Vinyl Hunters: Buy One Record, or all 10,000
While meandering through the Everett Flea Market recently, I stumbled upon Vinyl Hunters. If you hear some good jams emanating through the space, it’s likely coming from Paul Burr in the back left corner of the store where he hangs out with his large collection of vinyl records.
Admittedly, I had mostly just wandered into the flea market in search of home goods. Yet I managed to wander out with three new records instead.
Lots of treasures to be found // Garret Hunt
I blame Paul; in the best way.
Paul’s cowboy hat and thick glasses caught my eye as I wandered by. “What’s up with this stylish old dude hanging out with a bunch of records?” I thought to myself. I decided to say hello.
Paul was quick to be of service. Happy to share about the vast array of records he’d been collecting for over 20 years.
Ready-to-retire Paul // Garret Hunt
He also mentioned he’d be willing to sell them all to one buyer, and he’d throw in all of his other antiques. Well, probably all, “but some of these vintage cameras are pretty valuable,” Paul shared.
As I inquired more about the sale, I learned Paul is preparing to retire to Florida where his brother lives. Time to make a change.
Talking to Paul about his collection and hearing his stories and love for music was contagious. I’ve never been a real follower of music, so it was borderline comical as Paul’s eyes lit up each time I’d told him there was another musician I wasn’t familiar with.
Taking good care of the merch // Garret Hunt
Paul’s got it all, he shared. “Blues. Jazz. Country. A lot of stuff from the 50s-90s. There’s at least 10,000 records here.”
The average price point seemed to run around $15-20; which compared to new vinyl is very reasonable. Especially when you consider that these 50-year-old records can go up in value. Don’t be surprised to see certain records priced at $50 or $100+. Paul uses, “a 16-year-old book for the prices, and then I usually add a couple bucks to make a little money.”
There’s memorabilia too // Garret Hunt
Paul also shared, “the more you buy, the more I’m willing to discount.” I ended up with my first Johnny Rivers Album (A Touch of Gold), which was one of Paul’s recommendations I was glad to accept. A “20 Giant Hits Do it Now” compilation, which according to the cover you may have “seen on TV.” And a bucket list item, which was my first Beatles album, “Yesterday and Today.”
Paul cleans his records in between customers. And takes any blemishes into account when he prices them. I got my Beatles album for only about $13, mostly because the cover had a stain on it. But the record itself plays flawlessly.
Paul is on site, for now, Fridays and Saturdays. But don’t worry, you can still shop his collection at the Everett Flea Market even when he’s not there. And if you’re interested in buying everything, Paul said space rent at the flea market is very reasonable if someone wants to keep the shop going.
The choice is yours; what treasure awaits for you to tune into?
Vinyl Hunters @ Everett Flea Market
2112 Hewitt Ave
Everett, WA 98201
(206) 679-4510
Garret is the co-founder + CEO of Live in Everett. He’s also journeying toward wholeness at GarretHunt.com.
