Toronto Record Store Switch-ups
Sooks
714 Posts
So what's going on with TO record stores? I thought Ric bought L&F, but now it's closed? Then the last time I was in Ric's, it seemed like someone else bought that? What's going on?
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As I've been told, Ric did take over L&F but within about a month or two of buying out the Greek was told by the landlord that his lease would not be renewed as they don't want record stores there anymore... No one has bought out OG Ric's but it is in a state of chaos, due to the aforementioned reason, with lotsa stock being shifted and the fact that he's also opened up another shop on Queen East I believe around Carlaw... he's also cut the Main/Gerrard location in half to accomadate a workspace in the back in support of another one of his endeavours, carpentry... the basement is also finally being uprooted to stock the Queen East location... kinda staying away til things are sorted as it's kinda impossible to find anything in there right now...
Harmony had actually been posting on Craigslist, Acid Records style, months prior to closing... Believe they were asking either $40-50K for the shop... if you ever spent a half-hour in that place you realized this amounted to no more then a pipe dream... I accepted their impending closure at that point... but really, it hard's to care when a spot you frequent averages one or two nice pulls a year... hella
Do you know if the Queen E. store is the same place where a weird guy (even for record store owners) had a half-downstairs place? With a stobe light marking the entrance? I went in there once and all the records were priced at around $30, even things like Herb Alpert. I haven't been back since, but if the Ric's stock is moving out there, then I guess I will.
I was just disappointed that L&F got sold before I could got through all the 45s in the basement... I spent like 2 hours down there one day, and I could tell there was some interesting stuff (like Colombian 45s, Quebec 45s, etc) down there. Now who knows where Ric will put it.
By far one of the craziest collections I've ever seen in my lifetime just came in.
It's crazy... TONNNSSSSS of heat!!
30,000 piece soul collection right?
Mostly soul, but I noticed some good jazz & brazilian in there. I didn't get a chance to go though it since I was late for something. But from what I saw, it was really crazy. I'm pretty sure few will ever see a collection like this anymore, so it's great to see. I'm going back Sunday to go through it if anyone will be around.
You should come up this way one day JP.
I'm considering a mission next weekend. Damn, I'm going to need a lot of coffee, it's an 8 hour drive!!
do you know if that collection is on the shelves yet? i saw some boxes on the floor yesterday but i don't know the dude who was working there to ask if i could root through them.
Big up to my partner M#z@ for lacing up Cosomos with that collection
also check out that copy of the "Machine" LP he sent up there also....even though the price they want for the LP is insane....... there is also some good disco and gospel shit in that load also. He sends a collection up there every what year and a half....and IMHO the load he sent up when Cosmos East opened was better...but there is still plenty of good shit in the most recent load.