Thanks to everyone who came in this past week to help make our Boxing Event one of the best sales we've ever had at the store. We'd love to hear anything you've got to say about how the sale was organized, promoted, or handled, so if you have any thoughts, please .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address). Remember that we also have an annual summer sale, though the date for that one changes so if you want the heads-up, sign onto our mailing list.

Today's New Year's Eve so not only do we all want to wish you the best for the coming year, we want to remind you that we close today at 3pm so you've only got about three hours left for the 40% off. We will then be closed until 10am Saturday, January 2nd.

Each year, our first day open is pretty spectacular and a favorite day for many of our regular customers as it sees the restocking of the shelves with some fantastic product. Easily the best single day to come into the store as hundreds of top-notch entertainments are put out. We'll have some great CDs, including a heapin' helpin' of Soul, some fantastic used vinyl, Criterion DVDs and Blu-Rays.

2009 saw many changes at the store. We started this web site and the mailing list; we began selling new vinyl; Bert retired after more than three decades; we re-organized some of the layout of the shop (moving sections around, etc.); added some new staff (Bud and Yukon); and banned some morons, which made my stress level plummet!

2010 should see some more of the same and again, we'd appreciate any .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) you've got. For instance:

We repeatedly get asked for certain musical genres to have their own sections so we're considering creating areas for R&B/Soul, Ambient/Electronic, Noise/Experimental, and Metal.

We're also examining ways of bringing in New (as in sealed) CDs. Of course, these would cost more than the used product, but we think we'd be very competitive with the other stores in the city and would only do it for obscure titles, just as we have with vinyl. Throughout 2009 I did bring in some sealed CDs for artists I like to play at the store (Black to Comm, Jacaszek, and a few others), as well as the new Tom Waits. All sold out, but mostly to regular customers who'd asked about the artists previously. We're not sure how to go about doing it on a more consistent and deeper (title-wise) level but we're thinking about it and will give it the old college drop-out try. Your thoughts on this matter are also appreciated.

I did a ton of special orders this year for new CDs and vinyl, but all of it was for regular customers who I know well. Only one stiffed me by not showing up, which isn't too bad I guess. I'd like to do this on a more regular basis but so far haven't figured out a way to do it safely for customers I don't know. (Much of the obscure product is non-returnable to the distributors). Again, the thinking cap is on.

That's it for now. Here's hoping you have a wonderful New Year's Eve and a terrific 2010.