Post Content

As The Table Turns: New Hobbyists Boost Sales for Old Town Record Shop

Nat King Cole, Bing Crosby, Annie Lennox… It’s been sounding a lot like Christmas inside Crooked Beat Records for the last month. Even though the record shop missed a few beats when it closed in April and May, sales have increased due to a new generation of hobbyists.

The hobbyists have turned sales back on the right track, according to Crooked Beats’ Paloma Alcala.

“Many people are looking for hobbies that they can do by themselves that they don’t need to do in a group,” Alcala told ALXnow. “Lots of people have taken up record collecting.”

The shop moved to 802 N. Fairfax Street from D.C. four years ago, and features thousands of records from nearly every genre. Due to COVID-19, the shop is currently letting in five customers at a time.

“We’ve got the classics,” Alcala said. “All kinds of things. We’ve got Canadian Christmas music, we’ve got compilations that span all kinds of genres. You want some Rockabilly Christmas music? We got that. Christmas R&B? Punk rock Christmas music? We have that.”

Most records sell for less than $50. Some of the higher priced items include a 13-disc expanded edition of Prince’s Sign O’ The Times ($289) and early pressings of 50-year-old albums by Jimi Hendrix and The Doors that are still sealed ($200 apiece).

The shop also sells Audio Technica 120 turntables ($289), and only buys used record collections from the public in good condition.

What’s the appeal of records? Alcala said she is frequently asked that question at the shop.

“In an era of streaming music, you can pretty much listen to anything that’s been put up on the internet, whenever and wherever you want,” she said. “There’s something really wonderful about that, too. But there’s something more satisfying and more active and purposeful about taking a record out of its sleeve, putting it on a player and dropping the needle. It puts you in a different mindset, and you’re able to enjoy the music on a much more personal level, and building a collection helps you curate the music that means the most to you.”

Crooked Beat Records is open Monday from 1 to 5:30 p.m.; Wednesday from noon to 5:30 p.m.; Thursday, Friday and Saturday from noon to 6:30 p.m. and on Sunday from noon to 5:30 p.m. The shop is closed every Tuesday.

Photo via Crooked Beat Records/Facebook

Recent Stories

This week’s Q&A column is sponsored and written by Peter Crouch & Katie Crouch of McEnearney Associates Realtors®, the leading real estate firm in Alexandria. To learn more about this…

There is good news for those grumbling about potholes along King Street and Duke Street: repaving season will sweep over the two arterial roads this month. Repaving work is scheduled…

Patrick O’Brian enthusiasts rejoice: another Age of Sail replica ship is coming to Alexandria. The schooner Pride of Baltimore II, a replica of the 1812 ship Pride of Baltimore, will…

Good Wednesday morning, Alexandria! ☀️ Today’s weather: Expect patchy fog in the morning until 10am, followed by a sunny day with a high temperature near 84°F and calm southeast winds…

If you had a chance to enhance a child’s future with a time commitment of less than 2 hours a week, how would you respond? You have that opportunity right now to join over 200 Alexandrians as a reading tutor volunteer with the Alexandria Tutoring Consortium (ATC).

ATC tutors work with one child in kindergarten, first, or second grade in Alexandria public schools who need extra help with reading. Tutors meet with their Book Buddy 1-2 times each week for 30 minutes October-May at school, during school hours. Many struggling readers only receive one-on-one instruction through this program, and it makes all the difference. Last year, ATC served 195 children, of whom 82% ended the year reading on grade level and 96% made substantial reading gains. But the need is great, and we are still seeing learning lags from the pandemic.

This year, ATC plans to significantly increase the size of the program to reach over 250 students and to serve every elementary school in Alexandria. This is very exciting news, but we will only succeed if we can recruit more tutors. ATC trains you, matches you with a child, and provides ongoing lesson materials and support.

Read More

Submit your own Community Post here.

If you have been thinking about buying your first home or haven’t owned one in the last three years, THIS IS FOR YOU!

In the DMV area, it can be difficult to save the downpayment necessary for you to get into your own home. We have a solution. The Funder’s Summit!

We have assembled a summit with different municipalities to tell you how to access their funds for your home purchase.

Read More

Submit your own Community Post here.

Family Fun Fall Fest

Mark your calendars and join us for the Family Fun Fall Fest on Saturday, October 7, 2023, from 11am – 2pm!

This FREE in-person event will be held at the Shoppes at Foxchase, located at 4641 Duke St, Alexandria, VA

2023 Alexandria Fall Festival

Food trucks, bounce houses, pony rides, magic shows and more at the 2023 Alexandria Fall Festival, an Alexandria Living event presented by The Patterson Group. Join us at River Farm on Sunday, Nov. 5 from 11 a.m. – 4 p.m.

×

Subscribe to our mailing list