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Struggling economy
claims record store
Published Wednesday, July 29
By L.A. Story
Staff Writer
The festive paper lanterns, large bulb Christmas lights and vivid posters of musical icons of days gone by are all slowly being taken down as one venue for local "musical outcasts" is closing its doors after 4 1/2 years.
Todd Gurley, owner of Top Shelf Records, recently announced that his store would close as of Friday, much to the expressed dismay of his many loyal customers.
The store, a Cruise Street business, was many things to many people. Technically, it was a used record/CD store (actually stocking lots of vinyl), which also offered movie rentals. It was a meeting place where young people would hang out and talk for hours. And, over the past year, it had also become a musical venue featuring local musicians and singers.
The reason for the business's closing appears to be a local business falling victim to the recession.
Gurley made the original public announcement in his blog on myspace.com/topshelfrecords nearly two weeks ago. The blog explained the process of a struggling business and an owner cognizant of his limitations:
"After nearly five years of operation Top Shelf Records is sadly closing it's doors due to financial concerns ..."... It takes money to make money, and there was never enough. If there was any money left after getting all the bills paid, it went right back into the store as new inventory. Boxes of CDs or records from eBay, new movies to rent, t-shirts or whatever. It wasn't very often that there was money left over though, and the inventory got pretty stagnant. When stores can't keep fresh inventory the casual customer will soon become the former customer.
And when customers start dropping off, there is even less money to work with, and less new inventory coming into the store, and then even more customers losing interest.
"Then you find yourself not even able to pay the minimum monthly expenses, and that's when it's time to face reality. There have been ups and downs along the way, but the ups were never too far 'up' and the downs were pretty demoralizing. The financial crisis that started about this time last year (which later turned to recession) has pretty much sealed the deal. We've had so many record breaking (in a bad way) days and days with zero rentals ... "I hope you all feel that you've been part of something special."
In the hopes of having extra cash to add to the store's inventory, Gurley took a second job about a year and a half ago, but the recent economic crisis changed the motivation from luxury to necessity.
"When the recession hit, I had to have the job just to pay the rent," said Gurley.
It appears Gurley's customers and friends are as saddened as the owner at the store's fate. The store had taken on a social life of its own.
"This was one of my favorite places," said customer, Dan Marsh, of Corinth, as he browsed through the clearance items. "Whenever I was walking, running errands or doing anything downtown, Top Shelf was always one of my stops. I like Todd and he knows the movies and was always good to recommend a good pick. I'll miss it [the store]. To know it is to love it."
The atmosphere of the store had become one of a sort of musical and artistic subculture for the young people of the area from early teens to college age. The store became a small musical venue for area musicians with concerts held every couple of weeks or so in the summer. There was also artwork displayed on Top Shelf's walls by local artists sharing their work.
These are the individuals who perhaps mourn Top Shelf Record's last days the most.
"It's really sad that he's closing. It wasn't just a store. It's really hard to explain ... it was a really nice place to meet people, listen to music and get good ideas for new movies," said LeAnna Huff, a regular Top Shelf customer. "I've met some of the greatest people I'll ever know at Top Shelf.
I feel like a part of me is closing down. I don't think Corinth was ready for a place like Top Shelf. It was like all the musical outcasts gathered there."
Jordan Prince, a local musician who played the first concert held at Top Shelf Records last summer and played the last concert the store held this past weekend, was also a regular customer of the store.
"Top Shelf ... there were so many layers to the store. I started going down there two years ago in the summer and I gained so many friendships ... Todd is such a great person to be at that store ... it was about culture and music and friendship," said Prince. "It was a big part of my life and the lives of so many other people. I played the first and last show and I felt very privileged to do that. I was helping Todd take down posters last night and each poster was like taking down a piece of me."
Booneville musician Cory Taylor Cox, who also performed at Top Shelf Records, agreed with Huff and Prince. "Top Shelf was an arts culture and a music culture. It was out of the box and a good place for kids to hang out and not get into trouble. It was a good thing and I was proud that somebody tried to do something like that ... it gave the town's bands a play to play that was not a bar, and where they were not just background music," said Cox.
The owner, Gurley, has been moved by the outpouring of support he has gotten from the kids who frequented his store, and surprised by parents who heard about the store's closing and came by to tell Gurley how much the store meant to their kids and their family.
"I am so glad that I have been part of their lives," said Gurley.
After closing time on Friday, Gurley will open the door to a new chapter in his life. He said he hopes to get into Northeast Mississippi Community College this fall to further his education and begin a career in a new field.
"Maybe after Friday I'll feel relieved ... but right now, I'm just sad ... very sad," said Gurley. "I don't regret trying it. I only wish I could have been successful and could have made a living at it."
