This prime Tower District corner is now home to a new and bigger Ragin’ Records store
Ragin' Records is, at heart, a small, independent record shop.
That's great for the vibe, and in line with the trend for similar shops all over the West Coast.
But, organizationally, it can be a struggle.
"It's hard to display in smaller spaces," says Paul Cruikshank, who opened the original Ragin' Records along Belmont Avenue in 1987 (or '86, he can't always remember) and revived the brand in the Tower District in 2019.
In 2022, he opened a second shop in the River Park Shopping Center.
There was less than 1,500 square-feet of floor space between the two.
That meant the sales counter served as the break room and office space and the place where staff would inspect and clean used vinyl as it came in.
"We were just elbow to elbow, literally,"Cruikshank says.
"Using the cash register counter to do everything."
New storefront at Olive and Van Ness
In September, Ragin' Records announced it would be consolidating its two locations into one, larger spot in the front portion of a building on the corner of Olive and Van Ness Avenues.
"I would rather not leave the Vinis spot," he says of the location next to restaurant Veni Vidi Vici on Fulton Street.
"I would rather not leave River Park. I had no choice."
The art deco edifice of the new spot reminded Cruikshank of Amoeba Records ' last store in Los Angeles (minus the neon signage) and its location keeps the store in the Tower District (which was a must), but mostly the move gives Ragin' Records an additional 1,000 square feet of floor space.
That means Cruikshank will finally have a proper office and room set aside to buy and process records. There will also be space to sell local bands' clothing and other merch. For instance: the store's recent collaboration with The Wild Blue on a recreation of a T-shirt design from the club's heyday.
It will also be the first time Cruikshank has had a store where the genre sections can run a straight line, start to finish. In the smaller spaces, following the sections (indie-rock or metal for example) is a bit of a puzzle, he jokes.
"The end of the section is at my mom's house and then you have to take a bus down to city hall. It's ridiculous."
For being a small store, Ragin' Records has a huge selection it needs to get out on display. That's new releases (a section of the market that was key at the River Park store) but mostly used vinyl. There's a warehouse stacked with records waiting to be put on display, Cruikshank says, including a backlog of classic rock and R&B albums.
Of course, Cruikshank is a collector at heart, so the store is also known for obtaining rare and collectible stuff. He just got his hands on a copy of "Power Plant," released in 1968 by the Texas psych-rock group The Golden Dawn. Near mint copies like Cruishank's are selling for $1,000 or more.
"At this point, we have a little bit of everything."
River Park location has closed
Cruikshank has already closed the River Park location, but the Tower District location (on Fulton street next to Vini Vidi Vici) will remain open until the new spot is ready. That is expected to be sometime after Nov. 1.
