Back To The Vinyl

Back To The Vinyl in Waupaca grew from Marty and Jennifer’s long-running love of music and a habit of looking at empty downtown buildings and imagining a record store. The shop now buys and sells across rock, country, soundtracks, jazz, blues, and the harder-edged genres its central Wisconsin customers reach for most.

Interview with Back To The Vinyl

Back To The Vinyl is run by Marty and Jennifer in Waupaca, open every day of the week. How did the two of you come to open the shop?

We’ve always loved music, and Marty in particular had been talking for years about opening a business of some kind. As we’d walk downtown Waupaca we’d look at the empty buildings and he’d say “That would make a good record store.” Well a small building opened up one day and it started us on the road to making it happen.

You're looking for all kinds of rock from the 50s on, country artists like Dolly Parton and George Strait, soundtracks, jazz, and blues. How did that buying focus take shape?

In the beginning, we were buying anything we could find, but it became clear pretty quickly what people were most interested in. We had to limit what we would take in because we were running out of space.

You pay a little more in store credit than cash, and quantity factors in. Do most sellers take the credit?

I would say it’s about half and half for who takes cash and who takes credit. There are two types of sellers—those getting out of the game entirely (including people that inherit their relatives’ records) and those that are getting rid of stuff they don’t listen to anymore to fund new vinyl.

You have people drop a collection off so you can look through it and make an offer. What makes a collection an easy yes?

Collections are an easy yes if the vinyl is in great shape. Even if the cases are a little worse for wear, it’s easy to sell a clean record.

What do your central Wisconsin customers reach for most?

We thought our customers would be looking for more country, but we sell a lot of hard rock, metal, hip hop, alternative, and pop.

What comes through in local collections that surprises you?

We love when we find albums in collections that still have all the little extras: posters, lyric sheets, and even hype stickers from local stores that aren’t around anymore. Occasionally we’ll find foreign presses from people who served overseas which is also fun.

What condition issues come up most in Wisconsin basement collections?

Main condition issues we see are water damage and scratches. Water damage can be fixed, but scratched records are tough.

First visit to Back To The Vinyl — what should someone dig through first?

I’d say when you come in, go through our “Just in” section. It’s records we’ve just picked up in collections that we’ve cleaned and priced, but not sorted out into the store yet. You’ll see a big variety and it may spark a memory of something else you’ve been looking for.

FAQ

Does Back To The Vinyl buy collections?

Yes. The shop buys collections and may have sellers drop them off so staff can look through them and make an offer.

Do sellers usually take cash or store credit?

Jennifer says it is about half and half between sellers who take cash and sellers who take credit.

What condition issues hurt records most?

Scratches are especially tough. Water damage is also common, though some water damage can be fixed.

Last updated: 2026-08-20

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