Jump Jump Music

Jump Jump Music sits on NE Prescott in Portland, Oregon. Dan Berkman keeps plenty of the lower-priced and harder-to-describe records off Discogs and in the bins, which means the shop still rewards people who show up ready to dig.

Interview with Jump Jump Music

Dan, you list about a third of the store on Discogs - how do you decide what goes online versus what stays in the bins for people to find in person?

I have thediscog store in the binsfor people to find too! I try not to list records for less than $15 on discogs. That means lots of great records in the less than $15 range are in the store only. Discogs has so many variations of something like Dark Side Of The Moon it is just not worth the time to track down the right one, so in the bins it goes. Any strange blemish on the cover or vinyl that is tricky to describe goes in the bins. Often those blemishes are only superficial.

You'll travel out to look at collections that can't easily come to you - what makes a house call worth the trip?

Often it is not worth the trip. The thing is you have to kiss a lot of frogs to find a prince. People have no idea what they have. They will say they have 78s, when in reality they have lps or 45s. They do not know. They say they have thousands when in reality they barely a hundred. They do not know. They say it is soul when it is jazz. They do not know. So you get in the car (or plane) and check it out. Maybe a frog, maybe a prince.

How would you describe the "diverse collection" at Jump Jump - what runs deeper here than a first-time visitor might expect?

In terms of diverse I am always stocking oddball stuff. Mostly stuff onone else wants. But if someone is willing to dig, and take a chance, there are gems. Iam very fussy about condition. People might not realize unless they are buying and taking home. I have 12" singles and soundtracks and other stuff on shelves library style. Hard to look through. Again, if someone is willing to dig they can find gems.

NE Prescott is a bit off the main drag; who finds their way to you - neighborhood regulars, diggers, people who found you on Discogs?

In the olden days neighborhood regulars were mostly crack heads. A lot of "I did not know there were still record stores" and "Do you have Cheech and Chong with the rolling paper?". Now there are lots of young people with record players living in the neighborhood, so walkins are good customers now. Mostly I get people who make the effort to come here because they know they will find something they want. Also discogs. I get a surprising amount of local pickups from people who find me on discogs.

When someone brings a collection in, how do you walk them through what you can do for it?

Iam a little more methodical than some other buyers in some other shops. Itake time checking condition and will look up something I amunfamiliar with. I let the owner know what I can use, what I can pay for it. Ialsogive them suggestions for selling or donating what I do not want.

What's the most surprising or valuable record that's come through the door in a collection?

The guy who used to wash my windows brought me his sister's records. There was anunpeeled Beatles Butcher cover. I got a nice little bossa nova collection from a woman whose parents had been missionariesin Brazil. The most valuable records people have walked through the door with have tended to be 45s like Atilla Mojo Cools or Northern Soul like The Moments on Hog.

Roughly what does a common record fetch versus something rare you're genuinely glad to see?

I am genuinely glad to see it all. If I can use arecord it is worth atleast $2 to me. If a record is going to bring big $$$$ I will often offer to broker it for the owner so they get a little more money if they are willing to wait a while.

Do you buy 45s and 78s, and does the same house-call approach apply to those?

Yes, I buy 78s and 45s. Like I said, people do not know the difference between a 78 and anlp. So I will make housecalls forit all. Sometimes I have themtext me pictures, but often the pictures are worthless.

Should sellers clean records before bringing them in, or leave that to you - and what condition problems kill a record's value fastest?

Not toomany people clean records first. And that is a good thing for me, I want to clean themmyself. Lots and lots of people go through the work of cataloging their records before selling. I do notwant to see theirlist, I want tosee the records. I feel bad thatthey went through all that trouble. Scratches I can feel are a deal breaker on all but the rarest most in demand records. Finding a Beatles record that is scratched is easy. The ones I sell do not have feelable scratches. Those are muchharder tofind.

What do people most often misjudge about what their collection is worth?

The worst is looking at asking prices on ebay. Those are not a reflection of actual sale prices. So much goes into determining a record's value; pressing, condition, inner sleeve... Some people think I am going to buy forthe same price I sell for. Truthfully, people get mad that I am giving them $10 but I am going to sell for $20. But, most people are happily surprised by how much I am willing to pay.

Last updated: 2026-08-03

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