Recycled Records
Springfield, IL

Mark Kessler
Owner

www.recycledrecords.com

How did you start at indie retail?

My grandfather started the store as a furniture retailer in 1910.  While I lived in Chicago for about 12 years, I was an avid used record buyer.  When I moved back to Springfield, there wasn’t a used record store around. So, I opened Recycled Records within the furniture store. It still carries furniture and other items today.

What is selling well for you at your store right now?

Any classic rock - Stones, Beatles, Pink Floyd.

What is the craziest thing a customer has ever asked you?

This happens quite frequently. People bring their empty glass bottles in wanting to drop them off for recycling, assuming “Recycled Records” means that we’ll recycle anything.

What, in your opinion, is the best album of all time?

Johnny Burnette, Rock and Roll Trio.

Cow
Ocean Beach, CA

Chris Davies
Manager

How did you start at indie retail?

I went from music fan/record collector/musician to a job at Tower in the mid-’80s to selling LPs at the Pasadena Record Meet to working at the Ocean Beach Cow soon after it opened in 1990. We've been at the same location in downtown OB for 20 years now.

What is selling well for you at your store right now?

Our customers are enthusiastically snapping up everything by the Black Keys on both LP and CD. Also Edward Sharpe, Florence & The Machine and Mr. Big. Selling poorly for us right now are Michael Bolton and Moondog.

What is the craziest thing a customer has ever asked you?

"Are these numbers on the side of the cd a coded message from the secret alien government?" "What do you think the music scene will be like 3 million years from now?"

What, in your opinion, is the best album of all time?

Van Morrison's Into the Music is among the greats for me.

Shake It Records
Ocean Beach, CA

Jim Blase'
Co-owner

www.shakeitrecords.com

How did you start at indie retail?

Originally, Shake It was a mail-order record label, releasing records by the Cleveland band the Cowslingers and a few others. In 1999, the record label expanded into the retail store. We also continue to release new records via the Shake It label.

What is selling well for you at your store right now?

Old 97s’ Grand Theatre, Bob Dylan’s Witmark Demos, Justin Townes Earle’s Harlem River Blues.

What is the craziest thing a customer has ever asked you?

Recently, a man walked in wearing a rabbit fur coat and star sunglasses, and asked if we carry fake beards and mustaches. We don’t.

What, in your opinion, is the best album of all time?

Professor Longhair’s Crawfish Fiesta.

UHF Music
Royal Oak, MI

Jeff
Co-owner

Facebook.com/pages/Royal-Oak-MI-UHF

How did you start at indie retail?

I owned a store years ago and had been running a mail order business for a few years while consigning records to the co-owner Tommy’s vintage clothing store. The space opened up, so we dove in together to open a new shop!

What is selling well for you at your store right now?

Superchunk, Devo, Grinderman.

What is the craziest thing a customer has ever asked you?

They still make records?

What, in your opinion, is the best album of all time?

Too difficult to answer but my favorite is the Flaming Lips’ Transmissions from the Satellite Heart.

Inherent Records
Cleveland, TN

Bobby Rayfield
Owner

Inherentrecords.com

How did you start at indie retail?

A combination of soul searching and living in a town that had no access to vinyl or other music that I enjoy (not to mention my dad giving me his record collection); this was a great way to support the musicians I love through selling records and holding in-store performances. 

What is selling well for you at your store right now?

Joy Division Closer LP, most Pixies titles (CD or LP), Black Crowes, tons of local artists.

What is the craziest thing a customer has ever asked you?

What are those big black CDs?

What, in your opinion, is the best album of all time?

Anything on the Neurot Recordings label.

CD Exchange
Rochester, NY

Mark
Owner

www.cdexchangeroc.com

How did you start at indie retail?

Opening the shop was the only way to get the CD collection I wanted without my wife divorcing me.

What is selling well for you at your store right now?

Tom Petty’s Mojo, Rolling Stones’ Exile on Main Street reissue, Grateful Dead’s Hollywood Festival CD/DVD.

What is the craziest thing a customer has ever asked you?

Do you have the CD by that guy with the long hair who plays guitar?

What, in your opinion, is the best album of all time?

Joni Mitchell’s Hejira.

