Hi Matt, I've been running a store in the UK for 15 years now, and you've picked up on most of the down/up sides in your first two months. 1. Your perspective on what is your collection, and what is your shop stock will constantly be in flux - that's OK, don't stress about it. 2. I still find records, almost every day, I've never heard before and find out that I love - this is a big upside, but just shows how much there is to discover, and how little time there is to dive into everything. 3. Buying collections is mostly fun, making that connection with the seller is so important, glad you've picked up on that. Paying decent prices and being a nice person in these deals, word will get out, and you'll more great stuff coming in. 4. Ignore on-line assholes. People love leaving bad reviews, means nothing. 5. Regulars are gold, it's one of the best things about this job, and helps to root you in the community, glad you've found some already. 6. It's nice being your own boss, but you always end up working harder for yourself than you will for anyone else. 7. Pricing is tricky, things will fall into place after a while and you will know what's worth investing research time in, but sounds like you've got all the angles covered. Keep on keeping on, and have fun.
Me too and recently saw a new record store and was amazed on its comeback bc I had a large collection of about 10k and part of my old inventory in 2003. I felt no one was interested in vinyl anymore when everyone went digital and especially the djs. So I still have about 3k records and all original and mint condition and would love to open a record store and also sell vintage stereos from the 70’s. Oh and when I had a store, it turned into a major store in SF from 96 to 2003. Also back then the record stores were very competitive and no one helped anyone and very secretive. I hear that’s changing and I’m glad bc that part I don’t miss and I was always about helping others and why I won over so many ppl.
Hi Matt. My name is Eliot. I've managed many record stores since 1978. Each record store had a different personality to it. You keep goin and continue to do what you do! It gives your store personality and only contributes to the Vinyl Community. It creates the Joy, Happiness and fun of going into a record store to buy physical product.
Your smile @ 12:46 says it all. Keep on smiling and all will work out. You may not make a fortune but you are doing what you want to do and having a good time doing it. And not having a boss is awesome.Looking forward to future videos.
I love how humble you are and how you talk about everything in a very objective, realistic way. Keep doing what you do, your’re great at it! Wish you all the success in the world!!
Keep your head up Matt. I’ve worked in restaurants my whole life and there’s a reason new restaurants don’t get their official review until they’ve been opened awhile. It’s expected that time is given for them to get their feet underneath them and iron out the kinks before judgement comes in. You’re on the right path and I can’t wait to hear of all the new stuff you’ve discovered since opening the store.
I had a used store from 1997 to 2008, I loved doing it. One of the best things about running the store was the people I met, many who are still friends to this day. The first thing I found out after opening was how much I didn't know about music, I knew a lot about what I liked but it was eye opening. Hang in there, enjoy it and I wish you success. I'm in Puyallup, WA so I'll check out your store when in Portland.
Hi Matt. Classy you didn’t name and shame those you tubers who disrespected you. Congratulations on your store. It looks great. I’m from New Zealand and enjoy your videos. Those of us in the VC are just envious you are able to live your passion. Those who are negative are just small minded people with sad lives. I wish you only success.
Mate, your store looks absolutely amazing from here. I'd love to be able to walk through your front door and feel the concept you have put together. I haven't been a sub on your channel all that long but feel that that the job you have done so far with your "work in progress " is nothing short of inspirational. Music snobs will be music snobs whether discussing vinyl or a related topic, such as your evolving layout...just smile and wave dude, smile and wave. Anyway, as a sub from half a world away (New Zealand 🇳🇿) I think you are doing an awesome job of following your dream. Don't let anybody tell you otherwise mate. Keep up the great work and more importantly, keep evolving the store in the way you and your clients like it. Much respect to you ma man.
7:00 you are authentic and truly enjoy bonding with other people over music. Thanks for being yourself. I am happy to continue watching your channel and shop thrive because what you're doing is meaningful.
