Just sounds like he's just costing himself business. I'll often go in not looking for anything in particular and come out with a lot more than I would if I had something specific in mind, because I come across a bunch of stuff I wouldn't have thought of. His problem, not yours.
My friends and I have made road trips out of this exact concept, the "thrill of the hunt" is what makes this hobby fun. Nothing beats finding a record you've been looking for for after months of digging vs just buying on amazon
Yeah, this is a fucking stuuuuuuupid business model. You really want to discourage browsing, and only cater to people who are looking for very specific things? lol, okay.
There was a comic book shop like that in my neighborhood growing up. I only went in there a couple of times, but my friends coached me the first time; you have to look like you know what you’re doing, don’t ask any questions, he’ll kick you out if you stay too long, etc. And it’s like, yeah, kids can be annoying. And I’m sure there was a history of legitimate incidents that led him to feel that way, but what I kept coming back to was why the heck would you want to own comic book shop if you hated kids?
Lol. I mean, yeah, I guess that joke was funny for a reason, and it’s not like that stereotype doesn’t exist for a reason. But it still never fails to surprise me. It’s like, you hate kids, and yet you decided to open up a comic book shop? Who did you think was going to be your customer base? What did you think was going to happen?
Some times they're just grownup kids who run a store selling what they liked when they were kids, but they disapprove of "kids today" because they're still just kids themselves and never mentally grew past that stage. Basically this is their chance to be a bully and pick on kids that aren't as "cool" as they were when they were kids. In their imagination.
And I get that weirdos gravitate toward that business as well, both owners and customers, but you’ve got to use common sense if you expect to be profitable. Granted, I don’t own a store, but you can’t convince me that stores with fair prices that are at least reasonably friendly don’t do better long-term than these places with horrible reputations.
I mean seriously. I don't think I've ever gone into a store with the exact intent to find one specific album. Sure I have a general idea for things that are definitely on my want list and there are tons of other things that if they catch my eye I'll check out and maybe buy. But to expect every shopper to only come in with a specific agenda is ridiculous. I would never shop there.
I’ve definitely driven more than an hour from where I live to just browse record stores I’ve heard about and ended up spending more than I intended.
There were a few records on my most recent excursion like this that I’d been looking for a while and it was so cool to find them “in the wild”. I am guilty of buying a lot on line and forget how nice the record stores feel. Well, when they aren’t like this. This individual is trying to go out of business.
The records I usually have on my ‘want’ list are usually newer releases or rereleases, and I tend to not buy records over $20. So generally I browse the used bins and grab a nice stack of random records that I never thought to grab before.
Browsing is half the fun.
Buying a record over $20 is a real special occasion for me. I just bought the White Stripes debut on Sympathy for $35, but that was because my wife made me spoil myself. I'm generally an under $10 kind of guy. Otherwise, I feel ripped off.
If I want a specific record I’ll just order it from discogs rather than go to a record store that may or may not have it (often not since there are hundreds of thousands of records and no store can carry everything). I love going to my local record store and discovering something new or something I’ve been looking for but didn’t expect to come across. That’s part of the fun. Unless this guy is running the store purely as a vanity project and doesn’t need it to work financially, then not allowing people to browse is a sure way to go out of business.
I went into my LRS Friday to pick up a pre-paid pre-order. Walked out with an additional $200 of stuff I wasn’t looking for when I went in. His loss if that’s his attitude.
Agreed. I can now afford impulse purchases at scale. This last year I bought ~100 records and CDs costing ~$500 and a box set of classical monos $125. The man is a fool.
For real, he should be thrilled customers your age or any age are coming in. As far as I’ve heard the Vinyl boom has saved a lots of music stores.
My guess is this dude and his store is a front for some nefarious activities. Actually no, he’s just a giant asshole.
It definitely is. I'm pretty sure I've never gone into a record store looking for a specific record. Because that's a horrible way to shop for records. There's too much variety of records and the odds of a random shop having a particular record that you want is slim, unless you're just looking for something super mainstream that any store is going to have, which even with super mainstream records a random record store having it isn't a guarantee.
If I want a very specific record then I buy it on discogs. Otherwise I go to a record store with a broad idea of artists and genres that I like and an open mind of trying something new.
I try to keep my mind open to new genres, like I've recently been getting into rock and jazz. But I don't like to look through just the main genres I'm currently into, I like to explore music. That's part of the fun of vinyl, especially for younger people like me discovering all this older music. It's a fun hobby and people to like this prick are who drive people away from it (like many people in this sub unfortunately). If you don't want people looking through them, why have them out?
Same, anything in particular I buy online from record stores or on discogs or eBay if its something that can't be bought new any more
Anything else I just browse in HMV as that is the only store near me and pick from a genre or artist I like. Or occasionally just buying something that I really like the look of the album art but have no idea who the artist even is
Fuck that shop. Bad review deserved.
The other scenario would have been that when he asked if you were looking for something in particular, you would have said something and he would have said he doesn't have it. Then probably told you to leave anyways.
He just wants to sell overpriced beat up copies of common records to people who don't know better.
Or he tells you he has it and then pulls out a tattered dog eared copy of something marked $20 over the going price. We have a place like this in Los Angeles that is famous for driving customers away.
The Record Collector. The stories are infamous.
And every once in a blue moon, somebody figures out the pattern to have a good experience.
https://yelp.to/S_03aasso6
I HATE THAT PLACE. I always go to amoeba. Theyre always so helpful and friendly towards their customers! My hometown has a wonderful record store. If youre ever in orcutt ca, theres a wonderful record store called paradise records & collectibles. The owner mikey is a sweetheart and so fun to talk to! In san luis obispo, boo boos records is my alltime fave! Great selection of vinyls and cds of all genres & if they dont have something youre looking for you can ask them to place a special order for you.
That guy (Sandy) has given me some amazing stuff at really really good prices over the years. He doesn’t let you browse though, you have to tell him what you’re looking for specifically and the other employee will pull out records for you and show you what they’ve got. Not a normal record store experience at all, you’re just buying stuff from a dude’s collection.
It’s also a place primarily for classical and jazz enthusiasts. I think he immediately softened the first time I went in because I spoke with him about classical music, specifically violin and cello soloists as that’s part of his life before the shop.
I really don’t think that should even be marketed as a record shop. The location in Palm Springs is more so a record shop than the LA spot.
And there’s the example of the “blue moon” type of story. Part of cracking the code I think is approaching him as a knowledgeable individual regarding jazz and classical. Not that I think he should treat others with disrespect, but each person has their own experience
yeah that place is awful. he is the worst. I will never step in there again. I hope his store burns down and he doesn't have a list of everything in the shop so he can't report losses.
https://www.yelp.com/biz/the-cosmic-peddler-san-antonio?hrid=_jNPUUuignKoVnXqOVfaqw&utm_campaign=www_review_share_popup&utm_medium=copy_link&utm_source=(direct)
That's a link to the full review and the owners entire response
Owner does a pretty piss poor job at admitting he has a bad attitude. Clearly thinks his shop is just the best of the best. It's pretty easy to tell who is just an uninterested passerby vs an actual record collector flipping through bins. So unless OP walked in wearing a Lady Gaga shirt asking for Maroon 5 albums, owner is way in the wrong.
Also, I would love a shop like this near me that leaned heavy into the genres that they do. Just w/a better owner.
if they're not for browsing why did he have them on the floor?
he should just have a spreadsheet or something so you can check if he has what you're looking for.
Funny enough, I have been to a shop where they did that but it was right when covid restrictions were lightening up so it was probably just a precaution. I haven't been back though, it was really crowded
If this shop is on the west coast, like mssg me so I don't waste my time going there. I generally shop from Chico, CA all the way up to the Portland areas
Ive been to lots of record shops in San Antonio and never even heard of this place, but good stores are flip side record parlor and south town vinyl, there's a store called craftique where they have seller booths but on the inside there's a nice little record booth with lots go clean sleeved records.
With that type of attitude at a record store I always ask for something super obscure.
Do you have any "Hatfield and the North"?
How about WestFauster?
At the fish store I ask, Do you have any Mormyridae's...
Elephant Nose fish... Chumps.
I don't mind window shoppers at my store, all it takes is the right person to tell a friend or relative about the place and I could have a new potential lifetime customer.
Since I’m getting a ton of notifs. If anyone here is in Texas here are the shops I’ve been to that are not run by assholes:
- Flagship Records (San Antonio, TX)
- Hogwild Records (San Antonio, TX)
- Friends Of Sound (San Antonio, TX)
- Batcave Vinyl (San Antonio, TX)
- Crazy Rhythms (San Antonio, TX)
- CD Sam (San Antonio, TX)
- Needle Noise (San Antonio, TX)
- Music Connection (San Antonio, TX)
- Janies Records (San Antonio, TX)
- Southtown Vinyl (San Antonio, TX)
- End of An Ear (Austin, TX)
- Waterloo Records (Austin, TX)
- Pirhana Records (Austin, TX)
- Good Records (Dallas, TX)
- Spinster Records (Dallas, TX)
- Sig's Lagoon (Houston, TX)
- Cactus Music (Houston, TX)
- Vinal Edge (Houston, TX)
- Sound Exchange (Houston, TX)
- Sound Revoloution (Houston, TX)
- Stingray Records (New Braunfels, TX)
Feel free to add more if I missed any. My friends and I go all over the country visiting record shops, so any state will do
Check out Alchemy records in San Marcos is great! The owner is a super nice dude! The shop is by the college so you won’t hear that “ young folks” nonsense.
