An end of an era:

 

Owner to shutter Gem City Records

 

Gem City Records, a long-time staple of the music scene in Dayton, is scheduled to close at the end of January. The store — owned by Marietta, Ga.-based Value Music Concepts Inc. — will shutter because of a lack of interest in pre-recorded music and a lack of financing for the store’s inventory, according to Rob Perkins, president of Value Music Concepts.

 

For more info, click below

http://dayton.bizjournals.com/dayton/stories/2009/12/14/daily24.html

Wow - that sucks!  I was in Dayton last Friday and I took my wife to the Pine Club.  On our way out of the restaurant, I pointed out the hair saloon next door that is where the Gem City on Brown St used to be and said how depressing it was when that store closed.  It's really sad to hear that the main on is closing now.  What a great record store...it's the end of an era  :-(

NOOOoooooo!  I really feel bad for Dayton... she's not a bad town but time has just been very cruel to her.

OTOH...

 

I just checked and wow, Second Time Around is still there in the same spot that it's been since like 1976 or so. At least some things are hanging on.

"a lack of interest in pre-recorded music"

 

What a strange way to phrase the concept of a record store.

 

^

a lack of interest in this in Dayton.  Key qualifier.

 

Note that Shake-It Records in Cincy is still going strong (and they have a very funky books/mags/comix selection, too), as is the very reliable Ear X-Tacy in Louisville.  Both these places have a good online presence too, for online ordering and downloading.

 

Another think Shake-It and Ear X-tacy have are very complete local music bins (at least they seem so), which was a weak spot for Gem City.  For a city with such a vaunted local scene a lot of the Dayton groups didnt have stuff for sale at that store..your best bet was to go to their myspace page or get a CD at a show.

 

 

 

 

The DDN follows up by putting a happy face on the Oregon District retail/entertainment situation:

 

Gem City Closing Wont Spell End of Indie Oregon Spirit....

 

...with the local commentators disagreeing by saying how much better Brown Street/UD area is & how much they prefer suburbia, once again proving the point on why "indie" things struggle here.

 

 

 

 

Sorry Jeffery, but I just don't see how an out of town company closing a record store that failed to carry local artists' work (as you indicated) indicates a lack of interest in Dayton's indie music scene.

Them shutting down indicates a lack of business, meaning there wasn't enough locals to support the place.  Presumably it would have stayed open if it was sufficiently profitable.

 

That the place didnt get carry local stuff to the degree that the Cincy and Louisville stores was a seperate issue, probably meaning the stuff didn't sell, or they there was a lack of product coming in somehow.

 

The comments at the DDN link are just local public opinion on how the Oregon sucks and why they wont go down there.

For me Gem City was pretty disappointing in their selection.  I think it was overrated.

 

I usually got stuff from a band at the venue they were playing at, during a break or after the show,  becuase I knew GC probably wouldn't stock it.  And for other things I used online or went to Shake-It or Ear X-tacy (when I was down in Lou).  Shake-It also had a great used DVD bin...picked up some interesting documentaries there. 

 

I also had good luck at Joseph-Beth for things like classical or more folky things. 

The comments at the DDN link are just local public opinion on how the Oregon sucks and why they wont go down there.

 

If you listen to the DDN commenting fools....

ha...yeah probably a good sample of the ornery soreheadness out there. "Buskars"....

 

But there is some unintended humor in that article, about Dr. Irvin playing the role of "Magic Christian", funding all this stuff, and now this buskers school to train street performers, who will adhere to a "buksers code".  I have to smile at this, but also have to aknowlege that this is forced growth.  Stuff like this should, in theory, be sort of organic, and just 'happen'....?

 

 

 

^

a lack of interest in this in Dayton.  Key qualifier.

 

Just a quick list of some of the stores owned by Value Music Concepts that have announced they are closing within just the last month:

• Bart's CD Cellar in downtown Boulder
  
• Cotati's Backdoor Disc & Tape in Sonoma County
  
• Vinyl Fever in Tallahassee
  
• Record & Tape Traders in Catonsville (Baltimore)
  
• Sound Shop in the Jacksonville, NC
  
• Gem City Records in Dayton
  

 

A few other facts about Value Music Concepts:

• Value Music Concepts files for Chapter 11 in 2003
  
• Value Music Concepts announces the closing of 34 stores in 2003
  
• Gem City Records will join 25 other stores owned by Value Music Concepts that have closed during the past year.
  
• In 2006, the company operated 61 home entertainment stores.
  
• Now, the company operates 31 locations. 
  
• So it looks like they have closed about 64 stores in six years.  EDIT: It is closer to 100 stores they have closed in the last 6 years.

 

 

To me the closing of Gem City Records seems to be more of an indictment of Value Music Concepts as a company than it does of the Oregon District or Dayton.

 

 

 

I have to smile at this, but also have to aknowlege that this is forced growth.  Stuff like this should, in theory, be sort of organic, and just 'happen'....?

Right, like all the "organic" entertainment at The Greene that people seem to love.  The Greene isn't my thing, but people seem to love it so I just see this as the Oregon District creating one more amenity to be competitive.

