Camelot, Suncoast, Sam Goody, Musicland

[mediamongrel]

Anyone remember their favorite mall music store before FYE took over the mall music craze and raised prices 30-40%

I can also remember one in Winston called CD Superstore. They were open right at the beginning of the CD craze (1990 or so)

[cosmoboy]

Anyone remember their favorite mall music store before FYE took over the mall music craze and raised prices 30-40%

I can also remember one in Winston called CD Superstore.  They were open right at the beginning of the CD craze (1990 or so)

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Do you know where that shopping center is in Winston, near hanes mall, where they now have a chilis and office max. well, where that mattress firm superstore is in that same shopping center there used to be about 3 music stores in that SAME location! there used to be a blockbuster music, turtle's audio, and some other one I can't remember.

[Sabaidee]

People don't buy CDs like they used to, music stores now have to compete with illegal downloads and iTunes and other paid services.

[Damien]

Do any of you guys remember the music store Peaches? You could find just about everything there.

[monsoon]

The big mall chain that was around before many of you guys were born (back when they sold vinyl records) was The Record Bar. Almost every mall had one.

[StevenRocks]

I remember Record Bar! All their stores used to have this fern and stained glass motif like a TGIFridays! In the '80s, they were trying to modernize their image and started renaming their larger stores Tracks.

Blockbuster Entertainment bought Tracks in the '90s and briefly we had Blockbuster Music. Then they sold out to Wherehouse Entertainemt and we had Wherehouse Music. there's still one big-arse Wherehouse Music left in Roanoke.

There was also:

National Record Mart / NRM

Oasis Records & Tapes (NRM on steroids)

discount records! (actually written like that)

Sound Shop (really country towns)

Disc Jockey (ditto)

Tape World

Record Town

The Wall

Mothers Records

...and so many more

[mediamongrel]

I liked tape world...I was always preferential to cassettes anyway though. That was one of the only stores that specialized in tapes as far as I know.

[JunktionFET]

It seems a lot of mall music stores have gone away or downhill. I've had memberships for Musicland, CD Warehouse, Camelot, as well as a number of other stores. Now it seems that I'm stuck having to buy CDs in Target, Barnes and Noble, or Best Buy. FYE doesn't have the best variety IMO, and they are pricey.

Best Buy surprises me because they sell SACDs, though their selection is small and most of the releases are just SACD'd versions of normal CDs. This is a good thing as it shows SACD filtering a bit into the mainstream consumer world.

Suncoast seems to have a diminishing inventory of oddball movies. It seems that nowadays your best bet to get something at a low price is to buy it online and wait for it to arrive.

[mediamongrel]

The Internet definitely is the culprit when it comes to the loss of mall music stores, but in the last ten years or so, the price of CD's and DVDs in mall stores has gone up significantly with no real explanation. I understand they have to compete but they must know that no one is going to pay $18.99 for a brand new CD when they can probably get it online for $12.99 or downloaded for $8.88 (legally). I wouldn't be surprised to see FYE go out of business by 2010. I remember in the late 80's/early 90's when I worked at Tape World, and they sold new release cassettes and CD's for like $12.99 How did they sky rocket 25-30% in ten years? It must be the Internet. The majority of CDs at FYE are $17.99 and up. Double CDs there are like $29.99, and DVDs? Forget about it! They start at $29.99 and go up from there...

[StevenRocks]

I wonder sometimes who's keeping FYE in business. I only buy stuff there if I'm really jonesin' for a CD and only then.

[RaleighHeelsfan]

Anyone remember their favorite mall music store before FYE took over the mall music craze and raised prices 30-40%

I can also remember one in Winston called CD Superstore.  They were open right at the beginning of the CD craze (1990 or so)

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

FYE did not raise the prices. Camelot was the biggest price gougers around. I remember they charged 20 dollars for new releases. I never bought anything from them. Suncoast is still in every mall. They are very expensive. I think FYE charges the same as all of them. CD warehouse always had the cheapest prices. FYE is still expensive though. Nothing like Camelot was. Camelot was the worst.

[Roadgeek]

Camelot was my favorite. I mainly like it because of the memories there. There was one at Hanes Mall and Carolina Circle Mall. Are there sill any around?

[StevenRocks]

Camelot turned into FYE.

[Tayfromcarolina]

Also Target, Walmart, Best Buy, Circuit City have ate into the big music retailers pockets. Especially the first week of a release. Why pay $16.00 plus for new CD's when you can get it on sale the first tuesday-saturday at Target or Best Buy for $10.99. I only have shopped at big music retailers for the occassional CD single.

[Justin6882]

Sam Goody at Crabtree was always ridiculously expensive as well. I believe they are in the Suncoast family? Also, I remember Tracks very well...its where I got the Vanilla Ice tape when I was in 3rd grade (1991).

[ILoveCallingNCHome]

Do any of you guys remember the music store Peaches? You could find just about everything there.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I remember them. It was a far drive from my house, but indeed you could find just about anything in there.

[mediamongrel]

Does anyone remember Tape World? It was unique because when it first started out as a chain, it sold nothing but cassettes (and LPs) Then they ventured into CDs, and when they finally folded the "Tape World" name, they were selling more Cds than tapes, but they were still called Tape World.

[cosmoboy]

Well I don't even go to Best Buy nor Circuit City. I use Lime Wire and occasionally iTunes. It's a whole lot cheaper!

[mediamongrel]

Anyone remember the Camelot Music on Independence across from the Burger King?

[RiverwoodCLT]

Anyone remember the Camelot Music on Independence across from the Burger King?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yes

They had good deals, but you had to look for them. Independnce construction kill them.

[ngp]

Suncoast is still in every mall. They are very expensive.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Are they still overpriced? I stepped into one a couple weeks ago and thought it looked like they had brought prices back down to earth. I know they used to be $5-$10 more per item than larger retailers.