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Rick Stoner

@rickstoner

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@stirstuff @strictlydiscs
Youth sports chauffeur.
Live music enthusiast.

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16 - Jr
13 - 8th
11 - 5th

Once they hit middle school, it’s all a blur of rides, fees and clothes. The years are flying by. by @rickstoner

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a month ago

The vinyl haul of all hauls is complete.

Three trips with a 20’, 27’ and 20’ truck. And the 8’ cargo cube of our immortal Honda Odyssey (aka Black Sabbath) accompanied each trip. That’s 91’ of wax. Or almost two semi-trailers.

Music & Sports Collectors World opened in 1987 in Appleton, WI. Never too fond of the Internet, they always focused more on sports souvenirs and Hi-Fi units. And when he wasn’t at the shop, owner John was always on the prowl for rust-free classic cars. But the records were always there. That included a full inventory buyout of another shop in 1999, which remained untouched until it arrived at our Cambridge warehouse.

With a Sidney Moncrief-esque assist from the pals @erodingwinds @erodingwindsappleton, we were tipped off about their storefront and storage area of about 23,000 records up for grabs. What nobody knew was a secret test John had in-mind. Which was that a fair offer for the store and storage wax meant first dibs at the almost 72,000 records in his garage. We passed the test.

At 95,000+ records, we think 60-70% will make the cut and find a home in our bins. With the rest coming to a St. Vinny’s near you. We’ll take that ratio all day long...parsing out the good from the bad is the fun part.

At this volume, we’re bound to dig rare gems. Finds so far include a Rodriguez - Cold Fact, 80s/90s rap rare to vinyl, boxes on boxes of funk & soul and enough Beatles, Beach Boys, Genesis and Phil Collins to pleat your Dad’s khakis.

Thanks to @nextroggae, @edslavin and @rickstoner who schlepped and dollied weight, one 50 pound box at a time. The haul also featured the clutch, spinal stenosis-free teenage reinforcements of the Chaney twins.

We now have more records than we’ve ever had as a company. With our online sales moving units over the last couple of years, our replacement rate of used inventory wasn’t looking pretty long-term. Buys like this allow the OG groove to keep spinning.

#vinyl #records #vinylcommunity #recordcollector #vinylIG by @rickstoner

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2 months ago

Partner Scenes.

We’d like to (re)introduce you to Evan, Mark and Ed, three new minority partners at Strictly Discs. Give the guys a congrats next time you see them.

Owner Rick here. Today we’re sharing news we’ve been working on since I showed up almost three years ago. The guys earned this. I’m proud of each of them for who they are as individuals. But more so for the team they are when they work together.

After cutting his teeth on the label side of the business, Evan joined us in 2010. If it’s upstairs, he got it here. That includes chart toppers, reissues, imports and Evan’s mind-reading super power; esoteric grooves you never heard of but love within seconds of the first spin. He also handpicks our used CDs and writes the 706-issue-and-counting Words on Sounds newsletter, which previews with wit and joy what we have waiting for you in the bins.

Mark is the heartbeat of what makes us, us; a heaping batch of fresh-used records every week. Those picks are sourced from all over the place to our Cambridge warehouse one truck rental or shop van run and 50 pound box lift at a time. It’s hard work (physically and mentally) and a grind most shops only dabble in or outright avoid. It’s been our way since 1988 and Mark keeps it going. He also manages most of our part-time staff and steps into nearly every role we’ve got; counter, shipping clerk, used vinyl grader and events. I’ve never worked with someone who has grown more in three years than Mark.

Ed went from a long-time Saturday helper to full-timer a few years ago. In the indy record shop game, few people don skills that include digital development, operational problem-solving, a deep knowledge of italian disco, a penchant for early mornings and a work ethic that sees new projects through until they’re up and running. If you dig our website and/or just appreciate a train that runs on time, thank Ed.

And most importantly, they’re all great Dads.

If you are or know an owner, consider an equity plan for the people that keep your company running everyday. The difference between a paycheck and building something as a team is real. by @rickstoner

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2 months ago

Candy is sofaking metal. by @rickstoner

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3 months ago

Summer is here. Resistance is futile. by @rickstoner

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4 months ago

Shout out to the Record Store Day block party crew of @edslavin @nextroggae @onticoptic @nedryerson13 @pcaroldactyl @drukorab & @rickstoner for all the hustle in service of wax.

From February’s title release day to launching our wishlists. To working with our label & distro pals on the annual significant risk that is our mondo RSD buy. And checking in inventory during a chaotic couple weeks of Wisconsin weather. All the way up until RSD’s 5:30 AM roll call through 8 PM close. 🫡

And a rustic, rural 🙏 to @dreamboatphoto and @martyfinkel, who held it down in Cambridge. We were grateful to double and sell through last year’s RSD title count at our humble warehouse store and hosted @themarigoldroom_cambridge and @visitcambridgewi Lake Ripley Radio to a small town, Main Street crowd that grows every year.

We grind for each other, for the records and for the community.

✌️❤️

#indierecordstore #madison #recordstoreday @recordstoredayus #cambridgewi by @rickstoner

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6 months ago

Happy Golden Sweet 16th to our Bells!

Our strong, determined, sweet Gooser!

Off to your precious Olive Garden for your annual birthday cuisine of questionable choice.

We love you! by @rickstoner

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6 months ago

Day of the Badger! Donate at dayofthebadger.org/teamS

All donations will support the tissues provided to Marquette students and alumni to soak their tears when they realize they’re paying 3-4X the tuition for a school with double the acceptance rate…a pain I’ve suffered personally thanks to my wife. by @rickstoner

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6 months ago

Long day on the roads for these ladies. by @rickstoner

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7 months ago

At STIR, we stand up for what we believe in. And we enjoy ourselves doing it.

To live those values on this most courageous and important day, our President & Owner @rickstoner displaced our desk chairs to an unknown and safe location. And has graced our office Sonos speakers with a playlist containing only the finest of 90s hits. by @rickstoner

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7 months ago

Deep in his bag like there’s fries at the bottom. by @rickstoner

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7 months ago

Sully and his Waukesha Warhawks pals took 3rd at State in Appleton. They came in as the 6th seed and upset two teams in Madison and Elmbrook they went 0 - 4 against in the regular season. Sully had 4 points in the tournament and the coaches had the whole team peaking at the right time.
Also kicked off the day at 7 AM for Team USA with some hockey Dads in a packed local establishment. Libations, Jack Hughes and hugging strangers ensued. Great day for hockey, ey? by @rickstoner

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8 months ago