I'm personally willing to pay slightly more for a record in person vs discogs if I can inspect it and listen to it first. This is a huge differentiating factor for me personally since I mostly collect vintage jazz, so it can be a crapshoot with condition on discogs. Plus just the ambiance of going to a store is always nice! Keep it up. Not easy starting your own business, no matter what it is. Don't mind the haters, but try to cut the emotion out and look at it as feedback that you can do what you wish with, especially if it comes from owners of other successful record stores. Sometimes there's wisdom in their criticism. Other times...not so much lol.
@@mtache12 Yeah I agree. Some sellers put up audio clips from the vinyl too, which is nice but rare, but it also isn't a guarantee since they're typically just 30 seconds or so. I mostly just stick to sellers with a fair amount of good reviews who have been established for a bit and haven't had any terrible experiences yet. I buy a lot of Japanese pressings, and from my experience Japanese sellers tend to be quite conservative when grading, in general. I've received many VG+ that could have easily been called NM. Still - I prefer being able to inspect everything in person before buying as well, especially vintage, just for the peace of mind.
@@mtache12 That's the acheilia's heal of Discogs. The lack of all possible pressings is the pitfall of Ebay. Amazon has both pitfalls and Bezos never really considered it and later downplayed and limited even used cds.
Hey Matt, owning a record store is hard work, you are dedicated and I’m sure you will make a success of your business. I don’t live in the U.S but if I ever had to visit , I would definitely support your store. Your store looks great by the way!.Well done, keep it up and keep making more update videos, I’m sure your subscribers love listening to what you have to share.
U KNOW WHAT, LET PEOPLE TALK SHIT ABOUT YOUR SPOT MAN, PEOPLE ARE GONNA HATE! IT IS HUMAN NATURE FOR SOME OF US TO DO SO BROTHER. FROM THE LOOKS OF THE PLACE, U GOT IT GOING ON FOR YOURSELF....ROCK ROCK ROCK ON..... HOPE TO BE THERE MYSELF ONE DAY!!!!!!!!
Happy to see it's going well so far. I just got involved in helping run a record store earlier this year and I related to a lot in this video. Plus we're still learning A LOT about the business so I've been looking everywhere for resources. There isn't as obvious a record store community out there online like there was in my previous industry. My main task is pricing and you are not kidding about the work involved and the subjectivity.
The point of this community is to come together for a shared love for music. Haters are not welcome. Congrats on the Store and kee doing you! ps: You got me into vinyl when I saw a video of yours 3 years ago :)
@@TooManyRecords It was your 1600$ record player video. I can’t afford that myself but just seeing the albums on display and your enthusiasm towards the player made be want to own a collection myself.
Hi. Just came across you're video. As someone who worked for both Tower (US & UK) & Virgin Retail (UK & US) & Caroline Imports (US), plus a few other small retailers (UK & US) & a teeny label (TVT) back in the late 70's & early 80's, I may have something to contribute to this conversation. During that time I witnessed the advent of CD's, starting when the only ones available in the US were from either Japan or Europe. (I never got truly 'attached' to digital as it always came through as "less warm" or almost "brittle", to say nothing of being way more expensive, especially in the early days when the 'gear' was sub par.) It's been some time, but the memories, both good & MEH! are all well worth it. The upside (helping people find that tune that haunted them even when they couldn't remember the title) way outweighed the downside, like 6 day weeks, open til 10 or midnight, etc. Best moments were in retail having someone come up & try to describe (or worse yet...hum) a tune they were looking for & connecting them with it. The down side in retail was suffering through sincere admirers of a tune absolutely butcher it while trying to hum/sing it. Best wishes with your ?channel? CD, NYC
That’s great that you already have regular customers and it just goes to show that the self proclaimed experts on RU-vid don’t know what they’re talking about. Good on ya Matt ! PS like the lighting in the ceiling !
