bookmark_borderNew and used music stores in the DFW area

With the decline of physical media over the last decade, the experience of digging through bins full of items in search of that hidden gem, or stumbling across that item you never thought about before but now just have to have, is increasingly on the wane. Fortunately, there are a surprising number of brick and mortar stores still active in the Dallas-Fort Worth area ready to cater to that very need, serving those audiophiles and music lovers among us who still appreciate that old time experience.

SOME IMPORTANT NOTES:

1 - For this post, I am only reviewing places that specialize in or do a substantial amount of business in the sale of physical music and music-related items, and that exist as brick and mortar stores open to the public. I am not considering places such as dedicated flea markets and internet based businesses.

2 - Creating a scoring system, and determining how much to weight each item being scored, have been challenging. None of the ratings or reviews in this post should be taken as indicative of whether a particular store is worth your business or support. Some of the stores reviewed are corporate, but others are owned by individuals or families, and some play roles in their local communities that go beyond the sale of physical media. All are evaluated based strictly on how well they are likely to serve the buying needs of a music fan with somewhat broad/eclectic tastes - I'm not looking at things here from an investment perspective. Other factors worth considering, such as how well a particular store serves a specific music market, genre, or neighborhood, are not factored into the ratings. See an explanation of the ratings here.

(Special thanks to Alex Pogosov and Alison Pham for their suggestions and feedback)

Forever Young Records (Grand Prairie)

2955 S State Highway 360, Grand Prairie, TX 75052 Forever Young Records This retailer has been serving the DFW area since 1984, and it's one I used to frequent regularly during my last year of high school.

Pros:

bookmark_borderGas prices during Covid

It's been a topsy turvy experience as far as gas prices go, first crashing due to low demand and now spiking due to the situation overseas. We're technically still in the midst of the pandemic, and the instability of these prices reflect the turbulence of our times. Continue reading "Gas prices during Covid"

bookmark_borderMy photography setup

Here is my setup as of December 2021, including a list of gear and items used as parts of previous setups:

CAMERAS

Current:
  • Canon EOS 60D (2020-present)
  • Sony Mavica MVC-FD73 (2021-present)
  • various cell phones (2013-present)
Continue reading "My photography setup"

bookmark_borderPlaces I have stayed during my travels across North America

Updated on June 6, 2024

This is a listing of recommended lodgings in various cities across the United States and Canada, based on my own personal experiences. This is most definitely not a listing of every motel or other property I have ever stayed in, and I am also leaving out certain properties that I have stayed in multiple times as they are not necessarily places I would recommend to other travelers (some are borderline dives or in borderline seedy areas, for instance). When booking a place to stay, my main considerations are cost, convenience, cleanliness, and the area the property is in - amenities such as free breakfasts, gyms, laundry facilities, in suite coffee makers, and room service are not priorities of mine. The goal is always to find as inexpensive a room as possible while not ending up in a dive or in an area where I don't want to go outside at night. Continue reading "Places I have stayed during my travels across North America"