As befits a brand-new shop, Chippy Chasers has greeted guests with a sign “Open.” Saturday loves gestures like that and helps attract all kinds of people — attentive and not so much. Inside, it still smells of wood and drying paint. From early morning, records are being shelved and spun, and barcodes are being attached to them. Meanwhile, in the café across the street, people have already started swaying to the music.

The door chime doesn’t stay idle either — it rings more and more often. Ah, these diggers: so many preferences and approaches! Some German tourists sifted through the vinyl until they decided to ask for advice. Plate suggested a pair of house records with a light jazz tint. The beep of the scanner announces the first sale. A local spent a long time comparing the coloured and black editions, but the classic black won. The neighbours dropped by to learn the name of the place and note the quality of the sound. The record store has begun to come alive.

The day flew by, uneven but lively. By the evening, the boxes had thinned noticeably, receipts piled up on the counter, and a pleasant hum still hung in the air. Needle turned the volume down and bumped knuckles in relief.

“You know, at some point I started to get scared.”

“I understand. I had my worries, too, but this has turned out to be a solid start. More to come!”

“Can’t wait for new visitors!”