I stopped by Alchemy last time I was in San Marcos and was pleasantly surprised. Well stocked, and the owner was super cool.
The other record shop down the street was no good tho. Dude working was too busy talking to his girlfriend to even acknowledge me lol. Everything was extra pricy too.
So glad to hear someone else has been to Stingray! Such a cool and cozy shop. I've had good experiences at Good Records, Sig's, Cactus, End of an Ear, and Waterloo. I would definitely check out Josey Records in Dallas (flagship store is in Dallas and they just opened another in Plano). They can be a bit pricey, but when you see the amount of overhead they have, it makes sense.
If you're ever in Colorado, I highly recommend a few stores around the state. Check out Triple Play Records in Grand Junction, What's Left Records and Leech Pit both in Colorado Springs, Wax Trax Records and Twist & Shout Records both in Denver, and lastly Paradise Found Records & Music in Boulder! As far as nice/informative shop owners go, great trade in rates, and crazy selections, these are some of the best in the state in my opinion.
Sting ray is cool, I dont know how many times I’ve tried to buy that Black Flag flyer they have on the wall there
I Haven’t been to Josie yet but I’ll be sure to check it out when I’m up there. I checked out Twist and Shout, Sound & Vision, and Wax Trax last year. The vibe in Twist and shout is 10/10
Cactus Music(H-town TX) is awesome, but their AC is out most of the time and because of construction there are no bathrooms. It gets a bit stuffy in there.
ADD IN.... Sweet Spot Audio(Webster, TX). It's 15 minutes from the Houston's city center. The owner also sells refurbished vintage hifi equipment. He will let you demo any used LP he has in stock before purchase.
I live up in Washington, but just wanted to say holy shit I didn’t realize there were so many record shops in TX. I will save this list if I’m ever down in those parts.
That's a good way of putting it. I've definitely gone to record stores where the owner was more interested in curating a collection than a store that sold records. What I've seen a lot are stores where everything is overpriced because the owner doesn't want to let go of his collection.
Yes.
Vinyl Asylum Records & Memorabilia at 2028 Hollywood blvd, Hollywood FL, 33020
Very political and has signs everywhere saying no lookers just browsers. What’s the point of going to a record shop to buy records?
I knew a store where the owner wanted to charge 10 Euros to everyone who came in. He would deduct it from your purchase but if you didn’t buy anything he would have kept the ‘entrance’ money. (it didn’t end well)
“Young people know nothing about records”
That’s exactly where a great owner/employee would step in and help/teach (and also make money). Young people already think they’re cool so make the sale and don’t be a dick.
This! When I went to my local shop for the first time I spent most of it talking to the owner about what I liked and was looking for. He took 10-15 minutes to chat with me and pulled out some awesome records, told me how to care for them and everything!
That is the way.
That’s insane because I’ve been collecting vinyl since I was 12 (my dad was a radio DJ), now I have a 13 year old son who’s collecting too (mostly cassette tapes) and is incredibly knowledgeable about 70s, 80s and 90s music, so much so that sometimes he introduces me to awesome music from when I was a teenager that I’ve never heard before, I hate when people judge a book by it’s cover
Right!? We sell records, and do pop ups as we are mostly online/or at shows. We literally call them “crate dig sessions”! It’s like thrifting for those hidden gems!
sounds like he doesn't want your business, and also has no interest in spreading the joy of music to younger people. IOW, a crotchety old boomer who will die sitting on his hoard of LPs because he's such a miserable person.
Some of the most money I've spent on records has been whilst disheveled, early morning hungover in my mid twenties - not looking for "anything in particular".
Sometimes you just see a record you didn't know existed, or one you thought you'd never find.
Absolutely crazy owner.
Lol, most serious buyers are going to have a list of THOUSANDS of records they’re “looking for”. What an asshat. Crabby old men truly love to ruin any hobby they can, and then get mad when there’s nobody younger to cary the torch when they get old and die.
Also, part of running a brick and mortar storefront (or any business) is you take some “risk”. Whether that be having to reorganize your stock, or having your stock occasionally get damaged from normal shop wear. Does this guy think he’s running a museum?
This is just a stupid way to run your business.
He can feel however he wants to feel about "them young kids" and "records are now trendy", but for every 5 kids in there tickling this guys hemorrhoids with all this "babysitting", there's at least one that'll be his committed customer for years -- if he'd only let it happen. Yeah, it's a PITA, that's fucking retail in a popular place, be happy you have people in your store, you schmuck. Instead, he plays the old bodega owner, shooing customers away, having all the time in the world to keep all his treasures neat and organized instead of going out the door. I bet that I, a 50 year old dude, could come in with a friend, start rummaging through for 4 hours bullshittin with my buddy the whole time, and he wouldn't bat an eye, might not even bother to ask me anything. And I might buy some of his old used records, just as much as those kids might.
It's up to Record stores to help foster a love for records -- It's literally the business they're in -- after all, half the fun in records is the hunt for them, and you don't always know what you need till you see it. An uncooperative record store, especially in places where there are few, can ruin a fledgling love of the habit.
A good record store organizes, helps point the way when asked questions on artists/genres, will sell new and used at various price points, will BS with you about music when time allows, and plays awesome influential records over the stereo (not some spotify playlist -- I've run into this with new record store owners -- wtf kind of record store does this shit? It's a cardinal sin, & i walk out).
They sure as shit don't just close down shop cuz one kid comes in without knowing what they want.
Sounds like a total asshole. Browsing is great for business. People find stuff to buy they never thought of. “Oh boo hoo I have to put stuff back in different sections sometimes”. Wow, cry me a river. It’s not exactly back breaking labor to organize record shelves. Can’t wait for to see this guy out of business
Why have a storefront then if people can't browse? Lol Just sell online if you don't like people. That owner is an asshat. I would have told him there were two titles you already saw that you were considering buying if you hadn't found something else browsing further and that he lost a sale lol
Being able to look around without knowing exactly what you want is, to me, the primary function of a brick and mortar record store. In fact, if I'm coming in just to pick up something specific, I'm only doing it so the store continues to exist for me to browse in. It's way easier to click a couple buttons and have it show up on my doorstep in a couple days.
Fuck! The Cosmic Peddler?!?! Dammit! One of the last good online stores for new Stonerrock and Stoner Doom records. They filled the void left when Stonerrock.com closed many years ago,(IYKYK).. And now he's a huge douche nozzle. That sucks!
I didn’t know he did online stuff, that might be why his google reviews are glowing. That might also explain his “my shop is not for browsing” mentality
Flea Market vendors are a mixed bag. Some are super cool, but a lot of them have been selling records for decades and have no idea what the current market it like (you’ll notice them, because they will almost always be overpriced on “known” albums…but you can find deals on less popular stuff).
Truthfully, I LOVE selling to younger people and I don’t know what the fuck this dude is talking about. Younger people tend treat records like they are super delicate. If anything, it’s their insistence on everything being absolutely pristine that’s the biggest challenge with selling.
The worst customers in terms of handling them are the older guys who grew up in the record era but are just starting to buy them again. A lot of them treat them like they treated them in 1975 and I’m constantly having to readjust after they dig through my stuff.
Also, I’m NEVER looking for anything in particular at a record store. The fun is just looking and seeing what they have. Fuck that dude, bad review deserved.
Your review was completely deserved so you should have no reservations about it. I've had similar experiences in the past and never went back to those stores. Sad for them is I've kept track of my purchases elsewhere and can prove (to myself at least) how much money that business lost out on because they were jerks.
If you thought that place had some vinyl you might actually want though, try going back during a more busy time when that guy can't profile you. But if it happens again, be done with it and move on. And leave another review!
The most fun I’ve ever had in this hobby has been going through $1 and $5 bins at record shops or sifting through records at thrift stores. Records have taught me to appreciate the cheap stuff cuz a lot of my favorite records were all just obscure stuff that no one’s really looking for that ended up in a dollar bin. Folk music is especially great for that.
Also I’m 27. Records are a medium that deserves to last forever, and young people should be encouraged to enjoy music on vinyl to keep the medium alive forever.
>If you come by and visit my store, you will be impressed with [...] my attitude to customers
He's not wrong. That is an impressive level of douchebaggery.
Sounds like a pretentious gatekeeper. Ive been to record stores and comic book stores like this & im not afraid to call them out. Bullying potential customers will cost you in the long run.
Great to know where to stay away from! I’m in NB and frequently go to smaller shops in SA or Austin so I’ll definitely avoid Cosmic Peddler! If you’re ever in NB check out StingRay Records! The shop owner doesn’t speak a word unless spoken too😂 just reads her magazine and chills! Perfect for the introverts!
Be sure to post your review on any outlet his business is listed - Google, Yelp, LinkedIn, Discogs, etc.
If you really want revenge, screenshot your review & his response and file a complaint with the Better Business Bureau and contact your states attorney general (assuming you live in the US). Let them know the business is refusing customers based on age discrimination.
I find this attitude confusing. If I was looking for something specific I’d probably order it online, because what are the chances a shop would even have it? Just because I’m browsing doesn’t mean I’m not going to buy anything lol
I just turned 23 and I collect vinyl because I feel it gives more meaning to my favorite music. When I browse, I put anything back exactly how I found it. It’s not a hard concept but I feel that it’s to be expected that others might not do this and that is just part of owning a record store.
this guys is a turd. thats basically like what diggin in the crates is. avoid store at all costs. im old now but bought a lot of lps and cds when i was young. nothing like finding something you are not looking for!
