New Music Store 'For The Record' Opens In Lacey

LACEY, NJ — The arrival of a new vinyl record store in Lacey sparked curiosity among the town. People who drove past the purple storefront posed questions online about when the store would open, and some even knocked on the door to ask the owner themselves.

Since the owner began setting up the store in October, she drafted a hand-written list of people to call when the store would be stocked with vinyl records and ready to open.

Well the day has arrived, and For the Record will officially open its doors on Friday. The store offers a trove of music memorabilia from t-shirts and posters to rare collectibles and books.

“Music is a big passion of mine. I’m always out and about going to see bands,” said the store owner, Mary Spilabotte. A few pieces of merchandise in the store were collected at concerts she attended throughout the 1980s and '90s.

The store hours are 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Tuesday and Thursday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Wednesday and Friday and 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday.

Despite the ease of listening to digital music on cell phones and computers, vinyl album sales in the U.S. have grown steadily over the past 14 years, according to Statista. Another study by Digital Music News attributes the revival of vinyl record sales to younger generations, with 50% of vinyl record sales from people under the age of 35.

Spilabotte noticed this trend before her store even opened, as many teenagers and young adults expressed interest in the store and came prepared to browse records.

"They're young, and they're into good music," Spilabotte said.

A custom-built cabinet rack holds vinyl records that dominated the radio waves during the classic rock era of music, including albums by the Cars, Santana, Lynyrd Skynyrd and the Bee Gees, as well as other genres like country, jazz, R&B and soundtracks.

The rare collectibles span various corners of pop culture like "Star Trek," Coca Cola, Elvis Presley and the Beatles, including "Yellow Submarine" figures in their original boxes.

A selection of 8-track tapes, CDS and DVDs are also housed in the store, and just in time for the holidays, there's a table display of Christmas ornaments and holiday-themed gifts.

As a singer and a lifelong music enthusiast, Spilabotte hopes local musicians will gather in the store and bring their own music for her to play on the store's music speakers. In the back corner, there’s a keyboard, conga drums and a guitar set up for anyone to play.

“I want it to be fun and open for people to come in of all ages,” Spilabotte said.

For the Record is located at 118 S. Main Street in Forked River.

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