Wax Trax Records Inc

Wax Trax Records in Las Vegas is a three-floor record shop in a former two-story house on South Decatur Boulevard, with deep vintage stock, newer vinyl, memorabilia, and a long family history that runs from Brooklyn to Stroudsburg to Las Vegas.

Interview with Wax Trax Records

Wax Trax has one of the great origin stories: Brooklyn, then Stroudsburg, and Las Vegas since 1998. How did it end up here?

Put simply, my Mom wanted to move to Las Vegas so she could go out to shows all the time. We moved here for entertainment for Mom basically. My Dad and I were perfectly happy staying in the Poconos back then, but ultimately it was the best thing both for the store, and for me, as Las Vegas is definitely my home.

Half a million records, mostly original pressings, three floors. How do you organize digging at that scale?

It's something that we work very hard at. And especially our worker Jerry works very hard at. I kind of set in motion the plans for what I think makes the most sense as far as layout is concerned and then Jerry really fine tunes it all and makes sure things are where you'd expect them to be... This reminds me I still want to make some nice signs with arrows to make it even better.

The shop specializes in the 50s and 60s but runs all the way to today. What's the balance like between vintage and current demand?

The 50s and 60s branding is kind of a leftover from my Dad. Not that we don't still have all that stuff. But I think we've always kind of specialized in everything except whatever was current... But now I'm tipping it more into current stuff too and finding a nice balance between all the eras. That's the thing about music... There's always great music coming out, and there's no reason to ignore any of it.

You've mentioned 90s vinyl running hot: Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Alice in Chains. Who's coming in for that?

I assume it was like this for the 80s and 70s and going on back for all new generations, but yeah, the 90s is super hot right now. It's people my age who grew up in it, but it's also young kids. So many 20 years olds tell me their favorite band is Alice In Chains or Soundgarden. I'm sure in 10 or 20 years it'll be the bands of the 2000s but right now it's the 90s for these kids. And it definitely means younger customers coming in.

David has taken over from Rich and reworked the store to make digging friendlier. What's changed most?

I actually want to sell these records for one. It was a kind of joke amongst us and amongst our loyal customers over the years but Dad and his pricing and his endless unnavigable stacks of vinyl blocking other piles that were blocking the shelves were all in the way of anyone being able to buy anything. My goal is for people to leave happy with records they haven't been able to find elsewhere. Between that and the focus on mixing it up with newer stuff (Dad thinks last year was the 90s and the last 20 years hasn't happened yet), is a big change.

You buy collections. What makes one genuinely exciting for a shop with your depth?

Seeing things we don't already have a dozen copies of is a great start. I love seeing newer artists when I buy stuff, even if they're not particularly valuable. It's just that it's stuff we probably don't have a lot of. And of course we can always use more of the common stuff too IF it's in great shape. But yes, buying collections is a big part of keeping things exciting and making sure we're always stocked with new stuff.

The memorabilia is a whole world of its own. What's a piece that stopped you in your tracks?

It's definitely a world of its own and can be so hard to know what to do with any of that stuff. The craziest is all the random signed stuff we find already on our shelves we didn't know was there. Oh here's a Metallica tour book from the 90s... That's cool... Wait a minute... Open it up and it's signed by all four members? And that was just upstairs on a random shelf. It's wild.

First visit to Wax Trax: how should someone approach a place this deep?

Just know that when I ask if it's your first time and then proceed to give you a spiel about the pricing and how the store is layed out, it's only because I want to help you find something special and manage expectations. It's obviously not a normal kind of store with nothing being priced (outside of the $5 section and my recently created specials rack), and thanks to our 3 floor, multi-room layout, I've heard the word "overwhelming" many, many times (and it's overwhelming for us too). So just come ready to have fun with basically a music museum that you can buy from and feel free to ask any questions you have. And ignore Dad if he says anything offensive, he's from a different era.

FAQ

Does Wax Trax Records buy record collections?

Yes. Collections with records the shop does not already have, newer artists, and common titles in great shape can all be useful.

What is hot at Wax Trax right now?

David says 90s vinyl is especially strong, including bands such as Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Alice in Chains, and Soundgarden.

What should first-time visitors know?

The store has three floors and multiple rooms. Ask for an orientation, especially because most records are not individually priced outside the $5 section and specials rack.

Last updated: 2026-07-22