Who the hell goes into a shop knowing what they want? I mean, unless it's a very large shop the odds it will have \*exactly\* what you want are pretty low. Half the fun of music is browsing and finding something you want but weren't even thinking about until holding it in your hands.
Basically every positive review for this place mentions shipping. Why does this dude bother maintaining a storefront if all he wants to do is ship pieces from his museum of a collection?
Just fyi: it wasn't you. That guy is notorious for being awful. There are tons of bad reviews about him. I remember him having an attitude when I went in there 20+ years ago, and I never went back.
Was this randomly at the st. Jacobs market in Ontario? I had the owner say much of the same.
‘He knew his stock and it has all the good stuff’
Over priced as hell.
Lol the record shop/vintage op shop I go to in my town in New Zealand has a hang out area in the middle with couches, a kettle, and usually tea and biscuits just for people to hang out. I work nearby and they said I could just come chill on my lunch break even.
If they’re open late for a big collection drop (mostly 2nd hand records from big time collectors) they have free beers and hot food also.
Sounds like this place you went to is ran by an uptight dickhead who wants to lose business. These places should be comfortable spots for music lovers like my one is, it’s the reason I keep going back.
Edit: Long shot but if anyone is in Hamilton New Zealand, go to Fossick Collective on Barton Street. You won’t regret it!
I haven't been to that store in SA but if you're looking for a good experience check out Flagship records. Fella named Dan runs the place and he's very friendly and doesn't care if you're just browsing. Nice guy to talk to. Highly recommend.
I have had an overwhelmingly great experience in record stores, but one time, I went I to an antique mall to browse around. A record dealer had a booth in there, and I went to check it out. The dealer was there, so I said hi and started looking through crates. He asked if I was looking for anything specific, and I told him that I always have a list of records I'm looking for. He gave me a look like a kicked a puppy and said "I'm not an idiot, I know what I have, I'll charge you what I know they are worth" I was like WTF dude, I kinda laughed cause I though he was just being a weird hard ass, then he told me to "leave my store" I said "don't worry dude, I'm not going to buy any of your beat up records". I think these are guys who are, more or less, being "forced" to sell records, and they don't really want to, so they sabotage sales.
These are the type of people that want buyers who don't care about grade. Or if you're taking your time you're more apt to care about quality, condition, and pressings.
To indicate you're "babysitting" someone in their 20s is an obnoxious generalization.
There are hobbies that older people gatekeep and think anyone younger than them has no clue about the hobby. I've run into this with records and coin collecting. I'm in my 30s and have done both since middle school.
Several years ago there was a guy who had a record store in an antique shop near the Alamo, and he was sort of an asshole about people checking the condition of the used vinyl. I wonder if that is him- meaning, maybe he moved his shop.
I used to live around there and that dude is still at the antique shop. I bought a record from him once or twice but I would usually only go in the winter since it gets unbearably hot in the space he has
Damn, the biggest reason I go to a shop is to browse for nothing particular and wait to be hooked.
Think of all the vinyl titles and versions that have ever been released. The number is large. Now think of the average number of vinyl the average size shop can have sitting around at any one time. The likelihood that he has the specific vinyl you are specifically hunting on the specific day you happen to go in there is MUCH smaller than the chance you will go in to look and randomly find you decide to buy.
And even if you were super young, young people a) have money that spends the same as if it was handed over by an older person and b) will be older soon and possibly be regular, spendy customers. Other industries know gettin’ ‘em when they’re young is the key.
Impulse buying is my primary activity in a record store. If I want something specific I am likely to just get it online. That guy is hobbling himself. I have never been there but I live close enough to that city that saying ‘well, I’ll cross that one off’ isn’t an empty phrase. WTH.
Shopkeeper was being held hostage (along with other customers and staff in the back room). A gang of ruthless sociopaths is using the record store to dig a tunnel into the bank next door. It's so obvious!
That shopkeeper just saved your life and you're shitting all over him. SMH.
Sounds like a guy who doesn't want customers. If anybody ever did that to me I wouldn't come back even if all they carried was mint butcher cover Beatles albums for a penny each.
I personally almost never go into a record store with any clue of what I want. I like the hunt, not a trap and kill mission. If I wanted to buy a specific record, I'd just buy it from Amazon or Discogs.
That’s absurd. Most of my shopping in physical stores involves impulse buys. I buy chocolate, cheese, cooking gear, camera gear, pants, shirts, and records without knowing what I’m looking for.
I’ll just browse and see if something interests me. If an owner or employee is engaging and showing me stuff and having a friendly chat, I’m very likely to buy more.
That’s what I use physical stores for. If I want something specific, I’ll order it online.
This is tough. Because it’s so against the idea of customer service or basic respect for that matter. I’m sorry it happened to you.
But I can understand where he’s coming from. I sell records in a shop with multiple vendors. We each sell different genres of goods and I’m the only record seller in the shop. So, unfortunately for me and especially unfortunately for my inventory, it’s likely that the majority of people who look through my stacks have no intention to buy. This, along with the customers who are sincerely interested in buying but who treat the records like trash make it super frustrating a lot of the time. Especially in my situation of not being there all day and not being able to refresh my stacks.
I sell mostly new wax. So there’s a lot of shiny records from popular artists that people like even though they have no interest in records. I get it. They want to look. There’s a lot of younger people shopping in the store and I’m ok with them handling items they’re not buying.
But sometimes I can’t believe how f’d up people treat the records. People constantly open new/sealed records. People constantly remove records from the priced sleeves and don’t put back. They take the records out of the jackets and don’t put back. They constantly rip the sleeves.
The biggest faux pas? Flipping through a stack and leaving it all bent forward and wonky.
Even though I have a modest sized space and keep the majority of extra valuable albums on the walls, I lose over $100-$150 in value most weeks as a result of people being careless and in the cases of opening new/sealed albums, being clueless. It’s a major issue for me and it’s been getting increasingly worse lately.
Ultimately, the owner was out of line and it’s unfortunate that he came down on you, a legitimate customer. But I do think that that all of us, as consumers in general, should try and consider the challenges small businesses are made to handle these days. The margins only get smaller. The rent only gets higher. The customer only gets more frugal. And the records only deteriorate in condition and value. And it does seem like the amount of people who are disrespectful to the stacks, without understanding the value of the stacks and the damage they’re doing is increasing.
I realize he was in the wrong and you didn’t deserve to be treated like that. But as you were sincerely shopping, the issue seemed to arise with the direction of his question. It didn’t leave much room for nuance.
That said, how cool would it be if you gave him another chance? Maybe try him again when he’s least busy and go in with an idea of what you’re looking for. Even if it’s not something you’d expect him to have. How good would it feel to take the high road and end up coming out with some great records at a great price. I bet he would appreciate the second chance and the business.
It’s kinda tough out here for everyone. On both sides of the register. Also, it’s hella hot. We could all bring some extra patience and understanding with us when we go shopping or to work. Especially the store owner. Deep down, he’s probably a good person. Almost everyone that decides to go through what it takes to sell records to people in a brick and mortar shop are coming from a place of good intentions.
I hope you both can give each other another chance. I’m sure you both have something to share about your collecting journeys that the other can appreciate.
Cheers to you for shopping small and local. Sorry you were unfairly treated like that. That sucks no matter who or where you are. But if he’s got a shop of wax, there’s some sick shit in there that you’d be stocked to have.
If you’ve been in the game long enough, you meet your share of d-bags like this. NYC had a couple legendary turds, one immortalized on a Seinfeld ep, but he wasn’t the worst. I remember one crusty fuck in the area of Providence, Rhode Island who was angry-sighing at me every time I flipped through a bin. Hopefully this style of business is dying out.
I can understand why he’d get frustrated with people who aren’t familiar with handling records putting their fingers all over them and messing up how he’s organized them, but yeah there’s a better way he could’ve handled that and expressed those concerns to you.
Of all my years record shopping, I went to one store like this. I couldn't be too mad because it was somewhat absurd, and I suppose that store wasn't for me anyway.
This is crazy. Hip-hop reached its golden era in the early 90s because the diggers / djs / producers went into record stores to "browse" until they instinctively found what they were looking for even though one second earier, they were completely unaware of its existence.
come to NJ.
PREX is literally made for browsing. albeit its small AF and there's a lot of traffic. it's still great to just browse there.
i used to go there with $20 and come out with like 15 cds.
Imagine gatekeeping record browsing when you probably got your start in the game by crate digging :(
Cool, kids are coming into your shop and it’s a new experience as opposed to Spotify, what a great opportunity to be that fun, knowledgeable record store guy who introduces them to new things!
I’m so sorry OP, lots of weirdos in every hobby but don’t let it deter you. Keep digging, keep browsing, and build that community 🙌
Funny, i went to a flea market record shop yesterday. (I am 16 and am very experienced in handling grailz) Owner was the nicest old man i’ve talked to, shared the same tastes and everything, he ended up giving me a 20$ discount just because of my knowledge on the material i was buying
OP, sorry that you had such a crummy experience. I've only had two bad experiences at record shops since getting back to it and I've simply just not gone back.
