When Reuben Clark lost his job just before Covid he found himself turning to his love of music for a source of income.
The 38-year-old, who has amassed a huge collection of thousands of vinyl records, started selling them online.
Now three years later he’s opened up Goldstar Records in Aberdeen’s Fonthill Road.
The former Cults Academy pupil said: “I’ve always had a passion for music my whole life and have been in to vinyl for many years personally.
“I worked in property and hospitality management for many years and the company I worked for closed not long before Covid.
“I was in a position where I started the process of selling some of my vinyl online and doing record fairs across Scotland.
“It snowballed into a business and the shop became available and I jumped at the opportunity.
“I wasn’t looking for a shop at that moment but it just seemed to come together so I just ran with it.”
Thousands of records on offer at Goldstar Records in Aberdeen
Reuben opened the door to Goldstar Records in February.
The shop is stocked with around 5,000 records, CDs and tape cassettes. While customers will soon be given the opportunity to also buy turntables and accessories.
Despite the on-going cost of living crisis Reuben believes there is still a strong need for independent shops.
He said: “At the end of the day it was a small concern but what I found is that people need to be able to do things and want to visit shops.
“I think there’s a bit of a hunger for things to do and it can be therapeutic.
“Back in the day you would go to Union Street and there’d be all the different shops, but things are changing now.
“A lot of people gravitate towards Union Square because you can get something to eat and there’s some clothes shops.
“But with regards to the high street I think there’s still a hunger for people to go in to shops.
“Certainly in the vinyl community they tend to go to all the different shops on the hunt for what they want to purchase.
“So far business has been really good. I’ve been getting a lot of regular customers.”
Goldstar Records is open Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday & Saturday from 10am to 5pm and Thursday 10am to 8pm.
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