SALEM, Ohio – Josh Buck is the self-proclaimed “owner, operator and sole record sleuth” of State Street Records, a small but full shop in downtown Salem where the shelves stretch to the ceiling.

“Music is important. Arts and culture are important. It’s what makes us human,” Buck says.

State Street Records, which opened four years ago, is a place where music lovers find what they are seeking and can meet others interested in music.

Buck says his background is in underground hardcore, metal and punk, but he carries records for all tastes, including country, jazz, soul, funk and even polka music. He has a section of international music, and one for local artists.

“Music is all encompassing,” Buck says. “It doesn’t matter what background you have; anybody can relate to it.”

Streaming services account for 84% of the revenue in music sales in the U.S., according to the Recording Industry Association of America’s 2024 annual report. But vinyl record purchases grew 7% and topped $1.4 billion.

Overall physical music purchases, which includes records, CDs and other formats, topped $2 billion.

Vinyl records never went out of style – they just took a six-year hiatus, Buck says.

As record sales shifted to digital in the early 2000s, a whole generation has grown up downloading their music. Buck believes the vinyl resurgence stems partly from a shift in society with these adults wanting to collect something tangible and meet people with similar tastes while shopping.

“It’s mainstream now,” says Buck. “Records are in movies. You see them in the background – someone will have a vintage [turntable].”

While major retailers like Target, Walmart and Barnes & Noble jumped back into the market and sell records, Buck notes they cannot match the wide selection at smaller record stores and cannot share the knowledge their owners offer. 

“I specialize in this. I’m going to do my best, go above and beyond, to try to find you that (item),” Buck says. “And that is the personalized experience that you don’t get at a major shopping place.” 

The large retailers specialize mainly in Top 40 music, Buck says, adding the experience at a small specialty store is better.

“My customers, they like the experience of coming to a record store where you can find all sorts of different stuff,” Buck says. 

Browsing through records at State Street Records one recent day was Bob Shimer, who says he comes to the store often.

“Josh is a good guy, and I like to support small businesses, because I used to have one,” says the Columbiana resident. “I like to give money to businesses in my own county.”

Buck hopes his shop at 429 E. State St. will attract shoppers during the holiday season. He points to other longtime shops in the area as other possibilities – places like Record Connection in Niles, Underdog Records in Hubbard, Geo’s Music in Youngstown, and Fat Hippie in Brookfield.

Shop owners who don’t have the type of music a customer is seeking will usually steer them to one that does.

“As record store owners, we’re trying to break this mentality of competition,” says Buck. It’s a way of getting more people into the culture. “You meet lifelong friends through music.”

On the annual Black Friday Record Store Day, shoppers can choose from hundreds of items that are released solely for sale at small shops. The list can be found at RecordStoreDay.com.

 State Street Records will participate in the event. 

Pictured at top: Josh Buck, owner and operator of State Street Records, in front of the shop’s floor-to-ceiling collection.