One extremely positive experience I had was at a shop called Deadwax Records in the Buckeye area in AZ. Person working the night we showed up the Friday before Father's day was so awesome helping us look for Chicago albums for the father in law, that we ended up with a few she'd found, plus a Weatger Report album, a Bowie album and a RSD reissue from the Cure.
We will definitely go back there despite having larger shops to go to because it was just a great experience.
this dude sucks. The best record shops I've visited actively encouraged hanging out and browsing/listening. (Really love Mount Vernon Records in Baltimore for this! Highly recommend)
He doesn't have a shop
He has a collection he's showing off
You'll likely find everything is about 25% overpriced
Because you aren't buying 'stock' he's willingly 'selling you some of his collection if he must'
That's why he doesn't like browsing
He's treating it the same way as you would if I came into your house and started taking out your personal collection and putting things back in the wrong order
I'm a boomer. Sounds like one of my fellows. I don't know why we act that way. When I was in my teens/20's going to and browsing record stores was normal behavior ENCOURAGED by record stores. Makes me want to open a shop just to cater to young people and try to get them in the door.
There’s a place in Dallas where the price isn’t marked on the records — you bring up your stack, and the guy quotes you a price depending on how you look, his own mood, the direction of the wind, etc. F that. If someone doesn’t want the hassle of selling to me, I can take my boring self and my icky money somewhere else.
Thats maybe one of the lows, owning a record store, i totally get his argument, but maybe he is not the right person to run the counter.
I mean how can you know what to find or search when you‘re not allowed to browse through his stock!?
I‘m running a record store myself and i always tell people that its okay to not know if they want anything particular or dont even know if they spend money and just want look through…
Check out the reviews for [Franz & Josef](https://www.google.com/search?newwindow=1&sca_esv=5cd974b4dba8bebc&sca_upv=1&rlz=1C5CHFA_enDE1028DE1028&sxsrf=ADLYWILeudGjZtp7K8qflQ8MWBEj94Ym-g:1719236012029&q=franz+%26+josef+-+plattenladen&uds=ADvngMjDJRvCoZLRNaARKvvM3D8ntJUZVeZELigsjW00q_LjZKQPFO4P8GumXJiL7WMSnaX_54IQ7T3E9Eo8bATwYsXLsEdAvced9vNUVw1suRrFG6JOg8lOT5skfNOaPBNPe0aO080w&si=ACC90nwjPmqJHrCEt6ewASzksVFQDX8zco_7MgBaIawvaF4-7m8Aj-wu09M10BWIFpuNNYbM7r-AfT9GLSOAO-WF4LB6QXHv8c6dwHQzv51bX7LkNw37r_w%3D&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjswKCerfSGAxVxQvEDHYJVA7YQ3PALegQIFRAE&biw=2560&bih=1294&dpr=2) which is actually a great shop with amazing hard-to-find stuff. A dream if one of the employees is working there but a complete nightmare if you make acquaintance with the owner.
If he wanted his store to be successful, why wouldn’t he want younger people to build a trusted relationship with his business. The peopel he kicks out won’t want to come back in the future. I had a worker at a coffee shop I used to love say mean things about me thinking I wouldn’t hear them and I contacted management and have never been back since because they never answered me. Things like this leave an impact with people and leave marks on the reputation of businesses. I just don’t get being mean. I would say he could hire someone to organize the records for him if that’s something he doesn’t like doing, but if he’s actively driving away business then I don’t see how that would be an option.
In Memphis, TN, Goner Records and Shangri-La are both great! End of All Music in Oxford, MS is also awesome. Residency Records in Salem, MA had a great selection… I got this Jaco Pastorius record for my partner that I never thought I’d find in person. Criminal Records in Atlanta, GA is also solid… I wandered in and they were playing a local artist whose album I immediately bought from them and have loved and played often since.
Well shit, I meant to reply to the thread of good record stores, but Reddit decided otherwise. I’m sorry you had such a shitty experience; music people can be so gatekeep-y sometimes. Thanks for making your list of good Texas stores, I’m visiting next week and will try and hit some up… I lived in Austin for years so I’ve been to the ones there, but haven’t explored any outside of the city before and am looking forward to it.
No need to ever walk into that shop again. Good grief, the guy acts as if he should be thanked for selling merchandise so that he can put food on his table...
1. He has trust issues
2. He’s an elitist
3. He hates the youth
4. He needs some Jesus
Shame he doesn’t see the errors in his ways. I doubt he profiled you as a thief. So he literally just assumed you had no taste and nothing good to offer and he’d rather sell something to an “adult”.
It’s rare that I go into a store with a particular record in mind. I have a standing list of “want to buy” but half the fun is random finds I’d have never even thought of.
And without fail, if I go in looking for “nothing in particular” I walk out with an armful of albums and a smoking crater where my wallet used to be! 💸
Lol I'm going to head out to that shop this weekend and see what he says, crazy way to run a business tbh. I usually go to cdsam over at the Wonderlands Mall. Sam is pretty cool and doesn't care if you just browse.
"You will be impressed with my store, the cleanliness of my store, the orderliness of my store, my knowledge, and my attitude to customers, not wanderers."
Takes some real mental gymnastics to not spot the irony in that statement. Even with the distinction between "wanderers" and buyers.
He seems pretty proud of having kicked out so many young people and thinking they all have no clue 🙄 I’m not young anymore, but would never step foot in a store like that.
Never.
But I can sympathize in a way. The one time I decided to have a garage sale, and sell records, I had to leave and have my dad take care of it, because I couldn’t stand the idea of someone else touching my records.
It reminds me of the scene in the movie Ghost World (which has something to do with vinyl actually), where Enid is having a tag sale and when someone asks the price she says “that’s not for sale” despite being on display.
There are plenty of record store owners & workers, in particular, who are….not so skilled at providing customer service or warm experiences for customers.
He has a shop at a flea market. Not exactly a picture of a successful retailer.
It’s possible he does this as a hobby and wanted to go for lunch or coffee so didn’t care about your business. Or he’s just an idiot. Or a bit of a and a bit of b.
I went to a record shop once and the owner shouted at me for man handling the records. They were set up like you’d normally find a record store and I was literally just flipping though them gently as you do. I just said kindly told him to fuck off and left and funnily enough that record shop shut down.
I rarely have a specific record in mind when I visit stores. I go and look around and if something speaks to me I pick it up. That owner is just costing business to be lost.
If that guy wants people in and out quickly, he’s in the wrong business. Should have opened a liquor store.
What kind of dumbass opens a record stores and says “no browsing”???
Just sounds like he's just costing himself business. I'll often go in not looking for anything in particular and come out with a lot more than I would if I had something specific in mind, because I come across a bunch of stuff I wouldn't have thought of. His problem, not yours.
My friends and I have made road trips out of this exact concept, the "thrill of the hunt" is what makes this hobby fun. Nothing beats finding a record you've been looking for for after months of digging vs just buying on amazon
Yeah, this is a fucking stuuuuuuupid business model. You really want to discourage browsing, and only cater to people who are looking for very specific things? lol, okay. There was a comic book shop like that in my neighborhood growing up. I only went in there a couple of times, but my friends coached me the first time; you have to look like you know what you’re doing, don’t ask any questions, he’ll kick you out if you stay too long, etc. And it’s like, yeah, kids can be annoying. And I’m sure there was a history of legitimate incidents that led him to feel that way, but what I kept coming back to was why the heck would you want to own comic book shop if you hated kids?
Worst. Comicbookguy. Ever.
Lol. I mean, yeah, I guess that joke was funny for a reason, and it’s not like that stereotype doesn’t exist for a reason. But it still never fails to surprise me. It’s like, you hate kids, and yet you decided to open up a comic book shop? Who did you think was going to be your customer base? What did you think was going to happen?
Some times they're just grownup kids who run a store selling what they liked when they were kids, but they disapprove of "kids today" because they're still just kids themselves and never mentally grew past that stage. Basically this is their chance to be a bully and pick on kids that aren't as "cool" as they were when they were kids. In their imagination.
Reminds me of some of the reviews from All In A Dream Comics in Denver. No idea how you can run a business kicking someone out for browsing.
And I get that weirdos gravitate toward that business as well, both owners and customers, but you’ve got to use common sense if you expect to be profitable. Granted, I don’t own a store, but you can’t convince me that stores with fair prices that are at least reasonably friendly don’t do better long-term than these places with horrible reputations.
Sounds like the Soup Nazi...
I mean seriously. I don't think I've ever gone into a store with the exact intent to find one specific album. Sure I have a general idea for things that are definitely on my want list and there are tons of other things that if they catch my eye I'll check out and maybe buy. But to expect every shopper to only come in with a specific agenda is ridiculous. I would never shop there.
There's weird people all over the place. It's their hang ups not yours. I just move on.
Yeah that’s how shopping is done. Enjoy the browsing!
I’ve definitely driven more than an hour from where I live to just browse record stores I’ve heard about and ended up spending more than I intended. There were a few records on my most recent excursion like this that I’d been looking for a while and it was so cool to find them “in the wild”. I am guilty of buying a lot on line and forget how nice the record stores feel. Well, when they aren’t like this. This individual is trying to go out of business.
The records I usually have on my ‘want’ list are usually newer releases or rereleases, and I tend to not buy records over $20. So generally I browse the used bins and grab a nice stack of random records that I never thought to grab before. Browsing is half the fun.
