More than 250 students, faculty and staff perused WDCV’s Pop-up Record Store in honor of National College Radio Day on Oct. 2, which was moved from Britton Plaza to the HUB due to rain.

WDCV brought in Carlisle small business owner Dennis Gotthard to sell records at the pop-up shop, which was the first event of its kind, according to WDCV member Nick Gabuzda ’18. An avid collector of all things, Gotthard, known to many in the community as  ‘The Mannequin Man,’ says he has been “collecting records for 30 years” and “selling records for 16.”

“I’m thrilled to death to be here,” said Gotthard, who went out and “bought 48 albums” at a local yard sale early Friday morning in anticipation of his trip to Dickinson College. “I stayed up probably three days trying to pick this stuff out trying to guess what your age group would like,” Gotthard said, who had a lot to search through in his warehouse of 48,000 albums.

With a warehouse located on 1554 Webster Drive, Carlisle, PA, Gotthard said he wanted to come to make people aware that “there is somebody locally who has this kind of music.”

Gotthard said his warehouse is open for appointments seven days a week, and shoppers must call in advance to view his collection of records.

Both Gabuzda and Cole Gordner ’18, another WDCV member, said they were “grateful for him to come out,” with Gordner noting that “records are making a huge comeback” with our generation.

“10-12 years ago I was one of only two to three people buying records around here,” said Gotthard, who credits the renewed interest in records to this generation’s upbringing and how  “they heard their parents play Bruce Springsteen and Led Zeppelin when they were younger.”
John Minicozzi ’19 said that his childhood turned him into a record collector.

“Ever since I was little my mom always had records and we used to listen to them and it was really a family thing,” said Minicozzi. “It takes music back to when actual artists had to work hard to produce records and it wasn’t on a computer or digitally re-mastered and anyone can do it.”
Minicozzi also said that he believes the event was  “a great idea” and it is important to “keep the records alive” in our generation.

“Music brings back memories,” Gotthard said, “Music is memories.”

Event organizers were pleased by the turnout. WDCV station manager Lauren Bobyock ’17 said that she was “originally nervous that the event would not generate a lot of attention,” but was “ecstatic” about its popularity.

“I think the location was very helpful,” Bobyock said. “On Britton Plaza, where we often set up, [we] get overlooked. By being in a smaller and more populated area during the busiest times of day in the HUB, I think more people noticed us.”
Bobycok said that they plan to have Gotthard back after Thanksgiving and once more in the spring.

To make an appointment at Gotthard’s record warehouse, call (717)-385-1695.