Here’s a “new” record store on Long Island. Record Stop has been around forever but its most recent incarnation was a space in an industrial park in Shirley that was open only on weekdays, so I rarely got out there—maybe once every two years. Yesterday, they opened a new brick-and-mortar store in Patchogue, so I went to check it out. It has that brand-new record store smell! They are betting the farm on selling brand-new vinyl because they had tons of it; their used section was the pits but I imagine it will get better. Currently it is stocked to answer all your .38 Special and Cat Stevens needs. Record Stop’s main calling card in recent years was its vast assortment of brand-new vinyl bootle—uh, imports and “fan-club releases,” and those are all gone. The store is squeaky clean in that regard now (which was a little bit of a disappointment). I wound up leaving empty handed—which was a surprise—but heck, it was their FIRST DAY. It’s a gorgeous shop and I’m sure it will grow into a pillar of the LI record collecting experience.