Hi Matt sorry to hear people are saying negative thoughts about you and your store, the store looks great and will only grow bigger and better over time, keep living your dream. Cheers from Australia
I hear ya. Now that I own my first business (record store) I don't listen to as many records at home for the same reasons you do. I have started to sell off some of my collection because I feel my customers would like them more then me and I'm not sure why I have so many. I also have been learning about different music from my customers. Stuff I didn't know about and now really like. As far as people talking crap...I've been there and I think will always have haters. But who cares really. At the end of the day, it's your store. The best part of owning a record store are the people. I have met so many nice people. Friends that come every week. I started my shop as a retirement pass time. I retired from the Canadian military and love the new world I has started. That's correct. New world I have started. The same goes for you. So haters will hate but it's your world, not theirs. Congratulations on 2 months.
Congrats on the store! This video was really cool to get your insight and experiences so far. Not sure if this is up your alley, but would be interesting to hear the economics of running a record store at some point! How your margins work, purchasing merchandise, etc. To me it's always fascinating to hear the innerworkings!
Congratulations on your shop! I’m a casual viewer & was surprised you opened a store. That’s great to see. From watching other RU-vid videos I’ve noticed that the common thing for shop owners is they all say Teen’s are the group that constantly keep buying the expensive records & don’t mind. I wish you the best & maybe I can visit if I’m ever in the area.
Years ago I quit social media (unless you count here) after I got my first professional job. I just worked on a computer all day and going online to look up what others felt like work. BTW your store and concept looks solid. I worked for Tower Records back in the day and a good record store is a good record store. 😎👍✨
On your point regarding you might do a video in the future about the negativity in the VC - I urge you not to do that. You acknowledged that it exists in this community. That is enough. Don't feed it. I've watched a few videos about starting stores. It's something I've been thinking about as I near retirement. Books and records are something I am passionate about. And it was very enlightening to hear you say you listen less to your own records at home. And that made complete sense to me. Your observations on buying collections were helpful as well. I'm still trying to figure out a way to approach that. I suppose it's a bit easier when it's someone selling a collection that belonged to a family member who recently died. Or maybe it's not because maybe they think the collection has more value than it does? (I remember seeing at a yard sale a copy of Thriller that was barely in good condition and the seller wanted $20) Best of luck to you. Who knows whether I'll open my own store? At least it appears that in your case, when a passion becomes a job, it hasn't lost all its appeal.
Matt the store is looking really nice and welcoming behind you there, lighting looks great! Interesting video, maybe do one like this every couple of months for the first year as things evolve, you will enjoy looking back on them in years to come. Best wishes from London!
Probably the funnest jobs I had for a few years starting at age 16. Had I known….. It’s a blast. I loved turning folks on to something they never saw coming and having it returned. We used to get a ton of promos in the 80’s and hearing music I never knew existed, especially living in the rural world with 3 radio stations, no cable, and watching limited music videos on a Friday night. It’s a completely different world from my heyday. Jeez….I thought Discogs was pricey, at least for what I’ve looked for. Good luck and enjoy the time. Great memories!
I KNOW OWNING A STORE WOULD BE AWESOME, EVEN IF IT'S A HOLE IN THE WALL....SO MANY IDEAS FOR WHAT IT WOULD LOOK LIKE AND SAY!!!!!! DIFFERENT STYLES OF STORE LOGO SHIRTS...THE WHOLE NINE BABY....
Another great quote to hold dear when idiots have a pop. “People who say it cannot be done, should not interrupt those who are doing it”. ― Bernard Shaw.
Don't worry about the haters....you have the best VC channel for 5 years running...keep doing what you do and can't wait to get out to the Pacific NW in the next year to check out your shop. So tired of all the videos from everyone on the MOFI situation and have not been watching....but have to confess was curious on your opinion as a consumer and now a record store owner....would watch your video 🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔
5 years, what happened to the other two years?! :P -- but seriously, thank you. I don't have a strong opinion but I've also been busy and only have read headlines. I responded to the question below as well.
