CATONSVILLE, Md. — At Trax on Wax, the words "Support Your Local Record Store" greet customers at the front entrance beside posters of Tom Petty, Jimi Hendrix and Pete Townshend.
"We used to sell these buttons that said, when you're in a record store for 20 minutes everybody in there is your best friend," owner Gary Gebler told WMAR-2 News.
Gebler is expecting lots more best friends this week, as the store gets ready to rock and roll for Black Friday.
Holidays set to bolster Catonsville’s Main Street
"People start lining up in the wee hours of the morning, depending on, doesn't matter if it's raining, or freezing, we've see them all. And the line goes hundreds of people are waiting in line to get these coveted releases. Hopefully we ordered enough, or got enough, that everybody will be happy," Gebler said.
Limited edition records draw the crowds, and for Gebler, it's a massive time of year.
"The fourth quarter generates probably 75 percent of our yearly business. It's a huge impact with the community supporting a local business," Gebler said.
A record store is fitting for Music City Maryland, though it's not all Catonsville has to offer. For a town like Catonsville, small shops are everywhere, and many more business owners are entering a pivotal time.
"Small business Saturday is more than just a shopping day- it's a powerful reminder for us to support very influential and very powerful piece of our economy, which are the the small businesses," said Namita Kumar, executive director of the Greater Catonsville Chamber of Commerce, who noted supporting small is already a big part of Catonsville.
This Small Business Saturday will be the town's 32nd annual tree lighting, and local shops will stay open a little longer for the crowds.
"It really helps all those people, all those small business owners who have been doing this for all these years, and who have perfected it," Kumar said.
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