Responding to the recent resurgence of interest in vinyl records, Ryan Blackwell opened his first record store in Nederland on 1st Street in the spring of 2019.
Selling vinyl records was not what Blackwell set out to do with his life. He invested 20 years of his life in cancer research and also taught biology. But collecting vinyl had been a hobby for five years, and when the desire to run his own business became overwhelming he turned his hobby into a business and launched the first iteration of Boogie Records.
The business has now doubled each year. After three years in his original location, the store moved two blocks west to a space twice the size of the first store, “and with plenty of room for more records!”
From a beginning that had him asking online for local aficionados to sell him their collections, Blackwell now has a stock of more than 5,000 vinyl records and 5,000 CDs. “Many are rare original pressings that are out of print and very hard to find including hundreds of UK, Australian, and German releases,” he states. But the business now deals in more than just records and CDs. “I buy and sell new and used vinyl records, CDs, turntables, stereo equipment, cassette tapes, and DVDs. I can also special order records and CDs. If it exists on vinyl or CD, I can get it for you,” Blackwell says.
He and his one employee enjoy seeing customers come in not only from Nederland and the Peak to Peak area, but also from Boulder and Denver.
“Vinyl records are more popular now than ever and business has been great. I hope to open seven days a week this summer, hire more employees, and continue providing Nederland with a place to shop, talk, and play music for years to come,” Blackwell states with pride.
“My favorite part of the job,” he says, “is when someone comes in and finds that one record that they have been looking for years for.”
Blackwell is grateful for his customer base, and wants to “Thank you, everyone, for supporting my store and shopping locally.”
You can find Boogie Records at 150 N. Jefferson Street, #B4, Nederland. You can reach Blackwell at Blackwellr71@gmail.com or 303-258-3081. You can also check out their social media at Facebook.com/BoogieRecordsNederland and Instagram.com/BoogieRecordsNederland.
Sponsored by the Town of Nederland, with funds from the American Rescue Plan Act.
