Photo Eilon Paz

Eilon Paz from Dust and Grooves and I have come together to do a little something special on Record Store Day. We paid a visit to what we think is a special record store in Brooklyn.

Record Store Day is a day to celebrate everything vinyl. With many national bands releasing limited edition vinyl today to help preserve the medium, we couldn’t have all vinyl sites without mentioning the celebration. It makes us happy, that in light of the many record stores that have closed, there are many who still manage to keep their doors open, and keep the art of the record, the liner notes, and most of all the warm, full, sound of vinyl. While we commend all who take part in this festivity, we do have one thing to say: Everyday is Record Store day over at Flea Market Funk and Dust and Grooves. We make Record Store Day a daily ritual. So today, we’re gonna shout out a guy who has been celebrating Record Store Day for over 41 years in Brooklyn. We’re happy we came upon his shop.

Tony Mignone a.k.a “The Record Man” has had his record shop at 439 Fifth Avenue in Park Slope for over 41 years. Almost evicted twice, his landlord is at it once again to get him out of the building so the store next to him can expand. A native Brooklynite, born on 6th St., his Fifth Avenue Record shop has been a staple in the community for over four decades. With this year’s new threat of eviction, this vinyl time machine of records of all genres may be gone for good this time. Tony has every other format from cassettes and eight tracks, but the plethora of 45 and 33 rpm vinyl is what’s king in this Brooklyn store. One of the last, true, pioneers of the vinyl format here in BK.

With a private collection of more than 25,000 45’s alone, and specializing in 1940’s and 1950’s music specifically, his Lp collection contains “a little bit of everything”. However, Mr. Mignone has a sweet spot for Country music, and will wax poetic about his first love on command. He’ll even sing Ferlin Husky’s “Dear John” and just about anything else out of his immense personal archives.

If there is any reason to celebrate Record Store Day, it’s in a place like Tony’s.

All photos courtesy of Eilon Paz and Dust and Grooves

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Please support your local record store and keep vinyl alive! Keep Diggin’!