Dillon, thanks for making this video. As a longtime record store owner, I can relate to everything you said here. Those customers who complain need to know that you couldn’t afford to stock new LPs unless you had the used record volume of sales. IOW, your customers buying the used records are literally supporting your ability to stock and sell new LPs. Again excellent content. Thanks

@noblerecords

Жыл бұрын

Yes! Very well put!

Power to the independent record stores!

@noblerecords

Жыл бұрын

🎉🎉🎉

Dillon, I have been watching your videos since just before the global shutdown. I absolutely love your honesty and how humble and genuine you are. I hope one day to meet you at your store, not too far from you in western New York. You definitely fuel my passion for collecting vinyl records. Best wishes to you and your family.

@noblerecords

Жыл бұрын

That means the world to me! Thanks for the kind words!

RESPECT, NOT ALOT OF RECORD STORE OWNERS WILL TELL YOU HOW MUCH THEY PAY FOR THEM RECORDS , CONGRATS BROTHER SO DOWN TO EARTH. ONE DAY BROTHER YOU WILL BE ON TOP OF THE GAME WITH YOIR ATTITUDE AND LOVE FOR MUSIC .

@noblerecords

Жыл бұрын

Thanks!

This was a very interesting video! Definitely makes me appreciate my local record stores even more!!

Thanks for all the videos! I always learn something new every time I watch! Thanks again! 👍

No matter how low you price your inventory, people will complain. You are my favorite record shop owner (and that includes myself, lol!), I appreciate you passing on all the knowledge. I am a weekend only shop with a very small inventory bc otherwise, I couldn't do it... but I absolutely love it, it's the absolutely the best hobby to be a part of. Thanks again l, I will try and buy from you online as often as I can 👊

@noblerecords

Жыл бұрын

Thanks so much!

Thanks for this excellent video and explaining how things work behind the scenes for record shops. Appreciate there's a lot of time and work producing this.

Superb insight into the "otherside" of a record store. Very enjoyable post Dillon ( yet again)..Many Thanks from the UK for taking time to do these 👍👍👍👍

As a fellow record store owner, I can more than appreciate this video. Thanks for making it. :)

As a fellow store owner I fully agree with all you said. You held up an album and I said the exact wholesale price. People think we pay Pennie’s and Jack up the prices. Truth is, the wholesalers get paid up front and we plant little seeds and hope get a sustainable crop. Good job.

Thanks for another great video, Dillon! It’s crazy that the wholesale prices are as high as they are. Thanks for always being so honest and telling it how it is.

Such an interesting insight, thanks a lot for being so open Dillon. Even though I buy both new and used records, you are totally right nothing beats the thrill of finding something in the used bins that has escaped you for ages. Great video 🙏🙏

I was in retail my whole working life and it’s pretty much the same all over. I had a retro men’s clothing store and it’s impossible to compete against the Walmarts of the world. It’s why I try to only shop local stores. Actually only been in a Walmart half a dozen times in my life. You provide a unique and specialized experience for your customers and that’s why you are and will remain successful. Hopefully someday my travels will take to NC and to your store. Congrats and keep ‘em spinning.

Easily the most fascinating video you’ve ever made & I’ve definitely watched countless heavy rotations. So many questions answered that I’ve pondered for years. It’s going to be kind of insane 20 years from now when OG used from the 70s just start becoming much more rare than they are now and God forbid the “old pressing” that’s used was never cut from analog to begin with. This is truly the golden age to still snatch those up while we can at the prices they’re at now because they will end up being much more sought after at that point. Because honestly as long as the vinyl is cut from digital, it’s hard to imagine how a copy from today will sound any different whatsoever than the copy 20 years from now, which will end up being truly weird. Unless some insane sea change happens in the technology, which is kind of hard to imagine. The only possible scenario would be if a company comes along that starts manufacturing all that analog process stuff again and artists can all afford to record on tape again, vacuum tubes get used again, that would be truly remarkable. My bet would be on Jack White. Damn, think about how much Elon Musk threw away for fucking twitter when he could collaborate with Jack White on something infinitely cooler like that.

