The Record Shop

The Record Shop in Phoenixville, Pennsylvania, stocks approximately 4,000–5,000 new and used LPs, plus used CDs. Each used record is cleaned and inspected before sale.

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Interview with The Record Shop

Curt, The Record Shop has become the kind of place customers describe as "the first person I met at your opening" and "shipped my record to NYC within 24 hours." What's the origin story, and how did the shop end up with that level of loyalty in Phoenixville?

To be honest, I don't know if there is an origin story to go along with this question. I worked in a record shop through the 80s into the 90s and it was amazing—the best job I ever had. We had regular customers that became more like close friends and family. That shop focused on the experience.

Customer service was key to success. That time period carried through until I retired and opened our shop. I find it's easier to be nice and make folks happy so they enjoy the experience as much as we do. We like to think that we offer a high level of customer service by providing services that meet our patrons' needs.

Phoenixville has genuinely turned into a downtown destination — arts, food, BlobFest, and a couple of record shops. What role does The Record Shop play in that downtown, and who's walking through the door: Phoenixville locals, Philly folks making the drive, both?

Phoenixville has come a long way over the last 30 years. There is so much to see and do here in town, there is literally something for everyone. PXV has great eateries, breweries and varied retail as well as great community events that run throughout the year. We see many regular faces that live locally.

Collectors of all ages, all formats and genres. We also see many out-of-town visitors from nearby areas who enjoy city-style entertainment but prefer a more local experience.

You've been open about the fact that there's another great shop, Matone's in Collegeville, not far away — with 8-10,000 records to your 4-5,000. That kind of honest referral is unusual. What's the thinking behind pointing people toward another shop, and how do the two of you actually complement each other?

I have always felt that record shops are a community not a rivalry. I have known Adam since his shop opened in Collegeville. It is impossible for one shop to have everything.

Adam and I will often check if the other has a title that a customer is looking for when we don't have one in stock. We also check pricing on certain titles so we aren't pitting one shop against the other. People remember small gestures and I believe that both of our customers appreciate that we support each other when needed. The day our shop opened Adam gave me a call and asked what he could do for me that day. I never forgot about that gesture.

When somebody walks in with a box of records to sell, what makes a collection an easy yes for you in the first thirty seconds — the tell-tales you look for before you've even started pricing?

You can easily assess a collection by the condition of the outer sleeves. Genre, era and condition all factor into our decision to buy the lot.

We check the condition of the vinyl and the sleeve for every record. Sometimes we buy everything; other times we may only buy a portion of the collection. It truly takes about 15 minutes to decide if we are going to take the deep dive or simply thanks, but no thanks.

Every used record you sell has been cleaned and inspected before it goes out — that's real time on every piece of stock. Why has that mattered enough to be non-negotiable, and does it change what a seller should (or shouldn't) do to records before bringing them in?

I have been collecting records since I was a kid. I hit shops everywhere I go and whenever I can. Through the years I have seen really clean records and ones that are simply destroyed. We clean every single record we sell, be it a dollar bin title or a rare grail. We treat each record like we are going to add it to our collection.

Each record gets ultrasonic cleaned, new inner sleeve and resealable outer sleeve. That standard takes time and effort to keep the bins stocked but we believe it to be totally worth it.

Pennsylvania has humid summers, cold winters, and lots of basement-storage collections. What condition damage do you see most in the Philly-suburbs collections, and what would you tell a seller to do differently going forward?

Basements and attics are a record collection’s enemy. Dampness, excessive heat and improper shelving can cause damage that simply cannot be reversed. We see a lot of great collections that are ruined due to not considering where they are stored over long periods.

When customers mention that they are just starting a collection, many ask good questions about keeping them clean and how to store them. We make recommendations so that they can enjoy a lifetime of music. Records are like your teeth, take care of them and they both will last a lifetime.

In-store performances are part of what customers mention about The Record Shop — intimate, small-room shows. What's the moment or the show that best captures what you were building when you opened the room to live music?

Music brings people together. It is communal, a sacred ritual that can heal one’s soul, bring great joy to the moment or mend a broken heart. We began live, in-store events a few months after we opened and try to book as many artists often. During the summer we put bands out in the street in front of the shop.

Something about a random band in the street gets folks’ attention and they come hang with us for a few hours to live in the moment.

We have hosted Tucked In (local Phoenixville Indie-Folk band) for each release since we opened. They bring a great fan base, play incredible music and these events make people happy. This is why we do what we do.

Running a shop that's genuinely become a family-run downtown fixture — with a real reputation for honest dealing and quality — didn't happen by accident. For someone thinking about opening a small, curated, family-run record shop today, what did you learn early on that you wish someone had told you?

Cleaning records is a process if you do it right!!!!!

Hand cleaning records is a massive undertaking that we gave up in the first month or so. Labor intensive and often insufficient (as well as being a full-time job!!!) and there has to be a better way. Adam pointed us in the right direction and everything changed with faster processing and significantly better outcomes.

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Last updated: 2026-10-18

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