![]() Most record stores ship by media mail, which is the cheapest way to ship through the United States Postal Service, but it is also one of the lowest-priority tiers. “The government, by doing this, is directly affecting small businesses, and they know it, and they don’t care.” “It’s just going to hurt stores like us and small businesses more and more. “We started noticing that months ago, and now it’s pretty clearly out in the open that they are slowing the mail down purposely,” Jencik said. That really helped out a lot: letting me make money and still be in business without even having to open my doors,” he says.īut with a large chunk of their business going to mail orders, record stores are feeling the effects of less-efficient postal service. “I was doing deliveries out in Rogers Park and Wicker Park: neighborhoods that I don’t think people ever really came up to the shop before. Squeezebox built a website from scratch during the lockdown to give customers a flavor of the store itself, even though they’ve done mail orders through Amazon and Discogs since the shop opened almost 10 years ago.Īfter coming up with some creative delivery methods, business actually improved at Tone Deaf records after Assimos started doing home delivery in the Chicago area, which quickly became very popular. Reckless Records rebooted its eBay presence, bringing out some records they had “squirreled away” for a rainy day. When Illinois’ stay-at-home order went into effect, record stores increased their online presence in lieu of opening their physical stores. Thankfully we did eventually get a PPP loan we applied for, it did take a while and there was a period there where it wasn’t looking good-we weren’t sure what was going to happen.” SELLING RECORDS WHILE CUSTOMERS STAY AT HOME “We’ve had lots of bills and rents and mortgages just like anybody,” says Matt Jencik, a buyer at Reckless. “And while 50% sucks, it’s a whole lot better than zero.”Īt Reckless Records, one of Chicago’s longtime record stores with locations in Wicker Park, Lakeview, and the Loop, staff was reduced to just a few people at the beginning of the pandemic while the store applied for a federal Paycheck Protection Program loan. “We were rolling at about 50% of what our previous business was,” Squeezebox owner Tim Peterson said. The effects of the pandemic-the lockdown, closed pressing plants, postal service issues, and a postponed Record Store Day-have shaken local independent record sellers, but they are still here, getting vinyl to music-lovers in Chicago and across the country.ĭuring Illinois’ stay-at-home order, Squeezebox Books & Music in Evanston was closed for three months, surviving on mail orders. “But I can’t complain because the shop’s still here and, you know, I’m still in business.”Īssimos’ sentiment was echoed in record stores across Chicago. “I was going to have a big party for that, and instead I just sent out an Instagram message saying it was the one-year anniversary and that was it,” Tone Deaf owner Tony Assimos said. The looming threat of their secrets rages against a budding romance, and neither Blake or Yang will ever be the same.Portage Park’s Tone Deaf record store was supposed to have its one-year anniversary on June 15. ![]() With a skillset and Magical powers suited for subterfuge, the only thing she needs now is someone who can build a few specific machines for her. ![]() Blake is on one last job for Adam, an impossible task that will finally free her from his control. ![]() Using her business as cover, Yang puts together a scheme to break her mother out of prison. Yang is a machinist with a thriving business in Atlas, building incredible machines as easily as breathing.
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