Dillon - love these “behind the business” videos that come with your brand of genuine honesty. Always interesting to hear ownership perspective!

@noblerecords

Жыл бұрын

Thanks for watching! 🙏

Thanks for the video Dillon. very informative and interesting!

I usually stop by my record shop maybe once or twice a month. Typically spend around a hundo per visit. This was great knowledge for the consumer to help support their local store even more. My approach to digging is buying used before new. There are modern releases I'll buy, but they're from modern artists. King Gizzard and the Lizzard Wizard, for example, has been a blast collecting. I think It's important to offer a variety, but also have your own feel and asthetic. Can't wait to visit your store someday!

Thank you for the information! Hopefully we can get to your shop one day.

Thanks - appreciate your videos. I buy and sell used in retirement for the love of music and records while adding to my own collection. Ran my own retail auto parts store for 20 years and often heard the same comments - you are really raking in the bucks! The reality is that most people have no idea what kind of sales volume it takes to cover overhead let alone earn a meager income for yourself. Rock on!

Thank you for this video! very informative as all your videos are!

One of the greatest VC videos ever made! I’m sure other record store owners will be very appreciative of this..Rock on brother!

@noblerecords

Жыл бұрын

Thanks! I tried to present the facts well

Thanks for this Dillon and explaining just what it takes for owning a record store. Peace and love man !

That was a great video! Always wondered what the mark up is. Thanks for your honesty and the education.

@noblerecords

Жыл бұрын

Thanks for watching! 🙏

Thanks for sharing this, your transparency is cool!

@noblerecords

Жыл бұрын

Thanks for watching! 🙏

Great video. Lots of important information, especially as I'm thinking of opening up a record store myself! : )

Thanks for making this video Dillon! Really appreciate it!

@noblerecords

Жыл бұрын

Thanks for watching! 🙏

Thanks for all the info! Gonna visit the shop soon when we’re over from Scotland

I owned a record store from 1999 until 2008. I started it trying to be vinyl focused but the vinyl explosion was aways off. Anyway, the margins were super thin back then on new LP's and CD's, too.

@noblerecords

Жыл бұрын

Yeah always a tough game!

This latest video was informative and transparent. It really put some concrete numbers on what was previously my guesstimates of what independent record store owners have to factor in and shell out to keep a business afloat (including rent, staff and utilities)...in addition to all of the hard work work of acquiring used collections, assessing them, cleaning them, grading them, ticketing them...as well as absorbing pressing flaws / returns etc. and the rest. I really appreciated the break down and I know your other content watchers will as well. This is bound to get a lot of views and traction. Great one!

@noblerecords

Жыл бұрын

Thanks!

Awesome vid. Greatly appreciated!

This is a great view into a record shop. Thanks

Thanks for this insight, very interesting 👍

Mad respect for you, Dillon. Can't wait to come shop for some killer used (& maybe a little new) when I'm in Matthews in May!

As someone who dreams of opening a shop one day I can’t thank you enough. I’ve done a fair amount of research but this was extremely helpful. 🍻

Great video. So glad that I built most of my collection back in the 90's when used vinyl was dirt cheap.

@noblerecords

Жыл бұрын

Yeah I bet 🤣

Thanks Dillon. I'm really glad I got one of your shirts. Hopefully, that bit of profit helped you! I gotta get to your store!

@noblerecords

Жыл бұрын

Everything helps! Thanks so much!

Dude, I’m stressed for you after hearing all that! Hey, I’ve only been able to come to your store once. My daughter and I loved it and thoroughly enjoyed it. We both bought a record and I went to ikea on your tip to buy shelves for my records. I live two and a half hours away but we will be back. My son really wants to come next time. I have enjoyed all your videos are well. I appreciate you man!

