Austin W.
Google
Hate to leave a bad review on a Black-owned business as a Black man myself, but I’m really frustrated with Black Star. I’ll try to be as brief as possible. Despite having a great selection and a dope atmosphere, the shop’s main drawback is how haphazardly its bottom shelf records are stored, and how flippant the owner is toward customers concerned with the quality of anything they dig up from that section.
Long story short: Two months ago, I picked up a haul of 9 records from Black Star. A couple were from that bottom shelf where some records are so beat to death the vinyl is nearly falling out of their torn and tattered album sleeves. Those were obviously unlistenable when I got home. No sweat. Fully intended to take the L.
Went back for another haul recently. Browsed that shelf again, but this time asked if I could get a play test on two of the handful of records I intended to buy. Owner straight up refused and said he doesn’t do play tests on records priced that low ($10 a pop). Totally fair. I put down what I didn’t feel like rolling the dice on and purchased what I felt I couldn’t leave without. At the register, when he kept explaining why he doesn’t do play tests for those records, I casually mentioned the only reason I asked was that the last couple of things I grabbed from that shelf had a ton of static. Then HE OFFERED to exchange them for me. That’s important to remember. It wasn’t something I asked for at all.
I come back a couple of days later only to find the place randomly closed despite arriving well within the shop’s posted business hours. Not the first time that’s happened to me with this place. It’s actually closed during business hours pretty often, and I see at least one other reviewer has had the same problem. But whatever. The next day, I call a few times to make sure they’re open. No answer, and the last call goes straight to voicemail. Decide to roll the dice and come anyway. Turns out the store was open and the owner was just chopping it up with a friend in the corner, completely ignoring calls from customers for whatever reason.
I walk in and mention the exchange that HE OFFERED to me unprompted, and then he says, “Alright, but that’s it—everything else down there is ‘as is.’” He’s telling me this as if it’s a deal I asked him for and have been whining about or something, like he’s begrudgingly doing a favor for some nagging customer. But whatever (again).
I do the exchange, and even buy a couple of top shelf records on top of that to show support and gratitude. And lo and behold, I get home and find out one of the records I got for my exchange, which the owner recommended to me multiple times on different days, IS THE COMPLETELY WRONG ALBUM. The sleeve is for Willie Hutch’s ‘The Mack’ soundtrack but the record itself is his ‘Concert in Blues.’
Not even going to bother trying to exchange it since everything on that shelf is apparently “as is.” Just gonna take my L and take my business elsewhere. Which sucks, because I was hoping this could be a go-to spot for me. I really wish the otherwise great selection of records in this shop came with more welcoming and reliable service. I can only continue to support a business out of solidarity for so long.
