As as a kid, how well I remember seeing these stores “all over” New York City, Connecticut, and Florida! [:D]
They often:
(1) Were small, cramped and housed in older brick buildings (like a Walthers Cornerstone kit)
(2) Had bright flourescent lights. One or two small house fans blowing.
(3) Display table rows packed with records and 8 Track Tapes. (Cassettes by the mid 70s).
(4) Posters all over the windows of popular singers and groups.
(5) In some, there seemed to be a “Stereotype cool guy” behind the counter with a big smile and wisecracks. For some reason they often wore sunglasses indoors! [8D]
One neat (or annoying) aspect I remember: There would be a small horn or PA speaker mounted near or outside the doorway and the latest hits would be blasting loud enough that persons within a 30ft radius could hear it. However, in urban areas you could often hear the music from across the street since the sound bounced off of buildings. [;)]
I remember: The Jackson Five, Credence Clearwater, Aretha Franklin, Seals & Croftt, Mamas and the Papas, and other hit groups back in the early 70s. Customers went in, often purchasing the latest “singles” on 45 records. Sometimes though, Latino, Jazz, Classical, and Country music would also be “pumped up”. Managers usually paid attention and tried to attract a wide customer base.
Modeling potential:
These stores very much resembled the buildings offered in the DPM kits and Cornerstone series. Using cutouts and
That is a [8D] cool [8D] idea, !
btw: overhere in Holland lots of these oldtime record stores were more music stores, selling records, sheet music and musical instruments ranging from flutes-organs to electric-guitars and drum kits as well. I looked at those instruments fantasizing being able to play the records i bought on those instruments ![8D][8D]
Did similar businesses were around in the US?
modeling opp.: every thursday at 12 noon a que of eager teens formed outside as the new charts ( dutch equivalent of the billboard hot 100 ) were handed out by the owner .
Around Long Island, there are (and were) several used CD/DVD stores and chains such as Empire Disk, Mr. Cheapo’s, CD Warehouse, Music Arcade, etc.
A number of these (in particular, Mr. Cheapo’s in Mineola, 2 blocks from Willis Hobbies) are housed in buildings similar to the more generic DPM/City Classics 2 story brick buildings (others are in strip malls and the ilk). There are probably quite a few more in New York City itself, and north Jersey, but the previous ones are ones I’ve been too.
So you need not limit yourself to Record and Music stores of the past…
I always fancied the idea of building a record store, only that from 1941! Does anyone know if record stores from that period had fancy art-deco fronts? I think I saw one on a WWII documentary. And, what kind of name does a record store have?
There are still record stores like that around today!! Despite the encroachment of chain record stores in malls, you can still find the genuine article–and most of them still actually sell vinyl records!
They were in all sorts of buildings–Tower Records got its start in a drugstore attached to a fancy art-deco movie theater in Sacramento, California, but they could be in any sort of building. Record stores can have any sort of name–there is even one in my town just called RECORDS. Take a look in the local yellow pages for some ideas for record store names, but you could just call it JOE’S RECORD SHOP and not be too far off the mark.
Some decor suggestions: Find some show posters appropriate to your era (or reproductions in a book), and scan them at fairly low resolution. Using a decent graphics program, print them out at a size appropriate for your scale (in HO, maybe 1/2"x3/8" would look about right.)
Doing the same with record covers could be done, although it would be a bit more delicate–an LP cover would be a bit more than 1/8" square. Rather than print out a bunch of 1 HO foot square bits, one might print out a strip of them in a row and glue them onto a “display rack” in the store, or make a whole grid of record album covers and glue them to an interior wall–many record stores will cover a wall or two with records, either on display for sale or old/interesting covers separated from their records and attached permanently to the walls.
lupo: Normally, at least in my experience, record stores and music stores are two separate things–record stores sell recorded music, and music stores sell instruments and sheet music.
Overhere the musical instrument and record stores are seperate as well nowadays, the kind of store I refered to was around here untill the mid 60’s, specially in smaller towns.
Cool idea, Antonio! I may not be from the 50s, 60s, or 70s, but I listen to oldies all the time. Imagine running your layout jamming to The Beach Boys![8D]
Interesting to know that there are still some stores around. But it’s worth notiicing which word our younger members are using here. “Music Store” instead of “Record Store” which is what they used to be known as, even though Reel-to-Reel and 8-Track tapes were also sold.
NOT a Criticism…Just shows how time and technology have gradually changed this industry since my teen years. We now have CDs, Mini-Discs, MP3s, and other storage devices that I have to ask my students how they work!
I had thought that with this technology, “music” type stores would have fewer customers as so much is available on-line. Looks like they’re changing but surviving; just like our model railroad hobby stores.
