Everyone is aware of the vinyl boom that has been happening over the past few years. Legions of music nerds are lining up to get their hands on a Frank Zappa original pressing or a rare variant of their favorite hip-hop release. For the good people over at Planet Records in Cambridge, MA, near Harward Square, the excitement and fandom of the recent boom never left. Since 1983, the shop has been adapting to the ever-changing vinyl world and climbing over steep hills to provide its community with the best selection it can curate. Their shelves are expansive and never empty, lining them with albums of all eras and genres. A music nerd never leaves Planet Records unsatisfied, and with over 40 years of experience, their mission has never wavered.
Glide enjoyed speaking with Planet Records about their storied history, used vinyl collections, and expansive selection. Check out our entire conversation below.
Planet Records has been open since 1983. To what do you credit your longevity?
When we first opened, I would think about what I’d like to see in a used record store. A broad range of music in great condition in an atmosphere conducive to hours of browsing was the goal. We’ve always been a community record store. Our inventory is usually about 90% used, that we buy from individual collections in the New England area. That local community has proven to have amazing taste in music. The direct result of this is that we have been able to purchase thousands of collections that have made for an exciting store. To this day, I am amazed by the quality of people’s collections. Every week, I see interesting records that I have not seen before. The record companies did an amazing job of meeting the demands of the public by producing and selling millions and millions of records.
From the beginning, we have limited our inventory to records in excellent condition. This held true with cassettes and CDs. We clean our vinyl. We have been able to survive the evolution of the music industry and all of the changes over the years based on the simple principles of great quality and interesting music. Additionally, we have always carried all kinds of music. I appreciate customers who check out with an R&B record, a Classical record, and a Rock record. I’ll usually compliment them by saying, “Nice range.” If we have a specialty, it would be that we can satisfy a very broad range of clientele.
We have always cared about music and people. I have seen customers cry because we had the record they were looking for. Music resonates so deeply with people, and it is very gratifying to share that experience.
You guys moved to a new location in 2012. How has the new space been treating you, and what are some of the major changes you want to make?
I renovated this location myself with the help of my brother. We brought our tools and built the store from the floor up. We have limited space, so every inch is used. As a result, there is merchandise everywhere. It’s carefully organized, and keeping it that way takes some effort. Our location is not in a high-traffic area. We moved around the time that record people had gotten used to hunting for record stores. Because we have been around for so long, people seem to be able to find us.
There isn’t much I would change. I used to want a larger store, but at this size, we can just about handle the workload of filling the store on a daily basis. Our size also helps us maintain our focus in that we have to keep our inventory fresh.
What record shops did you visit growing up, and did they inspire how you run Planet Records?
When I was eight years old, my dad worked in Manhattan. There used to be some newsstands that also sold 45s. I would stop and stare at the sleeves of the Four Tops and Ray Charles records and wish I could start a collection. Eventually, my dad gave in and bought me a copy of Stevie Wonder’s “Fingertips,” and that’s how it began. I would spend hours in Sam Goody’s, King Karol’s, and the Record Hunter. The horse left the barn once I found an unusual import Hendrix record (A French pressing of Loose Ends) at the Record Hunter.
What is the largest used collection someone has brought in? Were you able to find any hidden gems?
Over the years, we have had many large collections, some topping 10,000. But it’s quality, not quantity, that counts. One 3000-count Jazz collection came in about ten years ago that was filled with classic original pressings of most all of the Blue Note, Riverside, and Prestige classics. What made it special was the condition. The owner’s love for this collection was obvious because almost every record was flawless. I had fantasized about this kind of collection for years, and to see it in front of me was a dream come true.
Could you tell us about the most rare or valuable record that has graced your shelves? What made it so special?
We had a perfect original Coltrane’s Blue Train in that same collection that we sold to a Japanese customer. Mint copies of a Led Zeppelin 2 (white label promo), Ant Trip Ceremony 24 Hours, Margo Guryan – Take a Picture, Sun Ra – Magic City, and (of course) The Beatles Yesterday and Today – Butcher cover.
I did keep a mono copy of Hendrix’s Axis Bold as Love because the idea of a mono version of that record was really amusing to me.
What do you guys look for when sifting through a used collection? Are there any classics you’re tired of finding in used collections?
Personally, I love 60s and 70s R&B. Finding the Temprees, Delfonics, Parliament, or James Brown always makes my vinyl heart flutter. I always enjoy coming across the first King Crimson album. Now, even some of the more common rock titles like Frampton Comes Alive or Billy Joel’s The Stranger have value, so it’s hard to complain when I see them again. We do see an awful lot of JFK tribute albums in this region.
Is there a particular pressing that you consider a ‘holy grail,’ a treasure you still hope to discover someday? What is it about this record that makes it so unique to you?
I had a copy of the original Velvet Underground and Nico, but it was trashed. I’d like to find one in excellent condition. I had a mint First State Butcher cover that I bought in 1978 for $100. In 1998, I brought in five copies from home in various states so I could show the buyers what to look for. That week, the store burned down, and those records went up in flames. It would be cool to find a nice First State copy.
What was it like seeing the vinyl revival in real-time? Do you believe CDs or cassettes will have the same comeback?
For us, that “revival” has been going on for a while. When vinyl sales slowed to a crawl in the 1990s, we kept our record section, which was half the store. Some stores in the area switched 100% to CDs and stopped selling records. I couldn’t give them up. It was a huge part of why I started a store to begin with. I looked like a genius when record sales picked up again.
We still have a large CD inventory, and they continue to sell well. I do believe that they will continue to sell. There are so many CDs out there, and they contain every kind of music. Despite the arguments to the contrary, many of them sound great and are convenient to use.
I’m sorry to say that I always disliked cassettes. They don’t age well, so I’m not much of a believer in that format.
For someone who has never visited Planet Records, what albums/genre would they be surprised you carry?
That question is at the heart of the matter. At any given time, we have a good selection of records. Classical, Jazz, Rock, Folk, Country, Blues, Reggae, International, Spoken, Kids, Experimental, Electronica and Soundtracks are all represented at Planet. However, we usually only have one copy of a given title. Our store has one flaw, which is that if it’s a great record, it has probably sold already. We have a large 7″ collection too.
Now that you guys have been in the new location for over a decade, what do you have planned next? Can you let us know about anything exciting that is coming up?
Survival.
