Fez Records

Fez Records in Bellefonte opened after a cross-country move and a renovation inside an old factory space in Axemann. In the interview, the owner talks about building the shop from scratch, the central Pennsylvania scene, and how he evaluates records that come through the door.

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Interview with Fez Records

You moved cross-country from Arizona to open Fez — settling in your wife's hometown of Bellefonte and building a shop inside an old metal plant next to a brewery. How did that leap happen?

Long story... short... I met an amazing woman and fell in love. She was from a small town in Pennsylvania and I was tired of living in the desert. I jumped at the opportunity to move out East and start something new. Prior to moving here, we had visited and I fell in love with the small town of Bellefonte (where my wife grew up). I also had a passion for all things vinyl and was dabbling in opening a record shop. At the time, there were literally NO spots for lease in downtown Bellefonte and a real estate agent asked if I had ever thought of moving into a spot in the old factory on Axemann. I walked into the spot and just knew it would be the perfect spot. I worked for months renovating the spot and growing my small business. I poured my heart and soul into that 1,000-square-foot store and did most all of the work in the shop myself. We opened on October 1, 2022... and the rest is history.

You've said going to shows feels like going to church, and Pearl Jam's all over the walls — how does that personal devotion to music shape what Fez feels like?

Music has ALWAYS been everything to me. From listening to my radio and trying to build the perfect mixtape on my cassette deck in the late ’80s... to going to live music shows (sometimes three a week) in the ’90s, music has always been my passion. It moves me and comforts me. Music is literally everything to me.

Bellefonte is a small town near State College and Penn State — who comes through Fez, and how's the central-PA scene?

I get consistent regulars from a 100-mile radius to the store... and I have some folks who come from even further. I have customers of all ages. We have a few places where you can dig for pre-owned vinyl in the area, but I still (after four years) am the only independent record store selling new vinyl here — do we count the big box stores? Nope.

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

I gathered a nice collection of European prog rock from some folks and those sales really set the tone early. I had some customers travel in from Pittsburgh to grab many of them.

When someone brings in a collection to sell, how do you approach valuing it?

I visually inspect each album. I determine the particular pressing and the condition of each album. I look up the value in an online price guide. Then, I offer a set percentage for each album depending on whether the customer wants cash or store credit.

Roughly what does a common record fetch versus something you're excited to buy?

I stick with a flat percentage value on both common and uncommon releases. It makes the process more consistent for both me and the customer.

Beyond LPs you stock cassettes and 45s too — is there real demand for the smaller formats, or are they more of a curiosity?

I sell albums, 7" singles, and 10" vinyl, as well as cassettes and compact discs. Cassettes and compact discs seem to be more popular with younger collectors. The notion of “owning your music” and physically possessing actual full albums or media that play music, rather than a subscription to streaming services or even the purchase of digital format, is very new for the younger generation and they really seem to be into it. Cassette tapes and compact discs can be a slightly more affordable way to own and play their own music.

What do people most often get wrong about what their records are worth?

Great question! Some people think they are sitting on a fortune with their album collections. They don’t necessarily consider the condition of the album and the sleeve — but I sure do and the resale customer definitely does. Also, many customers think that popular artists (Beatles, Led Zeppelin, etc.) automatically generate top dollar. That can be true with first pressings of albums, but most that come into the shop are represses and are worth considerably less. Those artists were popular and, thus, generated MANY pressings of each album; not all pressings are created equal. I explain to many customers that albums pressed in limited quantities are more coveted and, thus, considerably more expensive.

Last updated: 2026-09-15

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