Mitch Allen was a professional software engineer before he found his way to following his true passion: Selling records at Sprinklz in Clinton.
Mitch grew up in New England in south eastern Massachusetts, then migrated to California for a software job. In 2004, he and his wife, Linda, came for a visit to Whidbey “on a whim.” Because Whidbey had a reputation as a dog-friendly place, and since dogs were a major part of their lives, they decided to purchase a house in Clinton and began making frequent trips to the island.
In 2010, Mitch and Linda quit their jobs and moved to Whidbey full time . Their grown children were living their own lives, and they decided to create a new lifestyle for themselves. Mitch had been a fan of vinyl records since he was a teenager in the 1970’s. He continued to build his inventory and Linda bought him a turntable. He soon discovered there was magic listening to the old classics. He sold some of his records at the Machine Shop swap meet because that was the only way he could make room for the new records he wanted.
The pop up store inside Sprinklz Ice Cream in Clinton started as a consignment arrangement with the owner, Jenn Krouse. It turns out that a record consignment shop at Sprinklz matched up with Jenn’s ideas for how she could use the extra space in the ice cream store.
Initially, Pop Up Records began with just four crates at the back of the store. Record sales began to grow, and Mitch discovered he was selling 15 to 20 records a week. He originally got additional records to sell by buying used records from people who wanted to get rid of old collections. Record sales grew but Mitch found that the supply was inconsistent and it was difficult to maintain his stock.
He asked a few people if they wanted to be part of his endeavor. He started collaborating with Victor Ramos, a collector in Clinton, and Bret Fritch, a long-time collector and dealer in Oak Harbor. Justin Goodwin and Leni & Marco Rodoni, also local collectors, have joined the group. Pop Up Records was growing until covid-19 forced a shut down in March. In May, Sprinklz re-opened, and Pop Up Records is expanding its stock and sales.
Records are stocked in hand-made crates and displayed in the front of the store with a listening station and a featured shelf for local musicians and rare records.
Jenn has been very supportive of this collaboration and working with Mitch to display the records in ways that help promote the sales.
There are currently almost 2,000 records for sale and Mitch says, “We have plenty of room as we find more records to stock.” He buys used record collections when available or when people bring records into the shop. Mitch is pleased that he is able to promote many of the local musicians on the island. He notes, “We are glad to be part of the local community and want to help local musicians get more exposure and have another way to sell their music.” He currently provides selling space for music from LAKE, The Memory Boys, Nathaniel Talbot, My Eyes Shut and E. T. and is interested in talking to other local musicians about adding their music to the shop.
Vinyl records are priced from $1 to $50, and are organized in crates and on shelves.
Recently, Pop Up Records began selling some new vinyl releases and are planning to offer more titles in the future. Mitch invites people to stop by, dig through the records, take something home, and enjoy some ice cream.
Pop Up Records located in Sprinklz Ice Cream Store at Ken’s Corner in Clinton. (11042 SR 525), is open 1:00 to 7:00 p.m. daily. For more go to www.popuprecordsnw.com and follow popuprecordsnw on Facebook and Instagram.