There are always ppl. that will criticize you no matter how good the store is. Just the fact you tried to open your own store is a great start. Everyone has to learn and start at the beginning. In the mid 90’s and early 2000, I had a house and electronica record store and worked at 2 other popular record stores for 7 years but been collecting records since the early 80’s. I opened about a block away from the most popular store in my city and everyone thought it was suicide to do that, but I knew the owner of that store and felt I could do much better and I did. Not only my store surpass that store but surpassed tye firmwr store I worked for and became one of the top store in the country. It just grew and grew and before you knew it, everyone was coming to me. So listen to the critics, and use what they say that you might be able to use and discard the rest. I think you said they’re a friendly vinyl community now but back then everyone was tight lipped and secretive and even on the records they payed bc they didn’t want others to know about. So meaning if you think the critics are bad now, you would have never survive bc for some reason even if you had a right business. the haters were everywhere but would smile in your face. So keep doing your thing and build your store and the confidence will come with the experience.
Oh and I had ppl. tell me when I first opened, there are too many store in 1996. Had other store selling a different genre that they think there’s a law on how many record stores there could be in one area and they were from the UK telling this to Americans. Other shops you let know of the possibility of opening a store near them and it turns into a territory thing and they plan war with you and your store. Yeah, it was vicious but I just spoke to someone that opened a store and o would think at the start they were expecting $200. to $300. In sales. But I told him yesterday that we average $2400. to $3200. a day and the most was $4800. in one day. So there was big money to be made and the stakes were high and why so conpetive. Also, my store averaged $10k to $12k each week on the buying budget from distributors. And the store was 600 to 650feet. and I should have expanded to the next space when it was available. Yeah, I got so big, I was planning on opening another location but I ended closing the store bc of some bs that happened that o won’t go into. So yeah, when your on top, ppl. listen and now I’m lucky if anyone would hear my story. So expect that if one day you decide to no longer have a store. But that could be my generation, but humans don’t change that much and you’ll be lucky to find a few good peeps out of the masses you encounter through the store. Most of the ppl. that will back stab you are very good at their craft and why I don’t trust ppl. easily.
The store looks awesome, keep doing you. Alot of people will try and tear you down when they themselves would never take the risks you yourself have. You just have to have compassion for people like that and move on, hope the store thrives.
In my years of retail in Los Angeles at Tower , Moby Disc ( 🐋 ) & Rhino I liked most the diversity of music I heard from my fellow employees & being able to sample new releases before buying & back then all the promos one got for free .. You could trade in the ones you didn't want or like for credit. Good Times.
The record store owners in San Diego that I have made friends with know my varied taste in music, how much I will pay and will let me know if something came in or a band they think I will like. I never doubt them, I almost will always buy it. It has expanded my musical soundscape. That is invaluable.
Truly wish you the best with the store. You are passionate about music, no one can dispute that. You said recently in another video (unboxing maybe) you only watch two other channels (Vinyl Rewind/Noble) regularly. In this video you said you love seeing new channels begin/pop up and support them. What am I missing?
I love seeing new channels pop up because it means the community is growing, just because I don't have time to watch them doesn't mean I'm not proud of the community for continuing to foster creators and content.
