Records, Books & Other Things That Won't Die

Ric's Recollections: The only known record store in Mississauga (257, Lakershore Rd East, Port Credit)

If you were to walk on the south side of Lakeshore Road in east Port Credit, you would eventually come across one of the few record shops left in the world: Ric's Recollections.

Should you decide to step inside Ric's, you'll find yourself taken back to the time before iPods, iTunes and even Napster (do you remember Napster, kids?). It's hard not to lose yourself among the islands of LPs, 45s & CDs (yes, they sell CDs, too, but the majority of their revenue's generated by record sales). And although I don't have access to Ric's numbers, I do know that LP sales for the last couple of years have been decent (some 3.5 million sold world wide in 2011, according to Canadian Business).

Like a used bookshop owner, Ric will never make fortune selling records. But he gets the benefits (and draw backs) of self-employment. He's done well in carving himself a nice little niche, in which he has plenty of room to grow (as evidenced by Recollections' semi-recent expansion into their1,000 sq ft location).

With digital music reigning supreme, a shop like Ric's Recollections shouldn't even exist. Yet, millions of records still sell every year (well, for the past 6 or so years, they have been, any way), because a small group of people prefer the sound and feel of old school vinyl. These are, most likely, the very same people who will keep their local bookshop alive long after the last book is printed. In short, these are my kind of people.

I can only hope #MK4aB will see the modest success that Ric's has -- that it will earn the respect of readers, slowly growing in reputation over the years. It'll be a challenge, but I was never one for the easy road.