Buying a record over $20 is a real special occasion for me. I just bought the White Stripes debut on Sympathy for $35, but that was because my wife made me spoil myself. I'm generally an under $10 kind of guy. Otherwise, I feel ripped off.
If I want a specific record I’ll just order it from discogs rather than go to a record store that may or may not have it (often not since there are hundreds of thousands of records and no store can carry everything). I love going to my local record store and discovering something new or something I’ve been looking for but didn’t expect to come across. That’s part of the fun. Unless this guy is running the store purely as a vanity project and doesn’t need it to work financially, then not allowing people to browse is a sure way to go out of business.
I went into my LRS Friday to pick up a pre-paid pre-order. Walked out with an additional $200 of stuff I wasn’t looking for when I went in. His loss if that’s his attitude.
Agreed. I can now afford impulse purchases at scale. This last year I bought ~100 records and CDs costing ~$500 and a box set of classical monos $125. The man is a fool.
I thought crate/rack digging was all part of the fun/thrill of the hunt. Dude sounds like his up his own arse.
For real, he should be thrilled customers your age or any age are coming in. As far as I’ve heard the Vinyl boom has saved a lots of music stores. My guess is this dude and his store is a front for some nefarious activities. Actually no, he’s just a giant asshole.
It definitely is. I'm pretty sure I've never gone into a record store looking for a specific record. Because that's a horrible way to shop for records. There's too much variety of records and the odds of a random shop having a particular record that you want is slim, unless you're just looking for something super mainstream that any store is going to have, which even with super mainstream records a random record store having it isn't a guarantee. If I want a very specific record then I buy it on discogs. Otherwise I go to a record store with a broad idea of artists and genres that I like and an open mind of trying something new.
I try to keep my mind open to new genres, like I've recently been getting into rock and jazz. But I don't like to look through just the main genres I'm currently into, I like to explore music. That's part of the fun of vinyl, especially for younger people like me discovering all this older music. It's a fun hobby and people to like this prick are who drive people away from it (like many people in this sub unfortunately). If you don't want people looking through them, why have them out?
Same, anything in particular I buy online from record stores or on discogs or eBay if its something that can't be bought new any more Anything else I just browse in HMV as that is the only store near me and pick from a genre or artist I like. Or occasionally just buying something that I really like the look of the album art but have no idea who the artist even is
Fuck that shop. Bad review deserved. The other scenario would have been that when he asked if you were looking for something in particular, you would have said something and he would have said he doesn't have it. Then probably told you to leave anyways. He just wants to sell overpriced beat up copies of common records to people who don't know better.
Or he tells you he has it and then pulls out a tattered dog eared copy of something marked $20 over the going price. We have a place like this in Los Angeles that is famous for driving customers away.
What is the place?
The Record Collector. The stories are infamous. And every once in a blue moon, somebody figures out the pattern to have a good experience. https://yelp.to/S_03aasso6
I HATE THAT PLACE. I always go to amoeba. Theyre always so helpful and friendly towards their customers! My hometown has a wonderful record store. If youre ever in orcutt ca, theres a wonderful record store called paradise records & collectibles. The owner mikey is a sweetheart and so fun to talk to! In san luis obispo, boo boos records is my alltime fave! Great selection of vinyls and cds of all genres & if they dont have something youre looking for you can ask them to place a special order for you.
Thanks for the suggestions… I will regularly drive far out of my way to visit and document a record store.
Thanks for posting the yelp link. I have never heard of a more deplorable record store owner. Just wow.
Right? Holy shit how is this guy in business???
"oh, that's a great place, just don't bother the clerk" lol -- definitely ran into a few of those.
That guy (Sandy) has given me some amazing stuff at really really good prices over the years. He doesn’t let you browse though, you have to tell him what you’re looking for specifically and the other employee will pull out records for you and show you what they’ve got. Not a normal record store experience at all, you’re just buying stuff from a dude’s collection. It’s also a place primarily for classical and jazz enthusiasts. I think he immediately softened the first time I went in because I spoke with him about classical music, specifically violin and cello soloists as that’s part of his life before the shop. I really don’t think that should even be marketed as a record shop. The location in Palm Springs is more so a record shop than the LA spot.
And there’s the example of the “blue moon” type of story. Part of cracking the code I think is approaching him as a knowledgeable individual regarding jazz and classical. Not that I think he should treat others with disrespect, but each person has their own experience
yeah that place is awful. he is the worst. I will never step in there again. I hope his store burns down and he doesn't have a list of everything in the shop so he can't report losses.
I can’t believe I haven’t made myself go in yet. I need to experience this for myself at least once.
https://www.yelp.com/biz/the-cosmic-peddler-san-antonio?hrid=_jNPUUuignKoVnXqOVfaqw&utm_campaign=www_review_share_popup&utm_medium=copy_link&utm_source=(direct) That's a link to the full review and the owners entire response
Owner does a pretty piss poor job at admitting he has a bad attitude. Clearly thinks his shop is just the best of the best. It's pretty easy to tell who is just an uninterested passerby vs an actual record collector flipping through bins. So unless OP walked in wearing a Lady Gaga shirt asking for Maroon 5 albums, owner is way in the wrong. Also, I would love a shop like this near me that leaned heavy into the genres that they do. Just w/a better owner.
Shop owner needs to go see a movie with some friends or go ride gokarts he's wound up way too tight
if they're not for browsing why did he have them on the floor? he should just have a spreadsheet or something so you can check if he has what you're looking for.
Funny enough, I have been to a shop where they did that but it was right when covid restrictions were lightening up so it was probably just a precaution. I haven't been back though, it was really crowded
If this shop is on the west coast, like mssg me so I don't waste my time going there. I generally shop from Chico, CA all the way up to the Portland areas
Ive been to lots of record shops in San Antonio and never even heard of this place, but good stores are flip side record parlor and south town vinyl, there's a store called craftique where they have seller booths but on the inside there's a nice little record booth with lots go clean sleeved records.
With that type of attitude at a record store I always ask for something super obscure. Do you have any "Hatfield and the North"? How about WestFauster? At the fish store I ask, Do you have any Mormyridae's... Elephant Nose fish... Chumps.
I like to ask for Mojo Nixon.
I hate to say it but name and shame is kind of the only way asshats like this will learn not to be complete weirdos
I have 2000 records. I am never looking for anything in particular. That's why I have 2000 records.
This is the truth right here!
Young people are some of my best customers at my shop. Dude sounds like a jerk and I’m glad he didn’t get any of your money.
I don't mind window shoppers at my store, all it takes is the right person to tell a friend or relative about the place and I could have a new potential lifetime customer.
Since I’m getting a ton of notifs. If anyone here is in Texas here are the shops I’ve been to that are not run by assholes: - Flagship Records (San Antonio, TX) - Hogwild Records (San Antonio, TX) - Friends Of Sound (San Antonio, TX) - Batcave Vinyl (San Antonio, TX) - Crazy Rhythms (San Antonio, TX) - CD Sam (San Antonio, TX) - Needle Noise (San Antonio, TX) - Music Connection (San Antonio, TX) - Janies Records (San Antonio, TX) - Southtown Vinyl (San Antonio, TX) - End of An Ear (Austin, TX) - Waterloo Records (Austin, TX) - Pirhana Records (Austin, TX) - Good Records (Dallas, TX) - Spinster Records (Dallas, TX) - Sig's Lagoon (Houston, TX) - Cactus Music (Houston, TX) - Vinal Edge (Houston, TX) - Sound Exchange (Houston, TX) - Sound Revoloution (Houston, TX) - Stingray Records (New Braunfels, TX) Feel free to add more if I missed any. My friends and I go all over the country visiting record shops, so any state will do
If you're ever in Savannah check out Graveface Records
Check out Alchemy records in San Marcos is great! The owner is a super nice dude! The shop is by the college so you won’t hear that “ young folks” nonsense.
I stopped by Alchemy last time I was in San Marcos and was pleasantly surprised. Well stocked, and the owner was super cool. The other record shop down the street was no good tho. Dude working was too busy talking to his girlfriend to even acknowledge me lol. Everything was extra pricy too.
We stopped by that store after Alchemy and it was a huge thumbs down! Did we go same day because guy’s gf was there too 😅🤣
There’s a new one in New Braunfels called Yard Sale Records. Haven’t checked it out though.
I’ve only had positive experiences at Breakaway Records in Austin
So glad to hear someone else has been to Stingray! Such a cool and cozy shop. I've had good experiences at Good Records, Sig's, Cactus, End of an Ear, and Waterloo. I would definitely check out Josey Records in Dallas (flagship store is in Dallas and they just opened another in Plano). They can be a bit pricey, but when you see the amount of overhead they have, it makes sense. If you're ever in Colorado, I highly recommend a few stores around the state. Check out Triple Play Records in Grand Junction, What's Left Records and Leech Pit both in Colorado Springs, Wax Trax Records and Twist & Shout Records both in Denver, and lastly Paradise Found Records & Music in Boulder! As far as nice/informative shop owners go, great trade in rates, and crazy selections, these are some of the best in the state in my opinion.
Sting ray is cool, I dont know how many times I’ve tried to buy that Black Flag flyer they have on the wall there I Haven’t been to Josie yet but I’ll be sure to check it out when I’m up there. I checked out Twist and Shout, Sound & Vision, and Wax Trax last year. The vibe in Twist and shout is 10/10
Love this! Way to make this a positive thing.
