Mad Platter set to close

Owner John Harton reflects on changing styles of music over the years

WEST CHESTER » A borough staple since 1976, The Mad Platter will shutter its doors within the next couple of months.

Owner John Harton, 65, said business has always been good, but he doesn’t want to sign a five-year lease and sell vinyl LPs into his 70s.

“We’re not leaving because of business reasons,” Harton said. “We’ve had good business all along.

“The comments posted online are overwhelming and let us feel appreciated. The town has been very supportive.” Harton enjoys the job. “Who wouldn’t want to work in a record store? You basically watch all kinds of life flow in and out of the door and get to interact with a variety of people. It makes you feel young, seeing all of the younger people.” It was likely an understatement to say that music has changed a lot since 1976.

“I loved the music the 60s and early 70s,” Harton said. “As soon as we went into business, Disco hit.

“Bang, and there was disco and that type of music wasn’t our cup of tea.”

Harton has sold 80s and 90s music, Hip-Hop, Synth Rock, Grunge, and since about 2000, he said current music got “weird” and is undefinable and fits no category.

Debbie Rich-Buchanan has worked the counter almost since the shop’s inception.

“I love the people, the music, everything about it,” she said. “Our store has soul and when this is gone we are really missing something important.

“What’s important about music — it appeals to every-

one.”

Harton said that people are visiting to just say goodbye.

“People tend to come out of the woodwork if they think it’s their last chance to visit,” he said. “We’re seeing some faces we haven’t seen in a while and we’re glad to see them.”

Harton said the store had been through “all the cycles:” from selling records, 8-tracks and cassettes to CDs and then back to vinyl. The record store weathered Napster when music was offered for free.

Bret Hamilton, of West Chester, was lugging around a stack of vinyl LPs. He said his collection contains a little bit of everything.

He said shopping at the Mad Platter is a “good escape” and nothing sounds better than music on vinyl — even when it’s scratched up.

Jared Hammell, of West Chester, said he will miss the employees at Mad Platter. He flipped through the racks, adding to his collection of 2,500 vinyl albums and 1,000 CDs. While he prefers Heavy Metal, like Pantera and Slayer, he also favors Jazz, Blues and Soul — everything but Rap.

Harton is sad that the shop will soon be part of the past.

“It’s time to reflect on places we miss,” he said. “As much as the town has filled up there are certain things we really miss from the past.”

The shop owner then listed former borough businesses including, Cugino’s News Stand, La Cocotte restaurant, Tony’s Market, the Warner Theater, Del Pino’s Groceries and Jake Shur’s Army Navy Store.

The shop outlasted Mosteller’s department store, along with Vincent’s, the Country Lawyer, Yearsley’s Hardware, and boutiques, the Purple Onion and Don’t Worry Be Happy.

BILL RETTEW JR. – DIGITAL FIRST MEDIA West Chester resident Bret Hamilton has his hands full of music during the Going Out of Business Sale at the Mad Platter.

BILL RETTEW JR. – DIGITAL FIRST MEDIA Music lovers will miss long-timers at The Mad Platter, John Harton and Debbie Rich-Buchanan, when the business closes in a couple of months.

PHOTOS BY BILL RETTEW JR. – DIGITAL FIRST MEDIA The inviting stacks won’t last much longer as the Mad Platter goes out of business.

Customers soon won’t be able to flip through vinyls as the Mad Platter prepares to close.