The Record Exchange, located at 1105 W. Idaho St. in downtown Boise, recently purchased a 64,000-album collection from the Yesteryear Shoppe, the Nampa book and vinyl dealer that recently announced its impending closure. The acquisition is the largest single purchase in the Record Exchange’s 41-year history.
“For years, the vinyl hoard in Yesteryear's basement has been the stuff of legend among collectors in the Northwest, with many stories and much speculation about what might be found in the vast collection,” according to a news release from the Record Exchange.
What The Record Exchange staff says its uncovered did not disappoint. “Comprising every conceivable genre and everything from common records to rare collectibles, the collection was the type of dream buy that record store owners hope to make at least once in their careers,” the release said.
“More importantly, the purchase assured the collection would stay here in the Treasure Valley, where hungry vinyl buyers are helping feed the format's continued global resurgence,” it added.
“We were sad to hear of Yesteryear's closing because we have known Dave Gonzalez and his family for many years, and hate seeing another great independent retailer disappear -- but we were thrilled to have the opportunity to purchase the collection instead of watching it leave on a truck for California,” said Michael Bunnell, The Record Exchange’s founder and owner.
The truck, in this case, simply had to cross the county line (and make a couple of trips) to deliver the albums to the Boise store.
The initial purchase consisted of 50,000 records. Then the team of Record Exchange staffers and friends returned a few weeks later to purchase another 14,000 records, plus 3,000 cassettes. “Most of the collection had spent countless years in the mythical Yesteryear basement and had never made it onto the sales floor,” the release pointed out.
Some of the collection is already in The Record Exchange vinyl racks, which are being expanded to accommodate the sizable increase of inventory. The remainder is in a climate-controlled storage facility.
While not all 64,000 records will be on the sales floor at once -- by comparison, The Record Exchange's vinyl section currently holds 17,000 records -- the purchase gives the store considerable backstock to pull from and will keep the racks full and robust for many years of musical discovery.
