[78-L] Minneapolis 78 store

[Bill McClung]

Let's just call him a curmudgeon.  He won't ever be voted retailer of the
year.  While I was in the store he was relatively patient with a guy asking
about a phonograph and totally impatient with a college student who kept
asking where the liner notes were for the 78s.

At Alamo Records in San Antonio I have regularly seen the owner ask
customers to leave if he sees them not putting records back where they found
them or if he sees them treating the records roughly.

The first time I went to Charlie's Records in Oklahoma City I felt like I
was being put through a hazing ritual.  Charlie is a big black guy and the
first time I was there he was at the back of the shop playing dominoes with
a friend.  They were cussing and trash talking and slapping the dominoes on
the table and they totally ignored me until they had finished their game.
Then he finally asked me what I wanted and I said 78s and he pointed me to a
small stack.  When I finished looking at them and asked him if he had any
more he used an obscene phrase that didn't answer the question.  I used an
equally obscene phrase to answer him and he burst out laughing and we've
been good friends ever since.  In fact, I'm proud to say that I've beaten
him at dominoes as often as he has beaten me although he is a better trash
talker and doesn't seem to care that I have a mother.

The guy in Minneapolis was spending his time working his records and
straightening stock.  The guy at Alamo plays his guitar and reads.  Charlie
plays dominoes and watches TV. I guess the answer is that they do whatever
they do and whether you buy something or not they don't care. They're not
trying to open a second store or franchise their concept.  They're not
worried about the next new thing in vinyl so they can have it first. They've
got low rent or they own the building and they like working the records and
they'll be there in the store whether I'm there or not.  They're not
there to sell me something.  I think they are where they want to be and
doing what they want to do.  If they me sell something it's a plus.



On Tue, Nov 16, 2010 at 1:36 PM, Michael Biel <mbiel at mbiel.com> wrote:

> From: Bill McClung <bmcclung78 at gmail.com>
> > But a word of advice. Don't be fooled by the owner's prickly exterior.
> > He also has a prickly interior. He has little patience for foolish
> > questions or the wasting of his time
>
> He is in the store to sell things.  WHAT ELSE CAN HE DO WITH HIS TIME
> WHILE HE IS THERE??????????????  How is it possible to waste his
> time?????  Where's he going???  What else would he be doing???
>
> Mike Biel  mbiel at mbiel.com
>
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