Record Stores

I just had a conversation with someone that said record stores were an unnecessary thing of the past, and that I was essentially collecting records incorrectly because apparently I should buy my records in bulk, and sell off what I don't want because paying over three bucks for a record means I'm getting ripped off.  I said, "But I like a lot of new records that you can't get like that.  You have to buy them new."  He says, "That's what the internet is for."  So we went on for a few minutes and I ended up telling him that Music Saves here in Cleveland regularly beats internet prices, except maybe from the label themselves, but as soon as you add shipping, they win every time.  He still says I do the used thing wrong, too.  His last purchase was 500 records, and he found some rare 60's mono in there. and he paid 100 bucks for the boxes of records.  So here's how I looked at it:

I asked, "How many records are you keeping?"

"About thirty, I think."

I said, "So you're selling off 470 records.  That's a lot.  How much will you make?  How long will it take you to sell them?"

"He looked a little sheepish and said, "Well...I'll sell 100 or so online, because those are doubles or records I'm not interested in, but they'll all fetch at least ten bucks a record."  He let me think about the math, but I already was.

"So how long will this take?"  I asked again.

"Well, it might take a few months, but I'll make like $1000, plus I'm keeping thirty records.  That's a great investment!"

"Well see, I'm thinking you have to store 470 records, of which you're going to knowingly rip off people because used records are only worth three bucks (according to you), you have to list them, pack them and ship them.  That's going to take at least twenty hours.  Time I'd call overtime.  That's fifty bucks an hour, which is more than I make on OT, but I don't have to buy any mailers, go to the post office or deal with returns and eBay or GEMM.  I also don't have 370 records that may or may not be worth the trouble of dragging to the record store for store credit, or packaging up in special lot deals.  Which is also cutting in to your 30 record score."

He said I just didn't understand and didn't want free records.  I just said, "No, I want free records.  I don't want to be a used record dealer for a second job."  Besides, I think I just proved to him that he's not getting anything for free, and it's probably not even cheap.

Me, I'll stick with record stores like Music Saves.  For several reasons.  They carry records I want, and they carry records I don't even know that I want.  Then they tell me, "Hey, you should check this record out," and I do and I almost always have a new favorite band!  Special orders?  Easiest thing in the world.  I call or shoot an email, they call me or shoot me an email when it comes in.  I can meet other people in the store and talk music, and since the store is kind of specialized (the only way to make it work these days), I can find common ground with most any customer that comes in.  So if it's not busy, it's not uncommon to actually have a conversation with the owner, another customer or two and me.  I met a guy from San Francisco in there once, and he said that comparatively Music Saves didn't have a lot of records, but they had more records he wanted than any other store he'd been to, and he could actually come in and browse comfortably.  Isn't that cool?

The first record store I ever went to (hey, we bought records at Sears and Woolworth's, man!) was a little local place called Daisy Music Co.  This was a tiny record store.  It's where I learned record store etiquette.  You know, don't open sealed records, put them back where they were, don't flip at the corners (they bend, man), if it's crowded, don't take up three rows while you're looking through one.  In other words, relax and enjoy your visit and make sure the guy after you enjoys their visit, too.  Sort of like camping, I guess.

Did you ever see High Fidelity?  If you're reading this, I'm sure you did.  I've never been in a store where people had that kind of attitude.  I've only met people as excited about records as me.  People that want you to walk out with a new record that you'll love for the rest of your life.  I remember the people that sold me records I love.  I don't always remember their names, but I remember that they maybe liked a record I bought and recommended something else.  I remember that maybe they asked my opinion on something after I had bought a few records.  I remember that even if I didn't order the new Lucero record, it was behind the counter, just waiting for me on the first day of the release (I told ya, I love Music Saves!).  The internet or someone dumping their uncle's record collection doesn't know me, and they don't care if I'm totally satisfied or not.  They just have shit taking up room they want to sell.  A great store like Music Saves or My Mind's Eye in Lakewood caters to the people they sell to.  Sure, they stick to their strengths, but that's what makes a store great.  They know what they're good at, and they just do it.

I don't want my music collection to be downloaded files.  I don't want to hear a song and move on.  I want to hear what you can do for a whole album, because if you just have a single, I'll wait until it comes out on a Various Artists compilation, because maybe by then I won't still be sick of your song.  Make an album and sell it in stores.  Let it be sitting there when I have a spare couple of bucks and don't know what I want to listen to.  Make a cool cover, stop in and play in the record store for twenty minutes if you're in town.  Hell, ya know one more reason for me to like John Doe?  He was in town and I couldn't go to his show because I was working, but he stopped in at Music Saves and wanted to buy a cd that I had bought just that afternoon.  That was okay (I can't remember what it was right now), he wanted another cd, too.  He found out that I bought that, too!  I found that out the next time I was in, so I bought a John Doe album.  John did get lucky and find his third request, but I thought it was cool that someone that has made music that really means something to me liked the same kind of music I was interested in.  Guess who doesn't tell you stuff like that next time you stop by?  The internet and eBay, that's who.

Because you're just an account number and a couple of bucks to them.  To the local record store you're a fan.  Just like they're fans.  Stop in and say "Hi!"  They'll always say "Hi!" right back.  Ask questions, compliment the new record display or read the new release board.  The record store doesn't sell toilet paper, nails or motor oil.  You don't need anything they have, but what they sell is necessary for good mental health and when you buy from your local record store, you're buying from someone that understands why you're there.  They get it.  They look for record stores when they go out of town, too.  They want to have what you like, so tell them.  Think about it, most everything you buy is gone in hours, or maybe days.  Great records stay with you for your whole life, and you don't want to mess that kind of purchase up by filling out a form.  You want to have fun buying that record, and you should be getting your ass to the record store and enjoying your life more!