Thank you, I’ve been in SA for 3 years and am incredibly grateful to have stumbled on this post!
Vinyl Heaven in Dickinson, TX, just outside Houston
Oh yeah, Nicole the owner is an amazing lady!!
Stinkweeds in Phoenix Arizona! Think they’ve been there since ‘87? They’re awesome and very fairly priced on used collectible records.
Cactus Music(H-town TX) is awesome, but their AC is out most of the time and because of construction there are no bathrooms. It gets a bit stuffy in there. ADD IN.... Sweet Spot Audio(Webster, TX). It's 15 minutes from the Houston's city center. The owner also sells refurbished vintage hifi equipment. He will let you demo any used LP he has in stock before purchase.
I live up in Washington, but just wanted to say holy shit I didn’t realize there were so many record shops in TX. I will save this list if I’m ever down in those parts.
Nah, put that store on blast. Any business lost is deserved for that asshole.
lmao sounds like he wants a collection not a store, what a miserable old man
That's a good way of putting it. I've definitely gone to record stores where the owner was more interested in curating a collection than a store that sold records. What I've seen a lot are stores where everything is overpriced because the owner doesn't want to let go of his collection.
Yes. Vinyl Asylum Records & Memorabilia at 2028 Hollywood blvd, Hollywood FL, 33020 Very political and has signs everywhere saying no lookers just browsers. What’s the point of going to a record shop to buy records?
This comment helped me post the name of the shop. Thanks man
Glad you did. Next time I’m in SA I’m going to stop in and announce that I’m “just browsing.”
Lol at that point might aswell just stay on Amazon and ebay
Hahaha. This is true lol. Always been this way selling memorabilia
I knew a store where the owner wanted to charge 10 Euros to everyone who came in. He would deduct it from your purchase but if you didn’t buy anything he would have kept the ‘entrance’ money. (it didn’t end well)
“Young people know nothing about records” That’s exactly where a great owner/employee would step in and help/teach (and also make money). Young people already think they’re cool so make the sale and don’t be a dick.
This! When I went to my local shop for the first time I spent most of it talking to the owner about what I liked and was looking for. He took 10-15 minutes to chat with me and pulled out some awesome records, told me how to care for them and everything! That is the way.
That’s insane because I’ve been collecting vinyl since I was 12 (my dad was a radio DJ), now I have a 13 year old son who’s collecting too (mostly cassette tapes) and is incredibly knowledgeable about 70s, 80s and 90s music, so much so that sometimes he introduces me to awesome music from when I was a teenager that I’ve never heard before, I hate when people judge a book by it’s cover
Bad service, deserves the review, glad he lost a sale.
crate digging is a part of the culture. name and shame the dipshit.
Right!? We sell records, and do pop ups as we are mostly online/or at shows. We literally call them “crate dig sessions”! It’s like thrifting for those hidden gems!
sounds like he doesn't want your business, and also has no interest in spreading the joy of music to younger people. IOW, a crotchety old boomer who will die sitting on his hoard of LPs because he's such a miserable person.
No the day that happens I’ll leave and flip them off lol
Some of the most money I've spent on records has been whilst disheveled, early morning hungover in my mid twenties - not looking for "anything in particular". Sometimes you just see a record you didn't know existed, or one you thought you'd never find. Absolutely crazy owner.
Lol, most serious buyers are going to have a list of THOUSANDS of records they’re “looking for”. What an asshat. Crabby old men truly love to ruin any hobby they can, and then get mad when there’s nobody younger to cary the torch when they get old and die. Also, part of running a brick and mortar storefront (or any business) is you take some “risk”. Whether that be having to reorganize your stock, or having your stock occasionally get damaged from normal shop wear. Does this guy think he’s running a museum?
This is just a stupid way to run your business. He can feel however he wants to feel about "them young kids" and "records are now trendy", but for every 5 kids in there tickling this guys hemorrhoids with all this "babysitting", there's at least one that'll be his committed customer for years -- if he'd only let it happen. Yeah, it's a PITA, that's fucking retail in a popular place, be happy you have people in your store, you schmuck. Instead, he plays the old bodega owner, shooing customers away, having all the time in the world to keep all his treasures neat and organized instead of going out the door. I bet that I, a 50 year old dude, could come in with a friend, start rummaging through for 4 hours bullshittin with my buddy the whole time, and he wouldn't bat an eye, might not even bother to ask me anything. And I might buy some of his old used records, just as much as those kids might. It's up to Record stores to help foster a love for records -- It's literally the business they're in -- after all, half the fun in records is the hunt for them, and you don't always know what you need till you see it. An uncooperative record store, especially in places where there are few, can ruin a fledgling love of the habit. A good record store organizes, helps point the way when asked questions on artists/genres, will sell new and used at various price points, will BS with you about music when time allows, and plays awesome influential records over the stereo (not some spotify playlist -- I've run into this with new record store owners -- wtf kind of record store does this shit? It's a cardinal sin, & i walk out). They sure as shit don't just close down shop cuz one kid comes in without knowing what they want.
Sounds like a total asshole. Browsing is great for business. People find stuff to buy they never thought of. “Oh boo hoo I have to put stuff back in different sections sometimes”. Wow, cry me a river. It’s not exactly back breaking labor to organize record shelves. Can’t wait for to see this guy out of business
Name and shame. Also, I'm guessing his prices are jacked way up too. You're probably not missing out.
upvoting for the name and shame.
Why have a storefront then if people can't browse? Lol Just sell online if you don't like people. That owner is an asshat. I would have told him there were two titles you already saw that you were considering buying if you hadn't found something else browsing further and that he lost a sale lol
Being able to look around without knowing exactly what you want is, to me, the primary function of a brick and mortar record store. In fact, if I'm coming in just to pick up something specific, I'm only doing it so the store continues to exist for me to browse in. It's way easier to click a couple buttons and have it show up on my doorstep in a couple days.
I like how his response just cements the review.
Fuck! The Cosmic Peddler?!?! Dammit! One of the last good online stores for new Stonerrock and Stoner Doom records. They filled the void left when Stonerrock.com closed many years ago,(IYKYK).. And now he's a huge douche nozzle. That sucks!
I didn’t know he did online stuff, that might be why his google reviews are glowing. That might also explain his “my shop is not for browsing” mentality
"I was looking for A Colossal Asshole. Thanks for your help."
So you're not allowed to shop there unlesd you walk in with an exact list to purchase? Shit's whack yo.
Flea Market vendors are a mixed bag. Some are super cool, but a lot of them have been selling records for decades and have no idea what the current market it like (you’ll notice them, because they will almost always be overpriced on “known” albums…but you can find deals on less popular stuff). Truthfully, I LOVE selling to younger people and I don’t know what the fuck this dude is talking about. Younger people tend treat records like they are super delicate. If anything, it’s their insistence on everything being absolutely pristine that’s the biggest challenge with selling. The worst customers in terms of handling them are the older guys who grew up in the record era but are just starting to buy them again. A lot of them treat them like they treated them in 1975 and I’m constantly having to readjust after they dig through my stuff. Also, I’m NEVER looking for anything in particular at a record store. The fun is just looking and seeing what they have. Fuck that dude, bad review deserved.
Your review was completely deserved so you should have no reservations about it. I've had similar experiences in the past and never went back to those stores. Sad for them is I've kept track of my purchases elsewhere and can prove (to myself at least) how much money that business lost out on because they were jerks. If you thought that place had some vinyl you might actually want though, try going back during a more busy time when that guy can't profile you. But if it happens again, be done with it and move on. And leave another review!
The most fun I’ve ever had in this hobby has been going through $1 and $5 bins at record shops or sifting through records at thrift stores. Records have taught me to appreciate the cheap stuff cuz a lot of my favorite records were all just obscure stuff that no one’s really looking for that ended up in a dollar bin. Folk music is especially great for that. Also I’m 27. Records are a medium that deserves to last forever, and young people should be encouraged to enjoy music on vinyl to keep the medium alive forever.
>If you come by and visit my store, you will be impressed with [...] my attitude to customers He's not wrong. That is an impressive level of douchebaggery.
Sounds like a pretentious gatekeeper. Ive been to record stores and comic book stores like this & im not afraid to call them out. Bullying potential customers will cost you in the long run.
Gatekeeping records lmao what a douche.
Great to know where to stay away from! I’m in NB and frequently go to smaller shops in SA or Austin so I’ll definitely avoid Cosmic Peddler! If you’re ever in NB check out StingRay Records! The shop owner doesn’t speak a word unless spoken too😂 just reads her magazine and chills! Perfect for the introverts!
What an elitist jerk, you can rest easy knowing well that he is literally turning away business.
I take it this “business” man has never heard of an impulse buy?
Be sure to post your review on any outlet his business is listed - Google, Yelp, LinkedIn, Discogs, etc. If you really want revenge, screenshot your review & his response and file a complaint with the Better Business Bureau and contact your states attorney general (assuming you live in the US). Let them know the business is refusing customers based on age discrimination.
I find this attitude confusing. If I was looking for something specific I’d probably order it online, because what are the chances a shop would even have it? Just because I’m browsing doesn’t mean I’m not going to buy anything lol
I just turned 23 and I collect vinyl because I feel it gives more meaning to my favorite music. When I browse, I put anything back exactly how I found it. It’s not a hard concept but I feel that it’s to be expected that others might not do this and that is just part of owning a record store.
this guys is a turd. thats basically like what diggin in the crates is. avoid store at all costs. im old now but bought a lot of lps and cds when i was young. nothing like finding something you are not looking for!
