Thursday, November 14, 1991 Features
When bigger isn't better:
Indie record stores move to a
different beat
b Robb Frederick
The Collegian
There's just something about the
atmosphere in a small record
store. The lights may be
dimmer, the displays a little cheaper,
and the sales floor a little smaller. But
the differences between privately owned
record stores and their larger retail
counterparts carry into other areas --
most notably behind the counter,
where knowledgeable sales clerks offer
the service that -- in chain stores like
National Record Mart and Musicland --
has typically gone the way of the 8-
track tape.
Most neighborhood record stores are
opened not as calculated business
moves, but as outlets for one
individual's passion for music. So
chances are the guy behind the cash
register in the black Metallica t-shirt
knows what he's talking about. And,
since traffic flow in these stores is
usually pretty slow, chances arc he's
more eager to please than a pimply,
part-time high-schooler who would
rather be out cruising the docks.
Several independent record stores
currently operate in the Erie area,
providing personalized service and
many other advantages not offered by
major retail stores. These additional
services include efficient ordering
systems, opportunities to preview
potential purchases, and savings on
used recordings.
So if you're searching for a more
obscure relic or a newer disc that's not
commercial enough for the Billboard
Top 30, keep the following stores .in
mind.
Record Country
3306 Buffalo Rd.
899-0293
Opened in 1978, Record Country
is the area's oldest independent record
store. Although the format is primsarily
compact disc and cassette, selected
titles are also available on LP and 45
rpm records.
"We lean more toward hard rock
and heavy metal," explains owner
Mike Lyon, who operates the store
with his wife, Debbi. Record
Country's promotional displays herald
new arrivals by Slayer and Lita Ford,
but the store's catalog of
approximately 2,000 titles also
represents other musical styles,
including a sizable collection of
releases by local bands.
If a certain title can't be found on
the store's cramped sales racks, it may
be located through one of several mail
order catalogs available at Record
Country.
"We can order anything in print,"
Lyon explains, "and about two-thirds
of those orders can be shipped within a
week." Some titles can be shipped the
When you find yourself at one of our advertisers' cash
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next day, while others, including rare
Japanese imports, may take up to two
weeks. There is no additional charge
for special orders, and deposits arc
generally not required.
Although Record Country does
not offer a pre-purchase previewing
policy, promotional copies of many
new releases are available to familiarize
shoppers with recordings.
Dig Dios Cds and laser discs
2505 W. 12th at Yorktown
Centre.
835-2221
Somewhere in every music
enthusiast's collection lies a long
untouched record or cassette that turned
out to be quite different from the single
that landed the artist on the charts. And
as compact discs continue to gain
popularity, the risk of buying an
unfamiliar recording has become even
more costly.
Through a unique service offered
by Dig Dios, however, shoppers who
are hesitant about purchasing
unfamiliar discs can step up to a bank
of stereo headphones and preview any
recording found on the store's shelves.
"Customers can experiment with
any disc," says owner Bill Baughman,
who opened the store two years ago.
"So they really can't get stuck with
one that turns out to be a lot different
from what they expected.
"Most stores can't even play
certain selections over their sound
systems, so shoppers can't hear those
songs, and sales clerks won't become
familiar with them, either."
The dominant format at Dig Dios
is the compact disc, but a small
selection of cassettes is also available.
The store also carries a modest
selection of video laser discs.
In addition to a catalog of more
than 6,000 titles, Dig Dios sells used
compact discs at a reduced rate.
"'Used' is almost the wrong word,"
Baughman explains. "Since CDs suffer
little wear and tear, customers get
virtually the same recording quality for
about half the price."
Unlike the lengthy waiting period
that accompanies special orders at
larger music stores, Dig Dios offers an
extensive mail-order catalog of rare and
imported material which can often be
shipped within a week. No deposits are
required, and no service charges arc
added to special orders.
Boro Tunes
106 Meadville in Edinboro
734-4175
A quick glance at a college music
chart may leave some radio listeners
confused. Many college-oriented bands
get by on word of mouth, never
making their way into the upper
regions of the pop charts. Since the
Craig rd
Just browsing: Store owner Bill Baugman sifts through the
sales rack at Dig Dios, one of several local private record
shops
audiences these bands attract arc often
limited, most record stores carry few, if
any, college radio titles.
But Suc Writz, owner of Boro
Tunes, hums a slightly different tune.
Her shop, which is located minutes
away from the Edinboro campus,
carries an extensive selection of
alternative music titles.
"We get a lot of kids from the
college in here," she explains, "and
most of them aren't interested in the
more commercialized artists."
The store, which opened about
two years ago, carries primarily
compact discs and cassettes, most at
prices considerably below what most
retail chains charge.
Although the catalog of 2,000
discs and 5,000 cassettes includes a
heavy dose of alternative music, Writz
also carries releases by more traditional
bands, as well as a generous selection
of heavy metal titles.
If a particular disc isn't found on
the shelves, Writz will include it in the
several orders she fills each week.
There is no service charge for special
orders, which typically arrive within
one week.
Cruiser's
3008 Buffalo Rd.
899-5724
Since the introduction of compact
discs, the traditional vinyl LP has
virtually become extinct. For die-hard
vinyl loyalists, however, a visit to
Cruiser's may help find that long-lost
LP.
The atmosphere in Cruiser's
comes closer to a basement storage
cubbyhole than that of a modern record
retailer. One wall is dominated by the
6,000 used LPs owner Gary Garis has
amassed since opening the shop four
years ago, and the crowded sales racks
include a collection of more than
20,000 singles on the all-but-vanished
45 rpm format.
"The LP is a dying breed,"
explains Garis, "but a fair percentage
of customers still prefer the vinyl
format."
In addition to the vast catalog of
LPs, Cruiser's carries both new and
used cassettes and compact discs.
"About half of our titles are used,"
Garis says. The store accepts used
recordings on all formats and offers
two-for-one trades on used CDs and
tapes. Cruiser's also provides a pre
purchase preview policy and an
efficient ordering system. Orders are
placed once or twice each week, so
many titles can be shipped within a
week. No deposits or service charges
an added.
Although some of the services
these stores offer may be trivial, they
can be invaluable for music enthusiasts
in search of a release that is not
currently on the pop charts. But even
more important is the personalized
service that these shops offer.
Since the clerk behind the counter
is often the owner, the search for an
import or an out-of-print title becomes
not an inconvenience, but a challenge.
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