Perhaps that explains some of it. There's a long standing tradition of stores that cater to enthusiasts – I'm thinking Al's Magic Shop, and the Guitar Store on Connecticut Avenue – being dickish to casual customers, even though they help pay the rent. It's very much human nature to look down on rubes who don't share your passion and knowledge, but bad for business, and it doesn't fly anymore in this ferocious economy and era of internet competition.
Melody Records Closing Shop After 34 Years in Dupont Circle
Herr wrote:
Perhaps that explains some of it. There's a long standing tradition of stores that cater to enthusiasts – I'm thinking Al's Magic Shop, and the Guitar Store on Connecticut Avenue – being dickish to casual customers, even though they help pay the rent. It's very much human nature to look down on rubes who don't share your passion and knowledge, but bad for business, and it doesn't fly anymore in this ferocious economy and era of internet competition.
what a load of hooey!!!!!! i was not a "regular shopper" but went there for about 18 years buying the ocasional cd .. why not more? because i buy used vinyl mainly……they treated people nicely.. the times i had contact with them they were very nice… once they even gave me some stuff for my baby just cause they were nice.
melody was not a hi fidelity type record store with dickhead holier than thou record clerks..
the bottom line is all record stores whether they treat people well or not, whether they stock well or not, whether they price well or not are going under.. they all are going under… to try to "blame" the store is silly.. the reasons they are going under are 1) technology (i.e, people buying mp3s) 2) internet competition (no one can beat amazon or the labels directly..) and 3) the economy
they are all going under..even newbury up in new england may go under.. every day we read of a new one.. today it was some record store in st. louis that had been in business for 58 years..
the types of record stores that are surviving are essentially the ones selling used records…
in dc for example of the traditional record stores- tower, olssons, kemp mill- none have made it.
when i walk into a mall cd store, which yes, i still do when i am bored and go to a mall, they always almost fall over themselves with wanting to help people . . . almost as if they are blown away someone actually walked in, but i just wish their selections were as great as their staff, and i asked the last one i went into, you got jay reatard?, who?, uhmm, ok, i said, but they always have fun to look at interesting menageries of stuff, like when you are at a beach boardwalk staring at all the mesmerizing junk but not really buying anything. i like that. it makes me remember myself as a kid. neato.
Well, what can I say, your mileage can vary. All I know is the last time I went in there, probably 10 years ago, I wondered how they stayed in business, and then you've got lagas further back in the thread saying they didn't seem to want his business just a couple nights ago.
But yes, independent stores of all kinds are going under, not just record stores. It's actually an impressive feat that they managed to stay open as long as they did, somehow.
But yes, independent stores of all kinds are going under, not just record stores. It's actually an impressive feat that they managed to stay open as long as they did, somehow.
I had two of my albums in there and they only found one. I felt bad for those guys since they pushed a variety of stuff in there. Great store where I got a fix of indie hip hop, various DVD sets, and etc. at.