Plight of local record stores

[bellenseb]

DCist has an interesting  round-table chat  going.

[vansmack]

Interesting concept: Ask musicians why record stores in DC aren't working out.
 
 I think I'd rather hear from the record store owners and other folks familiar with the business landscape in the area.

[Charlie Nakatestes, Japanese Golfer]

If the record store owners had the right answers, wouldn't they be applying them?
 
 

Originally posted by vansmack:
  Interesting concept: Ask musicians why record stores in DC aren't working out.
 
 I think I'd rather hear from the record store owners and other folks familiar with the business landscape in the area.

[ratioci nation]

Originally posted by Earl Blanton Jr., Late Model Champ:
  If the record store owners had the right answers, wouldn't they be applying them?
 

That is assuming that the problems have a solution.

[vansmack]

Originally posted by Earl Blanton Jr., Late Model Champ:
  If the record store owners had the right answers, wouldn't they be applying them?
 
 

They don't have to be local record store owners.  
 
 Why not ask the guys at Amoeba why Amoeba can/cannot be recreated in DC?  Now that I would read.(c)
 
 I just copyrighted my idea so you lurkers at DCist must come up with your own idea.  And try to make it a good one.

[Sir HC]

Look at Soundgarden.  It is thriving in Baltimore so why not DC?

[Charlie Nakatestes, Japanese Golfer]

To rent commercial space the size of the Soundgarden in a DC neighborhood the equivalent of Fells Point (Adams-Morgan?) would be much more costly.
 
 
 

Originally posted by Sir HC:
  Look at Soundgarden.  It is thriving in Baltimore so why not DC?

[vansmack]

Originally posted by Earl Blanton Jr., Late Model Champ:
  To rent commercial space the size of the Soundgarden in a DC neighborhood the equivalent of Fells Point (Adams-Morgan?) would be much more costly.

Right, because real estate in the Haight is so cheap.  Have you seen the size of the Amoeba in SF?
 
 It's doable if you can sell enough volume.

[Dr. Anton Phibes]

Originally posted by vansmack:
   

Originally posted by Earl Blanton Jr., Late Model Champ:
  If the record store owners had the right answers, wouldn't they be applying them?
 
 

They don't have to be local record store owners.  
 
 Why not ask the guys at Amoeba why Amoeba can/cannot be recreated in DC?  Now that I would read.(c)
 
 >>For Gods sake! Please quit mentioning Amoeba! It's gonna be till next spring or summer till I make it out to Cali and I get to spend countless hours in the Haight location! I'm chomping at the bit,man......
 
 I just copyrighted my idea so you lurkers at DCist must come up with your own idea.  And try to make it a good one. [/b]

[Charlie Nakatestes, Japanese Golfer]

Do they own the store or do the rent the property?
 
 I wonder how much of Amoeba's sales are from out of towners? Hip, music loving types visit San Francisco for vacation and make a pilgrimage to Amoeba. Hip, music loving people generally don't vacation in DC; we get the fat flag wavers from Nebraska. For that matter, hip people in general don't move to DC.
 
 

Originally posted by vansmack:
   

Originally posted by Earl Blanton Jr., Late Model Champ:
  To rent commercial space the size of the Soundgarden in a DC neighborhood the equivalent of Fells Point (Adams-Morgan?) would be much more costly.

Right, because real estate in the Haight is so cheap.  Have you seen the size of the Amoeba in SF?
 
 It's doable if you can sell enough volume. [/b]

[vansmack]

Originally posted by Earl Blanton Jr., Late Model Champ:
  Do they own the store or do the rent the property?
 
 I wonder how much of Amoeba's sales are from out of towners?

I don't know, why don't we ask them?  But it goes back to my original point in this thread.    
 
 Why is DCist asking local musicians about a problem they likely know little about when they should be asking people who may have solutions to the problem?

[Julian, Alleged Computer F**kface]

Why do we have to go to SF to see a viable indie store to model? Plan 9 in Richmond and Charlottesville have succeeded in much less "hip" locales then DC.

[vansmack]

Originally posted by Jonas Grumby:
  For Gods sake! Please quit mentioning Amoeba! It's gonna be till next spring or summer till I make it out to Cali and I get to spend countless hours in the Haight location! I'm chomping at the bit,man......

Sorry Jonas.
 
 Reminds me of my next idea.  Amoeba orders delivered to DC by yours truly....I'm not there yet, but I'm thinking about a way to make it work.

[vansmack]

Originally posted by [username edited by p.c. moderator]:
  Why do we have to go to SF to see a viable indie store to model? Plan 9 in Richmond and Charlottesville have succeeded in much less "hip" locales then DC.

Because, as Rhett pointed out, the rent is comparable, and I'm guessing that's the biggest expense for any indie store in DC.

[Charlie Nakatestes, Japanese Golfer]

Well Charlottesville, with its student population, no doubt has a more voracious music buying public. I think that many people typically buy most of their cd's by the time that they are 25, and gradually lose interest in music and buying cd's.
 
    Richmond? Again, I'm willing to wager they need not do a huge volume, ala Amoeba, because of low rents.
 
    I bet Richmond Plan 9 does significantly less business than Soundgarden.
 
 
 

Originally posted by [username edited by p.c. moderator]:
  Why do we have to go to SF to see a viable indie store to model? Plan 9 in Richmond and Charlottesville have succeeded in much less "hip" locales then DC.