R.I.P Remix Records

[b0ld]

Jim is just a humbled shy guy. I've picked up a few conversations with him at the store. It must of been the last weekend before he shut down I went in and a homeless guy came over at the store. Jim went in the back and brought out a large bag full of bottles and can's for the guy. Seemed like it was something that this guy arranged something with Jim and every now and again passes buy to pickup these can's and bottles.

I think one of the most priceless moments was when myself and firewire went to the store to see what he had. Firewire went to listen to a vinyl (I believe it was chris lake and/or shiloh) anyways the hole was to small and the record would not sit on the platter. So jim breaks out a small knife or something to widen the hole.... He only made it bigger.... WAY bigger.... The expression on his face was priceless.

[ebbomega]

So I got an e-mail in my inbox letting me know that Remix may be reopening at a different location. Sounds to me like this had little to do with profit margins and more to do with being dicked around by a lame-ass business partner. Looking forward to the new Remix if it happens.

[b0ld]

well supposively they are aiming to open this friday!

[dabbler]

soooo the new place is on W.1st.... BEHIND the molson brewery.

sorry Jim, but that has to be the worst place you could find, even the closest bus stop is 4 blocks, and i know record shops are mostly destination but still....

[dabbler]

i dunno, i will see if it's feasible to get there someday after work. I hope it's not too far off of burrard

[b0ld]

Originally Posted by dabbler

soooo the new place is on W.1st.... BEHIND the molson brewery.

sorry Jim, but that has to be the worst place you could find, even the closest bus stop is 4 blocks, and i know record shops are mostly destination but still....

ya I went in there.... last saturday wasn't impressed at all. At this point if he wants to survive he is gonna need to make some type thing on his website so ppl can purchase the vinyl online cause there is no way he is gonna last 2 months where he's at now

[kir mokum]

to my knowledge, the close had little to nothing to do with sales.

[b0ld]

Originally Posted by kir mokum

to my knowledge, the close had little to nothing to do with sales.

ya I talked with jim and he told me what went down but I mean christ he needs to find a better location. Because I don't care what prices you have the location is absolute ASS

[RemixRecords]

Well it certainly is interesting to see what some people write in here.

As for those calling the new location ass or the worst I could find, seriously what is the problem?

The store is a whopping 5 minute walk off of Burrard street - and about the same from Granville. Oh the agony! The new store is less than 2 km from the old one - it takes 15 minutes to walk from the old store to the new one, 10 minutes by bus or car. That's it - not an hour. We used to be a 5 minute walk from Boomtown - now it's a 15 minute walk - no need to bring a survival kit or 3 days worth of food and water.

Hundreds of thousands of people cross the Burrard & Granville street bridges everyday by foot, bike, car or transit, but the majority of people don't know what's between those streets on this side of the bridge. It's pretty simple - downtown you have Hornby & Howe streets in between - on this side you have Pine & Fir streets. Complaining about the walk to the new store from Burrard or Granville is as ridiculous as complaining about walking from Burrard to just past Hornby or from Granville to just past Howe street. It's just over ONE block each way - seriously, what is so hard about that? We didn't move to Brazil, or Surrey!

The new store and the old one are less than 2km apart. So now we're a bit farther from some of you, but we're closer to some others. I'm sorry that the new location can't be perfect for everyone.

If you live in the west end or yaletown, we're just on the other side of the bridge now. The records are the same price they were before, so hopefully it will be worth it to cross the bridge to save $2 - $3 per 12".

As for some comments made about me personally - there are really loud outgoing people in the world and there are those on the quieter, shy side. I am on the quieter, shy side. I think the world would suck if we were all exactly the same. But am I passionate about music? Yes. Will I do whatever I can to get someone the record or cd they want? Yes.

Miss Marz you are a bit of a flake and you don't know how a business works or you wouldn't have ordered gobs of records and then not buy them. I'm sure you're used to having every guy want to get in your pants, but just because I don't fall head over heels to flirt with you it doesn't mean I don't have a sense of humour or aren't a good person.

Jay it seems that you expect every record to have it's own individual satellite tracking device so it's location is known 24/7. You assume that the ordering system you use is the same as mine - it isn't. All stores have different sources they order from and the times can vary greatly depending on where it's coming from, it's general availability and shipping times - most record store employees know that. Unless I see it on an invoice that has shipped and is on it's way all I can honestly provide is an estimate - I'm not going to lie and say otherwise. As for getting here, like I say it's a 5 minute walk from Burrard. If you're using transit the #50 (runs on Granville) is the closest bus - it's stops 1 block away on 2nd.

The new store has everything that was in the old one and at the same prices. We just moved 10 minutes away. If that's too much radical change for some people I'm sorry, but for the rest of you who did like the store I hope you will continue to support Remix - the new store is pretty cool actually. It's in a nicer, newer building - School Of Mix provides dj instruction in the same place - there's more parking (much of it is free) and we can play music at a normal volume without an asshole barber next store calling the cops! Quite frankly, I really like the new place!

