What a long, strange trip it's been...
From our beginnings online in 1999 (over 25 years ago!) to the realization of our first brick & mortar store in 2010...and then our second location in 2017, here's the story...
We Got The Beats was started by Tony on a webTV(!) in his apartment in 1999 when he discovered ebay. He went there to buy music, but noticed so many of the CD's in his own collection selling on ebay for a lot more than what he paid. So next time he went to his local record stores in the Fort Lauderdale area (All Books & Records, Uncle Sam's, Larry's Records, CD Heaven, etc.) - which typically happened a few times a week anyway because he is a music addict - he bought some things he thought others might be interested in, and gave them a whirl on the world wide web.
After one of them (a Whitney Houston CD single from the UK) sold for $110, Tony was hooked.
(Since Tony is actually typing this, he's going to stop referring to himself as "he" now, if you don't mind. It feels a little crazy.)
The name "We Got The Beats" was meant as both a hint that we focused on "the beats," i.e. dance, R&B, hip-hop - and a nod to another favorite/specialty: 80's music. Plus there was no availability for a website called "The Beat" or "The Beats," which were the original ideas. (Ha!) I think that was for the best. Our name can get stuck in your head...
After a long stint in retail management and customer service up in NJ, and then a few years tending bar in Florida, I packed up whatever fit in the van and spent nearly four years traveling around the USA (with my cat) in search of great music you just can't find at your local Big Box Mart. Selling much of it on ebay along the way covered expenses (keeping my faves for myself, of course.)
That trip was a blast! I found some great stuff, and even met some of my ebay customers and other sellers. I had the best time and was able to go to many Mariah Carey concerts from coast to coast (and met her in Philly!) I even got to go to the Grammy Awards! THAT was wild. (Prince, Sting, White Stripes, P-Funk with Earth, Wind & Fire...) Throw in visits to the Rock-N-Roll Hall of Fame and the Motown Museum, and it was a very music-oriented odyssey. Our story (and reputation) got around, and kitty and I were honored to be featured in a book called "eBay Powerseller Secrets" (Schep/Schep) and featured or mentioned in three other eBay books.
After settling back down in Florida in 2005, what had been a strictly online business for a dozen years or so finally translated into a "real live" record store in Oakland Park in 2010. This was a realization of a lifelong aspiration. I tried to take what I liked and didn't like about all the music stores I'd visited all over the country, throw in a little funk and glam, plus my years of experience in retail, and create the ultimate destination for dance music & more in South Florida.
On Feb 1, 2014, we moved to a new, improved location in Fort Lauderdale, with (finally) a dedicated rock section, and then expanded to double the size of that location.
Our rock department continued to expand, and as we learn more and more from our customers, we have gone beyond our mainstream top-40 rock roots and now stock a solid selection of hard rock/heavy metal, modern rock, punk, etc.
Our Fort Lauderdale store is probably still best known for our 12" singles collection - we carry thousands of them at a time and regularly get new collections from DJ's and collectors. But fully half the store is rock music now.
In 2017, just after Thanksgiving, we opened our second location in Lauderhill. I knew this place was magic the moment I walked in. It's in the same plaza (just a couple of doors down) from where Uncle Sam's used to be, and right next to Tate's Comics & Toys.
We built this one out with a slightly different flavor, while maintaining our brand. We still have more 12" than the average indie record store, but not as much as our East side store had. We went deeper catalog on metal and jazz, a big selection of hip hop and other genres.
The Lauderhill store was an instant hit! It continues to grow and amaze. It wasn't long before we expanded that location as well.
And then our East side location moved back to Oakland Park, in a space with well over a hundred (shared) much-needed parking spots.
We run no-attitude stores. Listen to what you love, no judgment. If we carry it, it's awesome. Our staff are helpful and customer-service oriented (not like movies you see about record stores LOL.)
We're very excited about where things are heading and vinyl blowing up, and appreciate all the support from the South Florida community!
Hope to see ya soon.
Tony
We Got The Beats Record Store
840 E Oakland Park Blvd, Suite #118
Oakland Park FL 33334
954-671-9482 (call or text!)
We Got The Beats (Too)
4588 N. University Drive
Lauderhill FL 33351
954-395-6520 (call or text!)
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