Boo Boo Records

What Boo Boo Records does

Boo Boo Records is an independent record store founded in December 1974 in San Luis Obispo, California, by Ed Taylor and Glenn Forbes with an initial investment of $700. Originally a 300 sq ft shop, the company now operates a 5,000 sq ft flagship store at 978 Monterey Street and trades online under the 'Boo Boo Media' brand on Amazon, Discogs, and eBay, in addition to its Lightspeed-powered e-commerce site. Mike White has been sole owner since June 2010, following the departure of co-owner John Huffman.

The company's revenue comes primarily from one-time sales of physical media — vinyl, CDs, DVDs, and books — supplemented by hardware (turntables and speakers), apparel, and accessories. The product mix has been extended to include limited edition giclée art prints created in partnership with Just Looking Gallery and artist Steve Thomas, priced from $150 to $1,750 per print. The store also generates cash flow from a trade-in/recycle program that purchases used media from customers, and a wish list/special order service with free freight within SLO County.

Boo Boo Records serves a fragmented base of music and entertainment media consumers, vinyl collectors, art collectors, and trade-in customers in San Luis Obispo County and via its online channels globally. The company employs a known roster of roughly a dozen long-tenured staff and management, has been featured in Rolling Stone's 'Best Record Stores in the USA' (2024) and a Yelp Award (2018), and operates without external funding, subsidiaries, or parent company ownership.

Name

Boo Boo Records

Legal name

Boo Boo Records

Website

https://booboorecords.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1974

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Founded in 1974, Boo Boo Records is an independent record store in San Luis Obispo, California, selling vinyl, CDs, DVDs, books, apparel, hardware, and limited edition art prints through its 5,000 sq ft flagship store and online channels Discogs, Amazon, and eBay.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Music Retail

SIC

Retail-Record & Prerecorded Tape Stores (5735)

akta.pro primary industry

Turntables & Vinyl Audio Equipment Retail (CRACAEAH)

Keywords

• Vinyl record retail
• Physical music media
• Entertainment media store
• Collectible vinyl sales
• Music merchandise retail

Headquarters

HQ city

San Luis Obispo

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Retail Sales - Vinyl, CDs, DVDs: Traditional retail sales of new and used vinyl records, CDs, DVDs, and other entertainment media from the physical store location. The store offers both new releases and catalog titles.
2. Online Store Sales: E-commerce sales through the company's website featuring the same product categories as the physical store, with shipping available domestically and internationally.
3. Boo Boo Media - Online Marketplace Sales: Internet business trading under the name Boo Boo Media on Amazon, Discogs, and eBay platforms, specializing in locating and selling hard-to-find CDs, DVDs, and vinyl.
4. Limited Edition Art Prints: Sale of limited edition, individually-numbered giclée art prints created in partnership with Just Looking Gallery and artist Steve Thomas, available in small (12x18), medium (24x36), and jumbo (40x60) sizes.
5. Recycling/Trade-In Services: The store purchases used vinyl, CDs, DVDs from customers, allowing them to sell their collections for cash - turning entertainment media into cash.
6. Special Orders/Wish List: Customers can submit wish lists for specific titles the store will locate and order for them, with free freight within SLO County.
7. Apparel and Accessories: Sale of branded Boo Boo Records apparel including shirts, as well as turntables, speakers, and accessories.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Boo Boo Records is a privately held independent record store operating a flagship 5,000-square-foot retail store in San Luis Obispo, California, where it sells new and used vinyl records, CDs, DVDs, books, apparel, turntables, speakers, accessories, and limited edition art prints. The company complements its brick-and-mortar operations with a proprietary e-commerce website (powered by Lightspeed) and an online arm branded "Boo Boo Media" that trades on Amazon, Discogs, and eBay to source and sell hard-to-find titles. Additional services include a used-media buyback (Recycle) program, special-order/wish-list sourcing, gift cards, and in-store artist events.

