FEATURED STORY FROM THE Best of BG – 2014 ISSUE
Finder’s Records:
A Legacy of Music
The common phrase of “finders, keepers” takes on a whole new meaning in Bowling Green. Finder’s Records is a blast from the past that continues to evolve and move into the future.
The store, now celebrating its 42nd year of operation, was the idea and passion of Greg Halamay, who came to Bowling Green at a student from Akron, Ohio. He was a young man with a passion for music, thanks mostly to his dad, who was a musician who worked in the record industry.
Vinyl records were the tool of the trade when Finder’s first opened for business. Throughout the years the store expanded from its original Main Street location to include four more locations, one on campus, one in Findlay, and two in Toledo.
But an economic downturn in the 1980s and a realization that managing five locations brought a lot of complexities, Greg rethought the path that he was on.
“I kind of came to the conclusion that I wasn’t having as much fun running five stores,” he said. “So I cut back to two stores and promised myself to not open another one until I had improved on the original two (Bowling Green downtown and Findlay locations).”
“He’s the reason this store is still here. He’s involved in everything, every day here, every aspect of this store. ” She says the staff has a “family community” feel to it and they “bounce ideas off each other in order to keep things fresh.”
The store has seen it all.: Eight-track tapes, cassettes, CD’s, and DVD’s. In the age of downloads, Greg says that the younger generations are rediscovering vinyl. He attributes the shift to young people capitalizing on vinyl’s “cool factor” and their appreciation for the physical beauty of creating music.
“Vinyl has a very special, unique sound that is different from a compact disk,” he said. Whether it’s vinyl that you’re seeking or something else, Finder’s probably has it and if they don’t have it, they can probably get it for you.
AN ADDITIONAL FEATURED STORY ABOUT FINDERS CAN BE FOUND IN THE Best of BG – 2012 ISSUE