This document is a snapshot of content from a discontinued BBC website, originally published between 2002-2011. It has been made available for archival & research purposes only. Please see the foot of this document for Archive Terms of Use. 29 February 2012 Accessibility help Text only BBC Homepage Wales Home BBC Local North West Wales Things to do People & Places Nature & Outdoors History Religion & Ethics Arts & Culture Music TV & Radio Local BBC Sites News Sport Weather Travel Neighbouring Sites Mid Wales North East Wales Related BBC Sites Wales Cymru Gogledd Orllewin Just for the record Founder Brian Davies explains how a Porthmadog business struck a chord across the world. "The rise to international fame of Cob Records, Porthmadog, began very inauspiciously in 1967 by selling ex-juke box singles at 1/6d (7½p) each as a backroom side-line to an existing Cob business. It soon became apparent that there was a demand for current LPs and singles as there was no record shop in the area, so the whole basement of the existing business was fitted out as a record shop. Although LPs were only 32/6d ( 1.62) in those days, they were still not affordable to many, so we offered a service of 'any three of your old LPs for any one new of ours' and before long we had a large selection of used LPs along with our new stocks. We still operate a similar service, but in today's more complex market we now offer a part exchange price against the new items or buy unwanted items for cash. It was then decided to advertise internationally, offering new LPs at discount prices and also our part-exchange service. This proved to be such a success that we closed down the other business and concentrated solely on the record business, moving up from the basement to acquire more space, to where we still are now - 30 years later. By 1971 business was booming - we were mailing about 7,500 LPs a week to some 25,000 customers in over 50 countries. Shortage of space again became a problem, so we bought a warehouse opposite and moved in the whole mailorder operation. The bulk of mail-order sales were, and still are, to private individuals. Some exceptions we can remember, in particular, sending three orders of 1,000s worth each of cassettes to a store in Port Stanley for the troops during the Falklands War. The fact that such a relatively small record shop in a small town like Porthmadog was exporting in such volume worldwide attracted so much media attention that many documentaries featuring the business were made for local and national television and radio. In the 70s and 80s the bulk of our trade was done by mailorder. We were probably very fortunate in establishing the mail-order business - especially the export side - at the right time, when we could supply LPs to most countries weeks and sometimes months before they were released abroad; nowadays there is a near enough universal release date. The more from this section Porthmadog A walk through history Ask a local Autumn in Portmeirion Befriend a church Croesor cafe Cucumber Sandwiches and Fishnet Tights Glaslyn Writers Group Going loco Just for the record Memory lane Retail therapy William Maddocks and the Cob Ynys Gifftan Your photos Football club Hall of Fame: Lawrence of Arabia Volunteering: Welsh Highland Railway History: Ffestiniog Railway Cambrian Coast trains Derek's walk Glaslyn ospreys Places to Go: Portmeirion Digital stories: Jess Twycross Walks: Porthmadog to Criccieth living in porthmadog Local public services Useful links Have your say Local healthcare explained Weather for Porthmadog Sunday max 16 C min 9 C related bbc.co.uk links BBC Music: History of Vinyl related www links Cob Records website more from North West Wales History Monday max 12 C min 7 C The Romans Find out what the empirebuilding legions got up to. Your Say Talking points Share your views, gripes
prices, quality and availability of UK product was also an advantage - today, this is not necessarily the case. We also lost a great deal of business in the former Yugoslavia, where we had some 5,000 customers, with the events leading up to the conflict and the conflict itself. Mailorder sales inland are also more difficult nowadays, with so many multiples and record clubs, most of them not being in existence when we were in our heyday; neither do food stores selling CDs do record shops any favours. But through thick and thin our mail-order trade is still operational, albeit on a smaller scale. Gone are the days when we were placing orders for 500 copies of the latest LP by Led Zeppelin, Stones, Moody Blues, Santana and the likes - but we are fortunate to have memories of the good old days. Our main direct mail-order sales today are for items not necessarily in the charts, which many stores do not stock and have no desire to order. We also put more emphasis on part-exchange and buying unwanted CDs, LPs, tapes and videos from the public. and passions and make your voice heard. Activities Head for adventure Your guide to pursuits on mountains, rivers and at sea. Tai Hanesyddol O blastai crand i ffermydd gwledig, camwch dros drothwy rhai o dai mwyaf hanesyddol yr ardal The larger proportion of our shop sales is for second-hand titles, with particular demand for 60s, 70s and early 80s material. Regular customers travel from near and far - we often have visits from continental specialist buyers who make the long journey to purchase LPs - mainly rarities. We constantly have holidaymakers calling in telling us they remember the first LP they ever bought from us by mailorder some 25 years ago, which then leads on to reminiscing about the good old days! Regular tourists to the area always make their annual pilgrimage and normally leave with a bagfull or two of purchases - some predicting the usual grief from their partners for spending too much money and time with us! We have a varying age group of staff - 20, 30, 40, and 50 years olds - not the norm in usual record shops, but we are not your usual record shop - we're an institution!" your comments Mansel Davies, Lampeter, West Wales. Bought some of my very first singles and albums in Cob's way back in the 1970s. Haven't been back there in years, must make a trek up there soon. Would have to arrive early because knowing me and record shops I'd be there all day. Long live Cob's, a special part of my teenage years. Fri Oct 10 09:11:18 2008 Vaughan Davidson, Chester le Street Have you seen Duffy's video for Rockferry? It shows her coming out of COB Records and going to the railway station at Porthmadog. We spent our holidays camping near there in 2006 when Wales had it's hottest day ever. The Snowdonia
