GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ) – The Exclusive Company kicked off it’s liquidation sale Tuesday morning, and it didn’t take long for records to start flying off the shelves – and a line to form, wrapping around the interior of the store in Green Bay.
At least forty people were in line, with plenty more browsing the bins to find records with prices up to half off.
“It is still cool to see that there are a lot of people willing to support a record store, even though I’m sure a lot of it just has to do with the fact that there’s a sale,” said Cora. “I’ve bought one record online, and it was $50. All of these are in the $20 range, except for the ones that are three hours long…The sale makes it really easy to get multiple things at once. I’m 21 years old, so I’m not swimming in money where I’d be able to frequently go out and buy five records at a time like I’m holding right now.”
A line wraps around the interior of Green Bay’s Exclusive Company during the first day of their liquidation sale. (IMAGE: WTAQ News)
She was about halfway through the line, and was fine with waiting as long as necessary. Meanwhile, Roger Van Kilsdonk was flipping through discs in one of the many bins filling the store.
“Yeah, you’ve got to stop in. I like music, I’ve got over 400 CD’s, so I’ve got to pick it up with the deals,” Van Kilsdonk told WTAQ News. “It’s nostalgic. That’s why you’ve got to come in and see what’s going on, even if you don’t buy anything. Even with the long lines, it should be worth it…It’s music, man. Music is history. It keeps people together and it keeps people happy.”
Alex Griswold flips through records during the Green Bay Exclusive Company’s liquidation sale. (IMAGE: WTAQ News)
Others weren’t just there for deals, however. They wanted to support the store and the familiar faces behind the counter.
“It’s amazing to see people out here in this force to support a business even though it’s ending,” Alex Griswold added. “There’s more people in here than I’ve ever seen…It’s huge. It shows that there’s still a drive for this out in the community, you just don’t see it on any given day.”
“Tom, he’s a legend. A lot of people grew up with these people and actually know them personally. They’re great people – so just be kind to them,” Rhea said.
While manager Tom Smith was a bit too busy helping customers to speak with us, he still said hello to everyone who walked in. Most of those people, he knew by name.
“He does! He even knows their pets. It’s amazing,” Rhea said. “It’s very comforting, it’s personal, and it’s just really nice.”
With the iconic record store on the way out, even with a few months left, their dedicated customers are trying to figure out where to get their proper music fix in the future.
“I’ve lived in Green Bay a majority of my life, and this was a place to come and get vinyl and stuff like that my entire life. It’s sad to see it go,” Griswold said. “Sadly, it’s going to be what’s online because there’s not much in town anymore. This was one of the last big places that could find your vinyl and stuff like that.”
“It’s nice but it’s really sad at the same time because it is ending. Yeah, it’s nice that all these people are here, but it’s still not going to be here much longer. So it’s bitter sweet,” Rhea said. “There are other stores opening up, and hopefully there’ll be another one – it’s not the same, but hopefully something else [will come along].”
Green Bay’s Exclusive Company began their liquidation sale on Tuesday, April 12th, 2022. (IMAGE: WTAQ News)
The store is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Friday – and 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday.
The Green Bay Exclusive Company will also be participating in Record Store Day on April 23rd, featuring local DJs spinning vinyl throughout the day.
A final live music experience outside of the store will also be held, starting at noon, on June 26th. They expect to close sometime in July.