For what it's worth, this was a really interesting video. It helped me appreciate my local store even more. Just so you know, as someone still pretty new to the hobby: it's just as exciting for me to find a copy of something I've been looking for new, like "Yankee Hotel Foxtrot" on vinyl as it is that original pressing Frijid Pink album. I haven't heard either and have had trouble finding both. Jimi Hendrix is someone I never really listened to but getting into vinyl allowed me to do so in the way it was meant to be heard. I understand that records are going to be expensive; it's a hobby and hobbies aren't cheap. Ever. So thanks. And I wish your store was local. I would be there every week. Also! Your exclusive Poobah album was awesome! Sounded great! So glad I managed to get one of those!

Great stuff man. Thanks for taking the time to explain. People don’t get it. This is a good step in the right direction. Hopefully you get less flack from people moving forward.

Great video! Cool seeing Rich Robinson watching you from the wall behind ya there

@noblerecords

Жыл бұрын

Haha!

Went to my first record fair with my parents and found a small record shop nearby. Being in the record store is so much nicer than shopping online (which I have being doing since I started collecting a month ago), so I placed an order. I know the price will probably be more than from a big store like HMV but I think the extra cost is worth it to support these local stores.

@noblerecords

Жыл бұрын

Good on ya! Always best to support local!

Spot on video… store I worked at for 10 years we focused on used vinyl and tried to find the best priced reissues among some 5 or 6 distributors, they all have stuff priced differently and if you sift through their online catalogs certain albums can be $2-$3 cheaper so figuring that out was key to getting people the best priced, but man ya buying collections was something we focused on and it’s still my focus!

Dillon that was such an interesting video and thank you for being so candid. I never imagined running a record store would be a bed of roses and this really confirms it. Shame the market will not bear 60 bucks for that new copy of The Wall, that would really help you to keep the lights on. Hope you keep on finding great used collections with more margin in them, to help you make some money! Greetings from London.

Why I watch your show is to see records I don’t have and now will be on the look for in da wild. I have bought records because of you and took chances on records( part of that is because I have Tons of vinyl). My intention is to come visit. Hope your there then but I still plan to come and shop

Great content. As the owner of a small record shop, I totally relate.

Nice looking Les Paul hanging in the back. Great video!

Great video thanks!!

Dillon watched the video yesterday left me smiling about my record buying not a collector but loved growing up listening to music and going out and buying the record. I am showing my age but the first was Revolver bought the mono for $2.99 stereo was a $1.00 more, dad woulld not give me the extra dollar. My god have times change. Still a great video, thanks.

With the mark up, you to pay for taxes, inventory, rent, liability, payroll, Utilities, Insurance, and there’s probably a dozen more items that I forgot about which really narrows down with what you make or any brick and mortar shop would make per item.

@noblerecords

Жыл бұрын

Yeah there’s a lot to it! But we are surviving!

Great video as always Dillon. I used to run a record label and I think some people forget how many people in the chain there are and how they all need to make a bit of money, e.g. the pressing plants selling to the record label needs to make money, the record label selling to the distributor, the distributor selling to the record store, the record store selling to the customer. I used to always try and sell as cheap as possible to the record stores as I know they had a lot more overheads and bills than than me, and being a collector myself, I wanted the stores to carry on thriving. I also used to try and avoid distributors when I could and sell direct to the record store so they would get it cheaper than they would from a distributor. But then again, some stores would only deal with distributors and not with small labels directly so it was a difficult balance. Just my point of view regarding wholesale from a record label owner. Been loving your content for years now - really enjoy the videos 👊

Again, great vid. Lots of info that makes sense too. I sometimes see stuff on Amazon & then see if it's coming from an independent store. I then try to order from that store. Amazon is just used to keep an online list of "to get". I really almost exclusively buy from brick & mortars. Thank you. I hope to take a road trip from Philly some day...

As strictly a consumer of records this video was very interesting and informative and very much in line with what my prefered "dealer" tells me.

I appreciate the info. You don't really realize what goes into running a record store. I need to come out to your store more often. Thanks for the video.

