Help Me Help You: A Roadtrip Along Hwy 53
Finding record stores
There are two paths when collecting records: finding them or letting them find you. Regardless of the path you choose, you actually have to go into a record store at some point. Seeing the boom in the vinyl industry has been great, but it’s become harder to find the right album at the right price. Case in point, Boston’s S/T sold 9 million copies from 1976-1986 making it easy to find on vinyl. In 2009, this album going price was $4. In 2016, the price is getting closer to $10. Why? Demand and sellers. These two factors influence price gouging and increase the need to find quality shops that don’t sell poor records at high prices.
Living in rural Wisconsin and Minnesota, collectors travel to get records. Of course there’s the Internet, but half the fun about collecting is going out, finding records, and meeting people. Without this aspect, you spend more time curtailing your experience than developing relationships with shops.
From collector to collector, this road trip is making the most out of each shop and keeping an open mind about their records. Certain stores are suited for certain collectors and hopefully my experiences will shed some light on what you can expect when traveling north to south on US Hwy 53.
Settled in downtown Superior, Vinyl Cave isn’t actually on Hwy 53; it’s 1.7 miles to the west on U.S. Hwy. 2. This minor oversight wasn’t missed. Within a few hours, someone commented on it.
This was the public’s first response to the series. I didn’t see it coming. But on the bright side, my editor did capitalize ALONG and ON to illustrate how 1.7 miles isn’t too far away.
Vinyl Cave began in 2008 as a joint venture between Tom Unterberger and Tom Johnson – commonly referred to as “the Toms.” When Duluth’s Young at Heart Records closed, they bought out its entire stock, opened a store, and planned on liquidating everything. This “get rich quick” scheme didn’t happen. On the contrary, the Toms found out that the public couldn’t get enough and they soon found themselves traveling across the country getting more inventory for the store.
Growing up during the British Invasion and classic rock n’ roll gives the store its identity. 
Vinyl Cave thrives on ’50s and ’60s records. Collectors looking for garage rock or regional releases from Minnesota labels like Soma Records will be at home. The Toms have carried albums like the Nashville Teens’ Tobacco Road and Electric Prunes’ S/T. But, the store isn’t limited to garage rock; I have found everything from the Buzzcocks’ A Different Kind of Tension to Chic’s C’est Chic. So, the collection can be well rounded.
Fun Fact: Tom Johnson said the store’s best selling record is Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon.
I’ve spent more time and money at Revival Records than any other record store in America. Owner Billy Siegel did exactly what was needed when he open the store: he bought a few collections and sold off the majority of his personal collection. When the store first opened in 2009, his stock was nothing but hits. I was getting everything from Bowie’s Young Americans to The Violent Femmes’ S/T.
Growing up near the Superior area, he began buying records from Tom Unterberger when Tom sold records out of the back of a tavern. While in college, Billy fell in love with ’90s grunge like Mother Love Bone and Pearl Jam and continued to collect records through his 20s. After his family relocated to Eau Claire, he decided to take the next step and opened Revival Records. The store was able to not only capitalize on the latest vinyl boom, but also the area’s musical talents; area residents like members Bon Iver, S. Carey, Arms Aloft, and Field Report can be seen randomly at the store.
Of the stores profiled, Revival Records has the biggest collection of 
new and used records. Billy moved his store three times due to size. In fact, in its current location, the store could use more room to house its inventory. Revival Record’s size is a two way street: on one side, there is a large amount of records to look at. On the other side, it gets crowed quickly, especially on Record Store Day or a busy weekend. With that said, it’s worth it.
Fun fact: Billy said the store’s best selling record is Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours.
Deaf Ear Records is the oldest record store highlighted in this piece. Opening its doors during the late ’70s, the store became a meeting place for local music nerds in the Coulee Region. Alex D’Angelo, the original owner, slowly built up the store’s presence and held sign-ins with notable musicians of the era – the biggest probably being Yngwie Malmsteen. The store switched hands in the late ’90s when Jason Mills bought the store and relocated it to its present location.
Jason was monumental in getting vinyl back in the store. When looking at back stock in the basement, he found albums he’d been struggling to find. This prompted him to recirculate them back into the inventory; soon after, collectors noticed and started flocking to the record section. Growing up 90 miles away from the store, I’d make regular trips to Deaf Ear and bought some of my first records there (mainly Damned Lps). When national chains like Sammy Goodie and Disc Jockey closed, Deaf Ear stayed and now remains one of the few independent record stores left.
Managers Tina Melvin and Matt Smith were a vital part of the store’s success. They had
their pluses on not only music that would sell, but also music that collectors would want. Whenever I went into the store, I walked away with something or I was surprised by what I found. With that said, Deaf Ear had a smaller collection than Revival Records and Vinyl Cave, but its stock wasn’t filled with split sleeves or scratched records. Matt was critical about what he bought for the store. More importantly, he wouldn’t elevate the price for arbitrary reasons. Even after the death of Michael Jackson, copies of Thriller – the best selling record of all time – jumped drastically in price. At Deaf Ear, it was still $6. $8 if in pristine shape.
Fun Fact: Tina said the store’s best selling record is Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours.