@@TooManyRecords That’s fair. I appreciate you taking the time to respond. If you’d ever be up for a deeper convo on the topic, say the word. Have a great weekend! 🍺
You are bang on about the explosion in pricing, and that's both for new (in the UK the distributors are struggling so they're jacking up prices) and second hand. I had to take a break from buying vinyl from about 2019 to late last year because I was saving for a deposit to buy a flat, and it feels like in that time prices have gone crazy - the other day I looked through some of my old Discogs orders, and there was loads of great stuff I bought back in 2014/15ish that I paid less than £10 for (I'm in the UK) and almost all of it is now going for £25+ (and in some cases much higher). If I paid £25 it's now a £50-60 record. And so on. Crazy. I do wonder if that will all settle down at some point but now's a good time for long term collectors to cull and make a few bucks I guess! ;)
Really respect what you are doing as I always wanted to do the same thing. I wish you were closer to NH so I could support in person but hope you are successful and love it at the same time. Cheers
Aloha Matt, Congratulations❗on your 2 Months. You brought up some great topics. I've been Collecting record albums off & on since high school in the early 1970's. I would always try to purchase used or cutout bin items . Running a record shop takes a lot of time and Work. After a while you would need to stay open 7 days a week if you have a lot of competition as far as other record shops near by. Having Customers, selling you records is what makes the business grow. Daily New stock brings Customers. As far as listening to music when you get home, I too started to slow that process down when I worked full-time in a record shop back in the day. I even put my personal record collection on consignment in a friend's record shop, don't get me wrong I enjoyed music but I was hardly home, I was either working or hanging out at my friends shop or going out looking for more record album's, my hobby change from collecting record albums to the thrill of finding that record album. I hope you're able to keep your collection if you desire too. Starting a small business, a friend started with his personal collection, he told me you shouldn't collect if it's your own business, he told me he had to make that decision to keep his hobby going or his store since he was just starting up. I recall him bringing in about 10 plus record albums from his collection at home to sell in his store daily. He told me people are just starting to notice his small shop, so not too many people are bringing in record albums to sell & that's what brings customers coming back. I knew he collected a long time & to slowly give up his collection I was shocked! But he told me he still has a collection it just now in the store for sale. He said by the time he gets home, he's listened to music all day. He wanted to relax another way. Now my friend did this because the started up cost & paying rent ,utilities more shelving cost money 💰. I've noticed everyone opens a record shop for different reasons, one guy said he opened his shop so he can buy records for his personal collection & his shop is very successful. Not sure If he had lots of money to begin with but he buys huge collection's sometimes on a weekly basis. So you can still enjoy your collection at home if you desire, for me personally if I had a shop I would be all in. Making my shop successful would be my main goal. And in life I would need to sacrifice something's now, so that I can get my rewards later. I can always buy my records again one day, might be for a higher price but that's ok . Some people can do both , I personally could not, business or hobby 🤔 you decide. Whatever you decide to do Matt you'll do great. There's a shop in Honolulu Called "Aloha Got Soul " which is also a record label, they started off as a record label, the owner is a record album collector, now they have a store front, they used to open about 4 times a week & starting at about 12 pm , but now the owner opens up at least 5 days a week. There's more competition everyday. This is jest my personal insight. Thanks again Matt, looking forward to seeing your next video. Mahalo Ed
New businesses always get hate. One store kept telling their customers we were going out of business. We're still here 10 years later and they are not. Desperate people screw themselves.
Your store looks great, don't mind the Jealous Haters. I'm in SoCal, so I can't hit your store anytime soon, but it's on the list of must visit record stores. Congrats on the store opening. Cheers.
So happy for you're first two months, Matt! I would love to get a part 2 and more videos as time goes on. Would love to see a new segment with the albums you've discovered on the channel. Did you ever get the Glorious record bins in?
Congradulations on the store it looks great, sounds like the nay sayers are afraid of a little competion. All the best, Mark from Innovtive Records Surrey B.C Canada.
Don't listen to haters. I listen to totally different music than you but respect your love for music, positive attitude, and drive. Store looks good. keep it up
Us entrepreneurs will work 90hrs a week so we don’t have to work 40hrs a week haha. But it does get better for sure. You’ve actually already done the most expensive thing which is rent. Once you hire a couple of part timers you’ll be able to spend more time being an owner (buying collections, choosing decor, booking talent etc).
Your first comments about not listening to records when you get home after listening to records all day at work... Yeah, I get that. Back in the 80s I started working at my local model railroad supply store. Not doing the hobby in the evening after doing it at work is totally normal. Yeah, starting a business is hard, making it a success is even harder. But when the business owner is, like yourself, passionate about the business, it tends to survive and even thrive. I can't get to Portland very easily, but I'll be keeping an eye on your Discogs and other online locations for things to help my collection grow. Thanks for all the work you're doing, and I wish you all the success in it.
