Do you think there is any market for

[The Kizzy]

a record store? Not like a Music store that sells CDs, but a record store that actually sells vinyl records? Thoughts?

[Tae-Bo]

i'd imagine the thousands of record stores across the nation would say yes, in the right location, with the right selection

[Jay]

Basing a business around something no longer in production is risky. At least in the places I've been, there isn't a market for it unless it's part of a business not as the business in it's entirety.

[Jay]

Scratch that, DJ's still buy vinyl. I guess if you did it web based and market it to pro DJ's like Tossica then you might get somewhere.

[Tikker]

I've got a machine that lets me record vinyl records~

amazing what you can find at estate sales

[Diekan]

I can't see a business like this taking off with eBay making it possible to buy pretty much any vinyl you want at any time you want.

[Jay]

Scratch that, DJ's still buy vinyl. I guess if you did it web based and market it to pro DJ's like Tossica then you might get somewhere.

No pun intended btw.

[Yamori]

I can't see a business like this taking off with eBay making it possible to buy pretty much any vinyl you want at any time you want.

That's what I was thinking. And if you look at the Ebay record prices, they're hell ass low.

Now, if there is a market of older people who like records, but don't know wtf ebay is, you actually could have something there. :P

*Buys a batch of records for 25 cents each on ebay*
*Sells it to some computer illiterate old person for $8*
*-IS A CAPITALISTIC GENIUS FAR SUPERIOR TO BILL GATES-*

[mappatazee]

Yeah any record stores locally have been too limited in selection, and the prices not good enough. I just don't have the time to hunt through vinyl for a good find when it's all available on the internet through eBay, gemm.com (probably the best site), or forced exposure. Oh, and I'm not a DJ, it's just that some releases only come out on vinyl still; not avail on CD. And I can usually get the flacs from someone if I really want a digital copy;0

[Tuggan]

a record store? Not like a Music store that sells CDs, but a record store that actually sells vinyl records? Thoughts?

You would probably want to know a thing or two about music before you went down this road.

[horhay boosh]

location location location.... and selection

1) there is one near my house near d-town houston
2) it is in the kind of hippy part of town and stocks alot of punk and rock from 50's to 80's
3) it is a very very niche market, got ot be in the right place and have the right music

[araby]

I posted in this thread and deleted it, because I wasn't sure if I knew what I was even talking about...but having read these posts I have to come back and say what I was going to say...

diekan said what I was going to say about ebay...so many people, even collectors (like my dad) just find what they want online.

most artists that can afford to put out vinyl records don't, and even if they do they sell only a limited amount of those. some of the independent artists want to, and they do (if they can afford it) just because it's cool, and they love vinyl themselves.

I also agree that location would be the biggest aspect. if you live in a city, where downtown is filled with shops/stores that people crawl in/out of (like downtown charleston for example) then you'd probably do some business, especially if you could get right next door to an ACTUAL music store...and it doesn't have to be a huge commercially owned music store even...we have one downtown called 52.5 that is privately owned and it does very well. I can picture a record store next door and see it doing VERY well. Also consider the music scene in that city, and what kind of music people listen to. Most music lovers are snobs about their music and will buy vinyl.

[Ginzburgh]

a record store? Not like a Music store that sells CDs, but a record store that actually sells vinyl records? Thoughts?

In Manhattan, yes.

[Arlos]

Basically, you need to be in a really big town, and it has to have a thriving underground rave and/or DJing culture. In the entire bay area, I can only think of 3 good-sized stores specializing in vinyl, and they all cater to DJs, and mainly those that spin at parties and such, not so much those that play in clubs.

-Arlos

[horhay boosh]

true dat.... customers will either be DJ's as said previously, aging hipsters, or music freaks

[Tossica]

We have the best record store in the country right here in Minneapolis. They do huge business but it's mostly DJ's and collectors that shop there. It's a massive warehouse style building that moves huge quantities of media.

A friend of mine opened a record store about 10 years ago catering to DJ's and unfortunately he had to soon sell his 1/2 of the store out to his partner because there was no way they could support two people. Used records can make good money if you are selling for $3-$4 more than what you paid but even at that rate, you need to sell 300+ pieces a day to make a decent living and cover costs. If you live in a fairly large metro area with enough clientelle and not much for competition, you may be able to pull it off otherwise, you are likely to starve.

As far as buying online, for some things yes but nothing beats walking in to a used record store, browsing through the "recent arrivals" and finding about 10 records for $3.20 each that would cost $20+ each online. When I go shopping, I have a couple pieces in mind but for the most part I don't know what I am going to buy until I find it.

[Captain Insano]

Music stores are a bad bad BAD idea. Digital music, online piracy and a million other factors have killed the retail music market.

You need major startup capital and a huge selection and the ability to buy in quantity to develop margin. Not to mention your location is key. There has to be a large underground scene to make it worthwhile. Also if you are going to sell records you should also sell the hardware...turntables, headphones, stereo and dj equipment etc.


If you are going to do anything retail I would start online. Startup costs are much cheaper.

[Gargamellow]

there are plenty of antique shops but u are better off doing this through ebay