Ckyklopx
Forest Park, IL

Garry Huebner
Owner

www.cyklopx.com

How did you start at indie retail?

I had been into buying records and collectibles for about 10 years and finally jumped in and launched the retail personality of my habit.

What is selling well for you at your store right now?

Sweet Apple Love & Desperation, Rolling Stones Exile reissue, Flaming Lips Dark Side.

What is the craziest thing a customer has ever asked you?

Requests for G.G. Allin bobbleheads.

What, in your opinion, is the best album of all time?

The Ramones’ first album.

How did you start at indie retail?

I was hoarding and collecting records since I was a kid and finally decided to open my own record shop.

What is selling well for you at your store right now?

Erykah Badu, tons of soul/funk 7-inch records and turntables (it's mainly a vinyl store).

What is the craziest thing a customer has ever asked you?

Requests for 8-tracks from a 90-year-old customer, and I wound up having some (which I gave to her for free).

What, in your opinion, is the best album of all time?

Michael Jackson’s Thriller, followed closely by Led Zeppelin’s II.

Groamy's
Lima,OH

Gene
Owner

www.groamys.com

How did you start at indie retail?

About 25 years ago, I was a customer at the local indie store Mind Dust Music (no longer in business) and would always bug the owner for a job. I happened to get a gig there and worked for about five years. Then, I hooked up with another local store owner but working too many hours for someone else was a bummer. Eventually, in 1992, I started my own store while working two days a week at the local NRM chain store. Groamy's has become a cornerstone in the community. Life is too short to not take chances.

What is selling well for you at your store right now?

Five Finger Death Punch, Black Keys, and finally vinyl.

What is the craziest thing a customer has ever asked you?

When purchasing a CD with a very large "$9.99" black and yellow sticker, "How much does this cost?"

What, in your opinion, is the best album of all time?

London Choir Boys’ A Bit of What You Fancy.

Monster Music
Charleston, SC

Galen Hudson
Owner

Monstermusicandmovies.com

How did you start at indie retail?

I started at Record Bar in Chapel Hill, moved to Charleston for a change of scenery and began working at Manifest, the respected local indie retailer. Manifest was purchased by MCRD in 2004, and renamed Monster Music the following year.

What is selling well for you at your store right now?

Gucci Mane, Mary J. Blige and Govt Mule.

What is the craziest thing a customer has ever asked you?

Not exactly a request, but more of a strange occurrence. While having a sidewalk sale, a customer rode down to the sale on a forklift. He stopped by to browse the $1 bin, and then left without buying anything (riding away on the forklift). Approximately 10 minutes later, several Lowes’ workers came running down the street yelling for someone to "stop that forklift!"

What, in your opinion, is the best album of all time?

Favorite is Traffic’s Low Spark. Best, critically speaking, is the Who’s Who's Next.

641RPM
Boone, NC

Travis Reyes
Owner

641rpm.com

How did you start at indie retail?

I started working for Fat Cats Music & Video in 2001 and eventually took a couple year hiatus. When I came back, I bought out another retailer in town to start 641RPM.

What is selling well for you at your store right now?

Bon Iver, Washed Out and Flaming Lips.

What is the craziest thing a customer has ever asked you?

"Can I take this record now and come back and pay later?"

Wax Trax
Denver, CO

Duane
Owner

waxtraxrecords.com

How did you start at indie retail?

Sometime in 1977 or 1978, I and another guy happened to be together at an annual beer and chili blowout. Over the course of a few bowls of chili and refreshments, we came to the conclusion that it would be a good idea to open a record store. About a year later, we bought Wax Trax.

What is selling well for you at your store right now?

Modest Mouse, Monsters of Folk, Yacht.

What is the craziest thing a customer has ever asked you?

Someone in Branson, MO called wanting a Frankie Avalon Greatest Hits CD. But they needed it ASAP because they were performing one of the songs on stage in the next few nights. So, they requested it to be shipped via two-day air to their neighbor's house in. But, when they realized they did not have their neighbor's address, they requested it to be shipped to a local real estate agent. But then they realized that they did not have the agent's address either. Eventually, we declined the sale because it was becoming a bit too far-fetched.

What, in your opinion, is the best album of all time?

Bob Dylan’s Highway 61.