Thanks you!! So informative and honest, really sympathetic to your plight. Wish you personally bright future just sad how hard to make a living this is for you.

yeppp, when im older i want to open a record store but MAINLY used vinyl and obviously have some reissued albums but mainly the essentials and stuff i like.. in a week im actually going to a record show and selling a few hundred records so im already starting my record selling journey at 15 years old!

In UK buying big names wholesale is difficult too. Cheers Dillon for your excellent videos serving both collectors and other record dealers Respect

I live in a tri-state area that has seen four record shops come and go in the last five to seven years. There was no way to compete with Walmart, Amazon, Target and the other box stores when it came to new vinyl and there wasn't enough people interested in the old stuff. I miss the family owned and even chain record stores we had in the 60s and 70s. Wishing you all the luck.

@noblerecords

Жыл бұрын

Thanks!

Great video, very interesting to hear your perspective as a store owner. Owning a successful store is not for the faint of heart that's for sure. Also you crack me up, the staircase bit lol

@noblerecords

Жыл бұрын

Haha thanks! Glad you enjoyed it 🤣

Great content man. Hope one day I can visit your store

@noblerecords

Жыл бұрын

Thanks so much!

Very informative video, thank you. That sweatshirt though... 🔥🔥

@noblerecords

Жыл бұрын

Haha thanks!

I used to be a buyer for a large music retail chain and the big guys definitely used to operate on a cycle of credit and returns.

Groovy as always!

@noblerecords

Жыл бұрын

Thanks for watching! 🙏

Wow, I thought wholesale would be alot cheaper! Love your videos keep up the good work!

Niche shop here with a bit of a complex issue. We carry lofi, psych, jazz, house and its tough to get "vintage" lofi or old records as you just don't see lofi or modern psych out in the wild, used. Thanks for the one stop tid bit, Monostero was the first one I came across

great info Dillon, all 100% accurate. At our shop we use Alliance though we do have direct accounts with the bigger indies. Matador and Secretly as you said. Redeye has become our 2nd biggest one and they carry tons of labels. If you don't deal with them (sorry if you mentioned it) you definitely should since they also have better prices on the Matador group plus a ton of labels like Domino, Warp, Soul Jazz, Strut, Mom+Pop, Analog Africa etc. And they're based in NC. It is easier to use a one stop of course to save on shipping, plus they are the ones who carry the major classic rock stuff like you need. Also true, we've had zero success opening direct with Universal or Sony. They won't even talk to you unless you're a big indie chain (Newbury or Bull Moose). Great info!

It's all about a business plan and monthly budget. Great vid Dillon.

@noblerecords

Жыл бұрын

Yeah that’s what I’ve heard, I’ll try that sometime 🤣

Awesome video Dillon!!! I admire you a lot. I wish your record store was in my state. You're only about 7 states away. Lol Thanks for your honesty and openness.

@noblerecords

Жыл бұрын

Thanks!!!

New Respect to you and all record store owners.

@noblerecords

Жыл бұрын

Thanks!

I checked the prices for the White Album in '68 and they ranged fro about $8.50 - $13.00 with the MSRP being about $11.99 - this apparently was an outrageous price at the time.

When I worked in a record store in the early 70's our store sold new releases for $6.19. The minimum wage was $1.90/hr. That makes a new LP 3.25x the minimum wage. Min wage of $15.00/hr in 2023 makes a new LP $48.75. So is new vinyl that expensive? Our sale LPs back then sold for $4.69 that's 2.46x the min wage. Our best deal IMO was Humble Pie Live at the Filmore. A&M listed that double LP for a single LP price. Best deal in rock!

@noblerecords

Жыл бұрын

Yeah I know! Wild if you put it in that perspective!

So…how do you feel about the new stuff? Thanks for the interesting insight about the nuts and bolts of running a vinyl shop.

Good stuff....love to see behind the curtain with the man pulling the levers on how the pricing works.....a buddy of mine owns a restaurant and he always tells me the beer and liquor brings in the customers but the food pays the bills! Sounds like 180 pressings are the liquor and the used records and grails are the food.....now I know why you don't get heavily involved in RSD...seems like a crapshoot on low margin inventory. 🤔 Keep up the great work with the channel👍

Thanks for explaining that, Dylan. I had no idea the wholesale prices were that high. And I didn’t know you couldn’t just order directly from the major labels. Very informative.

