May 12, 2018

West Chester PA — Music aficionados in West Chester and beyond are saddened by the impending closure of The Mad Platter Record Store, 111 West Gay Street. Since its opening in 1976, “The Platter” has been a destination for vinyl records and CDs. Now it is a source for collectibles and rare vinyl, which has been trending in the last 15 years.

“We are going to miss West Chester, our many loyal customers, and our reputation as being the source for popular and emerging artists,” says owner John Harton. “But after 42 years it’s finally time to change the music.”

According to Harton, the current building owner will be renovating the location for a new tenant.

Harton says that having a record store has been a roller coaster ride that is microcosm of trends in the retail music industry. “When we opened our doors, analog records like Stevie Wonder and Saturday Night Fever were flying out the door. CDs then became king before Napster changed the industry in 2000. Now vinyl is back. There are good deals now for bargain hunters throughout our store.”

Not many people know that The Platter briefly occupied a 600-foot “closet” when it originally opened on Church Street in West Chester, but it quickly grew and moved to its present location on West Gay Street.

The Platter was often a meeting place or shopping destination for many local and, on occasion, national celebrities. One of the first bands to discover The Platter was The Hooters, followed by visits from jazz artist Stan Getz and even Krist Novoselic from Nirvana. “You can’t always recognize musicians, but it was always easy to recognize the Philadelphia Eagles when they trained at West Chester,” continued Harton. “They had to bend down to get through the door.”

The Mad Platter was also a movie set for the 2003 movie Haggard by local resident Bam Margera.   

“We have provided over one million musical memories for our customers and more than a million memories for me and my long time business associate, Debbie Buchanan,” says Harton.  

For more information on The Mad Platter, including hours and updates on its closing, go to Facebook.
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Contact: Malcolm Johnstone