These are dark days for Victoria music fans as another Canadian Gord ends his reign.
, the cityB次元官网网址檚 source for vintage guitars and vinyl records, will close later this month after almost two decades in business. Originally from Saskatoon, Gordie Budd landed on the island in the late B次元官网网址�90s and opened his guitar shop in 1998, offering lessons, repairs and rentals. He says he always dreamed of owning a record store, starting from scratch with a small crate of vinyl in the corner.
As the popularity of analog saw a resurgence with a younger audience, Budd says the collection grew until one day he looked out to rows and rows of records and thought, B次元官网网址淚 own a record store.B次元官网网址�
B次元官网网址淭rue audiophiles never left vinyl,B次元官网网址� he says, and true customers never left Budd. When the B次元官网网址 stopped in to visit, an old regular walked through the door and called out, B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檝e got two questions! Is it true? And, who do we shoot first?B次元官网网址�
BuddB次元官网网址檚 shop at 1519 Pandora Ave. isnB次元官网网址檛 overly big, but the first thing you notice is the empty wall on the left near the back where guitars and ukuleles used to hang for sale. Everything is 30 per cent off these days as Budd hopes to lighten the load heB次元官网网址檒l haul away when the door locks one last time, Nov. 30.
B次元官网网址淭hereB次元官网网址檚 many layers involved,B次元官网网址� he says of the decision to close, some of which date back to the financial crisis of 2008. B次元官网网址淲e lost a third of our students then. It was an uphill climb after that.B次元官网网址�
Three landlords B次元官网网址� the last of which came with a management company that played middle man B次元官网网址� steadily increased BuddB次元官网网址檚 rent while online giant Amazon was slowly plucking customers from the grip of independent businesses like his.
And as the B次元官网网址渢he big guysB次元官网网址� like Long & McQuade and Tom Lee Music moved into town, it wasnB次元官网网址檛 just the rent that increased. Budd says insurance, hydro, bank and CRD fees B次元官网网址� all those pesky responsibilities an online-based business like Amazon doesnB次元官网网址檛 encounter B次元官网网址� played a role too.
The closure of GordieB次元官网网址檚 Music comes just months after Larsen Music on Cook Street played their final note back in July.
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B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檓 going to go into what they call semi-retirement,B次元官网网址� Budd says, adding that he may try his hand at buying and selling on a smaller scale, maybe even online.
That business model never appealed to him because he didnB次元官网网址檛 want to see the instruments leave Victoria.
When folks would ask about a return policy, he says heB次元官网网址檇 tell them to spend enough time with the instrument before you take it home, that way you know itB次元官网网址檚 the right purchase. Not exactly a concept transferable to online sales.
B次元官网网址淭hatB次元官网网址檚 part of our downfall,B次元官网网址� Budd says.
B次元官网网址淚 canB次元官网网址檛 pay the rent selling records, but I canB次元官网网址檛 sit here and be sour grapes.B次元官网网址�
He jokes that he might just play Steely DanB次元官网网址檚 B次元官网网址淓verything Must GoB次元官网网址� on repeat in the coming days as he continues to stock the shelves with B次元官网网址渘ewB次元官网网址� old records.
And when he makes that final sale, he says heB次元官网网址檒l be okay, that he has a sense of peace about it.
B次元官网网址淭he only thing constant is change,B次元官网网址� he shrugs.
