Sanford, ME | Bull Moose’s Sanford store to close in early 2023. What to know about their next location: After 25 years of being a source of music, movies and more for fans of mainstream and alternative entertainment, Bull Moose is closing its Sanford store and relocating to Biddeford. The company announced on Dec. 15 that it will be leaving the Center for Shopping on Route 109 in South Sanford and will be moving into the space previously occupied by Nubble Books at Biddeford Crossing on Route 111 in early 2023. Bull Moose President Shawn Nichols said he and his company are “thrilled to be part of the Biddeford revitalization.” “It’s a vibrant community in which Bull Moose can continue to foster our commitment to the arts and to the community,” Nichols said. Bull Moose opened its Sanford location, the smallest in its 11-store chain in Maine and New Hampshire, in 1997.
Lichfield, UK | New vinyl record shop opens in Lichfield: It will sell a range of records, CDs and cassettes. A new vinyl record shop has opened in Lichfield. Stylus Records is selling new and used vinyl, CDs and cassette tapes at its shop in Minster Pool Walk after taking a five-year lease on a retail unit. The record shop is based in a 647sq ft former yoga studio just off the pedestrianised Bird Street in the city centre. It overlooks the Minster Pool and the cathedral beyond. The arrival of Stylus Records in Lichfield has been received extremely positively according to commercial property consultants Burley Browne. Now the owner has big plans for the year ahead. Owner of Stylus Records Tim Balderstone said: “I have been looking for the right space for my business for some time, and when David contacted me to advise me of this opportunity, I knew that with a little bespoke TLC it was perfect for my dreams of opening a record shop in Lichfield.”
Avondale, IL | Bric-A-Brac T-Shirt Fundraiser Will Support Avondale Record Shop’s Rebuild After Burst Pipe: Bric-a-Brac’s owners have teamed up with local artist Ryan Duggan on a T-shirt fundraiser. Shirts cost $25 and are now available for pre-order. Neighbors looking to help Bric-a-Brac recover from a burst pipe flood that destroyed thousands of the Avondale shop’s records can do so by buying a special-edition T-shirt or two. Bric-a-Brac’s owners have teamed up with local artist Ryan Duggan on a T-shirt fundraiser. Duggan’s “wet from above” shirts each cost $25 and are now available for pre-order. T-shirt sales will go toward rebuilding Bric-a-Brac, which suffered damage and lost cherished inventory when a frozen pipe burst in the ceiling of the record shop on Christmas. At least 3,000 records were destroyed in the flood, along with other inventory such as books and VHS tapes, said co-owner Nick Mayor, who runs the record and collectibles shop with his wife, Jen Lemasters. Mayor said they’re especially heartbroken over the loss of the shop’s entire soundtrack collection…
Belmar, NJ | Drop Local Receipts at Lofidelic Records for the chance to win Beach Badges: Drop off receipts between Jan. 3 and Jan. 8. Since November 25, TAPinto has been sponsoring a “Shop Local for the Holidays” campaign, and giving away seasonal Belmar beach badges. Beach badges will be awarded to the three people who supported the most Belmar & Lake Como businesses between November 25 and December 24 2022. The winners are chosen by the number of receipts they have, not the total amount of money that they spend. One receipt is permitted for each store. Lofidelic Records, the vintage record shop, will be collecting the receipts between January 3 to January 8. Lofidelic Records just opened their brand new location at 905 Main Street, Belmar, and the receipts should be dropped off on one of those days between 11 a.m. and 6 p.m. Complete and attach the “Shop Local for the Holidays” form when you drop off your receipts in a sealed envelope. Ensure that the receipts are paper. First Place will receive four seasonal beach badges; Second Place will receive three seasonal beach badges; and Third Place will receive two seasonal beach badges.
