Mismatched burnt orange and lavender-shaded lava lamps, bulky black string lights,
an oversized “Cheers” sign and bins upon bins of records ranging from what was once someone’s father’s old vinyl collection sitting in a dusty basement to today’s hottest albums—it’s the most eclectic set of goods you’ve probably ever seen, and it’s all jam packed into a tiny Red Lion store.
A man stands, proudly, with his hands thrown up in front of all of the madness. It’s his madness, or, as he calls it, “personal heaven.”
Every poster, record and detail is decades in the making and meticulously placed to piece together the masterpiece of Tom’s Music Trade, and now, Tom’s Homegrown Rock ‘n’ Roll Museum. And the man and mastermind behind it: Tom Anderton.
Tom, 51, opened his first record store at a different Red Lion location in 2006.
“I was only there for a few months because they were knocking the building down. It’s the only reason I started the store actually,” Tom says. “I got real cheap rent, and I was like, ‘Well, I’m spending an insane amount on storage units for my collection anyway.’”
After initially intending to be open only on Saturdays, he says he was so busy his first weekend that he finished his construction job, never went back, and opened his store full time.
“It just continually grew,” Tom says. “Once that building was knocked down, I moved across the street and was there for eight years … and then about nine years ago, I moved here into this location and knew I wasn’t moving again, so I got a long-term lease and have been gradually growing ever since.”
What began as a store for vinyl record lovers has grown much deeper, still catering to first-time vinyl owners, but now, to serious music memorabilia admirers, fanatics and collectors, too. And growing on the walls, a museum of rare finds—like a stage outfit from Neil Peart, the Hall of Fame drummer for Rush; a letter from the Beatles' original manager and even signed underwear from Evanescence’s lead singer, Amy Lee.
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“I get all of this stuff through years of buying. I’ve been doing this for so long, people know the store by now, and I’m willing to drive at the drop of a hat and buy a collection,” Tom says. “I hate to leave a collection behind.”
But Tom’s love for collecting vinyls and music memorabilia dates back far beyond his store opening and his roots in Pennsylvania. He’s originally from Birmingham, England, and began buying and reselling items when he was 12.
“I remember buying a fish and tackle collection that was really old … and I remember sitting on a school bus … reselling stuff just to make a few pounds. Then, I really got into music,” he says.
He recalls selling his first record in 1984, which sparked his passion for participating in record shows and collecting vinyls, and he’s unashamed of his fascination, rather, calling himself “obsessive.” He says music is his mental and expressive outlet, and it does a lot of good for a lot of people.
In fact, the success of his store proves that people share the same mental joy and wellness Tom finds in music, and they just can’t get enough of it.
“I have lots of regulars from over the years and tons of people from out of town. And now with this museum, this has kind of opened up a whole new audience of people who might not have come in and checked out the store,” he says.
And as more and more visitors continue to pop into his shop, Tom’s collection continues to expand to welcome them. He says he’s always on the lookout for new oddities and additions, keeping a keen eye on the “crazy, rare finds.”
“I’m still buying. Every day. It’s hard to keep track of everything … decades worth of stuff,” he says. “I’m still going through boxes to try to find stuff I know I’ve got but haven’t seen since 2005. I have so much … I could probably do three stores entirely.”
Aside from adding more to his store, other future aspirations include getting well-known musical artists on tour to stop in and perform and opening an independent museum dedicated to local bands and music.
In the meantime, Tom says he’s focusing on carrying on decoding “the magic jigsaw puzzle” of how to rearrange his burgeoning acquisitions on the walls and in his exhibits.
“It’s pretty cool to see this every day,” he says. “It’s as good, or maybe even better, than I had imagined when I started it.”
Tom’s Music Trade
28 N Main St, Red Lion, PA | linktr.ee/tomsmusictrade | FB: @tomsmusictrade | IG: @tomsmusictrade
