NOTICE: This article was initially written in April, 2014. Since its production CODA Records has unfortunately gone out of business. This piece was published in its memory.

Walking through Bel Air’s Main Street is a usually silent affair. Besides the ebb and flow of traffic and the steady beeping of timers at pedestrian crosswalks, not too much stands out from the ordinary. But at 100 South Main Street, just below Freedom Fighters Bail Bonds, is the distant blare of a stereo system out of an open basement door. This is the inviting call of CODA Records – Bel Air’s very own independent music store.

CODA opened its doors back in 2011, and has since seen a gradual evolution and expansion in both its selection and audience. Today, it’s a place in which owner Nick Hammer has seen “kids as young as 12 or 13 spend hours flipping through records,” but Hammer would still be the last person to let this go to his head.

“Although CODA Records is over three years old, I have only been running it with my partner Sean for a little over a year, so we are still young and growing.  Nothing comes easy and the success of a record store in 2014 sure isn’t the exception to that,” Hammer admits.  “There are many times that I get frustrated or discouraged and I constantly worry that the vinyl resurgence is just a fad and no one is going to be buying these things in a few years.  For now, though, I believe that whether or not CODA is going to work all depends on the amount of work that we put into it.”

The constant dedication of Nick Hammer and his partner is the only thing that ensures that the daily operations at CODA Records are seen through, but what exactly does this mean? For the first time, Hammer unveils the mysteries behind what goes on to make sure an independent record store in 2014 Bel Air continues to succeed.

“Before I go to work every day I go to the post office and mail out any records that I have sold online.  I usually get to work about 5 minutes before we open at noon.  The first thing I do after turning the lights on and putting our sign out on the sidewalk is put on some tunes.  It’s really weird when a customer walks into a record store and there isn’t any music playing so I try not to let that happen.  I then check my online store to see if we sold anything that I need to take off my shelf and pack up for shipment.  But, most of my day is spent just pricing records, putting them on the shelf and updating our online store,” says Hammer. “At some point, I sometimes pay whatever bills or taxes or parking tickets are due.”

Hammer also puts great effort into making sure that the records he shelves at CODA are exactly what customers would want to buy and spin.

“There are so many different people out there with so many different tastes, it’s almost impossible to please everyone but I at least try to have a little bit of everything at CODA.  I try to hear what artists’ customers are talking about and see what bands they look for when they come in the store.  If I hear about a new release, I will mention it to customers and judging on the reactions that I get, I know whether or not I should get that record in stock. Obviously though, some of the selection is going to reflect my personal taste as I want to sell music that I believe to be great.” he says.

These records that Hammer determines should be sold at CODA usually come directly from Nashville, Tennessee’s United Record Pressing, which is currently the largest vinyl pressing plant and distributor in the country. While most records can be retrieved from URP, there are still exceptions, Hammer explains. “We use Forced Exposure which is out of Massachusetts to get the more underground electronic and savant records.  We also use Revelation Records, Dischord distro, Revolver and order direct from certain labels like Matador and Drag City.”

Before any records are sold at CODA, they must first be priced by Hammer, which he explains is not usually a very complex process.

“Every record that we get brand new has a suggested retail price (SRP).  This makes things very simple.  I also check a few online stores to try and be competitive. As for used records, there is a lot more that goes into it.  Most of the common titles I can price off the top of my head judging on what type of condition both the record and cover are in.  Anything that I am not sure of or unfamiliar with, I will check a few sites online such as EBay, Discogs, or GEMM to see what they have sold for in the past and I will price accordingly.”

While Hammer would be the first to admit that the process of buying, pricing, shipping and stocking records at CODA is nigh-endless, it has great payoffs. Record Store Day, for example, is an annual event held on the third Saturday of April. Founded in 2007, this international celebration focuses on uniting music fans around the world via exclusive releases and other great deals in independent music stores such as CODA. CODA began participating in Record Store Day for the first time in 2013, and did so again on April 19, 2014. These dates not only were enjoyable for customers, but played an enormous role in future business for CODA.

“Record Store Day played a big part in us being able to grow our inventory so much in the past year.  I mean, we pretty much took all the money we made on that one day last year and were able to almost double our selection of new, sealed records.  And it comes at a great time,” Nick Hammer explains. “After the huge months of November and December, business gets really slow.  January through March are our worst months every year and there is no better way than Record Store Day to get people excited again and back in the store.”

Record stores are also a social environment, Hammer says – a place to be introduced to new people and music, as well as take time to appreciate the music you already love. Recently, CODA made sure that this experience was fully achieved by moving their receiver out to the main floor and gave customers control of what got played.

“I believe that the social environment is the #1 reason to visit your local record store.  It should be a place where anyone can go to hangout and talk about their favorite bands or songs.  One of the main reasons to visit a record store instead of just ordering online is to get that experience of going into a store and being open to what you may discover while in there.  You can learn of so many new bands just by having conversations with shoppers or by popping on a record just because the cover stands out to you.”

In these statements, Hammer does not stand alone. The Bel Air community is full of vinyl enthusiasts who all agree that his passion for music and the social atmosphere of a record store will surely keep records spinning in Bel Air for years to come.

“I think it’s really awesome how committed [Nick Hammer] is to CODA,” remarks CODA customer Lauren Quinn. “I always look forward to seeing him when I go. It just makes the whole experience.”

Amy Nowaskey, BAHS Junior and local vinyl collector says her interest in buying music on vinyl was initially sparked by movies she had watched, such as “Moonrise Kingdom.” She describes the scene in which “Suzy and Sam are dancing on a misty beach while a French record plays” as being “the best scene in the whole movie.” She also remarks that growing up, her dad had always told her “nothing sounds better than vinyl.”

Nowaskey eventually gave into her curiosities about the format and began shopping at CODA last summer. “I would totally recommend CODA to everyone,” she remarks. “It has super new music, and old music. It has rock, pop, rap, indie, and just a whole mix of everything. Everyone should check it out.”

Customers have the finds to prove CODA’s outstanding selection as well. “The most interesting thing I’ve found at CODA would probably be ‘Bleach’ by Nirvana,” says Lauren Quinn. “I’d been looking for it forever and I sort of listen to it non-stop.” Amy Nowaskey recalls several interesting purchases at CODA as well. “I bought a ‘Deerhunter’ record, and it’s awesome. I also bought a ‘Baths’ record … and the first thing I bought from CODA was ‘Sung Tongs’ by Animal Collective. I still listen to it all the time.”

“If I could give any advice to Nick Hammer, it would be to keep up the good work,” concludes Amy Nowaskey. “He is so dedicated, he is always so friendly, and he plays awesome music while you shop around. There is not one flaw in CODA.”

Through the endless work and dedication it takes to keep CODA up and running, Nick Hammer has succeeded in leaving a great legacy for the store among customers. And at the end of the day, it seems no matter what happens, the best Hammer can do is take the advice of Lauren Quinn and simply “Keep it up, man.”