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Jim Gibson runs Big Jim's Records, which sells vinyl, CDs, music posters, and other memorabilia, including some hard to find items.
Gibson, a Yonkers native who lives in Peekskill, has been surrounded by music his entire life. He ran record stores in Hartsdale, Cold Spring, and New York City, and had his own record label.
Inside Big Jim's Records, one can find a variety of music- a live Nirvana vinyl album, an old Stooges record, the first printing of U2's "Boy" and the soundtrack to "Ren and Stimpy."
"My first job was when I was 16 years old at a record store in Yonkers," Gibson said. "Everything I do revolves around music. I've always been a record dealer, it's something I'm good at."
While many people get their music with a click of a button at iTunes and record stores are on the decline, Gibson says there's something romantic about going to a record store and flipping through records.
"It can easily pull you in," Gibson said. "You can get lost and just want to keep finding things. It's a spiritual and emotional experience. Every week I used to go down to the record store and listen to the latest music. That just doesn't happen anymore. I was always broke because I was getting whatever I could find."
He said he has always preferred vinyl to CDs and mp3s.
"I love looking at the cover and the artwork," Gibson said. "You're seeing something that the band created."
Gibson has seen that records appeal to both older people who grew up with them and younger people as well.
"We have people who are still coming in and still buying records," Gibson said. "They are antiques for younger people. They will listen to a song online and then come in and buy the record.
Like many people of his generation, Gibson first fell in love music through The Beatles.
"My uncle had Beatles records and I used to play them," Gibson said. "I soon caught onto all these British bands. Then I found Black Sabbath and I could not believe what I heard."
Gibson has a diverse collection but he mainly listens to British rock from the 60s and 70s. Last week he was listening to Slade, a British glam rock band.
When it comes to record stores, the high cost of rent is why there aren't many in the area, Gibson said. He said they are more common in states like New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Gibson said he could not afford his own storefront and the warehouse location makes it easier for him to do mail orders.
"If you have a good record store, people will find you," Gibson said. "There are people who come here and look at records for hours, or they want to talk music. Music people love to talk music."
As a record collector and from meeting with serious record collectors, Gibson has learned that a record collection is never fully complete.
"Music is an endless journey," Gibson said. "I know people with thousands of records and they're still out looking for more. It's amazing."
Big Jim's Records is at 3199 Albany Post Rd #124 in Buchanan. It is open Wednesday to Friday from noon to 6 p.m., Saturdays from noon to 7 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 5 p.m. For more information, click here.
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