Traffic Records

Traffic Records sits one block east of Highway 101 in Atascadero, halfway between the big poles of San Francisco and Los Angeles. The shop's owner describes it as both a neighborhood record store and a destination for people who already know the Central Coast route.

The store is used-record driven, intentionally curated, and broader than its small-town setting might suggest: jazz, soul, funk, classic country, Bay Area psych, classic rock, rap, and whatever strong collections the region turns up next.

Interview with Traffic Records

Atascadero puts you right in the Central Coast flow — locals on one side, people passing through on the other. How does that shape the shop?

This is a really great question to start with. Atascadero isn’t really known for tourism, which is great in some ways. Although close to tourist hotspots like Paso Robles, it’s been more like IYKYK. The 101 Fwy is part of our identity too. Growing up in LA, the 101 has always held symbolism, and I don’t take for granted we are 1 block east of it. What it comes down to is record folks are our people, so it’s been great to create a space halfway between SF and LA that is for some a destination and for others, their neighborhood record store. I think the identity of the store really leans into that and on any given day, spending time inside for just a little bit, you can see why. I’ll call it a sense of hometown privilege that benefits from a much larger national/international culture. Names for us are just as important as faces. We know “regulars” who travel hundreds of miles to see us, and we of course know our neighbors. Relationships are a big piece of it. Name something other than a record store that can execute such balance. It really is a privilege and honestly, quite beautiful.

Who makes the stop — SLO and Paso regulars, road-trippers, collectors treating it as a destination?

This harkens a bit to the previous question but it’s a moving target. I never realized that until recently. I started a small business in an even smaller town and assumed we’d have small town support like your corner market or a neighborhood bar. That vision has certainly come true and reflects our overwhelming customer base, however…the destination folks have let us know we are on the map. Other than mailing lps across the country, I had no idea this little shop was so important to so many. It’s humbling, inspiring, beautiful and scary all at once. You feel this weird sense of gravitas that a fruit stand might feel like on a culinary tour guide. It’s unexpected but then you worry, that you may not live up or that someday, you might even disappoint. We love our customers and want everyone to feel seen, heard, respected, valued and dare I say it LOVED!

What sells best in your stretch of the Central Coast?

If I had to guess, I’d like to say our store is really known for curating great jazz, soul, funk and of course the neo/modern soul movement. Influences from Blue Note to Daptone records have shaped the store, unbeknownst to our guests. Yet, we are in a very rural, mostly white America community and geographically this is significant. I don’t think people pay much attention to geography when it comes to records. I wish we were The South, cause we’da found some crazy ish if so. However, classic rock, bay area psych, and of course classic country run deep here. Merle Haggard forged his career 65 miles away and Neil Young of course, famously chose our store to as his only stopping point for autographs in 2023. So I guess I just answered my own question. We are eclectic as hell, because if I had to choose only one genre we would sell forever, it might be rap.

Are there California scenes or local artists that show up in your bins more than people would expect?

Hmmmm. We get a lot of classic rock and 60’s psych. I imagine most record stores between SF and LA have similar patterns. Again it goes back to geography. Our placement really couldn’t be much better in that respect. The nice thing about Traffic Records is that we truly are the only thing in town. It’s really quite amazing. We get so many original press records and lots of genres people are actually looking for. Not sure when this will be published but we just picked up an incredible one this week. Rock & Roll keeps the lights on while soul, funk and jazz fill our soul.

How do you keep the shop fresh for repeat diggers in a smaller market?

Used records are our bread and butter. We augment our inventory with new records, which have a terrible margin and quite frankly, are a necessary evil. No disrespect to those who love new records. There’s a place for that, and the good lord knows, I have a bunch at home. I think the real trick here is being intentional and thoughtful. I like to use the word curate to describe how we structure the store. As I mentioned above, we are the only game in town and our used selection is really quite impressive for not being in the centre of a big city. We aren’t Amoeba or Tower Records. We borrow from that idea of thinking beyond our walls, but we’ll never be that kid of juggernaut. I think that’s what people like about us. We curate intentionally and with a store that’s only 2,000 square feet, if we have 75 Boz Scaggs records in the back, the one you’ll see on the floor is the cleanest. Speaking of which, our backstock is stuff of nightmares. Anyone reading this have any good ideas, please reach out.

If someone local wants to sell vinyl, what should they know before contacting you — full collections, smaller lots, either?

Well, I think anyone, anywhere near here, will tell you, we pay very well for used LPs. I can most certainly say I’ve paid more for lps on too many occasions only because I understand the emotional currency that has been attached to records. My staff thinks I’m crazy, but the Karma of the shop is way too important to compromise. We have purchased whole, massive collections, modest ones and of course the random one-or-two off’s that walk through the door. We trade, borrow, but never steal. The track record of Traffic Records is incredibly sound and I always want it to be that way. I want everyone to win. We are not known for lowballing.

What condition issues come up most in local home collections?

Those conditions vary. Clean records is always our goal. When the shop first opened I had this like 2 year streak of getting crazy clean (VG+/NM-) collections. The bins were like 90% OG presses and VG+ or better. Over the years the store has grown and so have the bins. Me and my staff do everything we can to manage quality. Our return policy is loose as a result, but I’m quite proud to say we hover above VG+ in over 80% of our historical inventory. Of course this is simply a guess, but I don’t think it’s too far off. The real issue is what do we do with the tens of thousands of mediocre records we have in storage, when the real fire hits bins? As I stated above we are the only game in town and as a result we buy 10s of thousands of records annually, despite their condition and only a fraction of those actually make the bins. Damaged, scratched and warped records need not apply, however we do have several VPI vacuums and are known for cleaning, restoring and rehabilitating records that might otherwise see the dumpsters. Mold is also something we take seriously. We are very careful to not let it spread and to ensure the smell of moldy records stays far away from our bins. I’ve even created our own high octane solution to kill active mold and not ruin lps, jackets or inserts. Oh, and I’m not afraid to take the shrink off an lp that has been festering in the same plastic for decades. It’s really quite liberating for the record too.

Has a collection ever felt truly tied to the Central Coast?

Oh man!. He’s not going to like me saying this. We purchased a collection a few years ago from our dear friend “J” (IYKYK). He asked us to be low key about it, but to this day it still remains the greatest record collection of the store’s history. J is an audiophile, musician, a music lover and music/audio writer, who is highly acclaimed and regarded globally. Thanks to him we got a few MOFI test presses, a Dark Side Of The Moon audiophile test press and a record collection that was 90% holy grails. J has lived in this community for longer than me (40+ years) and his record collection was steeped in local offerings. So much rarity. I wish I could buy it all over again. I’ve learned so much from him and that experience. J, if you're reading this, thank you! Another monster record collection just landed in our lap and it’s all metal, new wave and 80’s/90’s alternative. About 400 German, UK and international, OG presses. It’s time to get to work.

Last updated: 2026-08-04