I am planning modeling a record store, but the theme will be 1965-71, my layout’s time period. The DPM store kits are excellent for the typical record stores seen in the eastern U.S of that time period. For flourescent lighting, the “Blue White” L.E.Ds look like they would work well (same type of light like in BLI’s early GG1s and J1 Hudson).
Hope that some of you with layouts and basic electrical knowledge try this! Seems like it’s not a very difficult project. If you plan to, or get it done, please post it! [C):-)][tup]
With 1965-71 as a project period, certain things come to mind–you’ll certainly want to have a couple flower children hanging out at the record store, and might consider doing a couple of the “posters” in the store in fluorescent paint (maybe just make a B&W poster and dab it with a Hi-Liter pen.)
I don’t think brick & mortar music stores are going anywhere soon. In addition to providing the physical product, they also function as meeting spaces, where folks can discuss music and otherwise exchange information. Used record stores also serve a purpose, and while profit margins aren’t as high it’s easier to sell your records at a used-music store than on eBay or something. Independent record stores also tend to function as public bulletin boards, too–every indie record store I know has a bulletin board, information kiosk or shelf dedicated to flyers for local music shows, whereas many chain music stores do not.
They mutate a bit–during the Nineties one saw a lot of techno record stores open up (specializing in the myriad styles of house, rave, jungle, drum & bass, etc.) and then close once the fad starts to fade. But small stores still open and close–and, even though some folks don’t believe it, records (the vinyl ones) are still being made! I worked for a music distributor last year and packed and shipped plenty of them.
I remember the flourescent posters. One thing though, there were “flower power” and “hippies” here and there, but not really in great concentrations as many people today speculate due to “Woodstock”. It was more of mostly typical young people dressed casually (jeans, tee shirts, and leather vests). Every now and then you’d see the “extreme” ones with the full flower decals on their cars, giant bell bottoms jeans, psychedelic colors, and either the stringy long hair or huge afros! Saying “yeah” to an adult was considered very rude. Just typical youth in that time period. For me, it does seem like yesterday!
I think Glenn Miller and Duke Ellington music would be very appropriate for the 1940s.
The idea is basically to play a CD “LOADED” with a bunch of songs that record stores played during the time period that the modeler is basing his/her railroad on, not an individual song here or there. On a single day, the old record stores could easily play 40 to 50 songs, while repeating only the top hit singles several times a day.
It’s so easy today to just “burn” a CD with songs we want to fit in our modeling era.[;)]
Along this same line, I’ve thought about putting a radio station on my layout (set in the 1970’s) and perhaps recording some airchecks from airchecks.com, which features oldtime top 40 jocks from the 50’s - 70’s.
Hello Cacole, - Wow! You really want to get into detailing. [:p][8)]
Good question. One thing to consider; nearly all the records in a store are in “square shaped” carboard or paper sleeves to protect them from becoming scratched. I guess in HO this would be very tiny. In detailing something like this I imagine this would involve having several tables along the walls and in the center area. Standing vertically could be, many tiny, square shaped paper pieces of various colors lined up in rows
to represent records. [;)]
In my case, since the store’s front window would be covered with pictures and posters, I’m not going to worry about interior decorations other than a dim, white light. Music will be heard through the open doorway. [:D][8D]
That’s why I said a couple of them, rather than a mob scene.
I know that not everyone dressed like that, but if one seeks to set a mood sometimes one must resort to stereotypes. Not everyone in the Fifties wore a black leather jacket and drove a hot rod, but when modeling a Fifties layout it certainly helps set the mood to have a few DA’d delinquents sitting around their vehicles.
Of course, a Fifties record store could also feature a few beret-sporting beatniks. A 1970’s or 80’s (or 90’s to modern) record store could benefit from a few spiky-haired punks (just modify your greaser miniature a bit with some squadron putty and some dabs of silver paint) or grab a few Vespa scooter miniatures, slap on some natty lads in suit jackets and ties and you have a gaggle of Mods for the outside of your record store, perfect for 1960’s Britain or 1980’s urban America.
O.K, now I understand. You’ve brought up a good point!
Sometimes in order to capture the “atmosphere” of a model scene you have to use stereotypes! I can put a couple of teens with 3ft long hair or huge afros around the record store!
I laugh sometimes when I remember my dad. A wonderful sweet guy who absolutely couldn’t stand to see all that hair on a man!! Goes without saying that as a kid, crew cuts and slacks were the “norm” for me, though I was taught to treat all others with respect! I can’t complain though, I pretty much adopted his solid conservative values though today I occasionally grow a beard.
Great Idea !!! I am listening to the beach boys right now . Kokomo to be exact. Oh man this saxaphone insturmental part rocks !! anyway, since pretty much all I listen to is oldies (despite the fact that I am 12 [8D][8D] ) and some contemperary christian. I don’t mind gospel either. I need to build somthing like that !