Welfare Records

Welfare Records began in Cambridge in 2001 and moved to Haverhill, Massachusetts, at the end of 2004 in search of more space. The move made room for a recording studio and live music, though today the business focuses on the record store and used audio equipment.

In our interview, Mike explains why a worn original pressing can still find a buyer, how cash and store credit work for sellers, and what running a shop in a smaller city offers that Boston and New York couldn't.

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Interview with Welfare Records

Mike, one longtime customer called Welfare "top 5 record stores in the country" after 40 years of buying vinyl. What's the origin story of the shop, and how did Welfare end up with that kind of reputation out of Haverhill?

The origin of the Shop was in Cambridge, MA in 2001 to 2003, Then we moved to Haverhill, MA at the end of 2004 and reopened in Haverhill. We moved because we were looking for a much bigger space where we could have the shop and have a recording studio and live music. We did have a recording studio and live music for over 8 years but for the last 12 years it has just been the record store. The reputation comes from being in business for a long time and having a large selection of all genres of music.

Haverhill is a small city in the Merrimack Valley, not somewhere people expect a nationally-loved record shop. What role does Welfare play locally versus the customers who make the trip from Boston, New Hampshire, or further out?

We have a lot of local customers, besides all the customers that come from Boston, New Hampshire and other states and countries.

Your FAQ is refreshingly direct — you'll take anything except easy listening, pop vocals, classical, and opera. What's the honest reason those genres made the "no thanks" list — is it demand, is it what already fills the back room, or something else?

The reason we don't normally take those genres is because they just don't really sell anymore, it is mostly the kind of stuff that older people have already and are not buying anymore and younger people just don't care about. We have a decent size selection of pop vocal records and a small selection of classical (mostly for $1) but they don't sell fast and we have enough. We would rather use the space for stuff that has a better chance of selling and that people are looking for.

You've said you'll buy records in any condition — the price just varies. That's a rare stance most shops don't take. What's the value floor for you when a record is in rough shape, and what do you actually do with the ones that would end up in a bargain bin?

Anything is rough shape either ends up in the $1 bin, or depending how rough gets priced and goes out for sale cheap. Let's say a NM Beatles album goes out for $25 the same album VG might go out for $5 or $8 etc depending on how bad the condition is. If it is really bad it ends up in the $1 bin. Also there are a lot of very rare records that you just can't find NM. And if you do they are hundreds of dollars. If a beat up copy comes in of a hard to find $100 record we might put it out for $5 to $20 and customers are happy just to find an original copy and would rather buy an original copy for cheap then spend $40 on a new reissue. We have a lot of customers who just come in to buy VG records because for the most part they still play fine and cost a lot less. Also with the way the internet is now, people come in all the time and buy VG records from us for $1 to $5 and then sell it on the internet for way more. Some of my regular $1 bin customers tell me that they get $10 and up for a lot of the stuff we sell for $1 to $5.

You offer store credit at about 25% more than cash — a real spread. Can you walk a seller through the honest math: when does taking credit make sense, when does cash make more sense, and what do most sellers not realize about the trade-off?

I don't think there is a time taking credit or cash makes more sense. It all depends on why the customer is selling or trading stuff in. If they are trading some stuff in because they want to use the money to buy more records then obviously they should take credit because as you mentioned it is 25% more than cash. If they are selling stuff because they don't buy physical media anymore or it was a family members who doesn't want it anymore or if they just need money for something else, then they should take cash because credit would not matter to them even if it is more.

New England summers are humid and winters are cold, and a lot of local collections lived in a basement or a garage. What condition damage do you see most in Merrimack Valley collections, and what would you tell a seller to do differently going forward?

I don't think the weather around here makes too much of a difference in the collections we see. The main issue we have with damage is when people keep their collections in humid basements for years. We get a lot of mildew / moldy records coming in. We usually try to stay away from them unless they are really great records and we want to take the time to thoroughly clean them.

Alongside records you sell rebuilt amps and stereo equipment — the customer who came in on Christmas Eve for a replacement amp is a great story. How did the gear side of the shop grow, and does it change what kind of customer walks through your door?

We do get a decent amount of customers who only come in for audio equipment and a decent amount of customers who buy music from us and also upgrade or replace their components with us when they need them. We also get in a lot of people who are just getting into records and want to buy a turntable. We have been selling audio equipment since we opened in Cambridge in 2001. I have always thought that a music store should also sell what you need to listen to your collection whether it is records, cd's, cassettes, etc. Also by selling used equipment our customers can get a nice system with quality built components from the 1960's through 1980's for a fraction of the price of most of the new junk you can buy at chain stores today. Obviously, there is still quality equipment made but usually that is sold online or through smaller Higher end audio equipment shops. We really don't deal with anything too high end. Our focus on audio equipment is quality pieces that range in price from around $40 to $2500. Mostly in the $75 to $400 range. There are a couple other shops in our area for people looking to spend $3000 to $100000 on a component. We also do repairs for customers if they need it and we try to keep in stock parts that are needed on a regular basis like new and used cartridges and belts for turntables, etc.

Welfare has been running long enough to be considered one of the best in the country. For someone thinking about opening a record store today in a mid-size city rather than a big market, what have you learned over the decades that you wish someone had told you at the start?

It is a lot slower and a lot less customers than opening in a big city. I worked at record stores in NYC in the 1990's and I worked at a record store in Boston before opening my own store in Cambridge and in those cities it was non stop customers with very little dead time. In Haverhill there are fewer customers and a lot more time to relax with either no customers or a few customers, but the cost of rent makes it worth it. Even if you have 25% of the business as a major city, if you have 5 times the space at a quarter of the price, you are still going to be fine. Plus if people know you are there they will travel from the major cities to you. We have customers come from all over the world. Also we are one block from the train station which goes to Boston, so it is easy for anyone from Boston to come here even if they don't drive.

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FAQ

How do you evaluate the records brought in for sale?

Our evaluation process involves checking what we already have in stock, the number of copies we possess, and how quickly certain titles sell. Our familiarity with market demand and stock levels helps us determine the value of your records.

How does the quantity of a particular title affect the price offered?

If you bring in titles that are scarce in our inventory and are in demand, you will be paid very well. Conversely, if you bring in titles that sell well but of which we already have many copies, the payment will be less—though still reasonable. For titles that are hard to sell, the compensation will be minimal.

Last updated: 2026-09-05

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