If you consider yourself a record aficionado with a collection to prove it or perhaps you’re new to the world of records and don’t know where to start, nx vinyl is the perfect place to visit! Located in the heart of downtown Norcross in the historic Cotton Gin building, owner Ron Orrell has created a community-focused record shop that blossomed from his own love of records. I had the opportunity to sit down and speak with Ron to learn more about his record business and the story behind how it came to life!
125 Lawrenceville St NW Suite 300, Norcross, GA 30071
Instagram: @nxvinyl
Facebook: nx vinyl
It all started for Ron when he was 5 years old and his grandmother surprised him with a Mickey Mouse record player, a gift of love to share her own affinity for music. She also gave him his first record which was Rhinestone Cowboy by Glenn Campbell. From there, Ron developed a deep love and appreciation for music and specifically records but his path in life took him in a different direction to the world of insurance. After a lengthy career in this field, he found himself wanting a change in pace, leading him to the realization that he wanted to open a record store.
Now, Ron didn’t just jump into the business, he spent time visiting different local record shops to get an understanding of how to successfully run one and once a spot in the Cotton Gin opened, his fate was sealed. In the beginning stage of his store, Ron stocked the shelves with his personal record collection but now, he shared that the store has around 10,000 records, 2,000 compact discs and 200 cassette tapes showing just how much the store has flourished since opening in April of this past year. Each record, album and basically everything else is hand picked by Ron which he achieves through the relationships he’s established with local collectors as well as his own findings. The process for finding a record to sell at this store is fairly simple as Ron explained, as he solely focuses on the condition of the record and whether it still has a jacket cover. He has a space within the store to clean records if needed before they go on the shelves.
As for the store itself, Ron has created an interactive listening space where people can become engulfed in the genres of music. In fact, he intentionally designed each room in the shop to solely focus on a genre as designated by the sign above the door. Currently, he has country, rock, jazz and international/Latin rooms. Each room has a different vibe from the decor hanging on the wall that Ron has picked out including vintage musical instruments, a chandelier with records hanging off of it, his own posters from concerts he’s been to and other music related pieces. What truly makes each room interactive is the TV that’s set up, playing the genre of music related to the room including interviews with artists, concerts, music videos and more. As you browse through the records in each room, you may even notice that a few of the display cases look a bit strange. In the rock room particularly, if you take a closer look at the black record case in the back, you’ll see “Iron House Tavern Kissing Booth” inscribed on it. This is another unique addition to his shop that he acquired after the local business Iron Horse was throwing out their “kissing booths” which Ron repurposed with the help of one of his close friends.
Once you’ve spent some time browsing through the various rooms to pick out a record that speaks to you, Ron encourages all of his patrons to head over to the listening room and as the name suggests, sit down and listen! This ensures that you’ll be happy with the sound and quality of your record before buying it! The listening room is complete with two plush chairs along with equipment including record players, speakers and more for sale in case you don’t already have the necessary equipment to play records at home.
The one takeaway from speaking with Ron about nx vinyl is that his intention behind the store is to have a place where the community can gather and share their love of music. In fact, he shared that the support from the community including the collectors that he works with has allowed him to bring his passion for music to life. He also loves to be a part of the process of how music speaks to his patrons whether it’s bringing memories back to light or perhaps fulfilling their goal of finding a particular record. So, the next time you’re in Norcross, be sure to check out nx vinyl and become transported into the world of vinyl.