BLAINE CHIAPPETTA
Staff Writer
“When I get a little money I buy records, and if there is any left, I buy food and clothes.”
Those words, spoken by “Captain Vinyl,” are written on a banner in a modest, two-story record store in Los Angeles. It hangs as a testament to the record lover’s way — a constant thirst for the music they crave. This is the creed of Record Surplus, which bills itself as “The Last Record Store.”
Record Surplus, located at 11609 West Pico Boulevard in Los Angeles, offers a commodity that faces extinction: the vinyl record. The store carries a wide range of musical tastes, though mostly of an older stock. You will not find any Elliott Smith albums, but there are plenty of Beatles and Coltrane to go around.
Among the vinyl genres are new age, gospel, the spoken word, instrumental, easy listening, oldies, blues, jazz, classical, big band, Dixieland, opera, reggae, soul, rap, hip hop and rock, just to name a few.
The store has more than 100,000 items in stock, and a warehouse containing about 300,000 to 500,000 items from which customers can order. If a customer is looking for a rare record that is not in the store, he can try and get it from the warehouse, or wait until the store buys it from a private collection.
The store also carries other media of entertainment, including DVDs, VHS, cassette tapes, laser discs, video games and even a few books. A single bookshelf makes up the store’s tiny library that houses a motley crew of works, in which books like “The Da Vinci Code” and “Stairway to Heaven” (a Led Zeppelin biography) share the same shelf.
Record Surplus also has a great selection of used goods in all of these media, and has a fair policy for buying previously owned items for either cash or store credit. At this weekend’s storewide sale customers can get little-known vinyls, three for $1.
Open for nearly 23 years, Record Surplus is one of the oldest suppliers around and one of the few independently owned stores still standing. With the recent closures of Aron’s Records and Rhino Westwood, two of the best and most-loved record stores in the area, it is becoming obvious that stores like these have their days numbered.
“The industry is in the toilet,” said Mike Colstock, owner of the store since its opening. In estimating how long he thinks his store will remain open, Mike said, “Five years, great. Ten years — who knows?”
There is good reason why stores like Record Surplus are on the decline. With the progression of technology, collecting records has become increasingly impractical. An mp3 player no larger than a deck of cards can carry 20,000 songs, and music can be purchased over the Internet without ever venturing outdoors. Record players are bulky, as are the vinyl discs played on them, and unless you have the right setup, most people argue that the sound quality is inferior on a record player.
Yet, in spite of all the drawbacks in convenience, there are still record stores supplying vinyl to needy consumers.
But why would people even bother with such a cumbersome hobby? There are some qualities of records that make them worth all the trouble. It is like owning a piece of history. With music downloads over the Internet, there is no tangible evidence of the music — it is all just floating across wires and in the air. In a way, records hold memories.
And then there are those, like former employee Scott Lavalle, who argue that records still have a superior sound under the right circumstances, such as the genre and sound system. Colstock said a customer recently told him, “You’re going to be OK. You know why? Because this is like an antique store.”
There is another quality to this store that might help it outlast some of its competitors: the atmosphere.
“It’s kind of like ‘Cheers’,” says Michael Colstock, manager of the store and son of owner Mike Sr. “Everybody knows each other, and a lot of the customers just stop in to say hi. You can’t say that for just any store.”
During a visit to the store, this fact is easy to see. Most customers stop by the counter and talk to Michael for a while before browsing around. A radio in the back plays a steady stream of music, giving the place a comfortable ambience.
“I like having that kind of relationship with my customers,” Michael added. “Helping people out. That’s what it’s all about.”
And this store is populated by patrons of all sorts. It doesn’t matter what age, sex, race or religion you are — everyone is equal under the banner of music. In fact, because of the breadth and diversity of its customers, Michael likens managing the store to “being the ringleader of a circus.”
Take “Video Bill” for example. Having been a regular in the store since 1993, Bill got his nickname because of his seemingly unquenchable thirst for videos and DVDs.
“He comes in about 20 times every day,” Michael said, exaggerating only slightly. “He calls me when he’s on vacation to see if we got in a certain movie.”
Or take a look at John Martin. An older gentlemen with a quiet way about him, he frequents the “attic,” the second floor of the store which houses a large collection of used LPs for a dollar each. He buys his records in bulk — mostly classical — and transfers the music to his computer. This particular day he was struggling under the weight of 60 records, which he purchased for an even $60. And that was only his first run.
The store is located fairly close to the Pepperdine campus — about 17 miles away along Pacific Coast Highway. This, along with the prices, makes Record Surplus a suitable option for the college student on a tight budget. Of course, this extends to the faculty as well, including Pepperdine professor Dr. Mike Jordan.
“If you are going to have a Beatles collection that’s worth any attention at all, you have to have vinyl records,” Jordan said, who has an entire room in his faculty condo devoted to Beatles memorabilia. “And I don’t mean only re-released vinyl from the 1970s and 1980s, but originals.”
Jordan said he loves that Record Surplus carries first-issue, hard-to-find items.
“I’ve found some prize Beatles 45s (singles) there, including a mint first-issue ‘If I Fell’/‘And I Love Her’ single with the original slip cover, just a couple weeks ago,” Jordan said.
While the store remains relatively quiet for most of the day, business picks up after everyone gets off work. Even when the store is bustling it retains its laid- back charm, as customers shoot the breeze with one another and listen to records. And the store really gets crowded during its big sales.
“Take our big sale from Nov. 1 to 5,” Michael said. “We have about 150 people line up outside, getting here right when we open to take priority numbers just to get into the store.”
John Kale, Record Surplus patron for more than 15 years, sums up his delight with the selection and service that the store has to offer like this: “Muslims have Mecca; record lovers have Record Surplus.”
11-02-2006
