Record Swap (114 E. University) and Leonards Pawn Shop (112 E. University) will both be vacating their respective locations in the coming months. Record Swap is about to turn 40 years old, and as of this moment, without a new home. Leonards will be moving out June 1st, and Record Swap will be leaving at the end of July.
“Still haven’t found a place but I am looking.” owner Bob Denier mentioned in an email to us. “We are opening our back room on Record Store Day and selling a lot of stuff that we have stored over the years.”
Denier mentioned Record Swap will have their “largest RSD order” and will open at 7 a.m. — their sale includes 20% off used and 10% off new (not including the new 2019 RSD stock and the back room items). The sale will cover the whole weekend, Friday to Sunday.
While it appears that Leonards will find a new brick-and-mortar home, the future remains unclear for Record Swap. Denier has been in search of a new location, but hasn’t had much luck.
“One day I think I will find a place and the next I want to go mailorder.” He mentioned, so while a new location is possible, mail order business might be the most clear path forward for Record Swap. Read The News-Gazette‘s story which covers the situation more in depth.
Record Swap has had many iterations over the years since opening in 1977. John Steinbacher does an excellent job at outlining that timeline in his series (part one and part two). Record Swap has been located at this location on University in Champaign since roughly 2007, but prior to that, RS was set up in Urbana, then before that, Campustown, and on 5th Street before that.
Watch John Isberg’s video about Record Store from early last year:
Top photo by Patrick Singer
