Independent Record Store Time Traveler Records Reopens in Akron

For nearly five decades, Time Traveler Records has stood the test of time. The independent record store has made it through location and name changes, as well as the CD and digital revolution. After 12 years in its previous location, owner Scott Shepard was looking for a change. The store has since moved to 1375 N. Portage Path in Akron and reopened on Aug. 8. With its recent reopening, Time Traveler Records remains one of Northeast Ohio’s longest-running independent record stores. 

Before opening Time Traveler Records, Shepard had worked at a variety of record shops, including Camelot Music. In 1980, at 26, Shepard opened 4711 Records at 4711 Akron Peninsula Road. The original name for the store was based on its address, because Shepard believed it would be easier to find. The shop also doubled as Shepard’s home.

“I’ve always been into collecting. And originally the reason I started was to increase my own collection,” Shepard says. “I never thought it was going to be my life’s work, but that’s how it ended up.” 

Shepard would move the store around several times, which led to the second name change the store would go through. In the early 1990s, Shepard changed the name to Title Wave. But after receiving a letter from a Minneapolis lawyer representing a chain of record stores with the same name, Shepard decided to change the store’s name again. In order to remain in the same spot in the phone book, Shepard tried to pick a name with the same letters as Title Wave. He looked to a feeling music evoked in him.

“To me, listening to music has always felt like time traveling,” Shepard says.

READ MORE: 30 New Songs By Greater Cleveland Musicians: Playlist

He settled on the store’s third name, Time Traveler Records, which has lasted several moves, including the most recent one from 118 W. Market St. in Akron.

Entering Time Traveler Records certainly feels like stepping back in time. Posters of famous bands and album covers are scattered on the walls. Vinyl, both new and old, sits on bright yellow shelves; CDs and cassettes line bookshelves, boasting bands and singers ranging from Adele to The Beatles. Among the posters are memorabilia from throughout music history; one signed by Stevie Nicks is just one of the many unique pieces that can be found.

Record stores have come back in popularity over the last several years, with consumers looking to own music rather than stream it. Shepard has noted the shift, with younger customers coming into the store more often, looking to start their own collections.

“The younger people didn't even think about buying CDs a few years ago, and now they come here looking for CDs all the time,” Shepard says.

Over the last four decades, Shepard has watched trends play out in the music industry. By the late 1980s, he recalls that vinyl was considered dead.

“When vinyl records came back, CDs really slacked off,” Shepard says, “and I’d say, maybe 12 or 13 years ago, people were telling me, ‘In five years they’re not even going to make CDs anymore,’ and I would say, 'They’re not going to go away.'”

Time Traveler Records has built a reputation for having unique, ever-changing merchandise. Customers have a chance of finding bootleg albums from other countries or rare, hard-to-find vinyl. Shepard used to frequent garage and estate sales where he found much of the store’s music. Now his customers bring the music to him; Shepard will buy, sell, and trade with those who bring music in, which keeps the shelves filled with interesting finds.

“Almost every day somebody will bring in some new CDs or some new records, and I go through them,” Shepard says. “A lot of times, there’ll be some unique, hard-to-find stuff in them.”

Shepard often keeps the store stocked with the kind of music he loves. Shepard makes it a point to obtain imports, or albums from more obscure bands. The merchandise represents Shepard’s own music taste.

“I don’t shop at other record stores, but people tell me all the time, I have stuff they never see anywhere else, and I like that,” Shepard says.

Outside of Time Traveler Records, music plays a big role in Shepard’s life. His wife, Tracey Thomas, is an Akron-based singer-songwriter, and his daughter Emma Shepard is co-founder and lead singer of the Cleveland band Suitor.

Shepard never meant for it to last this long. He has built a business that has survived major industry changes and has lasted long enough for regulars to start bringing their children and grandchildren in.

“It’s at some point, I realized this is what I’m doing with my life, and I have really good memories of being in the business,” Shepard says. “I’m at that age where I could easily retire, but I’m just going to keep going. I love music, and that’s the whole reason I got into it. And what other job can you listen to music all day?”

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