METAL SHOP?

It's always been my dream to own, manage, work in a record store. Same for a record label/distributor/agent/pr/whatever. Well, my career took a different route. And now that I have sold that biz and got out of the industry after 25 years, record stores barely exist any more.

So, I want to live vicariously through those of you that have had the opportunity to be in any part of the business side of the biz [not in a band or as a roadie, etc]. What are your coolest memories?

There was a really good radio show called Metal Shop. Sorry , thats all I got.

I think you'd get jaded real fast seeing the crap the majority of people actually like and buy...

Well, that would suck Lari. I have avoided being jaded up til now.... damn.

It is bad that good old record stores barely exist.

about 20 years ago there was a record shop called world records around here. It was owned and managed by an american metalhead who used to import all kind of metal music, clothing and accessories.

In mid 97 he was forced to close down, as a result of a pressure from the authorities.

I miss so much this store. Would have loved to own one like it one day.

on a similar note, I notice that some of these shops are still doing well in europe.

Metal shop is perfect for someone who does not have a suitable garage to work in. Setting up one of the many style steel shops is no big deal. These do not take a lot of work to get up and running.

Nothing personal but my cousin had a small record label, ran a zine and wrote for some of the bigger metal mags. Unfortunately most of his stories involve how much that world can shatter your dreams and leave you broke, so that's why he's now a postman!   

When I think of a record store, I think of the movie "High Fidelity". I think that sums up a lot of the record store personnel: Most of them indignant hipsters.

I worked at Cavages Records in Rochester for a while in the 80's. Really like working there, but the owner was one of the nastiest women I have ever met. She was rarely there but when she was there, she was just straight up mean. One of the woman that worked in the store got pregnant and would have been out during the holidays. The owner yelled at her, "I hope you lose that baby because I need you here during the holidays". Seriously! She was rich and did not like us peons, especially the two long haired guys that worked in the store (Me and a buddy of mine.)

The store was in the mall. There was a big scam where people from a bunch of different stores, including Cavages, were stealing credit card carbons and stealing the card information. It turned out the only two guys in the store NOT involved in the scandal were, yes you guessed it, the two long haired guys. Despite this, she still found a reason to fire me and the other guy a couple months later. Just downright nasty.

I've always wanted to have my own record store, though I know that would be ridiculous now. Perhaps if I win the lottery and have money to live on that doesn't require me making money off a record store...hmmmm...

deathisgain wrote:

When I think of a record store, I think of the movie "High Fidelity". I think that sums up a lot of the record store personnel: Most of them indignant hipsters.

Swap indignant hipsters for elitist, downright abusive punks and that was my favorite record shop in the late 80's. I actually saw them laugh in the face of some guy who dared to try and buy an Iron Maiden record!! I would frown on this behavior now, but at the time I thought that it was very funny (although I had been a huge maiden fan myself until about 18 months before this   )

ultmetal wrote:

I've always wanted to have my own record store, though I know that would be ridiculous now. Perhaps if I win the lottery and have money to live on that doesn't require me making money off a record store...hmmmm...

You could always sell contraband under the counter.

Eg. cuban cigars. Though it might be a little incongruous: "Look at all those hispanics going to that one heavy metal record store! Never knew metal was so popular down there..."

ultmetal wrote:

I've always wanted to have my own record store, though I know that would be ridiculous now. Perhaps if I win the lottery and have money to live on that doesn't require me making money off a record store...hmmmm...

Same here. If I hit the lottery, I am opening a record store and I don't care how much money I lose. I will stock it with all the stuff I like and listen to records all day long.

When I think of a record store, I think of the movie "Empire Records".

jeffhayden wrote:

Metal shop is perfect for someone who does not have a suitable garage to work in. Setting up one of the many style steel shops is no big deal. These do not take a lot of work to get up and running.

Ummmm....yeah, OK. Thanks for sharing. I think.

Same here, on the lottery-winning idea. I'd stock it with nothing but metal and rock, then when people came in looking for trendy crap, I'd tell them "No, sorry, we only have actual music." Haha...it would be so much fun turning the tables on the metal-haters. Immature? Yes...but fun, nonetheless. After all, I'd be independently wealthy, so I wouldn't care how immature people thought I was acting.

A college buddy and I used to daydream about opening a combination record store/comic book shop (creatively named "Rock N Comix")... if it had actually come to pass, we would've totally been like metal versions of Jack Black's character in High Fidelity ("Are you serious? Nobody likes that song! Do you even know your daughter? Oh, wait, I'm sorry... is she in a coma?")

I'd be fine with selling music besides rock/metal, because I do listen to other stuff myself like hip-hop/rap and pop.

Years back I used to shop at a used placed that was owned by this guy who was a dentist by trade.  Being in my family's own business at the time I always thought I might want to open up a similar used shop.  Getting to know this dentist guy and picking his brain on his operation quickly dispensed me of any of those ideas.  Basically he poured every resource he had into the place (and this was even with a sweetheart deal of a lease).  It took him almost ten years to start being modestly profitable (he survived the opening of a local Tower) but that all went down the drain with Napster and such.  

Even with a viable business model I still think I'd stay clear of going into selling music.  It comes from this conversation I've heard multiple times over the year in record stores -
Customer: I'm looking for this song.
Clerk : Do you know the artist?
Customer: No.  But I heard it on the radio.
Clerk: Do you know the name of the song?
Customer: No.  But it was on the radio.  And I heard it.
Clerk : Hmmm, no idea who it may be by or what the title might be?
Customer: Well no, but it is on the radio.  And I really liked it.  Don't you sell songs on the radio here?  I really want to get this song.

jstate wrote:

Years back I used to shop at a used placed that was owned by this guy who was a dentist by trade.  Being in my family's own business at the time I always thought I might want to open up a similar used shop.  Getting to know this dentist guy and picking his brain on his operation quickly dispensed me of any of those ideas.  Basically he poured every resource he had into the place (and this was even with a sweetheart deal of a lease).  It took him almost ten years to start being modestly profitable (he survived the opening of a local Tower) but that all went down the drain with Napster and such.  

Even with a viable business model I still think I'd stay clear of going into selling music.  It comes from this conversation I've heard multiple times over the year in record stores -
Customer: I'm looking for this song.
Clerk : Do you know the artist?
Customer: No.  But I heard it on the radio.
Clerk: Do you know the name of the song?
Customer: No.  But it was on the radio.  And I heard it.
Clerk : Hmmm, no idea who it may be by or what the title might be?
Customer: Well no, but it is on the radio.  And I really liked it.  Don't you sell songs on the radio here?  I really want to get this song.

I heard those kind of conversations at the used CD store I use to frequent. That store owner had more patience than me, I'd end up blowing up at those people.