Worrying trend.Yet another record shop closes in. Reckless in Soho

Posted by: warwick on 01 March 2007

http://www.reckless.co.uk/
Tuesday, February 13, 2007
RECKLESS RECORDS CLOSURE

''Sadly we have to announce that Reckless Records has had to close down and has gone into liquidation after 24 years. The business of dealing in secondhand records and compact discs has become more and more difficult due to lots of factors, particularly the growth of internet trading, both at new and secondhand levels, and the impossibility of trying to keep abreast of falling prices in High Street stores and online retailers. The business affairs of Reckless Records are being dealt with by a liquidation company: there's unlikely to be a resurrection.
So regrettably it's goodbye from all of us at Reckless. There were lots of good times, but they've gone and it doesn't look promising for similar businesses.
Thanks and goodbye from all of us........''

Sad as they closed down their Islington store last year due to a problem with the lease. Building is still unoccupied. Numpty landlord I guess. At least when my local record shop in Crouch End didn't actually close and instead was taken over by another Flashback records of Essex Rd Islington.

Seem to be less record shops in Camden too.
RIP Mole jazz too (last tenure was above Harold Moores classical record shop in Great Marlborough Street, Soho). Harold Moores is an institution. Was very quaint when in the basement I saw/heard the old boy take a call from a customer in New England. Like a scene from a film.
So whilst we praise online stores real ones close down. We should put our money where our mouths are.

Use it or lose it.
Posted on: 01 March 2007 by Nick Lees
One of our last locals closed in February. It looks impossible for them to compete on price and choice against the net. Sadly.

BTW I worked in a record shop in Crouch End - Harum Records (though it was in the 70s).
Posted on: 02 March 2007 by Whizzkid
Hi


The problem I found with Reckless was that they were just overpriced you were seeing prices for uncleaned S/H albums that were more expensive than buying brand new and they were not even rare records better prices for cleaned vinyl can be had on ebay and in Record Collector. All the Tape and Record exchanges are doing well and their policy of cutting the price regulary is great (Reckless should have done this as well), go to my local one in Greenwich on a weekend and its packed. Haggle in Islington is bursting at the seems with vinyl at better prices than were had at Reckless the same with The Vinyl Resting Place (£5, £8 and £10)in Addiscombe, Croydon. I feel a little bit of greed might have been the cause that Reckless has closed.

On the outside of Sister Ray there's a sign thats say's they sold 15 Ton of Vinyl in 2006 quite a bit I should say. My calculations work that out to about 100,000 records at 120grams a record, not bad for a dead format Eh!!

Ps.. Theres also a new S/H shop opened where Sister Ray used to be.

Dean
Posted on: 02 March 2007 by warwick
As it happens: a closing down sale is being held at old Reckless Records premises in Berwick St Soho.

LP's and cd's being sold at half marked price. So point about how stock was usually being overpriced is valid. So I ended up paying 4 quid each for several 2nd hand albums. The old 8 quid per LP was too much. Ok got some other lp's cheaper.

Fopp on Tottenham Court Rd worth checking out. Decent selection of new copies classic jazz lp's at 6 and 7 quid each.

Yes the varying prices charged by independent record shops for 2nd hand lp's is strange.
Posted on: 03 March 2007 by Voltaire
I spent many a happy weekend being reckless in SoHo but regret that I have not used any of these shops... Winker..its a shame though.