How To Start A Record Store?

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So, Let's say I'm getting "ambicious" and want to put on my own Bussiness, let's say I'm crazy and want to invest in the decadent biz of selling records.

Let's say that I'd like to own a small record store that can sell used and new albums, some dvd's, ovciously some t-shirts and some accesories but when it comes to the albums I wouldn't know where to start.

Should I go and buy a bunch of used albums at Amoeba?

Hoy many albums should I have to start this?

How do I contact the record labels for this and how many albums should i buy from them? How does that work?

― elgolfo (elgolfo), Monday, 20 March 2006 04:34 (twenty years ago)

You should begin with one (1) spell checker

― Jimmy Mod: GRILL ENSPEKTOR (The Famous Jimmy Mod), Monday, 20 March 2006 04:39 (twenty years ago)

Honestly I would strongly suggest against it. Good record stores that have been around for ages are closing every day, and unless you have a lot of capital, a good business plan, and people who really know how to manage / run a store, it's a recipe for losses for at least the first year and probably the first three.

I was talking with the guy who used to own DBA Brown's in Oakland and I asked him why he was closing the store, and he said he was just tired of making $10/hour.

You probably need about $100,000 just to get the ball rolling.

― polyphonic (polyphonic), Monday, 20 March 2006 04:43 (twenty years ago)

Also, there's nothing decadent about running a record store. At all.

― polyphonic (polyphonic), Monday, 20 March 2006 04:44 (twenty years ago)

Why, did your typewriter-ribbon store go under?

― joseph cotten (joseph cotten), Monday, 20 March 2006 04:47 (twenty years ago)

ambicious!

i'd like to build a recording studio/unmanned b&b at the windiest spot on the west coast. made of concrete, but open and homey. people would come to record and just to stay. i could live upstairs. fandango would occassionally stay there. there would be a great dock and boat and alot of night-time activity.

― Susan Douglas (Susan Douglas), Monday, 20 March 2006 04:50 (twenty years ago)

That sounds delitious.

― joseph cotten (joseph cotten), Monday, 20 March 2006 04:51 (twenty years ago)

i know!!!

― Susan Douglas (Susan Douglas), Monday, 20 March 2006 04:53 (twenty years ago)

Just do it on eBay. That's where all the record buying/selling is going to end up eventually.

― musically (musically), Monday, 20 March 2006 05:21 (twenty years ago)

yeah it's a dream for me too...but alas one that is obviously a silly move these days

even a cd store is a bad move these days...can't imagine there will be that many around in 10 years

and vinyl...shit even Jamaica's finally going CD

― grapple (grapple), Monday, 20 March 2006 05:25 (twenty years ago)

http://static.flickr.com/46/115235682_05a75a49a8.jpg
just start buying stuff till u run out of money..then start selling stuff till u replace what yu spent..it takes about 50 yrs

― dan bunnybrain (dan bunnybrain), Monday, 20 March 2006 11:47 (twenty years ago)

would you mind running a swiffer over that jug band album? the dust and mold is kinda bumming me out.

― scott seward (scott seward), Monday, 20 March 2006 12:02 (twenty years ago)

its actually a reflection off th near mint shrink u pollyanna

― dan bunnybrain (dan bunnybrain), Monday, 20 March 2006 12:03 (twenty years ago)

Start a retail chain of ten million fucking outlets and put in shit that nobody over the age of fifteen wants to listen.

Otherwise, don't cross tha white lines.

― ESTEBAN BUTTEZ~!!! (ESTEBAN BUTTEZ~!!!), Monday, 20 March 2006 12:15 (twenty years ago)

http://www.zalma.com/MONEY_BURNING.jpg

― brg30 (brg30), Monday, 20 March 2006 14:13 (twenty years ago)

you would probably want to spend several months crashing the estate sales and yard sales and just buy boxes and boxes of records, and then kind of stay on top of that after you open. and i think location is important too

― corey c (shock of daylight), Monday, 20 March 2006 21:27 (twenty years ago)

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