Static ATX Records

Static ATX Records is a record shop in Liberty Hill, Texas, serving listeners in the outer Austin area with new and used records, CDs, and a broadening selection of genres. In this interview, the owner discusses the shop’s evolution from an online experiment to a physical space.

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Interview with Static ATX Records

Static ATX carries the Austin flag but you're out in Liberty Hill. Where did the shop start, and what's the story with the name and the location?

I’ll start with the name. One of the most influential albums to me personally is by Jen Wood titled Getting Past the Static. I’ve used that album title for a while as the name of a variety of projects. I used to have a music blog called Getting Past the Static, for example. So when the time came for me to start this record store experiment I initially called it Getting Past the Static, but when it came time to create an actual business I felt like it might be long so I ended up shortening it to just “Static” and then I added “ATX” for Austin, TX.

As for the location, initially when I was an online-only store I said I was in Austin, TX because that’s the nearest large city but I was living on the outer skirts in nearby towns. I’m currently living in Liberty Hill, which is like 30-45 minutes northwest of Austin and I decided to open the first physical location for the store out here.

Liberty Hill's growing fast on the edge of the Austin metro, out toward the Hill Country. What role does the shop play locally, and who's coming through?

I’m not quite sure what role Static ATX Records plays locally, but we are the only physical shop dedicated to records and CDs in the area. There are some antique shops that have some records nearby and there is a book store that carries some records in Cedar Park, otherwise the nearest dedicated record shop is Piranha Records in Round Rock.

If someone flipped through your bins, what would they find the most of?

Initially I was focused on darker genres like Goth and Industrial with 80s and 90s classics across many genres like Rock and Punk but once I opened up a physical shop I quickly realized that I needed to reflect everyone in the community so I started expanding to carry Country, Pop, Jazz, and more genres. I try to ensure I have all the classics on-hand while also having as many harder to find records as I can.

Before you've priced anything, what tips you off that a collection's worth digging into?

When it comes to used records, it’s just about knowing what your customers are interested in. The longer I do this, the better idea I have. Early on I would focus mostly on what interested me personally, but now I find myself thinking almost entirely on the things that my great customers want.

What's the record people are most sure is worth money that just isn't?

I’d say that the majority of albums you see from the 50s, 60s, and 70s that are really great, but also common, aren’t really worth a ton of money. I always tell people that the sentimental value and the enjoyment you get from the music doesn’t exactly match up with the records being worth a ton of money. The more time moves on, the more records fall into this category. Right now you still see popular albums from the 90s fetching a lot of money because of both the rarity of them and also they’re still in high demand but at some point that’ll flatten out as well.

What's the unglamorous record that always finds a buyer?

Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours, any Beatles, any Led Zeppelin. They are super common but are also timeless and people always want to take them home with them.

Cash or credit — do people usually make the call on the spot, or come in already knowing?

People always know and although I know that a lot of sellers prefer cash, I don’t mind how folks pay. I take cash, credit, Venmo, and other forms of payment.

Central Texas heat is relentless. What does that do to records that have sat in a garage or a truck out here?

While direct sunlight and high temperatures aren’t good for records, the way in which records are stored is important as well. Records that have been in boxes in a garage mostly get damaged due to rodents, water, and other hazards more so than the heat.

What's a record that turned up here that you never expected to see?

I recently purchased a collection that was mostly jazz and classic rock but then there was a Suburban Lawns and a rare Thomas Leer & Robert Rental release on Industrial Records in there as well. I didn’t get to speak to the owner of the collection but if I could’ve I would’ve asked him how he stumbled upon those two records if they were mostly into jazz and classic rock.

After all this, what still makes it worth opening the doors?

The reason I decided to do this, besides the overall experimentation of it all, was to connect people with music and to share that love. Music is the universal language. It’s the sound you hear when everything in nature is aligned perfectly in every beautiful and strange way that is possible.

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Last updated: 2026-10-13

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