My favorite RU-vid comment on my channel as of late simply reads "horrible" - lol. Haters gonna hate. Can't wait to one day make it out to Portland and visit your store!
Just a thought about negative comments. Monetize them. Collect them all together, print them up and sell them online or in the shop. Out of context they lose their perceived power. If I lived in your side of the pond, I'd be a visitor, but unfortunately I live in that there England, so will have to do with the vids. Continued good luck with the business and the channel!
U b u. TY for everything u r doing sir. Haters hate themselves! I have dealt with haters because I wash records b4 I play them on my Turntable and they r like u r wasting ur time. No I am not! I am making my needle/Cartridge last so much longer and the music sounds so much better.
Hey Matt, curious to hear your thoughts on the Mofi controversy. I dont mind as much if the record sounds great no matter what, but I can understand others that have been in the game longer feeling lied to.
Totally understand where you're coming from. Selling records and play testing throughout the day makes you numb to listening to your own material. I have experienced this and it's really quite annoying and I wish I hadn't gone into selling records
Dang! That's a strong feeling, I hope I never feel that way -- I will say the music discovery is a wonderful trade off and almost gives me time to "miss" my collection so when I go back to it, it'll feel more special.
I would bet that many of the people who are badmouthing the store are direct competitors who own or work in an independent record store in the same city. You just have to ignore the malicious, bad reviews and comments and not get discouraged. Business owners need to have a tough skin.
Be careful buying records for too much. Unless you know you can move them and not have your investment on inventory collecting dust. Just be wise. "Nice guys finish last" has some truth to it in my experience. Anyway, thats just my advise. Hope it does well. The market is stronger than ever im sure. Do you also have an online store? Definately expand your inventory if possible. Make t shirts and stickers for your store if possible.
@@TooManyRecords Great. Maybe make some 10 dollar bins :^) I really dont know. I worked retail jobs in my 20s. These days I do Utility construction an d repair and drive trucks for the city. I did go to alot of record stores in the 90s though. That was the golden age of used records. I scored an og Mono Blue Verve label Velvet Underground and Nico for 25 bucks. That was expensive back then (record vg, cover fair lol (previous owner hastily tore the sticker off the torso art). I have the repress these days and it sounds great.
Best of luck brother with the business, sending best wishes from Dublin! You seem like a great welcoming chap, and your right to snub the stereotype grumpy record store owner! We all have met them, at one stage in our lives! If you have time, do you have any RU-vid thoughts on collectors who just buy vinyl for the physical beauty opposed to playing them? Is this seen as a hoarder mentality, basically I have a smallish 400 collection, don't own my own house, and don't have space for audio equipment in my bedroom, but I still love collecting rare new and 90s vinyl! Best regards Shane
Maybe you can bring one or two of the records you might want to hear from home? If you dislike after a few listens, you can slap a price on it! Social media/internet makes your personality go a step farther. Evil people get more evil.
I don't know how anyone could say anything rude about you, you have always been one of the nicest people in the VC. I wish you only the best with your store, wish I lived locally!
You might benefit from a few 1$ bins, attract the 'deep diggers' looking for obscure items of musical value, but not monetary value. Plus when people find bargains they are more likely to pay 10$ plus for another vinyl or two!
I've thought about it but I'm so often play testing certain records for pricing purposes that I don't know how that'd work. I also try to play and display a cool record in the hopes that somoene is won over by the sound and buys it right then and there, ha!
I love buying from a record store. I used to a own a record shop and I miss it. I agree with you about knowledge. I realised recently that I know A LOT. I was pretty surprised myself :) Buying vinyl from a person people don't realise that your a dealer and a collector. Talk crap lolololololol
I haven't had time to delve deep into it, but my cursory thoughts are that while I would prefer them to all be analog, even my digital Mofi records sound better than an average record, so I'm fine paying a premium for them.
