Pining (Again) For Record Store Days
Here’s an article about another record store closing: Cutler’s record store in New Haven closing after 64 years in business. It’s not necessarily news anymore when a record store closes, but this seems to have been a pretty popular store. The real news would be a record store opening. Not much chance of that, is there? I’ve never been to Cutler’s in New Haven, but I’ve been to many record stores in my day, all around the U.S. and a bit in Europe as well. Of all the things I love about collecting, the think I miss the most is being able to go into a record store and going through the bins searching for that one record or two or even, hopefully, many more that are sitting there with great music, great covers and an affordable price. You know that feeling of rifling through the bins, record by record, passing all of the Herb Alperts and George Bensons and Al Jarreaus and, boom, there it is, an original Fats Navarro on Savoy or Stan Getz on Verve or, on the best days, a Jackie McLean or Lou Donaldson or anyone else on Blue Note. The business of collectible buying and selling has moved to eBay, with good reason (at least for the sellers), but it’s certainly not nearly as much fun. Is it?
collectables aside: In Amsterdam, NL, (900 thousand people) there must be 10 or more stores where they sell records. Not to mention the flea markets. For a medium that is about 90 years old, thats quite remarkable…
I see lots of people under 20 years who buy records…
But offcourse, finding a mint copy of Tina Brooks’ True Blue in a recordstore is almost impossible..
Cutler’s was one of the stores I paid a visit back in 2010, when staying in NYC for a couple of months. I remember a cat that seemed to live in the store and “Doin’allright” by Dexter Gordon hanging at a wall. I didn’t find anything of greater interest but I pretty much liked the store. Sadly, there’s Harvard University across the street and students are not in shopping for records.
Darn, I can’t rework my post. I mean Yale University of course and that it’s sad, that students are not into diggin’ in the crates very much.
But on the other hand, there’s Princeton Record Exchange which has the Princeton University across the street, so the situations are pretty comparable. And they have a flourishing business. So it’s not always the economic situation or the customer. Sometimes it has to do with geography, but with the store itself as well.
For me,the excitement of finding a rarity by flippin’ through the bins has been replaced by a similar kick that I get out of grabbing an equally rare lp at the last possible moment-on the web. There is something about watching those seconds count down-as you pray that you(and you ALONE)has the infinite wisdom and luck to give yet another amazing LP a good home. When you win,it’s exhilirating-when you LOSE..not so much!
Besides,not having to watch the dollar signs in a vendors eyes as you approach the register greedily clutching that minty,unpriced Blue Note is a sight I definitely do NOT miss. (Consumer note:never approach the owner with only one lp. Always have a few that you could care less about,the hope being that after giving several over-the-top prices,you just might get an”ok,ok-I guess I can do that one for…”
Works for me
Been browsing this site the past few months without posting but this one breaks the silence for me. I just recenlty delved into the jazz vinyl scene and I doubt I’ll ever experience the thrill of finding a rarity. Most of the record stores near me see Blue Note and figure that means it must be worth a bunch (even the Liberty ones). I’m relegated to making friends with some of the owners to negotiate deals and hoping that some slip through on the bay.
I started buying records at Cutler’s in 1960. The owner, Jay Cutler, knew I liked jazz and would put aside things he thought I might like. I was introduced to many a jazz great by his thoughtfulness. When he retired in the 70’s, his son took over and the whole vibe of the store changed. I went in about a year ago and left quickly. Sad.
@Stevie
The finds are still out there if you are willing to put in the time. The key is finding sources of records that haven’t yet been dug through such as Goodwill intake centers, etc.
As the original post suggests, this will mean digging through piles of Andy Williams and Herb Alpert, but the ratio of Lexington-era Blue Notes to Barbra Streisand records is a sheer fact of record sales and not an especially new phenomenon. If you trust that they are there, you will find them eventually if you persist and look in the right places.
As for record stores, I think there is a surfeit of record store owners who understand the market for Jazz (and Classical in an even greater capacity). Most record store owners rely heavily on price guides like Goldmine and are largely only familiar with the Rock/Pop collectors market. People who are seeking for high quality Jazz LPs to listen to on hifi setups are an unknown quantity to them.
As a result, most record stores have pretty tedious jazz sections. 95% of what they stock is of little interest to anyone at all and many interesting jazz records are priced too high to sell. Even worse are the stores that clog their bins with gray-market ‘reissues’ pressed from CDs that they pass off to uneducated buyers.
Speaking as someone who still patronizes many record stores, I’m almost always willing to pay retail (let’s say 50% to 100% more than online auction price) for the right records. The problem is that most record stores don’t seem to understand what makes jazz and classical releases desirable and don’t go to the necessary trouble to acquire those kinds of premium titles for their customers.
