Today we’d like to introduce you to Zac Younkins.
Hi Zac, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I started collecting vinyl in high school. My retired grandfather bought and sold vinyl through flea markets, antique malls, and a record conventions when I was a kid – and still does! I went to Kent State University to study filmmaking and audio production. There I wrote both the weekly film and music column for the Daily Kent Stater for over a year and hosted a radio show for several years. I found it very rewarding to introduce people to their new favorite song! I also would showcase a lot of up-and-coming music, primarily hip-hop. I have always been a digger, someone who dives deep through the internet, or through record crates to find something new and different sounding, so I was always tapped-in with underground artists before they hit the big time. In the early 2010s I gave lots of airplay to mixtapes from artists who are now in the 2020s household names. I was collecting records in bulk then, and finally started selling the ones I didn’t really use as much at flea markets and online, until I decided to go all-in on the record business.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
The real struggle for me was getting started. I had lots of used rock, county, jazz, etc. from buying old collections, but I wanted to carve out a niche, a new spot in the area that actually carried hip, cutting edge and relevant music. Almost every other store in the Youngstown area and surrounding is focused on classic rock and 80s metal. To stand apart from the Boomer-owned shops, I needed lots of new releases, hip-hop, indie, punk, modern psychedelic, more diverse metal, and rarities. I pulled from my connections from my time DJing and reviewing music to reach out to lots of underground rappers on the cusp of their come-up from all over the country and world! I supply vinyl direct-from-artists who primarily only sell on their personal websites, at live shows and through bandcamp. I now have dozens and dozens of exclusive releases from underground rappers as well as popular favorites of hip-hop, trap, drill, etc., as well as extensive indie rock, punk, an array of metal subgenres. Honestly, I’m the only place in this area you’d find that kind of selection, unless you take a drive to Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Akron or Kent – all of which we’re just conveniently an hour away from. The biggest struggle is finding new used collections to buy, there’s strong competition from other small-town record stores. If you’re not paying top-dollar, the seller can just take them to the next local record store to see who’ll give them the best price.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Fat Hippy Records?
I kind of touched on all of this already, but I try and run a small-town shop with a big-city selection, I debated moving to Cleveland or Pittsburgh actually, but I like catering to a different area, the collectors around here have been very responsive to having such a deep-catalogue selection without having to use amazon or take a trip. Another thing I try and do differently is friendlier customer service. I love talking to collectors about records, music, life in general and I have noticed other record store owners usually don’t engage customers as much. I won’t talk your ear off while you’re trying to browse, but I do like to have a first-name basis with my customers, at the very least I rarely forget a face! From the moment you walk through the door to a chipper greeting and the cornucopia of Grateful Dead, Parliament-Funkadelic and Wu-Tang memorabilia adorning our walls catches your eye, you will feel the passion put into this store. And if all that doesn’t get ya, the diverse selection definitely will.
Who else deserves credit in your story?
Who really deserves the credit is the customers. Without music lovers coming out to support my small business this really wouldn’t be possible. I need to thank everyone who checks my shop first before hitting amazon and discogs. I have a big family who’ve really supported my endeavors as well whom I couldn’t be more thankful for.
Pricing:
- New & Used vinyl -varies in price
- We have dollar bins and 3$ bins
- 45s range from 2 for $1 and up; we have something solid for every price range
Contact Info:
- Website: https://linktr.ee/fathippyrecordsus
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fathippyrecords/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100085709341974
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/FatHippyOhio
- Other: https://www.discogs.com/user/ZacsDankRecordStash https://www.tiktok.com/@fathippyrecordsus
