Local 18-year-old collected records for years, and now he and his friend have their own store
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Do you want to know what’s happening in the eastern Idaho business scene? We’ve got you covered. Here is a rundown of this week’s business news across the valley.
BIZ BUZZ
IDAHO FALLS
Record and memorabilia store opening in eastern Idaho
IDAHO FALLS – Walking into Evan Johnson’s shop is like stepping into the 1970s.
The 18-year-old Ririe man and his business partner, Traason Pruett, also 18, of Swan Valley, are the owners of One Stop Record Shop — a record, antique and memorabilia store at 675 Northgate Mile in Idaho Falls.
The business, which opens Monday, includes a variety of products.
“Right now, we have a lot of older, used records. We are signed up with a wholesale company to (sell) new records … in store soon,” Johnson tells EastIdahoNews.com.
The business will also offer record players and replacement needles, 8-track tapes, cassettes, movies on VHS and other accessories, along with magazines, posters, incense, jewelry and more.
Johnson and Pruett have acquired many of the items from estate sales and people who’ve had merchandise in storage for years. Collecting memorabilia is one of Johnson’s favorite pastimes.
He grew up working in his parents’ gas station in Ririe, and owning his own business has been on his to-do list for a while.
“I never knew what (my business would be), but when this spot was open — the road it’s on is kind of a cool place. I’ve been collecting records for a while, and I just felt it was something Idaho Falls needed,” Johnson says.
The resurgence of vinyl in recent years is appealing to a lot of people, he says.
“You can easily get digital music for a lot cheaper,” says Johnson. “But there’s something about owning the physical piece with the album cover on it. There are pictures inside and things you don’t get to see when you press play on your phone.”
“It feels cool to play a record, and a lot of people swear that records have better sound quality,” he adds. “If you use the right record player and the right speakers … it’s exactly how the song was supposed to sound. It’s something you can’t capture digitally.”
Johnson bought the building from his grandparents, Robert and Kristy Johnson, in 2018. They ran a Pronto Auto Parts store at this location for decades. Before that, it was the home of Jerry’s Machine & Parts. CAL Ranch opened in this building in 1959.
A drag-racing business recently opened in the other half of the building and Johnson thinks his shop fits nicely with that.
Johnson is planning a grand opening in November or December when more inventory arrives. Right now, he’s busy preparing for opening day, and he’s excited to unveil it to the community.
Operating hours will be Monday, Tuesday and Friday from 4 to 9 p.m. with additional hours coming soon.
Those interested in selling old record collections and other items can bring them by the shop. For questions or additional information, email Northgateidahofalls@gmail.com. You can also visit the Instagram and Facebook page.
BIZ BITS
CEI’s practical nursing program ranked No. 1 in Idaho
IDAHO FALLS – College of Eastern Idaho’s practical nursing program has emerged as the No. 1 ranked program in the Gem State.
Consistent, exceptional competency and 100% first-time NCLEX pass rate over the past five years is the reason for the ranking determined by a thorough assessment from PracticalNursing.org.
CEI graduates 20-30 PNs per year, and over 100 nursing students per year in all of its credit nursing programs. Through its Workforce Training, CEI also offers a certified nursing assistant program.
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