#thecasbah

Vinyl Junkies - San Diego, California

Thanks to @vitacon69 for nominating @wearevinyljunkies as their favorite local, independently own record store! I’m eager to tell you all about them too! Vinyl Junkies is a San Diego record store with a rabid following and I can see why after hearing from some of ya’ll and then from Eric himself! Eric teamed up with Tim, the owner of the famous The Casbah venue and together they’ve created a unique store with incredible records, adoring customers who swear by their inventory, and hordes of music lovers who turn up to watch amazing live performances from local and touring musicians alike. I got to pick Eric’s brain about the shop and you’ll find his answers below. Now finish reading and get down to Vinyl Junkies and tell em VINYLEXAMS sent ya!

Here’s the nitty gritty:

2235 Fern St, San Diego, CA 92104

http://vinyljunkies.net/

Email: [email protected]

Phone: 619-794-2399

Monday 11AM–8PM Tuesday 11AM–8PM Wednesday 11AM–8PM Thursday 11AM–10PM Friday 11AM–10PM Saturday 10AM–10PM Sunday 10AM–7PM

We are located across the street from a great indie/neighborhood bar called The Whistle Stop.  So we stay open late a few times a week since there are events every night with bands, DJs, etc.  It’s great for customers to be able to grab a beer there and then do some records shopping.

And here’s the interview:

Does your shop specialize in any specific genres of music?

We are not a large store, but we are a very well curated store.  We carry most all genres and you will find the best in those genres in our racks, both new and used.  Everything from Soul/Funk, Punk/Indie, Psych/Garage, Hip Hop, International music from African fuzz psych to Turkish funk and everywhere in between, Metal, Electronic, Blues…you get the idea!

Does your shop have any interesting policies or special values for repeat customers?

We have something we’ll be unveiling soon but generally, we hook up customers who are spending a bunch with cool Vinyl Junkies stuff like slip mats, tote bags, shirts, etc.  But beyond that, one of the big perks of shopping at Vinyl Junkies is that we throw parties with bands and DJs on a regular basis.  We also have a back patio area that’s decked out with tiki furniture so our shop is readymade for entertaining and giving people a great environment to hang out with friends surrounded by music. 

If you had to estimate, about how much of your inventory is used vs new?

Not sure…maybe 50/50.

What do YOU think makes your shop special?

I’d like to think that when someone walks into the store, they will recognize that there’s been a lot of thought put into the shop’s environment and in the curation of the records that we carry.  We have vintage mid century modern furniture and lighting throughout and a back patio area with tiki furniture to lounge on providing a comfortable place to hang out.  We also have a shop dog named Buddy.  And while we’re not a big store, every record we carry is there for a reason. It’s quality vs quantity and we hear that being recognized by customers regularly.  We also have our Diggers Den that’s a separate area that is nothing but $3 & $5 records and 45s.  So people can get lost in the Den for hours digging through lots of quality bargains.My business partner Tim Mays owns the main rock club in town (The Casbah) and has been the primary promoter in town since 1981, putting on legendary punk shows as well as being the spot for bands like Nirvana and White Stripes to perform at in San Diego on their way to bigger things.  Between Tim’s experience and my own as a concert promoter and owning my former record shop, we have the relationships to do some cool things with instore performances and make the Vinyl Junkies Record Shack more than just a store, but also a vehicle for some amazing community experiences.  That’s something that we put a lot of effort into that differentiates us from other shops and carves out our unique niche.  With that said, we have lots of rare records and reissues, plus new releases in all different genres.  So hopefully anyone walking through the doors will find something that they appreciate about what we’re doing.

Have you won any awards for the shop (think local best-of’s, reader polls, etc.!)

We’ve only just reached our first year in operation so not a lot of time to win awards yet.  However, in that short time, we’ve already been nominated for several so who knows what the future will bring.  I won more awards than I can remember at my previous shop before I sold it. It’s always nice to be recognized, but I’m really not too concerned about that.  We just do our thing and try to make the best shop we can for our customers.

What makes running a record store fun and exciting for you?

There’s a lot.  I enjoy learning about new records I haven’t heard.  I’ve been involved in the business since 2001 and everyday I get turned on to some amazing record I haven’t heard before.  Whether it’s an Italian library record that’s nearly impossible to find as an original or a rare funk record that’s under the radar, getting turned on to incredible recordings will always be a big part of the joy in owning a record store for me.  And like I’ve mentioned, the experiences that we create through our instores, DJ events, and parties are a big part of the fun for me.  Seeing people come together around music will never get old.

What is your most prized record?/Have you finally snagged your ultimate “white whale” yet?

I don’t really have a white whale record in the usual sense.  I suppose someday I’d love to get my hands on the Nirvana “Love Buzz” 7”.  But my most prized records are usually ones that remind me of some special moments I’ve had in the past with my former record store that I owned for several years in San Diego before I sold it (it’s still around and one of the main shops in town).  We had bands perform at the shop constantly so having the likes of Spiritualized, Nada Surf, Public Enemy, Minutemen (signing), Swervedriver/Ride/Catherine Wheel (frontmen performing solo acoustic), Mondo Generator (Nick from Queens of the Stone Age), Jay Reatard, Black Lips, etc. come by the store allowed us to have some rad memories that I have memorialized by autographed records I have in my collection.  It’s always fun to pull an album out and have those signatures take you right back to that moment.  For me, Vinyl Junkies is more about making unforgettable experiences for people seeing their favorite bands or enjoying the communal aspect of music with friends new and old.  Having rare records in your collection is cool.  But if that’s the main focus, I think it loses a bit of the bigger picture of what impact music makes on our lives every day.  So we try to bridge that gap with both the rare LPs and the community. 

What is the one record that got away from you?