Here’s hoping that records stores start offering more quality and (far less) less quantity.
Hyde Park Records in Chicago used to be my go-to place for finds. I had a rapport with the owner, and he had a good eye, as well as a clientel that consisted of junkers who cleaned out estates on Chicago’s South Side. I was able to go behind the counter and dig through their most recent buys, and picked up a lot of great and rare records at that shop. The owner sold about three years ago to a guy from France, and I’m told the new owner sends all of the good stuff directly to Europe and specializes now inner pressings and CDs.. It’s really ashame when are cord shop closes, but even more of a shame when a record shop loses its soul.
A record, not are cord.. Stupid iPad.
Yes
It’s never been the same since the web, stores just
look up the item on popsike and lob it on the wall.
I used to the literally live in the Record and Tape Exchange in London, no categories just racks and racks of vinyl.
Hard work but when it happened, god it happened…Booom!!! Then Sitting on the Tube home reading the cover of your find.
That said now I love waiting for the postman with my brown record envelope anticipating with held breath the condition its actually in!! A real lottery…….
Dear Maartenkools,
This summer I´ll visit Armsterdam. Could you be so kind to tell me the records stores where I can find jazz on vinyl?
Thank’s
‘This summer I´ll visit Armsterdam”..Marmarosa,have a brownie on me(and I don’t mean Clifford)!
The owner’s name is Jay Cutler? It’s always sad to hear of a record store closing, but as a huge Bears fan, I don’t like to hear any sad news involving any Jay Cutler.
These record shops are downtown Amsterdam. With collector’s items I mean LPs worth $50 and up:
(best shop to get the “brownie” ;
La Tertulia Coffeeshop
Prinsengracht 312, Amsterdam, Nederland
two really nice “old” ladies help you in a perfectly friendly small shop. Nothing like the shops all the tourist go.
ELPEES:
Concerto Amsterdam
Utrechtsestraat 52-60
Amsterdam,The Netherlands
Tel: +31-206235228
Large shop. Also CDs(large collection!) /DVDs/books: New LPs audiophile, japanese pressings, second-hand jazz/rock/punk/pop/classical. Good store, some collector’s items.
Record-Palace
Weteringschans 33-A
1017 RV Amsterdam, The Netherlands
+31 20 6223904
Only secondhand and japanese/audiophile: Large store with rock/pop/jazz and collector’s items
RecordFriend
http://www.recordfriend.com
secondhand and new. Everyting from classical to punk and soul and jazz.
Sint Antonies-breestraat 64
1011 HB Amsterdam
+31-651643022
sWaxwell Records
Gasthuismolensteeg 6
1016 AN Amsterdam, The Netherlands
+31-206271600
Small shop only second-hand LPs. Pop/disco/soul/jazz. Lots of collector’s items in jazz and soul/disco
FLESCH Records
Noorderkerkstraat 16
1015 NB Amsterdam, The Netherlands
+31-206228185
Beautiful small shop with beautiful second-hand LPs. Avant garde/european/jazz/classical. Jazz collector’s items and maybe the largest collection of rare collector’s items regarding classical music in Europe. Knows almost anything on record/label history (and also sells biological fruit from his own land and restored hi-fi gear from the 50?s and 60?s) thursday till saturday
RECORDMANIA
Ferdinand- Bolstraat 30
1072 LT Amsterdam, The Netherlands
+31-206209912
Only second hand large store with rock/pop/jazz/latin/classical: Some collector’s items
Amstel Antiques
(Amstel Antiek)
Secondhand classical,jazz,60’s and 70’s music.
really large quantity of lp’s. Not so manny collector’s irems
Amstel 110
1017 AD Amsterdam
Second Life Music
Prinsengracht 366
Amsterdam
small shop, but sometimes really rare collectors items!
(opposite the former Public Library)
Open all week from 1 to 6
Selling and buying!
Swingmaster
Kruitlaan 21
9711 TW Groningen, The Netherlands
+31 50 3124020
This one is not in Amsterdam but in the city of Groningen (northern part of Holland) but they have a large collection of blues and jazz collector’s items. Specializes in old jazz and blues, also 78?s
De Zwarte Schijf (the black disc)
Hogestraat 13
4001 ET Tiel, The Netherlands
http://www.zwarteschijf.nl
Tel: +31 344-635333
This one is also not in Amsterdam but in the centre of Holland. They have about 50,000 78-RPM discs, jazz and classical
Thank you very much, maartenkools