“The decision is mine to make, it’s not an event’s decision to make. The control is in our hands. Not someone else’s”. This is the philosophy that Eddie Aguirre had when deciding to open up his record shop.
The shop is located at 16540 Bellflower Blvd. and you can find him selling vinyl records and collectibles. You can also follow him on Instagram, where he goes by @nice_guy_eddies, and frequently posts about many of the records he has in the shop. Their website includes hours, directions and a phone number to get in touch with the store.
An avid enthusiast and listener of music, Aguirre had decided to follow his heart and open his own shop after years of attending events and selling records there.
For Aguirre, the COVID-19 pandemic proved to be a challenge as many of the events where he was a vendor ended up being cancelled.
“In late August, we were kind of frustrated and wondering what was going on, what was gonna happen… we saw this place for rent. We realized that half of that rent is already our storage. The other half was our event fees. Another two hundred bucks, we have our own shop that we can open up and sell everyday,” said Aguirre.
Prior to opening up shop, he worked at a company for 12 years. As a material engineer, he knew his stuff and was an expert in his field. He had a successful career yet one thing bothered him.
“It’s one thing to be considered an expert, or a reference in your field. It’s another thing to be taken seriously. Unfortunately, for a number of years, I did not have the final say,” said Aguirre.
Aguirre continues, voicing his displeasure at the situation he had found himself in at the company.
“Usually, the people that had the final say didn’t have the background that I or my coworkers would have. It was one of the most frustrating experiences I’ve ever had… to be considered an expert in your field but yet you give your recommendation, and your recommendation is overruled by someone who is not in your field.”
These experiences, alongside his general love for music, were another deciding factor when opening up his shop.
“That’s not going to happen here. It’s one of those things where I do this out of a love and passion for the stuff that’s in here. I know that I have yet to have someone who’s walked in who’s stumped me,” said Aguirre.
Aguirre has ensured that they are following all COVID-19 precautions issued by the state, and are keeping customers safe.
“We’ve followed all the precautions that they gave us. We have hand sanitizers and gloves available for anyone who wants to go through the records. I do limit how many people are in the shop at any time. There’s never more than 10 people in here,” said Aguirre.
Aguirre had some parting comments for anyone who wishes to pursue a dream that they have.
“There’s a maxim that I’ve adopted over the last couple of years. If I look at myself internally, and I can say without a doubt that I am the right person for something, I won’t allow myself to live comfortably if I know that I didn’t do something that I could have, or should have done.
At the end of the day, if you have a feeling that’s telling you ‘I can do this’ and you think you can, I think you should.”
Once again, you can find Aguirre on Instagram @nice_guy_eddies or check their website. Hours for the shop are from 12 noon – 8pm, and their days of operation Thursdays – Monday. Be sure to visit them for all of your music needs at 16540 Bellflower Blvd.