Reading, UK | All the record shops we miss in Reading including store where Ricky Gervais bought his first-ever vinyl: Back in the 1970s and 80s it was possible to go into a record shop and listen to a vinyl in a sound-proof booth. Reading town centre is host to an array of different shops and restaurants. The Oracle Shopping Centre is the go-to spot for clothes and gift shopping, whilst Broad Street Mall offers budget-friendly items and coffee shops. Back in the 1970s and 80s the town centre looked very different to how it is today. There was one type of shop that dominated the high street. Record stores were everywhere and vinyl was all the rage. It was the best way to listen to your favourite band and some shops even had soundproof booths where you could sit back, relax and put on some tunes. Ricky Gervais grew up in Reading and used to go into town just to visit the vinyl shops. The Office star lived on an estate in Whitley and bought his first-ever record in the Butts Centre (now known as Broad Street Mall).
Bozeman, MT | Bozeman record shop will open new location in 2023: A local record store in Bozeman is celebrating the new year with a new location downtown. The Wax Museum, an independent record store in Bozeman, first opened in April 2020 off of N. Rouse Ave. The small shop contains a treasure trove of new and used records and is owned and operated by longtime Bozeman resident, Kels Koch. Koch has been around records his entire life. He grew up in Billings and has worked in used record stores in Seattle (1990-92), Austin (1992-97), and Nashville (1998-2013). He also spent a year working at a vinyl pressing plant prior to moving back to Montana. He’s the lead singer and guitarist for Million Sellers, a garage punk/rockabilly band that occasionally performs around town. He also hosts Shake Appeal on Tuesdays from 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. on KGLT. If you have questions about a particular record or pressing, Koch most likely knows the answer. He’s Bozeman’s vinyl record guru.
West Allis, WI | ‘A universal language’: West Allis record store is a time capsule of music’s history: On the corner of 71st St. and Greenfield Ave. sits a time capsule of music’s history. With over 7,000 vinyl albums and 50 years in the community, Record Head has cemented its place as a West Allis staple. The business opened in 1972 and since then, has expanded as Wisconsin’s longest tenured and independently owned record store, according to manager William Sanders. “Our vinyl offerings have exploded as more people have wanted to buy it. 2020 and 2021 were the first years that vinyl has outsold CDs since CDs have come out,” Sanders said. “The industry has evolved to more modern times but ultimately, you look at a vinyl record. There’s nothing that’s so consistent in a form of a media form ever.” Inside of the store, you can find pretty much any artist or genre that you could want. “We cater to all of the different genres, all of the different types of music. If you like heavy metal, if you like the Spice Girls, if you like rap music, if you like classic rock like the Beatles and Pink Floyd, we carry the whole gamut…”
Brisbane, AU | A Lesson In Pop Culture From Brisbane’s Newest Vinyl Safe Haven ‘Glitter Records.’ “I just thought – deep breath – I’m going to try this in real life.” …Glitter Records is a specialty store mainly selling vinyl with a few pop culture items thrown in for good measure. Originally founded online by owner Riley Fitzgerald in 2020, it quickly morphed into a space where music lovers could go to find that perfect record they had been searching for or just a place to find like-minded music lovers. Noticing the demand, Fitzgerald decided to explore the record world more. “I think it just started as a confidence thing. I thought I’d test the waters online first because I’m just a big music fan, and over the last six years, occasionally, I’ve bought and sold a record online. It really just built from there. I started a Depop, and I just started thinking about it from more of a business perspective, and the response we got was just so positive, I just thought, ‘Okay, I’ll just keep growing it.’
Greenville, NC | Vinyl record fans crowd Greenville Convention Center: On December 18th, fans of the classics gathered at the Greenville Convention Center to view and buy old school vinyl records and retro items. The ballroom at the convention center was a classic music lovers paradise. The event also allowed the community to come together to support the small businesses by showing off their vinyl record collections. People of all ages were able to browse the thousands of vinyl records on display. For vendors like Richard Patterson, the event was a way to reach out to the community. “Well our interest was…we’re locally based so it was something we could do in our own backyard basically you know and meet a new demographic of fandom.”
