DCist has an interesting round-table chat going.
Plight of local record stores
Interesting concept: Ask musicians why record stores in DC aren't working out.
I think I'd rather hear from the record store owners and other folks familiar with the business landscape in the area.
I think I'd rather hear from the record store owners and other folks familiar with the business landscape in the area.
If the record store owners had the right answers, wouldn't they be applying them?
Originally posted by vansmack:
Interesting concept: Ask musicians why record stores in DC aren't working out.
I think I'd rather hear from the record store owners and other folks familiar with the business landscape in the area.
Originally posted by Earl Blanton Jr., Late Model Champ:That is assuming that the problems have a solution.
If the record store owners had the right answers, wouldn't they be applying them?
Originally posted by Earl Blanton Jr., Late Model Champ:They don't have to be local record store owners.
If the record store owners had the right answers, wouldn't they be applying them?
Why not ask the guys at Amoeba why Amoeba can/cannot be recreated in DC? Now that I would read.©
I just copyrighted my idea so you lurkers at DCist must come up with your own idea. And try to make it a good one.
Look at Soundgarden. It is thriving in Baltimore so why not DC?
To rent commercial space the size of the Soundgarden in a DC neighborhood the equivalent of Fells Point (Adams-Morgan?) would be much more costly.
Originally posted by Sir HC:
Look at Soundgarden. It is thriving in Baltimore so why not DC?
Originally posted by Earl Blanton Jr., Late Model Champ:Right, because real estate in the Haight is so cheap. Have you seen the size of the Amoeba in SF?
To rent commercial space the size of the Soundgarden in a DC neighborhood the equivalent of Fells Point (Adams-Morgan?) would be much more costly.
It's doable if you can sell enough volume.
Originally posted by vansmack:
Originally posted by Earl Blanton Jr., Late Model Champ:They don't have to be local record store owners.
If the record store owners had the right answers, wouldn't they be applying them?
Why not ask the guys at Amoeba why Amoeba can/cannot be recreated in DC? Now that I would read.©
>>For Gods sake! Please quit mentioning Amoeba! It's gonna be till next spring or summer till I make it out to Cali and I get to spend countless hours in the Haight location! I'm chomping at the bit,man……
I just copyrighted my idea so you lurkers at DCist must come up with your own idea. And try to make it a good one.
Do they own the store or do the rent the property?
I wonder how much of Amoeba's sales are from out of towners? Hip, music loving types visit San Francisco for vacation and make a pilgrimage to Amoeba. Hip, music loving people generally don't vacation in DC; we get the fat flag wavers from Nebraska. For that matter, hip people in general don't move to DC.
I wonder how much of Amoeba's sales are from out of towners? Hip, music loving types visit San Francisco for vacation and make a pilgrimage to Amoeba. Hip, music loving people generally don't vacation in DC; we get the fat flag wavers from Nebraska. For that matter, hip people in general don't move to DC.
Originally posted by vansmack:
Originally posted by Earl Blanton Jr., Late Model Champ:Right, because real estate in the Haight is so cheap. Have you seen the size of the Amoeba in SF?
To rent commercial space the size of the Soundgarden in a DC neighborhood the equivalent of Fells Point (Adams-Morgan?) would be much more costly.
It's doable if you can sell enough volume.
Originally posted by Earl Blanton Jr., Late Model Champ:I don't know, why don't we ask them? But it goes back to my original point in this thread.
Do they own the store or do the rent the property?
I wonder how much of Amoeba's sales are from out of towners?
Why is DCist asking local musicians about a problem they likely know little about when they should be asking people who may have solutions to the problem?
Why do we have to go to SF to see a viable indie store to model? Plan 9 in Richmond and Charlottesville have succeeded in much less "hip" locales then DC.
Originally posted by Jonas Grumby:Sorry Jonas.
For Gods sake! Please quit mentioning Amoeba! It's gonna be till next spring or summer till I make it out to Cali and I get to spend countless hours in the Haight location! I'm chomping at the bit,man……
Reminds me of my next idea. Amoeba orders delivered to DC by yours truly….I'm not there yet, but I'm thinking about a way to make it work.
Originally posted by [username edited by p.c. moderator]:Because, as Rhett pointed out, the rent is comparable, and I'm guessing that's the biggest expense for any indie store in DC.
Why do we have to go to SF to see a viable indie store to model? Plan 9 in Richmond and Charlottesville have succeeded in much less "hip" locales then DC.
Well Charlottesville, with its student population, no doubt has a more voracious music buying public. I think that many people typically buy most of their cd's by the time that they are 25, and gradually lose interest in music and buying cd's.
Richmond? Again, I'm willing to wager they need not do a huge volume, ala Amoeba, because of low rents.
I bet Richmond Plan 9 does significantly less business than Soundgarden.
Richmond? Again, I'm willing to wager they need not do a huge volume, ala Amoeba, because of low rents.
I bet Richmond Plan 9 does significantly less business than Soundgarden.
Originally posted by [username edited by p.c. moderator]:
Why do we have to go to SF to see a viable indie store to model? Plan 9 in Richmond and Charlottesville have succeeded in much less "hip" locales then DC.
Judging by all the underprivileged punk kids sitting on Haight hassling me for spare change last week, I'm not sure the Haight is such a high-rent district.
there was a half a dozen good used/independant record stores in pittsburgh. severly less hip than dc, and no one visits there unless they were from there.
i don't buy the rent issue either. other expensive cities have nice record stores. i was really disappointed by the stores when i moved here
edit: there are alot of college kids in the area here too. no good record store in (for example) tenleytown. i'd go there every now and again
i don't buy the rent issue either. other expensive cities have nice record stores. i was really disappointed by the stores when i moved here
edit: there are alot of college kids in the area here too. no good record store in (for example) tenleytown. i'd go there every now and again
Hipster city slickers love shit like that. Makes them feel like their living the real gritty city life. Having those kids around won't hurt rent prices at all.
Originally posted by ggwâ?¢:
Judging by all the underprivileged punk kids sitting on Haight hassling me for spare change last week, I'm not sure the Haight is such a high-rent district.
Basically, what I'm saying is you either need:
1. Low Rents
2. Hip Population
You need not have both. You must have one. DC has neither.
1. Low Rents
2. Hip Population
You need not have both. You must have one. DC has neither.
Originally posted by god's shoeshine:
there was a half a dozen good used/independant record stores in pittsburgh. severly less hip than dc, and no one visits there unless they were from there.
i don't buy the rent issue either. other expensive cities have nice record stores. i was really disappointed by the stores when i moved here
edit: there are alot of college kids in the area here too. no good record store in (for example) tenleytown. i'd go there every now and again
boston has a comparable population and better record stores. quite high rent too