Almost ten years ago, I was riding along with a friend of mine to go on an errand. He had told me about this music store where they had almost every kind of music you could dream of. I was a little bit skeptical about all of the praise he was giving this record store. Most of the music I wanted I could find at big, chain retail stores. Why would I want to drive twenty miles for music I typically drive five miles to buy? After I stepped into the record store, I then understood the fascination of what is known as Bill’s Records.
Bill’s Records, owned by Bill Wisener, has been in business for over twenty years. The moment you step into the store, you can feel the old school vibes of how the record business used to be before big name chains started in with their music department franchises. Everywhere I looked there were old vinyls, new CD’s, and collectible memorabilia. I felt like I had stepped into my own Empire Records.
Over the years, I have occasionally visited Bill’s Records to see if I could find any rare collector’s items or CD’s that I couldn’t find anywhere else. And with each visit, it was no surprise that I found exactly what I was looking for. Although it has been a while since I have actually shopped inside Bill’s Records, it has only been a few days since I have visited the record store’s website. Music lovers can now shop online and buy products from Bill’s Records through Amazon and Ebay. They can also check out Bill’s Records’ website at www.billsrecords.com for new deals and upcoming live music events that are held inside the store.
Knowing that Bill’s Records has been able to stay in business despite all of the chain store monsters that usually tend to run out the small time retailers makes me feel there is hope for all of the mom and pop stores. What seems to keep this record store alive is the atmosphere as well as the niche market it has created that cannot be found in a Sam Goody or Virgin Records. Hopefully, Bill will keep his tradition of his record store and continue to offer unique collectibles and music selections for many years to come.