Record Hunter – 517 5th Ave NYC – long closed.
And here’s an article that appeared in the NY Times in January 1993 Strictly Business; How The Music Stopped For The Record Hunter reporting on the life and death of the Record Hunter.
Record Hunter
My uncle Jay owned the Record Hunter. I used to love going there with my dad as a kid. So many memories.
I ordered many exotic and out-of-print records from the Record Hunter in the early-to-mid sixties. You could get things that you couldn't find anywhere else, especially on the cutting edge of modern classical music. They marketed reprints of recordings made in Europe at a cut-rate price. When I saw the record package in the mailbox saying Record Hunter, I got excited. The store didn't just cater to New Yorkers, but to the whole world. Even though I stopped buying LPs in the 80s, I still looked into what the Record Hunter had to offer. There was nothing like it. I went there in person once in 1965, on my way to France. It was like a visit to a shrine, a busy one with all kinds of records and all kinds of people milling around. Will never forget the Record Hunter.
Richard Rucker a Jazz pianist was the manager at The Record Hunter on lexington Avenue NYC.
I would hang out there when still a teenager ,when thta store closed we went over to a little westward up 52nd avenue to Birdland …what an era the late 1950’s and early 1960’s.
As an Urban Archeologist I am often searching for the context of the relics I discover. I found a very colorful bag from Record Hunter and was glad to have landed here. I hope someone can tell me if the bag design corresponds to an era, season or section of the store. I will preserve the bag as best I can and share it during my live presentations.