Common Spinster Record Store Q&A With Kate Siamro

Q: So Records are being pressed again? 

A: They never stopped being pressed, but yes! They are on full blast right now. Actually to the point that major label pressing plants are reaching outward to smaller pressing plants to fulfill demand. It's pretty wild in the past year how many record releases have been pushed back because of the demand of wax 

A: Nah, we just happen to have an all female staff (Except for David of course) at the moment. Whenever we hire we want people who are reliable, honest, over 21, and have a good energy. It is cool have such a strong female energy store in a highly masculine dominated field though. I feel we rock it. We are breaking stereotypes. I think initially David didn't expect to end up with all women, but we all hire together, and us girls love hiring our fellow ladies.  

A: We are totally cool with photos taken on phones as long as it doesn't distract or make people uncomfortable while shopping, however if it's a DSLR we don't allow it. We commonly rent the space for photoshoots and commercials, so you can rent the space out from us so the photos are taken during a time we don't have shoppers. You can message us on our instagram @Spinsterrecords and we can set something up. If you're an influencer or photographer you can always send cross-promotion ideas because we always love having fun with that, and it might wave the rental fee. We understand Bishop Arts is known as a photoshoot area, but we are a small shop trying to make money. 

A: We love pups. please make sure they used the bathroom before they come in. If they make a mess you're never welcomed back. Also please keep them on a held leash, doesn't matter the breed or size we just want to avoid any mishaps. 

Q: What is your highest selling genre? 

A: It's all over the place. Of course anything high ranking on the billboards is a high seller. There will always be sales for Pink Floyd "Dark Side of the Moon" and Fleetwood Mac "Rumors" because they're classics. We are near Revelers Hall so Jazz does pretty good here. Also some artists are seasonal sellers. We run out of swing music like Frank Sinatra during the holidays, while funk and disco does well in the summer. Weather total mirrors what sells.

A: Never hesitate to ask. Sometimes we have more in the office, sometimes it's a record that doesn't even exist pressed on wax, or is backordered. We can see if it's something we can order in, it usually takes week to get in. We call folks immediately when their albums come in. We want to help. 

Q: What Does "Backordered" mean?  

A: It means it's coming up to us as "Out Of Stock" and "Not Being Pressed", it doesn't mean that it'll never be made again, and usually with enough demand from record shops it can push a pressing, but it just means its basically unavailable. We will still order if wanted, but we can't be sure when we will get it in stock. Sometimes we get lucky and it's a week, other times it can be months. 

Q: Can I sell my Albums there? 

A: Totally! We buy all genres. Some records are worth more than others based off of their condition, demand, and quantity. We will look at them. We don't buy CDs, 78s or records without sleeves... and we are picky with 45s. We don't do house calls unless the amount of records exceeds into the thousands, we are sent some photos of what the collection consists of and is within 10 miles of the store.

 

A: When figuring out the value of a vintage album so much goes into it... quality, demand, but mainly internationally quantity! So that Beatles album might have had thousands of pressings, but that 90s smashing pumpkins album came out in a time where records weren't being pressed as much, so the value is in the quantity of what's out there and the demand. People are always shocked that Mars Volta is more expensive than Michael Jackson, and it's really all in that quantity. It's always a surprise. There are Beatles albums that could be worth $400, but it's far and in between what we usually get shown to us. 

A: I think they're are back to their original worth before the mid-90s. Given inflation they are worth as much as they were in the 80s. Even though a record might have costed you $10 bucks in 1981, with inflation it would be $30 now... which I would say more new records range from $20-$40 bucks. However within the past 10 years the prices have risen because of popularity and demand. 

Q: What's the deal with the organization of your place? 

A: So we organize Alphabetically by last name, our two main sections divided by Vintage (Aka Used/Opened) and Sealed New. However to the right when you walk in we do have a few sections such as "Staff Picks", "Local", "The Crate of Heavy", "RSD Leftovers"... we try to have a sense of humor and make it curated. We decided to not divide it all by genre because music has become so fluid and fused into something we didn't want to box musicians in. We move sections around sometimes. We like people to find albums outside their norm while digging. 

A: Because we felt like it. We know what's good. We are on a kick with gold and stacked chains. 

A: WE DO! Mainly records, we don't carry CD's. We will buy local cassettes. We usually buy just a few from an artist unless it's a consistent seller. We have them in an crate so you can dig and see what's good locally. Ask us what's good, our staff usually knows what's happening in Dallas. 

A: Every Person For Themselves! We are in Bishop Arts which is very much alive and booming. We do have valet across the street, and as the area grows we are getting more parking options. Luckily most available parking is free, and during the week days it isn't difficult to find a spot. If you are picking something up, you can park with your hazards on in the ally by our store to run in and grab your purchase. 

A: Actually yes. We allow people in with drinks, bring and beer while you dig. We just ask to avoid bringing drinks from other bars (Glass cups).

A: We don't have a public washroom, however most of the food spots and bars do. The Market two doors towards Davis st. has a public one. We apologize folks! 

A: Bruce Springsteen. But Seriously, so David Grover is the owner, however the shop is ran in a way where whoever is working is in charge. If you harass or come in being an asshole we will kick you out, and let each other know what's up. No sexism or racism is tolerated in our store. Just don't be an asshole. 

A: If it's new and sealed we can't open it, however you can check the quality of all the vintage records.... you can totally open it and ask us to play it. 

A: Yes! actually we've booked private parties here before and it's ton of fun. You can email David@spinsterrecords.com for pricing. We also know local restaurants that do catering and liquor, so we can help you with that. We also of course have an in house DJ. Don't hesitate to consider us as a location to celebrate something. 

Q: Are any of you actually from Oak Cliff? 

A: Yes! Priscilla grew up in Oak Cliff. Paula is from Dallas and has lived in Houston and Mississippi. Miranda is from Rockwall. David is from Hawaii, but spent most of his life in LA. I'm from Toronto, but grew in California, Oregon, Michigan, and Mckinney. Little bit of everything. 

A: Yes! We are passionately involved in RSD and love having it. We usually open at 8am, and try our best to get as many releases as we can. We usually make special totes and shirts to celebrate the day. You can always reach out for additional information. 

A: Of course we get the big labels in here such as Sony, Warner, and Universal. However we try to get smaller labels such as Light In The Attic, Colemine Records, Secretly Canadian, and Numero Group. 

A: Yes! We have so many different kinds. We have three displays to test out. We carry mainly Audio-Technica, Rega, Crosley, and Music Hall. Our Speakers are primarily KEF and Audio Engine.  

A: Totally, Bishop Arts District is family friendly in general. If you want to keep your kid occupied I like to offer our record paper bags to draw on. We have a stage kids love to dance on. We sometimes get Disney albums in to buy. We just ask parents to keep an eye on their little ones because there are delicate items in the store that would be embarrassing to break. We don't understand kids fascination to grab turntable needles.... Makes our heart skip a beat every time.