Product overview

Boo Boo Records is a brick-and-mortar independent record store with over 50 years of history in San Luis Obispo, California. Their product portfolio centers on physical media — Vinyl, CDs, and DVDs — supplemented by complementary product categories. Hardware offerings include Turntables & Accessories and Speakers for vinyl enthusiasts. Apparel spans Men's, Women's, Infant clothing, Hats, and Cycling Kits with exclusive RSD items. Their Limited Edition Art Prints, created with artist Steve Thomas, offer collectible giclée prints in three sizes. The store provides Gift Cards and services including Wish List/Special Orders with free freight, and a Recycle Program for buying back used media. Their online presence operates as 'Boo Boo Media' on Amazon, Discogs, and eBay, extending their inventory reach beyond the physical 5,000 square foot flagship location.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Vinyl
• CDs
• DVDs
• Books
• Turntables & Accessories
• Speakers
• Apparel
• Boo Boo Records Limited Edition Art Prints
• Boo Boo Gift Cards
• Wish List / Special Orders
• Recycle / Used Media Buyback Program
• Boo Boo Media (Internet Business)

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Just Looking GalleryminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBoo Boo Records partnered with Just Looking Gallery to create limited edition giclée art prints commemorating their 50-year anniversary. The gallery provided artistic expertise and production capabilities for the series of individually-numbered art prints available in small, medium, and jumbo sizes.
• Steve ThomasminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCanadian artist Steve Thomas created the limited edition art prints for Boo Boo Records' 50th anniversary collection. Thomas is known for his vintage 1930s style posters influenced by the Golden Age of Illustration and has worked with Disney, Lucasfilm, Marvel, The Muppets, Hasbro, and Star Trek.
• DiscogscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBoo Boo Records maintains an active seller profile on Discogs, one of the largest online marketplaces for vinyl records and CDs. This partnership allows the store to reach collectors globally and sell hard-to-find catalog titles.
• AmazoncoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorThe internet arm of Boo Boo Records, operating as Boo Boo Media on Amazon's platform, allows the company to sell entertainment media to Amazon's vast customer base.
• eBaycoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBoo Boo Media also operates on eBay, providing another channel for selling CDs, DVDs, and vinyl to collectors and bargain hunters.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves11 records

Expansion highlights2 records

Direct peers

• Rough Trade: Long-running independent record retailer with flagship stores in NYC and London, similarly offering vinyl, CDs, and in-store events with a strong brand identity rooted in curation and artist engagement.
• Amoeba Music: Iconic California-based independent record store chain (Hollywood, Berkeley, San Francisco) selling new and used vinyl, CDs, DVDs, and media across multiple formats with similar in-store depth and curation focus.
• Bull Moose Music: Maine-based independent music retail chain selling vinyl, CDs, DVDs, books, and games through both physical stores and e-commerce, with a comparable multi-format inventory model.
• Waterloo Records: Long-established independent record store in Austin, TX, with a similar single-flagship-plus-online-store model, broad vinyl/CD/DVD selection, and live in-store performance programming.
• Easy Street Records: Seattle independent record store selling new and used vinyl, CDs, and merchandise with in-store events and a strong local-anchored brand similar to Boo Boo Records' SLO positioning.
• Vintage Vinyl: Independent record store in St. Louis with a comparable mix of new and used vinyl, CDs, and in-store events; competes for the same vinyl-collector and music-enthusiast customer segment.
• Music Millennium: Portland, Oregon independent record store founded in 1969, with similar longevity, curated vinyl selection, and community-driven artist appearance programming.
• Criminal Records: Independent record store in Atlanta, GA, offering new and used vinyl, CDs, and in-store events; competes for the same collector and music-discovery customer.

Broad incumbents

• Amazon: Massive online retailer with a broad music/media offering that competes for the same vinyl and CD customers; Boo Boo Media also operates an Amazon storefront, making Amazon both competitor and channel.

Others

• Discogs: Global online marketplace and database for vinyl, CDs, and music collectibles. Boo Boo Records is an active Discogs seller, making Discogs both a distribution channel and a category-defining platform peer.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/booboorecords
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/BooBooRecords
• Facebookfacebook.com/booboorecords
• Instagraminstagram.com/booboorecords
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/boo-boo-records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Boo Boo Records