RICHMOND, Va. — Hidden treasures come in all shapes in sizes. Inside 3017 West Cary Street in Richmond's Carytown shopping district, customers at Plan 9 Records discover platinum and gold aplenty.
Soul and R&B fan Quinn Cunningham shops at Plan 9 record shop once, sometimes twice a week.
"For me, it was something I didn’t know I was looking for,” Cunningham said. "That is why I come in. And discover more. There are a lot of things that you can find here."
Plan 9 specializes in used and new vinyl.
"Record collecting is cool. You get to discover a new music. So coming in seeing some stuff you’ve never seen before checking it out that is what it’s about,” Cunningham said.
Jim Bland founded the business on July 11, 1981. REO Speedwagon was topping the music charts.
"In perspective almost immediately. We were really surprised how well we did on our first day," Bland said.
Since opening, in-store concerts became a staple at the landmark. Rare releases and vintage records have been attracting customers for 45 years.
Les Roark drives 90 miles from Lynchburg to shop here.
"I’ve got some Bo Diddley, got Mance Lipscomb. This is the place to come up and get them,” Roark said. "Sometimes you see things you’ve never seen before. You never know what they are going to have."
Nothing makes Les happier than finding the Blues on vinyl.
"It is just a feel. It is more bottom end to it. More thump to it,” he said.
In the 90s digital downloads and later streaming in about 2010 warped the record business.
Customers were consuming music from the palm of their hands.
"That hurt a lot," Bland said. "I think a lot of stores across the country closed."
Plan 9 shrank from 10 locations to two. But once again this record shop is finding its groove.
Younger listeners are fueling a resurgence of physical media like vinyl, compact discs and even cassettes.
Maryam Surani, 17, is building her CD collection one classic after another.
"It’s just really exciting to see that music in front of you and be able to hold it," Surani said. “And recently I found 'Songs in the Key of Life' by Stevie Wonder. It took me a long time to find, but I finally got my hands on that."
Chet Bland doesn’t know life without his father’s music shop.
"I was I was indoctrinated with this old stuff since I was little," Chet said. "It is amazing. We are lucky. We are grateful that it remains a cool place in people’s hearts."
The 29-year-old Bland has witnessed the highs and lows standing by his father’s side from his very beginning.
The manager of inventory says Plan 9 prides itself on serving up notes and nostalgia.
"I think they really seem to enjoy the commitment of I’ve got it. I picked it up. I own it. Hearing, ‘Honey, look they got! or ‘Do you remember that.’ Those still make me smile. They’ll always make me smile,” Chet said.
Mother and son Ande and Simon Taylor have been discovering music together at Plan 9 for five years.
"It's like it used to be when we were spread on the floor and read the lyrics and we do that now together in our little record room,” Mrs. Taylor said.
According to Forbes vinyl sales topped $1 Billion in 2025. A first this century.
Since 1984 employee Jimmy Blackford has been scouring customer’s used records for sale.
"They are discovering the magic of the process all over again," Blackford said. "This is an institution. It is really exciting to look through this collection because there are some records in here that I’ve never seen before."
The Richmond native never could have predicted vinyls comeback.
"It’s baffling to me in the digital age when everybody wants something right in their device," Blackford said.
It is the thrill of the hunt that pulls Quinn Cunningham back week after week.
"It is cool to see over the years that it is growing," Cunningham said. "To find a record store that’s thriving and been going for 45 years. It is a treasure unto its self and special. So Plan 9 is awesome for that."
With the rebirth of tangible technology business at Plan 9 keeps spinning.
"You know somehow I found that perfect mix between doing a job that you also love what you’re doing. I love the music," owner and founder Jim Bland said.
Even after more than four decades, Bland doesn’t plan on skipping a beat.
On Saturday, April 18, Plan 9 will be celebrating National Record Store Day.
It is a tradition stretching back to 2008 where music fans line up hoping to get their hands on new vinyl released by their favorite artists.
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