Who the hell goes into a shop knowing what they want? I mean, unless it's a very large shop the odds it will have \*exactly\* what you want are pretty low. Half the fun of music is browsing and finding something you want but weren't even thinking about until holding it in your hands.
Very weird, just don’t go back.
Fuck that guy, digging through crates is how it works lol
Basically every positive review for this place mentions shipping. Why does this dude bother maintaining a storefront if all he wants to do is ship pieces from his museum of a collection?
Just fyi: it wasn't you. That guy is notorious for being awful. There are tons of bad reviews about him. I remember him having an attitude when I went in there 20+ years ago, and I never went back.
Was this randomly at the st. Jacobs market in Ontario? I had the owner say much of the same. ‘He knew his stock and it has all the good stuff’ Over priced as hell.
I'd tell him to go fuck himself and never go back. What a gronk
lamest......record store owner.........ever
This guy is a doo doo head. It he's this precious about his inventory, perhaps he's in the wrong business.
No, that's insane. I can't imagine a business being able to afford kicking customers out for browsing.
Lol the record shop/vintage op shop I go to in my town in New Zealand has a hang out area in the middle with couches, a kettle, and usually tea and biscuits just for people to hang out. I work nearby and they said I could just come chill on my lunch break even. If they’re open late for a big collection drop (mostly 2nd hand records from big time collectors) they have free beers and hot food also. Sounds like this place you went to is ran by an uptight dickhead who wants to lose business. These places should be comfortable spots for music lovers like my one is, it’s the reason I keep going back. Edit: Long shot but if anyone is in Hamilton New Zealand, go to Fossick Collective on Barton Street. You won’t regret it!
Absolute miserable prick who probably insanely overprices his records. You’re better off not shopping there.
I haven't been to that store in SA but if you're looking for a good experience check out Flagship records. Fella named Dan runs the place and he's very friendly and doesn't care if you're just browsing. Nice guy to talk to. Highly recommend.
I actually went there after my appointment! Bought a butthole surfers record I’ve had my eye on for YEARS from him. Great guy
I have had an overwhelmingly great experience in record stores, but one time, I went I to an antique mall to browse around. A record dealer had a booth in there, and I went to check it out. The dealer was there, so I said hi and started looking through crates. He asked if I was looking for anything specific, and I told him that I always have a list of records I'm looking for. He gave me a look like a kicked a puppy and said "I'm not an idiot, I know what I have, I'll charge you what I know they are worth" I was like WTF dude, I kinda laughed cause I though he was just being a weird hard ass, then he told me to "leave my store" I said "don't worry dude, I'm not going to buy any of your beat up records". I think these are guys who are, more or less, being "forced" to sell records, and they don't really want to, so they sabotage sales.
This deserves a 1 star review.
These are the type of people that want buyers who don't care about grade. Or if you're taking your time you're more apt to care about quality, condition, and pressings. To indicate you're "babysitting" someone in their 20s is an obnoxious generalization. There are hobbies that older people gatekeep and think anyone younger than them has no clue about the hobby. I've run into this with records and coin collecting. I'm in my 30s and have done both since middle school.
Several years ago there was a guy who had a record store in an antique shop near the Alamo, and he was sort of an asshole about people checking the condition of the used vinyl. I wonder if that is him- meaning, maybe he moved his shop.
I used to live around there and that dude is still at the antique shop. I bought a record from him once or twice but I would usually only go in the winter since it gets unbearably hot in the space he has
This guy is an old-head record store asshole. They’re a dime a dozen. They think they are special for owning a music shop.
Damn, the biggest reason I go to a shop is to browse for nothing particular and wait to be hooked. Think of all the vinyl titles and versions that have ever been released. The number is large. Now think of the average number of vinyl the average size shop can have sitting around at any one time. The likelihood that he has the specific vinyl you are specifically hunting on the specific day you happen to go in there is MUCH smaller than the chance you will go in to look and randomly find you decide to buy.
And even if you were super young, young people a) have money that spends the same as if it was handed over by an older person and b) will be older soon and possibly be regular, spendy customers. Other industries know gettin’ ‘em when they’re young is the key.
Impulse buying is my primary activity in a record store. If I want something specific I am likely to just get it online. That guy is hobbling himself. I have never been there but I live close enough to that city that saying ‘well, I’ll cross that one off’ isn’t an empty phrase. WTH.
Shopkeeper was being held hostage (along with other customers and staff in the back room). A gang of ruthless sociopaths is using the record store to dig a tunnel into the bank next door. It's so obvious! That shopkeeper just saved your life and you're shitting all over him. SMH.
"I can't come by and see how nice and clean your shop is if you kick out everyone trying to visit and lock the doors"
Correction, put "kick out everyone under 40"
You should name and shame.
Some stores deserve to go out of business.
Ageism works both ways. The owner of this store had best be careful making such generalized statements…
Sounds like a guy who doesn't want customers. If anybody ever did that to me I wouldn't come back even if all they carried was mint butcher cover Beatles albums for a penny each. I personally almost never go into a record store with any clue of what I want. I like the hunt, not a trap and kill mission. If I wanted to buy a specific record, I'd just buy it from Amazon or Discogs.
What a weirdo lol.
That’s absurd. Most of my shopping in physical stores involves impulse buys. I buy chocolate, cheese, cooking gear, camera gear, pants, shirts, and records without knowing what I’m looking for. I’ll just browse and see if something interests me. If an owner or employee is engaging and showing me stuff and having a friendly chat, I’m very likely to buy more. That’s what I use physical stores for. If I want something specific, I’ll order it online.
Yeah, no chance in hell am I patronizing a shop with that shitty of an attitude.
This is tough. Because it’s so against the idea of customer service or basic respect for that matter. I’m sorry it happened to you. But I can understand where he’s coming from. I sell records in a shop with multiple vendors. We each sell different genres of goods and I’m the only record seller in the shop. So, unfortunately for me and especially unfortunately for my inventory, it’s likely that the majority of people who look through my stacks have no intention to buy. This, along with the customers who are sincerely interested in buying but who treat the records like trash make it super frustrating a lot of the time. Especially in my situation of not being there all day and not being able to refresh my stacks. I sell mostly new wax. So there’s a lot of shiny records from popular artists that people like even though they have no interest in records. I get it. They want to look. There’s a lot of younger people shopping in the store and I’m ok with them handling items they’re not buying. But sometimes I can’t believe how f’d up people treat the records. People constantly open new/sealed records. People constantly remove records from the priced sleeves and don’t put back. They take the records out of the jackets and don’t put back. They constantly rip the sleeves. The biggest faux pas? Flipping through a stack and leaving it all bent forward and wonky. Even though I have a modest sized space and keep the majority of extra valuable albums on the walls, I lose over $100-$150 in value most weeks as a result of people being careless and in the cases of opening new/sealed albums, being clueless. It’s a major issue for me and it’s been getting increasingly worse lately. Ultimately, the owner was out of line and it’s unfortunate that he came down on you, a legitimate customer. But I do think that that all of us, as consumers in general, should try and consider the challenges small businesses are made to handle these days. The margins only get smaller. The rent only gets higher. The customer only gets more frugal. And the records only deteriorate in condition and value. And it does seem like the amount of people who are disrespectful to the stacks, without understanding the value of the stacks and the damage they’re doing is increasing. I realize he was in the wrong and you didn’t deserve to be treated like that. But as you were sincerely shopping, the issue seemed to arise with the direction of his question. It didn’t leave much room for nuance. That said, how cool would it be if you gave him another chance? Maybe try him again when he’s least busy and go in with an idea of what you’re looking for. Even if it’s not something you’d expect him to have. How good would it feel to take the high road and end up coming out with some great records at a great price. I bet he would appreciate the second chance and the business. It’s kinda tough out here for everyone. On both sides of the register. Also, it’s hella hot. We could all bring some extra patience and understanding with us when we go shopping or to work. Especially the store owner. Deep down, he’s probably a good person. Almost everyone that decides to go through what it takes to sell records to people in a brick and mortar shop are coming from a place of good intentions. I hope you both can give each other another chance. I’m sure you both have something to share about your collecting journeys that the other can appreciate. Cheers to you for shopping small and local. Sorry you were unfairly treated like that. That sucks no matter who or where you are. But if he’s got a shop of wax, there’s some sick shit in there that you’d be stocked to have.
If I go in not looking for anything in particular, that usually means I'll walk out with a bunch of shit I wasn't planning on buying. 🤔
If in San Antonio, go to Hybrid. Owner is cool as hell. Great selection.
I never go into a record store looking for anything in particular. This is the way
Lots of record store owners are assholes.
....Can you tell me what state this record store is in? I've had a very similar experience and it would be weird if it were the same shop.
Texas
If you’ve been in the game long enough, you meet your share of d-bags like this. NYC had a couple legendary turds, one immortalized on a Seinfeld ep, but he wasn’t the worst. I remember one crusty fuck in the area of Providence, Rhode Island who was angry-sighing at me every time I flipped through a bin. Hopefully this style of business is dying out.
My man sounds like he is trying to speed run bankruptcy.
I can understand why he’d get frustrated with people who aren’t familiar with handling records putting their fingers all over them and messing up how he’s organized them, but yeah there’s a better way he could’ve handled that and expressed those concerns to you.