Thanks to everyone who's had nice things to say - forums seem to bring out the worst in some people I think.

So please don't be afraid of the unknown - we're at 1666 West 1st Ave - a block and a half from either Burrard or Granville.

Cheers,
Jim

[b0ld]

Jim,

With all due respect here, I know alot of people helped you relocating at your current area in a nice timely matter and things went unexpectedly, but I sure as hell hope that this place is only temporary. You may use the arguement "were just over the bridge its not that far". Well do yourself a favor right now when you read this and walk outside your shop and look both ways. There isn't any traffic down your street what so ever. Your fold up sign that you have on the side walk cannot be seen from the bridges either. Correct me if I am wrong but isn't one of the main purposes of the advertisement of a business is to be seen?? If people can't see your business/product/etc then how do you expect to survive. Sure you got your locals and group of people around the city that know who you are and what your business caters to. But what about the odd person thats out there whether if its someone who newely discovered your shop or an out of towner/tourist wanting to look around?... Right now they can't see you.

I must say that walking over any of those bridges isn't fun...Whether if you dodging from not getting hit from a bike or wind gusts throwing you all over the place it makes one just to turn around. So in all its a really big turn off. Perfect example was this weekend, I was in town and just finished browsing a shop and was going to go to yours. when I saw the bridge I said to myself "fuck it" and turned back..

I understand your position with the landlord from the previous shop and shit and how rent was high in the city. But there are other places out there that has a better location. I can understand why you may want to have a business at ground level so people can see it but again the overall location does NOT benefit you what so ever. You'd have more success with having a shop even if it has to be on a 2nd, 3rd, or 4th floor of a building, but as long as its closer to the metropolitain area...

I'm just saying this because I hate to see good businesses go down. and with this rant I am not mocking your business but I am mocking your location. If you plan on staying where your at right now I sure as hell hope that you have an online store so people can purchase it online because thats the only way I can see you survive with your current location right now.

[swytch]

:) i'm on the ODD side of the bridge, will def skate over and check it out.

[dj_soo]

i think you underestimate the abject laziness of vancouverites.

Good luck with the new location tho, I'll have to check it out sometime...

[dabbler]

Originally Posted by RemixRecords

Jay it seems that you expect every record to have it's own individual satellite tracking device so it's location is known 24/7. You assume that the ordering system you use is the same as mine - it isn't. All stores have different sources they order from and the times can vary greatly depending on where it's coming from, it's general availability and shipping times - most record store employees know that. Unless I see it on an invoice that has shipped and is on it's way all I can honestly provide is an estimate - I'm not going to lie and say otherwise.

well just to argue my point, 99% of distro's have a day that they ship by. a good distro faxes you an invoice immediately after shipping it out, and will include the tracking number of the box so that when the 2 day air, or 5 day ground is up and the box isn't there, you can call and find out where the hell it is. I know your system is different, I was just surprised that you would order things and not know for sure for up to three weeks if you could get it in. I had good relationships with our reps, so if they didn't have a site with accurate in stock numbers, they would get back to me in under 24 hours for special orders. I did enjoy getting the occasional 12'' from you at a much discounted price, and I firmly believe in keeping prices as low as possible (and so did Bassix) but even tho your store is directly between my work and my house, transit won't get me there from here without transferring on two buses.

[swytch]

cmon Jay, you need a long board. HAHA. No seriously,
I live really close to the store and skate by it almost every
day and until i read this post i didn't know it was there.

[dabbler]

maybe i'll get you to pick up records for me then :p tho i haven't seen you in ages now that i think of it

[swytch]

hard at work on new tunes. got an album dropping in august

[RemixRecords]

Bold - my first question is who are you? If you were here the other day what is your name - what do you look like?

Dissing people or their business on the internet is the cowards way - it's not very "Bold" of you at all. If you ever make it out of the west end and over to this unknown jungle again please have the balls to identify yourself and if you think the place is ass then again, have the balls to say so along with any other expert advice you have.

If there was any truth to your statement that you "hate to see a business go down" you wouldn't go online pissing all over a new location that's only been open a week that many have yet to check out. We went down but we have reopened - even if you hate the new location because your one of those people that is afraid to leave the west end a true Remix supporter wouldn't be online ripping it to shreds.

Jay you basically repeated what I said - if it's on a packing slip you know it's on it's way, if it's out of stock then you may not - not every company has a 100% accurate live inventory and fully booked pressing schedules.

Also I would seriously like to know where you live and work - if I'm halfway between how is it so impossible to get here? Do you work in Calgary and live in Hawaii? Seriously please send me an e-mail of where you live and work and I'll bet I can find a route that doesn't require two extra bus transfers.