@padraigcollins6525

Жыл бұрын

Sorry, Dillon, not Dylan.

@noblerecords

Жыл бұрын

Thanks for watching! 🙏

One of the best Videos , geetings from Berlin Germany, thx

@noblerecords

Жыл бұрын

Thanks!!!

Great video my friend. I've worked in retail forever. I understand how this works everyone thinks these stores are price gouging then I have to explain why thats not the case then they go..oh didn't think of that. I remember when I bought Abbey road first time I paid I think it was 4.99 brand new..I was like wtf...lol

Long live Noble Récords!

@noblerecords

Жыл бұрын

🙏🙏🙏

Great video Brother. I helped a Friend with His Record shop for 5 years. I lived Your message about operations on a Record shop. I talked My Friend into selling other popculture collectables. Like comic's and video games and Toy's. Because some day's We didn't sell any record's. Thanks always for sharing Your passion and adventures from Toronto Ontario Canada 😀 👍 ❤️ 🇺🇸 🇨🇦 ♥️ 🔊🎶🎶🎶🎶💯

@noblerecords

Жыл бұрын

Thanks for watching! 🙏

Very cool 🔥 didn't realize you had a basement..

@noblerecords

Жыл бұрын

We don’t 🤣

Do you hate it and dislike it? LOL Thanks for the video. Keep up the great job!

Cool video. I dont mind paying a few bucks more to support a store. I'm amazed by some stores who only do new records, where used records is where a store can make some money.

great video

These margins are crazy and the fact that you pay up front makes it very very difficult. Respect! Here is one thing that I think helps your favorite record store and has benefits for the buyer: if there is something new out there and they don't stock it (or didn't come out yet), ask the store owner to order it for you. They will try to keep the margin at the lowest because they know that otherwise you would be ordering it online, they have a risk free investment in goods that pays back immediately, you don't have to do the extra work with ordering, pay for shipping, and get to contribute to a local store instead of sending your money to amazon etc. Best to send over a list of a dozen items and first ask for a quote, that way the store owner sees that you are a serious collector and conscious about your money. I started doing this with a local shop (South Hungary) and it's working out great.

The shop I work in over in the UK do the same as you. Mainly used records with a selection of classic albums brand new sealed. Like yourself, we don't make much money on the new stuff but people still buy them. Most people don't complain about the prices but again like yourself, we explain the prices we pay for them and what we make, which is very little. Complete transparency. The Wall, The White Album, The Red & Blue, Californication, to name a few are all good sellers but very expensive for us and obviously the customer. I don't know how shops that sell only new vinyl pay their bills and keep going. It must be ridiculous hard to make ends meat.

@noblerecords

Жыл бұрын

Yeah I don’t understand either. I guess high volume.

Great video, as a record store owner in the UK I can confirm that the issues you discuss in the US are exactly the same here. You hit so many nails on the head I expected you to be wielding a hammer at any moment.

@noblerecords

Жыл бұрын

Thanks! 🤣

Pretty grim. But also why I try to buy from small businesses as much as possible.

@noblerecords

Жыл бұрын

Yes! Thanks!

Dylan this is awesome info. Ive also wondered how surf shops make money? Just ordered the Poobah record trying to support from San Diego.

@noblerecords

Жыл бұрын

Thanks so much!!!!

I live in Baltimore and I have a couple shops near me. One,Rebs sells mostly new and what used he can get. Probably smaller than yours but somehow supports 2 owners and a staff. Another is huge,but sells alot of other stuff. He mainly has a store of Walmart $15 dollar sale records. It’s hilarious! And Soundgarden which is not terribly big, does a huge new record sales and shipping business, and has a fair amount of used. The are open everyday all day and staff many people at a time. Somehow they are cheapest on new records and offer a 5% loyalty discount.You should hit that if you ever come through. There are others within a half hour to an hour, but those are closest.

