Embarrassing Moments At a Record Store/Show?

Did anything embarrassing ever happen to you at a record store, record show, flea market, etc? Did it make you no longer go to said store, show or flea market?

 

I was buying a copy of F*** Off by Wayne County and The Electric Chairs downstairs at Derek Guests in Bolton in 1977. The girl behind the counter loudly went ape at me because I asked for it by name. It was there on display in a picture sleeve.

(RIP Derek Guests)

I once took an album back to Javelin records in Bolton as they had put the wrong LP in the sleeve. It was a gatefold and the correct album was in there as well, hidden in a pocket. I hadn't spotted it. They guy behind the counter thought it was funny I had taken it back as it had a free extra LP in there. I taped the other album anyway, which shut him up.

Same shop, buying a copy of Angel Fingers by Wizzard. 'Have you got Angel Fingers?' DOH!

(RIP Javelin)

 

More annoying than embarassing: I was 18 and I basically decided to spend my whole high-school end gift money on records. So, I went to the counter with six CDs, and the guy behind the shelf kind of laughed at me and made some stupid comment at how much money I was going to waste. I left all the records there and went away.

I waited a good year to track down all those records, the 90s were a fairly different era.

 

Earlier this year at a record show here in Rio, a very well known brazilian author tried to elbow me out of a rack. I was stronger and kept him from it, when I finished he said ´´you did not need to be rude...`` and said my name. I was very surprised he knew who I was.

 

I was in a hifi shop in the mid 1980s. They had just received a copy of the new Peter Gabriel album which was either an advanced promo copy or else had been released earlier that morning. Either way it was new and PG was still quite a niche market at that point. - They were playing it (CD) on some high end Meridian kit and really pumping it out in the shop. We were standing round enjoying it in an empty shop. - A short while later, a customer walked in and said, 'Oh, this must be the new Peter Gabriel album' and the shop owner said, in a loud and sarcastic sounding voice, 'So?' Cue the exit of one disgruntled customer. Oh how we laughed...

 

As recent as last week! They had a collection of second-hand lp's in, and I was browsing through them. Nothing interesting, so I walked away to the other side of the store, and there they went, one by one, all on the ground. No damage, fortunately. I offered my phone number, should there be anything wrong. But they would have nothing of it, saying they hadn't stored the records properly yet (which was true actually). So yes, I still go there.

 

I met someone at a record show in 1984 who I became best friends with. Time has proven that this was one of the worst days of my life as this person had a profound influence on my life in what I now see was a very negative way. We parted ways in the mid 90's, thank God. I sometimes wonder how different my life may have been had I not attended that one record show.

 

Ok. So I'm sure you're all waiting for mine since there just has to be a reason why I made thread.

Last year I decided to go to a local record store. It was around 2:00PM. I get there, door is propped open as usual and I walk in, people all around as usual, and I start flipping through records. About two minutes later a worker, female, early to mid 20s, comes over to me and not in the nicest way tells me they're closed. Apparently they decided to close for a private party with no announcement they were closing that day and no sign on the door saying they were closed. They were setting up for it when I got there. I never felt so embarrassed. I felt like I egg on my face and the employee didn't help matters any. Needless to say I've never been back nor will I. I've never really found anything there anyway so it's no loss. I still get angry when I think about it. I feel like I shouldn't have been put in an embarrassing situation like that.

 

when i was like 12 i was big into rap so i went looking for a new single by jay-z

'excuse me sir, do you have the new jay-z single?'

'uh, which one?'

'uhhhh its called...uhhh jigga my...uhhh (muffled something)'

'which one?'

'its called jigga...my...ya know...jigga my...n*gga' (turning bright red)

'ha, yah, here it is...'

'uh, thanks sir'

doh!

 

I remember buying Elvis Costello's Armed Forces LP and it had a sticker on it that said includes Hollywood High EP 7".
Got out to my car and opened it and there was no 7" in there. Brought it back into the store and the girl looked at me like I was lying and reluctantly gave me another copy.
Why I opened it in my car I have no idea. It's not like I could've played it

 

Was at my favorite shop in my city (Da Das) in the mid 90s . I was about to go downstairs to the cd/t shirt section when a friend
said something to me , i turned my head to acknowledge him and i missed the first step . Went A over T down about 20 stairs all
the way to the bottom , cue worried onlookers rushing over to see if i was ok , hurt like hell but i got up and laughed it off . For about
a year i was known by the staff as the guy who took a tumble down the stairs . Still shop there whenever i go to the city .

 

This guy worked at the store?

 

There was a time in my life when I visited my local record store so often that just entering the premises felt like an embarrassment.

 

I have to say that this kind of thing was far from uncommon- I have been in too many independent record shops where there was some degree of smirking and giggling at my choice of music (which isn't even particularly unorthodox). This is just bad customer service, no other words for it. I suspect it is much less prevalent these days, but just because you work in a hip, groovy, alternative business doesn't mean you're exempt from treating all your customers with courtesy and respect.

 

Sounds like a shop near where I live.

 

Lol really? This happened to you?

I should add I was the only one in the store looking at records and thought they were open. It's not as if they were going person to person.

 

No not the same thing, but the store I am referring to seems to be more interested in other things than selling albums. The employees and owner are extremely rude and often leave the shop at any given time with no note other than a locked door.

 

Stores like that shouldn't even be in business. If they're going to be closed for no good reason (like throwing a private party at the store during regular working hours or for random reasons like your example) then they have no business selling records. If they're going to hold events, it shouldn't get in the way of customers and buying records. The store near me lost a customer because they made it perfectly clear that I, as a customer, wasn't a priority to the store. They made me feel very embarrassed and uncomfortable. Two things a store should never make a customer feel.

 

When I purchased that album at a place called Looney Tunes, the owner at the register looked at me and yelled 'So?'

I guess he thought it was funny. I thought he was a dick. He often gave me the third degree on my music choices. I think the twit still runs the place.

 

Do tell......

 

Meh, since HS I've been obsessed with the bigger questions in life, "what does it all mean", "why are we here" etc. I fell in with the wrong crowd that were pretty certain they had all the answers. They didn't know sheisse.

 

Juggalo's ?

 

Lol, no.

 

Time to name & shame. I went into Haggle Records Essex Road Islington in 2010 . It was my day off & I was in the mood for a record binge . I asked the guy at the counter (old guy wears an ethic hat) for the Punk/New Wave section & he showed me I thanked him & said the words (London speak) ," Cheers mate. No worries" He said ," What do you mean by no worries?" I was surprised by his comment & replied " Er just an expression. It means no worries , no problems. Thank you" He then further commented " MMMmm No worries . That doesn't make grammatical sense. You see I am on a campaign for good English and" Before he could speak any further I stopped him dead in his tracks," Oi. Who on earth do you think you are talking to? KEEP YOUR MOUTH SHUT OPEN YOUR EARS AND
LISTEN. I am the customer , you sell records , it is my human right to express myself in any way I please . So I spoke in slang? So what? I am now gonna tell you something. You see this in my hand that is £70 English pounds . I was all set to purchase some records at this establishment but because you have acted like a prick I will take my money to Flashback records 200 yards down the road. Flashback is your competition and your attitude has cost you business. Two more things . One Good Day to you & two , avoid me if you see in the street!!! I was incensed but that idiot deserved a piece of my mind!!!

 

Exact same thing happened to me, except they would not replace mine!