Need space to store your vinyl records? This small business makes furniture for that.
Need space to store your vinyl records? This small business makes furniture for that.
“My Economy” tells the story of the new economic normal through the eyes of people trying to make it, because we know the only numbers that really matter are the ones in your economy.
Vinyl records have come back in a big way. Just last year, 6.8 million vinyl records were sold direct to consumer, according to Luminate, an entertainment data company. That’s not including records sold in stores.
As their collections grow, people might need a place to store them. Matthew Wicker, owner of WickerWoodWorks in Portland, Oregon, makes handmade furniture for vinyl records and turntables. When the pandemic hit, he wasn’t sure what would happen to his business.
“I had no idea if my company would completely dissolve,” Wicker said. But as it turns out, his business grew. “People were staying home, people are buying more records than ever.”
Wicker just hit his ninth year in business and hopes he’ll never have to get another job.
To hear Wicker’s full story, use the media player above.
Let us know how your economy is doing using the form below, and your story may be featured on a future edition of “My Economy.”
Stories You Might Like
There’s a lot happening in the world. Through it all, Marketplace is here for you.
You rely on Marketplace to break down the world’s events and tell you how it affects you in a fact-based, approachable way. We rely on your financial support to keep making that possible.
Your donation today powers the independent journalism that you rely on. For just $5/month, you can help sustain Marketplace so we can keep reporting on the things that matter to you.
