Raven Records and Rarities will close its doors at the end of August. It’s been a long run. Depending on how you date it, Raven Records has been around, more or less, since 1985. The current incarnation with Jay Nations providing the records and Jack Stiles dealing in the pop collectables, has been around since 2012, anchoring the same corner in Happy Holler since 2013.
As a life-long collector of vinyl records, it was inevitable that I would wind up in Jay’s shop in the 1980s, buying and selling along the way. I’ve spent many happy hours inside his shops on both sides of Cumberland and then in Happy Holler, though my collecting has slowed in recent years as I’ve downsized a bit.
For me, there’s nothing quite as exhilarating as digging through a pile of vinyl, hopeful that the next one I turn will be a new treasure. Having that happen in a cool space with knowledgeable people around is the cherry. I’ve also gotten to know Jack a bit at the current location and recently had occasion to pick up some collectable Beatles buttons from his stash for a friend’s birthday.
It’s a big deal to end a business after that kind of run. It’s personal. Sometimes the ending is forced, giving it an edge of sadness. Sometimes, as in this case, the two simply decided it was time for a change. That doesn’t mean it was an easy decision. I met with Jack and Jay to learn more about the decision, its timing, and what comes next.
Jay said, “It just hit both us in January that we had to come up with an exit plan.” Jay had a favorite record store, Double Decker Records in Allentown, and he saw how the business ended with a two-week party of sorts. Jay and Jack decided to have a month to say goodbye to the current location and make way for what’s next for each of them.
For Jay, it will mean a return to spreading his records around at consignment shops around town — something he has done before and has never completely gotten away from. Rather than manning a shop, it will give them both time to do what they enjoy most: Collecting and selling cool stuff.
When the two opened their current shop, Jay felt he wanted to consolidate his locations. The Henley Bridge was closed and that was hurting his south Knoxville sales. He knew Jack had storage units full of collectables and when he approached Jack with the idea of opening a shop, he said, “This is really great timing . . . I threw the keys at my boss, yesterday.” He’d been running Carmike Theaters for about ten years and was done. He’d taken a few steps in online sales and the timing was right to take a deeper dive.
They moved out west initially, but after a year moved to the Happy Holler location for about half the rent. “It worked out really well for us . . . We knew we were ‘well positioned.” And they were right, but that meant their rent increased last year. They got rid of half their square footage, which they’d used for storage. Jay started working out of his garage. They were exhausted and Jack said, “That’s when the germ really started.”
The specific timing is related to an opening at Retrospect, across the street from the current shop. Jay will have records there (just inside the door to the left) starting in September. So, if your car knows the way, it still works out, just go to the other side of the main intersection in bustling Happy Holler.
While Jay is going to jump into several booths, while maybe working a few record shows, Jack will be online only for at least a while. He said he may have a booth at some point. As it is, he handles all of both his and Jay’s online sales, through ebay, Amazon, and Discog as “Mr. Scrounge.” You’ll still be able to find them on Facebook and Instagram and Jack said they will likely build a more robust online presence. Sales there are good and have underwritten much of the overhead at the current store. They will both continue to collect and turn over inventory.
Jay said, “We are the luckiest guys in town. We’re lucky to know each other, and to have the support of the people for all this time . . . We’ve had an incredible run.” He said the store on Cumberland, which had a ten-year run, ended under crisis, so it feels good to end this phase on their own terms. “It’s more of a choice . . . and I feel very good about it.” He does acknowledge that it’s been bittersweet. Jack said it’s been nice to see the appreciation expressed as they’ve announced their closing. They are proud of their relationships with other dealers in town, and most of those who sell vinyl were once Jay’s customers.
Jay said his tag for this phase is “Shuffling my hustle.” Jack groaned when he said it, as only a good friend can. Jack said, “Same name, new store.” Suffice to say they are shuffling their operations. You can find Jay’s records at Bargain Hunters in south Knoxville on Moody Avenue, Four Season’s Vintage in Bearden, and in Southland Books where he said everything is half price. September will mark the debut at Retrospect.
And you still have a month to find you deals at Raven Records and Rarities in the heart of Happy Holler.