Goodbye Sam

It's no surprise that Sam the Record Man flagship store on Yonge Street is closing. The real surprise is that it lasted this long.

Shopping at Sam the Record Man has been a tradition for me. But with each subsequent visit, it has become more apparent that the once-great record store is now a shadow of its former self.

Back in the day, Sam's would be packed with CDs -- new releases, hard-to-find imports, and a focus on burgeoning Canadian talent. But nowadays, you'd be hard-pressed to find much in terms of selection. But with the rapid advances in technology, declining record sales, and namely, downloading, Sam just couldn't keep up. Walking into the store now, it's scary to think that the store has become... prehistoric. I mean, "record buying" is becoming a thing of the past.

I still love to buy CDs -- the cover art, the liner notes, the credits, the opening of a newfound treasure simply appeals to me. But apparently it doesn't hold the same appeal for many others. Record buyers are like a dying breed, or we have simply gone underground, hunting thrift shops and garage sales to satisfy our record-buying appetite.

Because Sam's definitely couldn't satisfy that appetite for the past few years. Many of us have continued to shop at Sam's out of respect. After all, Sam has become a part of Toronto history. We wanted to pay tribute. But the shopping experience hasn't been the same since 2001, when the Sam stores across Canada closed. It was honourable that the flagship store continued, but we all knew it would be living on borrowed time.

Six years of borrowed time is pretty generous, but it was apparent Sam was ready to shut its doors long before it was announced yesterday that the Yonge Street store would be closing. Clearance sales became bigger; countless artists' CD slots remained empty; there was less visible staff in the store.

For the next few weeks, I'm sure Sam will have lots of clearance sales, and the rush of customers for bargains will remind us of Sam's glory days of the famous Boxing Day sales, and days when buying a new U2 album, or Madonna record, was an event. It will be Sam's last gasp.

I'm sad to see Sam close. But visiting the store in the past year has become a lonely experience. It's empty, and despite the best efforts of the courteous staff, it's clear the Sam era ended a long time ago.

What will happen to the location? Will the lights go out forever for the two large records that adorn the front of the store? Will Sam the Record Man become Sam the Condo Man?

And now that Sam will be closing, what will happen to Sam's neighbour... HMV?