For example, we’ll have 80 copies of Taylor Swift’s Folklore in Oak Ridge AND another 80 copies at our Kingston Pike shop, too.īoth our locations have long covered sidewalks, so you can stay dry if you’re waiting in line. They are open Monday through Saturday from 11-7 (closed Wednesday) and Sunday from 11-5.We’re starting the day at 8am with all the RSD vinyl equally split between our two locations. Val’s halla Records is located at 239 Harrison Street in the Oak Park Arts District and can be reached at 70. And with Trevor’s help, he’ll hopefully be doing it for a long time to come. “I’ve dedicated almost half my life to this place. Shayne and Trevor are excited about the future and the possibilities of their partnership. And Trevor described how they are working to partner with other local businesses and are considering having a dedicated School of Rock section in the store-a cross promotion to benefit them both.
Shayne’s vision is to pack the stage as often as possible since live music is always a draw. With the holidays over, they are laying plans to maintain that enthusiasm during the anticipated first quarter slowdown.
“People want to shop here and support the store, and I think we’ve done a good job of having inventory for them to buy,” says Trevor. Sales were up “pretty substantially” over the last two holiday seasons. So far their collaboration is paying off. We went back and forth many times before he felt comfortable placing such a large order,” laughs Trevor. “One of the things that makes me so comfortable about partnering with Shayne is that he’s so inherently conservative with money. This clean slate has enabled Shayne to restock the store with thousands of dollars of new merchandise. The cash inflow to Val’s estate will ensure that creditors get some of the money owed to them, and Shayne and the “new” Val’s halla Records will get a fresh start. With Trevor’s assistance, a new company was formed that purchased the assets and name of the old business. It’s been the best influence on both of my sons and if I can enable this store to be a part of our community, then that’s what I want to do.” It’s miraculous to me how long he kept it going,” says Trevor.īut Trevor was inspired by Shayne’s passion for the business, and the longer they talked, the more he wanted to help. Because of debt that had been carried over from before Val’s death, Shayne was limited in his ability to buy new stock which in turn led to a reduction in sales since there wasn’t much left in inventory. “This time last year, things were going really well, but then the first quarter was a ghost town, and it was looking really bleak.” Shayne explained that Val had somehow managed to scrape by every year, but he didn’t realize how bad things were until she passed away, and “he saw how the sausage was made.”Īs Trevor came and went with Jaxon and spent more and more time at the store, he and Shayne got to talking about the current challenges. Jaxon started working here, and we immediately developed a great rapport.”Īlthough Jaxon provided some much-needed assistance in the store, Shayne still faced the enormous task of keeping the business financially solvent. She casually mentioned to Shayne how working there would be Jaxon’s ideal job, and Shayne replied that he could really use some help. Shayne had been managing the store singlehandedly for a year when Jaxon came in to browse one day with his mother. So what’s the link that brought these two unlikely friends and business partners together? The answer is Jaxon Toppen, Trevor’s teenage son. Currently, he lives in River Forest with his wife and two sons and works as a turnaround consultant with Kugman Partners. Trevor studied accounting at Michigan State University and has owned several businesses. Like Shayne, Trevor grew up in Michigan, but their lives have followed very different paths. But another fateful meeting, this time with Trevor Toppen, altered his plans. It’s been almost twenty years since that day, and after struggling to keep Val’s halla Records afloat since Val Camilletti’s death in July 2018, Shayne feared the time had come to shutter the business. After moving to Chicago with the dream of owning his own record store, his life took a momentous turn when his banker heard his story and said, “You’ve got to go meet my friend Val.” It was serendipitous timing since two people gave their notice just as he was starting, and Shayne jumped right into full-time employment. He still recalls the Fisher Price cassette player he carried around when he was a toddler and the goofy version of “On Top of Old Smokey” that it played. Growing up in Michigan, Shayne Blakeley loved music. By Kelly Pollock, feature writer Buzz Cafe
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