again. So I bought the wrong Deuter record, I'm sure I'll see the right one come through soon enough.

xxp it drives me insane when people pull that kinda close inspection shit on some dollar record I''m selling at a show. IT'S A DOLLAR. Stop looking for hairline marks!

yea otm. when most record stores sold used vinyl for $1-$5 i felt a lot better just buying things on whims and feelings.

otoh when the same and other places started selling used vinyl for $10-$40 i basically stopped buying vinyl

(obv there is plenty of used vinyl that is worth that amount, plenty of stuff id pay for, but vinyl markup has gotten pretty gross at many places ime)

it's anecdotal, but i have found that younger people who were not around for records when records were the thing are much more selective and less willing to take a chance on something they haven't heard/aren't sure of. they have very specific wants and they often want ONE gem as opposed to the gluttons of yore who just wanted to load up in order to fill the gaping void that the pizza wouldn't fill. the internet has helped refine their tastes to within an inch of their lives.

which is why i got rid of my listening station. to bug them.

haha!

and it's not really the picky part that bums me out. it's that a lot of these people don't even get any pleasure from looking at records. they just ask if i have the three things that they want that nobody ever has and then they leave. or they wander around looking at the shelves and NOT look at any of the records. sometimes for a while! it can be excruciating to watch sometimes.

the nice people who like to look make up for it though.

like this guy. look how happy!

https://scontent.fbos1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/15350683_10154313968713802_6389846961233901928_n.jpg?oh=8d8c0b86ec67d383d519597ab643e2de&oe=58E952B2

right off the wall.

https://scontent.fbos1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/15401037_10154313706418802_529202199632177758_n.jpg?oh=0228723b1d38b9e59944d26e199786ec&oe=58E28CB2

(obv there is plenty of used vinyl that is worth that amount, plenty of stuff id pay for, but vinyl markup has gotten pretty gross at many places ime)

― marcos, Monday, December 19, 2016 3:53 PM (thirty-four minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

Store I used to work at likes to price anything they don't normally get at blanket prices, just because they aren't the everyday 70s rock. It's the result of not being very good at seeking out interesting buys. Especially true when they put out newer indie records that have come in used. I like to point out to them when they are priced higher than the same copies they still have sitting in the new bins.

(Surprised to see that George Gerdes LP on the wall there, because it's currently visible here in my front room: I took a chance on it for £1 recently in an example of excellent record shopping behaviour IMO.)

(Keep meaning to mention its title, "Son of Obituary" on one of the horrible puns threads.)

i just like that record. it's not some rare thing or whatever. best cover!

I like it too - exactly the mix of good + slightly weird + great cover I want from a £1 dice buy