@noblerecords

Жыл бұрын

Noted! Thanks for watching! 🙏

@RyRoc

Жыл бұрын

You must live near me! Harford/Baltimore county I'm guessing?

Great Marantz Setup !! :)

@noblerecords

Жыл бұрын

Thanks!

Hopefully this sheds light to a lot of people, its a big misconception that wholesale pricing is a lot lower & that the prices are expensive to make crazy profits… there is 2 local stores from me that get NO BUSINESS (due to their own faults) & have probably $150,000 worth of inventory that they paid for. God knows what they are going through, cause i know they didn’t get their inventory for cheap, no one does. The real game is within the used records. Always will be from now on.

@noblerecords

Жыл бұрын

Yeah. Like I said, gotta have both I think. Thanks for watching! 🙏

@agomodern

Жыл бұрын

At the same time, who cares if record store owners are making crazy profits? They probably deserve it. I don't knock anyone for making good money running their own business.

Dillon.. Will be in E. Tenn. full time soon...can't wait to get over to se ya! JG

@noblerecords

Жыл бұрын

Yes! Hope you can make it down!

@Jackgrahamphotograph

Жыл бұрын

@@noblerecords Dillion..I references your video on my new video posted this afternoon! JG

True, everything cost about 10x as much as it did in 1968. I was there!

Back in the 90’s with a lot of house music the promos were sale or return.

Hey Dillon , love the transparency. I help out at a friends shop and i am aware of these costs ... even more fun when he orders in a bunch of audiophile stuff 😂 order 40-50 mofis / impex / uhqrs / intervention and the costs are unreal. I opened a couple of boxes of records a few weeks back (maybe 20-30) and they cost almost what your invoice was for the 131 !! very hard to keep in business for record stores unless you are really hustling ... respect. my dream is to have a shop but i can't see the way to make it happen right now between start up costs , bills , stock ... and i still need regular money so i can't take the risk - but eventually i will 😂 there is no shop in my town (uk) and in fact no good shops for a long way ... i can watch you and dream though . cheers

@noblerecords

Жыл бұрын

Well I started my shop with $1000. You can start small and build. That’s what I’ve always done. Good luck!

I am impressed that you’re in the business. I love vinyl. If I lived in your area you Would love me because while I do lookout for deals in the wild I still show up and Buy quality presses I don’t have. My only limit is the cash I have in my pocket

Loved this video! I'd be interested to hear if you put any stock into new records (from contemporary artists) when it comes to your own personal collection? For instance, are your kids or grandkids going to wish you had bought the first edition of ____ (ex. Bon Iver's For Emma Forever Ago) on vinyl, or are first editions no longer significant, even when looking way ahead? Thanks!

@noblerecords

Жыл бұрын

Yeah I do collect some new stuff, just the things I like. Mostly singer-songwriter stuff, or psychedelic, doom, metal. But anything that I enjoy. I listen to a lot of stuff that I don’t talk much about

@LITTLERESOURCE

Жыл бұрын

@@noblerecords Thanks for your response! I really appreciate your videos and insight. I started a record "shop" about a year ago (pop-ups only so far). I order through mostly indie distributors, but oooof, yeah.. the cost is staggering.

Great Video. Enjoyed the pricing of the records part. I won't have a go at my local record store guy when he goes to sell me a strictly limited edition version of the new Metallica album on gold vinyl for £50,when he paid £40 for it himself.

@noblerecords

Жыл бұрын

Haha! Thanks for watching! 🙏

Nice !

I Remember I bought Kiss Alive! (Double LP) in 1977 at K-Mart for $8.99 later that year I bought Kiss Alive II for $7.99 on Special at K-Mart - of course for a 5 year old kid that was huge money - all of by birthday money and a small loan from mom and dad lol.

Ingram is still around? I remember in the 90’s seeing order sheets for VHS movies coming out of Ingram. I had no idea they are still in business!