It's lame that you'll make such a fuss without even making the effort to come here first. I've ordered quite a few records for you and no matter how tight budgets have been I've always kept your Jamrock 12" in stock (it's here now) and I've recommended it to people and said that you were from here.

For the record I live beside English Bay, so the new store is farther for me too. I've been coming here everyday for a month now - walked, bussed and drove various ways and not surprisingly some routes are quicker and easier than others. For example if you're coming from the west end and dare to walk over the Burrard bridge like I do, the quickest way is to cross the bridge on the left hand side. That way the only lights/ intersection you have to deal with is Pacific - once on the other side of the bridge you turn left at 1st. It's pretty easy. If you go on the east side you have to deal with those two sets of lights at Cornwall before Canadian Tire. Left side = no lights - it takes 12 minutes from the other side, hence why I said it was 15 minutes walk from Boomtown. Some people walk faster/ slower than others so that may vary slightly. And if you're biking at least you could leave your bike out front without it being stolen in 2 minutes as was the case on Granville.

Unless you're morbidly obese (thus making it difficult to walk here or fit in a bus or car) or suffer from agrophobia (no offence to anyone who may be dealing with either) it's really not that hard to get here.

I'm sorry that the store can't be in what you think is the perfect location Bold (from the way you go on I would imagine that only in front of your face would do) - but I'm looking outside right now and you now what I see? The parking lot across the street is looking pretty damn full - cars are going by every few seconds and yes even people are walking by. Not as many as on Granville mind you, but that's because it's not such a main artery as Granville. And you know what, half the people walking by the store on Granville everyday were zombies - either drugged out of their minds shouting obscenities or pushing shopping carts. No disrespect to them (yes some were quite pleased that I gave them my empty bottles), but they don't help business much.

There is a hell of a lot more to Vancouver than Granville and Robson streets. No matter where I moved the store I would be closer to some customers and further from some others, so it's impossible to please veryone. I don't have hundreds of thousands of dollars a month to set up shop at the corner of Robson & Burrard. This isn't the Remix Megastore - small businesses are well, smaller and sometimes a bit off the beaten path. But to the people who've told me that they would rather shop at Remix than HMV or wherever I salute you! I guess it's kind of like travelling - there are those people who will only go to the token tourist traps and there are those who venture beyond.

Again, we're talking 5 minutes from either Burrard or Granville. Fuck I could have walked across the bridge not once, not twice but thrice in the time it took me to write this!

Anyway, if you do arrive here too tired there is a table and some chairs out front - feel free to relax and chill there for a bit - and if I have any beer in the fridge I'll give you one.

Cheers,
Jim

Aha - as usual b0ld was talking out of his ass.

Good luck Jim, as far as stores go in this city, yours was one of the nicest.

[Smitch_P]

Wow... so much hate ! But thanks for the love from some of ya:)

That's the internet though I guess...

Whether it means anything to some of you or not, I've been working @ Remix for the last few months and find nothing wrong with the new location. It IS off the beaten path but not very far from where it used to be. I live in Burnaby and would make my way downtown every week to go records shopping regardless of the location. I would walk, drive, skytrain or bus from one end of Van to the other to check out various stores.

Boomtown, how hard is that to get to coming from anywhere but downtown. Doesn't matter to me, I still make the trek there because I want to check out the selection and possibly buy something. How is that any different from making the trip to any other record store location ?

I still hit up every store in the lower mainland regardless of where it is. I walk from Beatstreet to Boomtown to Remix every other week. If it's raining, I drive or hop on public transit.

As for the selection... if there isn't anything there you like, I'm sure Jim would be happy try and find it and possibly order it for ya. It's as easy as asking ! I've bought most of my vinyl there over the last year and have no problems keeping my selection up to date !

The prices still can't be beat and the new location is much nicer than the last. Very relaxed atmosphere and now has the option of Dj lessons as well as bartending.

I started shopping there over a year ago and also found Jim to be a little quiet. Since then we have become good friends and as a person, he is one of the best I know. Don't judge a book by it's cover, it's a really shallow way of thinking.

That is all...

[Smitch_P]

Remix Records & Cd's
1666 West 1rst
Just over the Burrard street bridge take your first left and it's about a block and a half down.

Not too far outa town now is it !

[b0ld]

Well it seemed like you wanted to take this to a whole other level instead of appreciating feedback whether if its in a positive way or negative way. I mean wouldn't you want to know from your customers how your customers feel about your business? But instead I see how your going to want to conduct business at this point, by simply attacking at your own customers. Pretty fuckin sketchy if you tell me.

Anyways good luck in the future. I'd rather spend an extra dollar or so for service I can count on at a different shop instead of getting flamed on...

[sNyx]

ok, thanks everyone for your kind words.