Tag Archives: Harmony Records

Harmony Records is located at 1625 Unionport Rd in the Bronx.

Bruno Mars’s soulful vocals greet customers as they enter into Harmony Records on Unionport Road in the Bronx. Inside, a musical oasis waits. Shelves are filled with vinyl records, A-tracs, cassette tapes, and CDs. Genres including, but not limited to, Rap, Reggae, Reggaeton, Rock, and R&B whet patrons appetites before they are officially welcomed by store owner, Glenn Velger. For music lovers, the store is much like a museum, showcasing the evolution of music technology and musical styles.

Harmony records first opened in 1956. It is a historic gem to the Parkchester community. Small record stores are a rare find because of the birth of the MP3 and music piracy. Velger hopes to maintain the business despite a dwindling market.  “I am a music lover and have a passion for music; what you get here is great customer service and expertise,” said Velger.

His musical love affair began in the 1970s when he was about eight years old and used to frequent the store for the latest record. The original owner eventually offered him a job in 1985 after he graduated college. In 1997, Velger bought out the owner after a failed business venture with HMV records store. His love of music and his business savvy has kept Harmony Records afloat ever since. “I know my niche market and cater to those customers,” said Velger.

Glenn Velger has been the store owner since 1997.

“How do I stay afloat? Three words old school music.” His niche market consists mainly of adults roughly 30 and up. “The new generation believes they are entitled to music and don’t understand the concept of really appreciating the music and wanting to own it and collect it,” said Velger. His deep understanding of the tastes of  music consumers keeps him highly selective about the music he carries. He gets his music from Alliance Entertainment. It has been his only distributor since he took over as owner.  The upkeep of his record collection is the biggest expense for Velger, outside of rent.

He is the sole operator of the store and a member of the National Entertainment Retailers Association (NERA). Harmony Records is one of two New York stores left that is involved with the organization,  which sets up promotional events for music artists. This alliance is part of his survival strategy. The way Velger prices his music catalog is another tactic he uses. He sells CDs at about $10-16. Vinyls sell between $20-80. The challenge lies in ordering records that will sell without having to return large quantities to his distributor for an additional fee.

To avoid returns, Velger carries classics at all times and places custom orders for clients looking for specific items. What impresses Juan Dejesus, a longtime customrer: “The originality of the store– everything is authentic and he still has vinyl that’s what intrigues me.” Dejus adds, “Digital music loses its authenticity. There is something about the original that is special –you feel connected.”

“When the CD came out, the industry was telling distributors to stop selling vinyl. I never did because I knew the true music lover would always make room for vinyl,” said Velger. According to Nielsen Sound Scan, vinyl sales were up 18 percent, selling roughly 316 million records and bringing the sales number back to a peak not seen since 1998.

Vinyl makes up about five percent of overall record sales for the music industry. Record labels have been releasing more vinyl over the past five years which accounts for some of the sales increase. According to Velger, the resurgence of vinyl will never return to

Velger used to do artist release signings. He found out most people would come to see the artist and not buy the album.

what it was. “The internet showed up and killed everything,” said Velger. “The young people for the most part are not buying vinyl. I’m selling more of the old stuff that’s been around 30, 40, 50 years than I am the new stuff.”

His attention to the market and his customers is part of Velger’s business genius. He is very aware of the economic climate and knows people have less money to spend than they did in the 1980s and 1990s. “The reason you see so many empty stores around is because one it’s harder to get business loans and rent is so high for businesses,” said Velger.

Parkchester currently has six empty commercial spaces each representing a failed small business. More mainstream stores are set to slowly replace the old businesses. Despite this trend, Velger plans to stand his ground. “It’s okay now, but the problem is trying to get the younger generation to buy music. Once the older generation stops buying, there is going to be no one to replace them,” said Velger.

“Vinyl has a warmer sound with more highs and lows. It is more ambient than a CD,” said Velger.