BERWICK, Pa. — A new record store is coming to Berwick this weekend. It's called WaxPax Records, and it opens this Saturday at 10 a.m.
"This is something that I have been planning my whole life, and I didn't even really know it, I guess," said Mark Collier, Berwick.
Collier spent Tuesday afternoon adding some finishing touches to his new shop, including last-minute alphabetizing and organizing. He says he cannot help but be proud of what he created. He got the idea after hosting a successful pop-up vinyl record sale over the summer; he decided then that this is what he wanted to do forever.
"It got the wheels turning, and I talked to my wife. And I said, 'let's just do it, let's open.' Really quickly, it came together. If you have a dream and you push hard enough, it can happen," Collier said.
Support from his wife Amanda is just another reason his dream is coming true. WaxPax Records is actually in the same building as his wife's chiropractor office. She traded out some extra office space for the unique little shop.
"I'm going to focus on a lot of records you don't necessarily find in the area. I'm going to have a lot of punk, horror, surf, a lot of things that are tough to find. I'm going to take pride in being able to carry those. I'm also going to have a wide selection of hip-hop, classic rock, alternative, pop, country, things like that. Something for everyone," Collier explained.
Collier says there will always be new stuff, too, every few weeks updating his inventory. He will be selling local art and other merchandise. Even the mural on his wall was done by a local artist, every little detail in his shop meticulously thought of.
"From a child, I was captivated by seeing records spin, the idea that music could come out of that."
Collier says getting to share that passion with his customers is what he is most looking forward to.
"The fact that it is a very small store, I only have about 2,500 to 3,000 records on hand at any given time. But the relationships that I'm going to be able to build, turning people on to new music, one of my slogans is WaxPax Records, find your new favorite song," he said.
WaxPax Records opens this Saturday at 10 a.m. at 1715 W. Front Street in Berwick. More information about the shop's inventory can be found here.