Well, fear not, weary consumer. If you take said chance at Record & Tape Traders, located in Catonsville, you have absolutely nothing to lose. "We have a very liberal return policy," explains manager Jeff Ball. "If you buy [a CD] and you just don't like it, you can bring it back. At other places -- Best Buy and Circuit City, to name a few -- you bought it, you're pretty much stuck with it."
That's one of the nifty lures of R&TT, a Maryland-based music retail chain that has nine other area locations, including sites in Glen Burnie and Towson. If you're disappointed with your purchase, all you have to do is return it and you'll receive the amount you paid in store credit. This two-story shop is stocked with selections both new and used, from current Billboard chart-toppers to hard-to-find import singles from your favorite bands.
The store also buys back your unwanted CDs, LPs, DVDs, VHS tapes and audio cassettes. The store pays $1-4 for CDs and $4-8 for DVDs depending on the demand for the title, the condition it's in and the available stock. It doesn't sound like very much, but this self-proclaimed music freak netted $47 last year from spring cleaning.
You can nab a 20 percent boost on your total if you choose store credit instead of on-the-spot cash, which will come in handy given the store's selection. In addition to the wide variety of music genres -- pop/rock downstairs; blues, jazz, country, reggae, local, soundtracks, etc., upstairs -- you can find nicely priced accessories with which to decorate your room (colorful lava lamps), backpack (cute slogan buttons), car (a bobbing-head figurine of the Frankenberry cereal character) or yourself (band T-shirts).
Co-owner Kevin Standar, who operates the chain with partner Steve Somolen from its Owings Mills headquarters, suggests a reason for the Catonsville location's appeal: "It's a lot different than the other Record & Tape Traders. The other locations are in shopping centers. [Catonsville] is a stand-alone building, a two-story house, so it's got an old-fashioned music-store feel."
This homey aura is a particular draw for the clientele. "The Catonsville store is really retro, and the staff is very friendly," says Keith Duckworth, a Baltimore resident and R&TT devotee. "On top of this, they have the same great policies as the other Record & Tape Traders. The best one is how you can listen to anything in the store before you buy it, so you know you're never going to waste your money.
Renovations to the Catonsville R&TT were completed in September 2000. A driveway leading to the rear parking lot was constructed upon to add to the ground-level surface area. However, the extra space is devoted to merchandise, though a designated area for live music would seem a lock in such a specialized hot spot. "It's been a long time," confesses Ball. "We just don't have the space for it. We had the Meat Puppets play here once years ago, but that was crazy. I'm not saying we won't do it again. But if we do, we might have it outside."
The inevitable question: Has anyone ever sold something of high value? "A guy brought a six-LP Cream box set made in Germany in the late '70s," Ball says. Keep an eye on those aisles, you never know what you're going to find.
