Now! Music and Fashion is closing

Originally posted by bellenseb:
So, if hypothetically, someone were to start up a new indie record store, what would your ideal one be? What range of stock, what type of atmosphere, layout, etc.

I hate CD & Game Exchange's set up – though it's awesome not to flip through CDs (a pet peeve, becuase of used CD shopping, is CDs without the artist or album title on the front…). However, having the display go to the floor makes for impolite kneeling and sitting on the floor….

Yeah, I guess like DCCD works for me. Most important thing about atmosphere is that the staff is friendly and helpful, not too hip to assist or make recommendations. That was DCCD's biggest problem in my opinion.

And I enjoy Olsson's staff recommendations with pretty detailed descriptions. I'll bet I buy one every other visit to Olsson's…

Less stock than DCCD? I swear, there were the same 10 CDs in Miscellaneous K for years. DCCD felt really -static-.

I'd like to see more used CDs and vinyl, create the feeling that digging around could net you a gem. More mags and zines, more offbeat DVDs. Write recommendation cards on new stuff and create the feeling that dedicated music lovers are picking and pushing the stock and are putting passion into the store.

A cross between Other Music and Atomic Books in Baltimore, say.

Franz Ferdinand is $11.99 at Olsson's. But it's selling out fast. I had to go to two stores to get it.

Jacqueline may be one of the greatest album-opening tracks of all time.

great heads up, ggw, thanks…

Okay…so before I walk over to the Dupont store, which stores did you visit?

Originally posted by ggwâ?¢:
Franz Ferdinand is $11.99 at Olsson's. But it's selling out fast. I had to go to two stores to get it.

Jacqueline may be one of the greatest album-opening tracks of all time.

more offbeat DVDs. Write recommendation cards on new stuff

Ollsons does a little of this but the point remains that its just very hard to make money on this - even if you stock offbeat DVDs the kind of people who will want them are probably obsessive fans who had them on preorder at amazon.com weeks ago and then you're stuck with an offbeat DVD noone wants

Originally posted by bellenseb:
So, if hypothetically, someone were to start up a new indie record store, what would your ideal one be?

I want one just like DCCD is now, non-existant, it is saving me loads of money, and I just order what I really want from the labels. Although if one opened again, I would probably be there fast.

Originally posted by Random Citizen:
Okay…so before I walk over to the Dupont store, which stores did you visit?

Rosslyn and Courthouse (Arlington). It couldn't hurt to call. Rosslyn had sold out of their three copies. Courthouse had eight, but I think I got the last one.

Called the Dupont store…they're out today, but will have copies tomorrow. I'm heading over as soon as they open.

Originally posted by Random Citizen:
Called the Dupont store…they're out today, but will have copies tomorrow. I'm heading over as soon as they open.

good to know. . .i was gonna head over there during lunch.

Originally posted by Random Citizen:
Called the Dupont store…they're out today, but will have copies tomorrow. I'm heading over as soon as they open.

'

Can't you reserve one with them? If you go as soon as they open it won't be out on the shelf, may not even be in the store if "Brown" hasn't delivered by then.

I did actually, but I figured others would want to know more copies were on the way.

Originally posted by mankie:
Can't you reserve one with them? If you go as soon as they open it won't be out on the shelf, may not even be in the store if "Brown" hasn't delivered by then.

I quite like CD Game Exchange.

There aren't really that many albums that come out that I like enough to pay full price for…maybe 10-15 per year…

But I like to discover new music and unearth underappreciated gems…and that's where the $1 racks at CD Game Exchange come in.


I just get something I've heard of and give it a try. If it's good, I've made a steal. If it's bad, I cell it at CDepot or Soundgarden or some out of town cd store for 3 or 4 bucks. Again, I've made a steal. If nobody wants the dam thing, I reckon CD Game Exchange would probably buy it back…they seem to be like Mikey, they'll take anything.

I wish CD/Game wouldn't stick those awful difficult-to-remove stickers on the cases. And the locked glass cases are a bummer, too (of course you need to deter theft but it seems like overkill if you have a detector, and I bet they lose sales from people who don't bother browsing those racks).

Love the dollar racks though. I found In The Aeroplane Over The Sea at a Cd/Game Exhange dollar rack way back.

Amen on the stickers. They're a bitch to get off.

Originally posted by bellenseb:
I wish CD/Game wouldn't stick those awful difficult-to-remove stickers on the cases. And the locked glass cases are a bummer, too (of course you need to deter theft but it seems like overkill if you have a detector, and I bet they lose sales from people who don't bother browsing those racks).

Love the dollar racks though. I found In The Aeroplane Over The Sea at a Cd/Game Exhange dollar rack way back.

Originally posted by bellenseb:
Love the dollar racks though. I found In The Aeroplane Over The Sea at a Cd/Game Exhange dollar rack way back.

Hmmm, maybe I need to go in and just check out the dollar racks….I tend to be compulsive when I record shop and go through every single rack…hence the 3 hour Amoeba trips.

I would prefer lots of choices of the Indie variety.

Also, if I'm making an afternoon/evening of it, I need a break. Create some listening stations in little café like areas so I can buy some over-priced coffee or something else to tide me over. Guess it wouldn't be a good idea to have food at the listening stations because of the food that some slobs would end up smearing all over everything. For that reason, stick an eatery over in some other nook. A tea salon would be nice.

Oh, and how can I forget!? Plenty of free parking!!!

I just figure the only way a new indie shop could survive in DC is to be like anAtomic Books with an added emphasis on new and used music. DCCD proved you probably can't do well selling just new indie CDs (and $9 Collective Soul used Cds). The key is diversity of stock.

The kind of things Atomic stocks, along with an indie/underground music specialty shop, are underserved niches in DC.

I think the thing with used CDs is that you have to have at least the shot at some really good bargains. So I end up buying a variety of priced CDs, but feel like I 'won' because I got a couple for $3, a couple for $4, and paid $8 or $9 for others. Hence the joy at the $1 CD & Game Exchange surprises. You never had that chance at DCCD….

Because it's an investment of time to go through racks and racks of used CDs, a couple well caught bargains will likely lead to a larger overall sale.

I find that Olsson's has a lot of indie/alternative stuff.

And Olsson's, although it's a "chain" is a small local chain. They seem to have a good selection of new CDs and they're really good about ordering things, too. Plus, I'm a book person so I like browsing their books.

I was thinking this weekend that I need to check out Revolution.