The Graying of the Record Store

maybe if norm stopped shrinkwrapping used cds and calling them new, people would shop there.

actually, i liked that article. kids and adults are getting their music online for nearly 10 years now which i think is good but also, the rise of online shops and ebay make it possible to buy a new cd for a fraction of what it costs in a store. i used to go to the village and walk from second coming records on sullivan to adult crash on ave A to throb on 14th to temple records below liquid sky...these days i always complain that i dont want to get my hands dirty combing through endless amounts of shitty albums.

im surprised other music is doing well. its not like you get anything when you buy the cd for full price there either.

Ah, I love to 'get my hands dirty combing through endless amounts of shitty albums'. I guess I could be spending more of my spare time text-messaging and gaming ;) etc
One thing that still, makes me feel like a sucker for buying a cd new, from a retail store - those sticky label strips across the top, they're annoying as hell.

I'm sick of the internet being blamed for the downfall of shitty record stores. It definitely makes sad when, due to increased online music buying, cool independent record stores that I try to support don't seem to have as many customers as they used to. However, I keep hearing owners of stores that don't even carry the music that younger people would want to buy complaining that only older people buy records anymore, and acting like downloading is the only reason for that, instead of doing any work to make their stores not suck.

back in the mid 90s, stores had decent rent and didnt need to sell everything or have to close. these days, the rent affects them possibly more so than anybody else.

I have to agree with the poster above that I don't think the internet is responsible for the downfall of neighborhood record shops. I also hate the fact that on Long Island (NY) there are no good record shops anywhere! One of the "good" one's does the whole photocopying of legitimate albums and then sells them as used...complete bootlegs. Plus their selection is almost entirely pre-1980, with massive collections of the Dead, Beatles, Dylan, and Pink Floyd. Not exactly new stuff.

It's that for too long radio has catered to the singles/pop market which is not conducive to album sales in smaller markets. Big box retailers are killing indie shops 10 times over! See the back page of the last Magnet magazine, they have a great article about this!

Sam, back in the day, I did the Second Coming to Tower to Sounds to Finyl Vinyl walk myself.

I think the recent payola scandals have hurt the independent stores also. If there aren't indie bands, then it's harder for indie stores.