 

Thanks for putting things in perspective, dfly.

Right, like all the "organic" entertainment at The Greene that people seem to love.  The Greene isn't my thing, but people seem to love it so I just see this as the Oregon District creating one more amenity to be competitive.

 

In other words, Dayton..city & suburbs...is just fakin' it.

 

To me the closing of Gem City Records seems to be more of an indictment of Value Music Concepts as a company than it does of the Oregon District or Dayton.

 

Actually it is.  Again, where is the local record store? 

 

 

 

 

 

To me the closing of Gem City Records seems to be more of an indictment of Value Music Concepts as a company than it does of the Oregon District or Dayton.

 

Actually it is.  Again, where is the local record store? 

^In the wonderland of Louisville where everything is weird.  But you knew that already didn't you?  You've become quite the doomsayer troll and I dare say I prefer it to your cartographic sociology lessons.

Actually Louisville has its own problems, and, in some fundamental ways the Dayton region is in a better position than Louisville for long-term economic growth and as an attractive place for people to relocate to. 

 

In this topic we are just talking about a lifestyle or subculture thing, something that is really quite ephermal.

 

I dare say I prefer it to your cartographic sociology lessons.

 

This is a lot more entertaining.

To me the closing of Gem City Records seems to be more of an indictment of Value Music Concepts as a company than it does of the Oregon District or Dayton.

 

Actually it is. Again, where is the local record store?

^In the wonderland of Louisville where everything is weird. But you knew that already didn't you? You've become quite the doomsayer troll and I dare say I prefer it to your cartographic sociology lessons.

 

Jeffery's just fine, Seth.

 

He's done way more for Dayton than anyone else here has, and if he wants to disown the 5+ years of awesome work he has done for the city, it's his choice. Personally, I am still going to enjoy those "sociology lessons", especially since the ones on Trotwood are the reason why I got started on online foruming in the first place :)

 

Sure, I miss the old Jeffery like everyone else does, but if this is what he wants to become, I can't do anything to stop it. Emotions are a personal choice.

Just an FYI, trolls will be banned on site.  I would not call Jeffrey a "troll" as he's been a contributing, responsible member on this site but if he does head toward that direction, then it's a wrap (and that goes for everybody). 

To me the closing of Gem City Records seems to be more of an indictment of Value Music Concepts as a company than it does of the Oregon District or Dayton.

Actually it is.  Again, where is the local record store? 

I think you know the answer, Jeffery.  One, owned by an out-of-town company that has a poor track record and debt issues and that was overrated in your words, is closing.  Another popular local store closed a couple of years ago after the founder died of a heart attack.  I just don't see the correlation between these sort of events and a lack of interest in Dayton's music scene, but I guess only the future will really tell.  Hopefully a place like Second Time Around or Omega Music or even a new place steps up to better serve the Dayton indie music scene.  And if Gem City Records sucked as bad as you said they did, their closing could be an improvement if someone else is able to do it better; and they may be able to now--with a competitor gone, they won't have to take as big of a risk.  But whether it is someplace in Dayton, Shake-It Records in Cincinnati, or Ear X-Tacy in Louisville, I think they are all going to face an uphill battle being in a declining business.  Last week a college student that works for me said, "I bought a CD yesterday!  It felt like I was in junior high all over again."  That doesn't bode well for any music store's future.

 

 

Right, like all the "organic" entertainment at The Greene that people seem to love.  The Greene isn't my thing, but people seem to love it so I just see this as the Oregon District creating one more amenity to be competitive.

In other words, Dayton..city & suburbs...is just fakin' it.

I'm not going to go too much into this here since it is getting off topic, but it is a damned if you do, damned if you don't sort of thing.  Leaders put the pieces in place and then people complain its not organic.  People wait for things to happen organically and then nothing happens and then people complain that our leaders aren't doing anything.  The Oregon District's plan, although maybe not completely organic, doen't really seem like fakin' it, either.  Either way, I'm just going to enjoy it.

this is a shame, but its nothing on the locals. record stores are closing left and right. who buys cd's anymore?

 

 

Last week a college student that works for me said, "I bought a CD yesterday!  It felt like I was in junior high all over again." That doesn't bode well for any music store's future.

 

 

exactly! same things happening with book stores.

 

soon everything will be digital, then will come our war with china and the inevitable electromagnetic pulse after which we will go back to the stone age.  :-o  here, let cleveland's late nite hosts big chuck and little john explain  :laugh:

 

 

I love books :)

 

They are such nice, gentile things.....

Sucks for Gem City. I did fill in some holes in my Bob Pollard vinyl collection at their sale, mostly stuff I got on CD over the years there. Only about 100+ vinyl pieces to go! Got some rare GBV/Bob records there over the years.

 

I really liked the employees there, always very nice and helpful. Once they were bought out a few years ago, and all that crap merch filled the store I wondered how long they would be around. I know alot of vinyl collectors in Dayton, but I don't think we number enough to serve a niche business like a record store. Columbus, being larger and younger, has a several great records store.