Los Angeles’ oldest record store up for sale
LOS ANGELES (CNN, KYMA/KECY) - Los Angeles' oldest record shop is looking for its second act. With over half-a-million vinyls, "The Record Collector" has been a fixture in the Melrose Arts District for decaldes.
Walking into the The Record Collector takes you back in time. Owner Sandy Chase knows a thing or two about music as he's a trained violinist and comes from a music family, with his mother meeting Thor Johnson, conductor of the Cincinnati Symphony.
But, his passion is with vinyl records, and he's got about half-a-million of them.
"They are all my children...Classical and jazz are our two specialties. Every record in here is sequentially arranged, so we can find anything on demand," Chase explained.
"A musical imperative"
However, Chase said the time is now for someone elese to take over the store.
"The establishment is up for sale, the business and the building," Chase added.
The building was one of the first built on the stretch of Melrose in the 1920s.
"There's a cultural imperative. A musical imperative that this establishment be kept going," Chase declared.
Second act hopes
Through the years, music royalty have leaned on Chase for their vinyl fix, from Frank Sinatra to the King of Pop.
"The last time he was here before he moved to Dubai, he said this is my favorite record store. So it came from his lips to God's ears," Chase explained.
Vinyl records were the go-to back in the 1950's and 60s, but never really went away.
"Youngsters are going back to records they tell me. I say I ask one 16-year-old a while ago said, 'Why do you want to go to records?' And he said, 'They sound better,' and of course, they do," Chase detailed.
Just as vinyl is making a comeback, he hopes his store gets a second act too.
"I'd like to see it go to an individual or group that will continue the story for Los Angeles, because this is an L.A. story," Chase reasoned.