beer sold in the station was delicious. Borth y gest was like Majorca! Tue May 27 09:44:00 2008 david gwynedd lewis,penmaenmawr the best record/cd shop of any location i have been,a customer since 1963 the staff are always helpful and a very nice bunch and know the music industry very well, want any thing just ask, if it is possible to get they will get it for you and i hope that cob records will be a big feature of porthmadog for a very long time to come all the best Mon Sep 17 10:35:05 2007 Bruce Herford, Brisbane, Australia Just went for a walk down memory lane... aaah bliss... I used to import records & music cassettes from Cob from 1976 to 1978 on volume basis. Due to our stupid copyright laws at the time, I received a cease & desist order from a major record coys lawyers. I got around that by setting up a record club and separated record costs and import costs into various subscription fees...but what a way to get your hands on latest releases quickly, even by seafreight from the UK to Australia with Cob's then magnificent service... Thu Jun 21 10:02:13 2007 Mona Reynolds ( Jones) Heol y Parc. Lovely to read all these comments, takes me back to pre Cob records, the days of the cafe, our haven for all the youngsters to meet to listen to the juke-box, play pinball, drink coke or if you felt flushed, Mari's milky coffee. We also had a little cottage industry of crotcheting ponchos and waistcoats, I think all the Italian waiters from Portmeirion bought them.i also have great memories of Hernandos Hideaway, a fantastic disco in the cellars, oh! happy days. After reading these comments, I recognise Julies, John Morris also Richard Baird (if its the same one that used to traw l for fish in the sixties). Although I've lived on the Wirral for 19 years, I come home for a weekend very often and was talking to Bill only a few weeks ago. Happy to add my comments of a very great time of my life. Diolch Bri a Mari. Mon Jun 11 10:46:54 2007 John C Fletcher I remember how I used to park my wife and babies at the concrete coffee table outside with the best coffee on the coast whilst I sorted through the L.p's.Nowdays my son's park me in Spooners whilst they spend money.i should argue Thanks for almost 40 years of Cob Records Wed Jan 17 11:59:16 2007 Gwyn Howells from WI, USA Before Brian set up his record business the premises was a cafe, owned by Brian's parents, which was very popular with the local young people as there were so few places where we could meet. Brian was always an entrepreneur and I can remember his very early days of selling records, which seemed to be quite a venture in those days. It was amazing how quickly the business grew and it eventually took over the old Cob Cafe. So good to read that Cob Records is still going strong. Great job Brian. Boy, the article stirred up
some superb memories! Wed Oct 25 16:44:48 2006 Stephen from Pennsylvania, USA I have been visiting Cob Records since 1971. It was the type of place that would know and have Roy Harpur, Captain Beefhart, Keef Hartley Band andf Liverpool Scene when other stores would say "who or what". Fri Oct 13 10:04:33 2006 Jeff Gibbs from Enfield I found Cob on a chance visit to Portmeirion in 1972 and my friends and I spent most of our holiday, and indeed most of our holiday money, on albums I had never been able to acquire. We visited again the year after and in 2002 was astonished to see it still thriving. Of course my wife and I spent a fortune. God bless and keep going. Fri Jul 28 10:56:55 2006 Kevin Davies from Adlington (Lancs) I was brought up in Rhyl and made my first visit to Cob 1972-ish. Every time I visit Porthmadog I visit the shop and make some purchases. On my fist visit I bought 3 'unofficial LPs' if you know what I mean. My friend Mike Peters (singer in The Alarm) also used to visit. Cob long may you reign. Mon Jul 3 13:41:21 2006 Nigel Jones Barnham UK I have many happy memories of browsing through the rarer LP's wishing I could buy a few more. I remember hearing that one of the Kray twins would order music from Cob Records to be sent mail order to his Jail, I asked what he liked,...''ballet pieces mainly''. Hi Tony hope your back's OK Thu Jun 22 17:32:53 2006 Paco from Santander (Spain) Really amazing. Thirty five years after my orders to Cob Record, I find again the place where I could buy records that, in those years, were so difficult to get in Spain, with a long delay of months, or never released. I can remember that I received my first catalogue around January 1971, having access then to a new world of records and music. I've been searching in the net, one or two times, but nothing appeared under the words "cob record center". Today at last, here it is: the far, old and good record shop of my youthness. Regards to all the people there. Thu May 18 15:25:34 2006 Eric Jones (Squirell), Caernarfon. Brought up in Port from 1935, living in Glaslyn Street and then Pensyflog, I remember Brian well and spent many a happy hour or two in the Cob Cafe and often heard and read about the legendary Cob Records when I lived away. I have lived in England for almost 50 years but have now returned, first to Bangor and now Caernarfon. (I'm getting closer to the old place). I have great memories of wartime Port full of foreign servicemen: Yanks, Indians, Sikhs, Dutch commandos, all converging on the Town Hall dances on Saturdays - what a wild place Port was in those days. Sun Mar 12 20:02:52 2006
Julie Williams (nee Hughes) from Brunswick Western I can remember buying my Johnny Mathis and Nat King Cole singles with you right back at the beginning. Was it before 1967 even? I can remember Hedwig? Serving me and commenting Johnny Mathis was her favourite as well! I remember the counter being much smaller than the photo - it was before you started selling LPs. Such memories. My mam still lives in Pensyflog. Sat Nov 19 09:15:38 2005 John Morris,Thailand (Porthmadog) I would say Cob Records is the one and only store world wide to offer the services they did and do today. I can be proud to say, That I know Bill and His family, Tony his son we grew up together, ask him about the day he stuck himself with a scissors, or the day the corgi broke his leg. My cousin Tudur Jones still works there he is one of the Antiques as you might call him, or crunch, but what a team. They can be proud to say from a very small shop they worked their Welsh magic worldwide. Pob lwc Bill a'r hogiau. Fri Nov 18 10:28:24 2005