Good. Even great.

I actually think that's not a bad idea. I don't want this to be too complicated, though. Don't want to have to worry about frothing up somebody's 1/2 skim mocha latte with diet whip cream while trying to call in an order for next week's releases or whatever.

If I only lived in S. Carolina. I would help you.

I know you would, my little slave.

Ha, Anyways hope you can this started so when I go visit my Bro in N. Carolina I can buy some records off of you.

!@#..., yes, there's a college radio station. From what I can tell, there's one sort of indie music store that might appeal to their audience, and the other place is more jazz oriented. But I don't see a place (at least on the net, I haven't actually been there) that has that sort of college hang-out vibe. Pretty intangible, I know. I might start contacting people at the radio station and see what they think about my plans for a store.

I don't know. A lot of dreaming. But I figure I won't have many other chances to consider this kind of thing, so as long as we're in this transition period anyway, why not.

Dude... instead of moving to South Carolina, move to Sudbury, Ontario. We NEED a good record store, especially one that sounds as rad as this here so bad.

Call it like, Thirty-three and a Third.

I'll have an internet mail order service, too, and be on Gemm.

Gemm is good; Musicstack also works like that and is a fine resource. Musicstack has to approve you so there are far less of the "one star seller" ripoff types on that site, but they are both highly useful.
Musicstack's customer service for their site-using retailers blows Gemm out of the freaking water.

yes, but consider that you might have to subsidize the record store somehow. as beautiful as it is, it's not a "hot" business.

remember all the bookstores that died in the 90's? coffee has been what's kept alive those that survived. it has also been the weapon of the victors (b&n, borders). an espresso machine will set you back around $4K but i believe it will pay for itself promplty.

plus, internet stores don't offer you a place to hang out & listen to records.

(just an idea, really. but you're entering a TOUGH business so you'll have to get creative).

HeeBGB's

I like the idea of coffee in the store. Just not sure how I'd pull it off. I don't want to become a barrista, and I don't want much of a staff in the beginning.

I mean Gemm and the Internet in addition to being a physical "hang out" store, by the way. I'd also probably have to do the MySpace thing to help advertise among the students.

I'd also have replacement needles (styluses), record cleaner and accessories, maybe even the occasional refurbished turntable to sell.

Maybe a few magazines? Not sure how much they sell, though.

I think I'd do used CDs, but mostly as a sideline to the new stock.

We had a record store here that had classic arcade games in its basement at one time.

In the bookshops I run, there's a big move towards non-book product, because the margin is so much greater.

We sell greetings cards for instance, with a discount of about 60%, in comparison to books which are about 40% on average, and often sold with money off on top of that, to draw customers in, reducing discount in real terms to about 30-35%.

And I know in the UK, record shops are in the same position. Lots of "related product" is key.

What is the related product in UK record shops, Pookie?

hiring a barista would pay her salary, yours, and the rent. of course you'd have to do payroll taxes which is a major PITA. but you could reward good customers w/ free coffee & shit. you could do it alone at first when business is slow if it picks up you hire a student part-time.

Yeah. Nice idea, really. Plus I could be wired all the time.

& a big sign: "You spill on the records or CDs, you buy them."

Maybe a few music DVDs as well?

T-shirts?

I thought you might get some perspective by reviewing the Stylus list of independent stores they chose as the best. Many are larger stores that have spawned small franchises with a few stores, but most on the lists started as very small stores and in some cases, have moved location.
http://www.stylusmagazine.com/articl...orite-shop.htm
Part I: East
Part II: South
Part III: Midwest
Part IV: West
Part V: International

Or instead of coffee, one of those old-fashioned Coke machines with the glass bottles. It is the south, after all.

Obvious ones (possibly more suitable for your plans):

T-Shirts
Posters
Magazines
Books

Plus (possibly less suitable?):

"Accessories": earphones, blank tapes and minidsics etc.
DVDs

And even:

Mobile phones
MP3 players
etc.

you could sell music magazines, the kinds that promote what you have to sell.

you could become distro for arthur in your area-- but apparently they do have a bunch of places in columbia already:

http://www.arthurmag.com/distro/index.php

however, ASK. they are in hiatus right now & im sure they'll have to rebuild their distro network once they relaunch.

you could also become a place to sell tickets to local shows & promote them-- offer free promotional space for bands

organize mini in-store shows.

i would not go with a tiny space, because tiny space is xpensive and you need VOLUME to survive. you need to turn those products as fast as you can. medium size is ok, doesnt need to be huge, but it shouldnt be like a newspaper kiosk.