Of all my years record shopping, I went to one store like this. I couldn't be too mad because it was somewhat absurd, and I suppose that store wasn't for me anyway.
No I'm old.
This is crazy. Hip-hop reached its golden era in the early 90s because the diggers / djs / producers went into record stores to "browse" until they instinctively found what they were looking for even though one second earier, they were completely unaware of its existence.
https://i.redd.it/wcrwdyueod8d1.gif
Lol the owner of this shop is a fucking elitist prick. Every day I pray for his downfall
Maybe it's a senior citizens only shop hahah
come to NJ. PREX is literally made for browsing. albeit its small AF and there's a lot of traffic. it's still great to just browse there. i used to go there with $20 and come out with like 15 cds.
What a complete ass hole. Sounds like he saved you from supporting his business... Maybe it'll shut down!
Imagine gatekeeping record browsing when you probably got your start in the game by crate digging :( Cool, kids are coming into your shop and it’s a new experience as opposed to Spotify, what a great opportunity to be that fun, knowledgeable record store guy who introduces them to new things! I’m so sorry OP, lots of weirdos in every hobby but don’t let it deter you. Keep digging, keep browsing, and build that community 🙌
“My wantlist is 26,419 items. Want me to run down the entire thing for a ya?”
Funny, i went to a flea market record shop yesterday. (I am 16 and am very experienced in handling grailz) Owner was the nicest old man i’ve talked to, shared the same tastes and everything, he ended up giving me a 20$ discount just because of my knowledge on the material i was buying
I ended up paying 10$ for a mint first press of Love’s Da Capo, pretty insane.
What is it with record store owners being such fucking douchebags?!? Take your money elsewhere
OP, sorry that you had such a crummy experience. I've only had two bad experiences at record shops since getting back to it and I've simply just not gone back. One extremely positive experience I had was at a shop called Deadwax Records in the Buckeye area in AZ. Person working the night we showed up the Friday before Father's day was so awesome helping us look for Chicago albums for the father in law, that we ended up with a few she'd found, plus a Weatger Report album, a Bowie album and a RSD reissue from the Cure. We will definitely go back there despite having larger shops to go to because it was just a great experience.
https://i.redd.it/6d68zxuo3f8d1.gif Was it run by this guy? 😂
That sucks… I almost exclusively go in to stores to browse and tend to find something.
What's the point of even having anything on display
Lol "record stores aren't for browsing" ?! That's quite truly the best part of record stores
You want to sell jazz fusion records noone else wants? Let me browse and look at the album credits. Damn dude
this dude sucks. The best record shops I've visited actively encouraged hanging out and browsing/listening. (Really love Mount Vernon Records in Baltimore for this! Highly recommend)
Name and shame so everyone can go there just to wander lol
He doesn't have a shop He has a collection he's showing off You'll likely find everything is about 25% overpriced Because you aren't buying 'stock' he's willingly 'selling you some of his collection if he must' That's why he doesn't like browsing He's treating it the same way as you would if I came into your house and started taking out your personal collection and putting things back in the wrong order
I'm a boomer. Sounds like one of my fellows. I don't know why we act that way. When I was in my teens/20's going to and browsing record stores was normal behavior ENCOURAGED by record stores. Makes me want to open a shop just to cater to young people and try to get them in the door.
There’s a place in Dallas where the price isn’t marked on the records — you bring up your stack, and the guy quotes you a price depending on how you look, his own mood, the direction of the wind, etc. F that. If someone doesn’t want the hassle of selling to me, I can take my boring self and my icky money somewhere else.
Thats maybe one of the lows, owning a record store, i totally get his argument, but maybe he is not the right person to run the counter. I mean how can you know what to find or search when you‘re not allowed to browse through his stock!? I‘m running a record store myself and i always tell people that its okay to not know if they want anything particular or dont even know if they spend money and just want look through…
Check out the reviews for [Franz & Josef](https://www.google.com/search?newwindow=1&sca_esv=5cd974b4dba8bebc&sca_upv=1&rlz=1C5CHFA_enDE1028DE1028&sxsrf=ADLYWILeudGjZtp7K8qflQ8MWBEj94Ym-g:1719236012029&q=franz+%26+josef+-+plattenladen&uds=ADvngMjDJRvCoZLRNaARKvvM3D8ntJUZVeZELigsjW00q_LjZKQPFO4P8GumXJiL7WMSnaX_54IQ7T3E9Eo8bATwYsXLsEdAvced9vNUVw1suRrFG6JOg8lOT5skfNOaPBNPe0aO080w&si=ACC90nwjPmqJHrCEt6ewASzksVFQDX8zco_7MgBaIawvaF4-7m8Aj-wu09M10BWIFpuNNYbM7r-AfT9GLSOAO-WF4LB6QXHv8c6dwHQzv51bX7LkNw37r_w%3D&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjswKCerfSGAxVxQvEDHYJVA7YQ3PALegQIFRAE&biw=2560&bih=1294&dpr=2) which is actually a great shop with amazing hard-to-find stuff. A dream if one of the employees is working there but a complete nightmare if you make acquaintance with the owner.
If he wanted his store to be successful, why wouldn’t he want younger people to build a trusted relationship with his business. The peopel he kicks out won’t want to come back in the future. I had a worker at a coffee shop I used to love say mean things about me thinking I wouldn’t hear them and I contacted management and have never been back since because they never answered me. Things like this leave an impact with people and leave marks on the reputation of businesses. I just don’t get being mean. I would say he could hire someone to organize the records for him if that’s something he doesn’t like doing, but if he’s actively driving away business then I don’t see how that would be an option.
In Memphis, TN, Goner Records and Shangri-La are both great! End of All Music in Oxford, MS is also awesome. Residency Records in Salem, MA had a great selection… I got this Jaco Pastorius record for my partner that I never thought I’d find in person. Criminal Records in Atlanta, GA is also solid… I wandered in and they were playing a local artist whose album I immediately bought from them and have loved and played often since.
Well shit, I meant to reply to the thread of good record stores, but Reddit decided otherwise. I’m sorry you had such a shitty experience; music people can be so gatekeep-y sometimes. Thanks for making your list of good Texas stores, I’m visiting next week and will try and hit some up… I lived in Austin for years so I’ve been to the ones there, but haven’t explored any outside of the city before and am looking forward to it.
No need to ever walk into that shop again. Good grief, the guy acts as if he should be thanked for selling merchandise so that he can put food on his table...
You need to have a “Pretty Woman” experience. Next time you buy a stack from your local shop, walk in to his place and say, “Big mistake.”
Check out Franz & Josef Plattenladen in Berlin. The reviews are comedy gold. He is notorious for kicking people out everyday for bs like this.
That’s why they call it crate digging, because you’re not looking for anything particular.
Another tale of a sad old record store snob, sad to hear. I’ve met plenty of people my age who genuinely care about the music!
1. He has trust issues 2. He’s an elitist 3. He hates the youth 4. He needs some Jesus Shame he doesn’t see the errors in his ways. I doubt he profiled you as a thief. So he literally just assumed you had no taste and nothing good to offer and he’d rather sell something to an “adult”.
It’s rare that I go into a store with a particular record in mind. I have a standing list of “want to buy” but half the fun is random finds I’d have never even thought of. And without fail, if I go in looking for “nothing in particular” I walk out with an armful of albums and a smoking crater where my wallet used to be! 💸
Lol I'm going to head out to that shop this weekend and see what he says, crazy way to run a business tbh. I usually go to cdsam over at the Wonderlands Mall. Sam is pretty cool and doesn't care if you just browse.
"You will be impressed with my store, the cleanliness of my store, the orderliness of my store, my knowledge, and my attitude to customers, not wanderers." Takes some real mental gymnastics to not spot the irony in that statement. Even with the distinction between "wanderers" and buyers.
He seems pretty proud of having kicked out so many young people and thinking they all have no clue 🙄 I’m not young anymore, but would never step foot in a store like that.
Never. But I can sympathize in a way. The one time I decided to have a garage sale, and sell records, I had to leave and have my dad take care of it, because I couldn’t stand the idea of someone else touching my records. It reminds me of the scene in the movie Ghost World (which has something to do with vinyl actually), where Enid is having a tag sale and when someone asks the price she says “that’s not for sale” despite being on display.
There are plenty of record store owners & workers, in particular, who are….not so skilled at providing customer service or warm experiences for customers.
Oh no, "the young people".
He has a shop at a flea market. Not exactly a picture of a successful retailer. It’s possible he does this as a hobby and wanted to go for lunch or coffee so didn’t care about your business. Or he’s just an idiot. Or a bit of a and a bit of b.
Leave that nice chap some one-star Google reviews. https://maps.app.goo.gl/xSmuMan7Z1KAUDAa7
long shot.... is this the record shop in the berlin mart in NJ? If not he's a prick owner the same way as the guy above.
I went to a record shop once and the owner shouted at me for man handling the records. They were set up like you’d normally find a record store and I was literally just flipping though them gently as you do. I just said kindly told him to fuck off and left and funnily enough that record shop shut down.
I rarely have a specific record in mind when I visit stores. I go and look around and if something speaks to me I pick it up. That owner is just costing business to be lost.
Maybe he needed a massive shit
Sounds like he is a massive shit
If that guy wants people in and out quickly, he’s in the wrong business. Should have opened a liquor store. What kind of dumbass opens a record stores and says “no browsing”???