Let me preface the specifics by getting right down to my main point: if you believe in supporting small businesses, Finders is the place to shop.My father has been running his own business for 40 years, so I grew up on handshakes, verbal contracts, and good people. When I first stepped into Finders, I could feel the same kind of vibe: a friendly, mom and pop joint that can cater to virtually every musical taste in the book.
Nevermind the fact that Finders has been open since 1971, but it too, like my father's business, has been owned and operated first by Greg Halamay's father, and then by Greg himself. And Finder's is not simply just a source of income for him--music is something both he and his father love as much as the customers who love Finders.
The store itself is worth visiting, if only for the wood floors and tin ceilings; this is the kind of building that doesn't exist anymore in a lot of places. Luckily, Bowling Green still cares about cultivating its Main Street. If the current staff is anything like the Finders peeps I knew and worked with, then I'll bet you $1 that they greet everyone who walks through the door. And I'll bet you another $1 that if you look lost, they will offer to help you find anything your heart desires.
The selection at Finders is hard to describe because it covers an unparalleled range. From Top 40 to deep catalog to bootlegs to vinyl to box sets to rare imports, remember this: if they don't have it on hand, which you'll probably be surprised to find out they do, they will order it for you. And that only covers NEW items.
Finder's also carries thousands of used CDs, typically in the $0.99 - $7.99 range. I live in Phoenix, and there is only one chain of independent stores I can think of that lets customers sell CDs and actually takes the time to then inspect the condition of and categorize by genre and alphabetically items that have a chance to find a second home.
Let's not forget the awesome Finders website either. I've said it once and I'll say it again: I would rather order from Finders than to buy music from Amazon where I don't really know where my hard-earned money is going. Take a moment to check out the website though. It has an incredibly smart, auto-sorting search tool; it has a ton of different ways to browse new releases and a seemingly limitless catalog; and, it has a nifty email newsletter, photos of the store, and a pretty groovy paisley background.
I totally agree with Chuckie G.'s post too...if you live in BG, then midnight buyer beware! When it comes down to it, I always end up spending a little more than I had planned, whether in the store or online, because I feel good doing it. Patronizing Finders is a win-win situation: you get your tunes and Finders stays alive. I could care less about what happens to all those generic, faceless, sterile music store chains that are cowering in the shadows of iTunes.
But I care very much about Finders. And you should too! read more