Nice link, atari. Thanks.

Events are a definite plus. Anything to bring customers in, even if they don't make a great deal of money on the day.

And magazines are good because, again they result in regular footfall: people will come in for their weekly/monthly fix, and getting customers in is half the battle.

yeah, I was thinking the ticket selling thing, too, and offering free window space for show posters to local bands in order to build up some scenester rep.

The in-store show idea is great, too.

under-the-counter mint juleps??

ha ha ha.

you need also something for hot days.

gotta get back to work. best wishes man.

More and more independant shops here are offering loyalty schemes, previously only the domain of larger chains and supermarkets.

Name the store "Loyalty Scheme."

haha

or hey, if you really want to piss people off haha
call it

"Idolatry."

aaah, just came back to say, among the related merchandise pookie posted, you could become a broker for used turntables (and new ones too). a nice way to push your vinyl selection.

mind you with all these ideas you'll need a sizable investment. why do you need a big house for anyway? apartment, man!!! right above the store!!

But seriously...

just look to my sig...

Repo Records (Bryn Mawr, PA) is a great name for a place that has used merch...

why not

"Lazarus Records?"

I checked, it's not taken.

this thread is addictive, dammit.

for your shelves:




im not joking!! think of all the pierced girls who'll be visiting. similarly: patches, buttons, jewelry, stickers, assorted crapola.
--
bongs!! :D

ok i really gotta go now...

How about a tattoo/piercing parlour out back?

Call it "Keine Records". All the Krauts will come, i promise.

the coffe shop idea is really not good. people that want coffee go to a coffee shop and people that6 want records go to a record shop. the shoundwaves near me put in a coffee shop, super nice, and noone ever gets coffee there. cannot drink coffee and browse the stacks you know.

one of my friends wanted to open a record store above a bar. I told him that was recipe for trouble!

But fucking cool man. Best of luck with it all. I hae been thinking of good record store names.

There was a store here in Houston called RECORD RACK that is defunct and has been for years.

I always liked that name

Record Rack

Listening to the radio, I just heard about a record shop that was called Record Rendezvous.

The problem with using the word "record" of course is that some young people don't know what a record is.

I was having a conversation with some girls at work (both early twenties) and they looked blankly at me when I was talking about records. Completely seriously "What's a record?" Did I feel old:( .

that's amoeba, isn't it?


hmmm you may have a point there. but the thing is people DO go to bookstores with cofee shops and browse & no problem there.

maybe that coffee sucks or something? not sure...

maybe it's the placement of the coffee shop-- gotta be visible from the outside

maybe ...s omething! i dont know. but the fact that they had to put a coffee shop is indication that the record store needed something else to keep business going, maybe.

I've seen this pound shop that had a barber at the back of it, once. So tiny, so unsuccesful.

Lazarus
Lazarus Records
Lazarus Music
Lazarus Music Exchange
Lazarus Junction

R.E.M. recorded a different vocal track for "Seven Chinese Bros." that appears on Dead Letter Office.


Voice Of Harold Lyrics
Artist(Band):R.E.M.


Reverend Bill Funderburk sings "He Cared That Much For Me"
Charles Surratt introduces his own composition "On Calvary For Me"
"The Joy of Knowing Jesus" is a song of pure delight featuring John Barbee

The pure tenor quality of the voice of Harold Montgomery
Gives a special interpretation to the grand old hymn "The Old Rugged Cross"
Chill bumps appear and I am frozen in the web they weave as they reveal their
Innermost selves with the outpouring of their hearts
On and on the songs roll and soon you are caught up
In the sermon in each rendition as you come to feel
The devotion and dedication that is poured forth
Suddenly, you know they are real, they mean it!

"Let your light so shine"
Could not be more than half made up
As there shines a light from heaven on your heart
Through their singing. As an artist, Rhonda Montgomery
Exemplifies piano artistry. That's Rhonda! An artist!

This album can be the instrument to mend a broken heart
Or to straighten out your life through the sincere testimony
In the songs of The Revelaires. A must!

J. Elmo Fagg, founder and leader
Of the Blue Ridge Quartet
For 23 Years. Temple Records, LST 390
Planning to make a record?
We are associated with United Music World Recording Studios, Inc.,
West Columbia, SC. The finest sound available anywhere

"The Joy of Knowing Jesus",
Produced by Joel Gentry
Cover/Backliner Design/Reesor

The Revelaires, A must
The Revelaires
A must, in the home

------------------------------
You could call it

"Revelaires"

or

"Voice of Harold."