County Sales; Surviving And Thriving Celebrating 50 Years

Many know Floyd as one of the premier destinations for Appalachian arts of all varieties. However, Floyd is also known globally as the long-time home of County Sales. Since 1973, County Sales has been the world’s premier bluegrass and old-time music record store and distributor. Multiple generations of musicians and music enthusiasts would eagerly await their County Sales mailer to check out the latest in traditional music albums and would plan their pilgrimage to Talley’s Alley in downtown Floyd to scour the musical goldmine located under the old Pix theater. Now located on the main drag of town diagonally from The Floyd Country Store, County Sales continues to serve our community and far beyond as the world’s premier bluegrass and old-time music record store.

In The Beginning

County Sales was initially opened as the distribution arm of County Records, a storied record label formed by Dave Freeman in New York City in 1965. Freeman, like so many urban youths during the American folk music revival, was enthralled with traditional, rural music styles captured on 78 RPM records from the pre-World War II period. To share his passion for these old discs, especially those of early stringband music, Dave began compiling and releasing long-play albums of the old 78 RPM recordings. Freeman noted that in his travels through the southern mountain south in search of music and music makers that bands seemed to have their own endemic sound in nearly every different county. Hence the name of his fledgling label, County Records. Soon,

County Records began releasing new recordings in the 1960s by a range of bluegrass, gospel and old-time artists such as E.C. Ball, The Shenandoah Cutups, Larry Richardson, Curly Seckler, Tommy Jarrell and many more.

Strageic Move

At the encouragement of Floyd County resident and longtime postal worker, Maurice Slusher, Dave Freeman moved his family and operations of County Records to downtown Floyd, Virginia in 1973. Only a stone’s throw from the county’s one stop light, County Sales found a home and forged a legacy. For forty-five years ‘the basement’ on Talley’s Alley was a destination for traditional music enthusiasts the world over. Generations of musicians and collectors alike knew County Sales as THE place to have their music available for sale and THE place to find old songs and new sounds alike. In 2018, the decision was made to shudder the doors of County Sales due to the ever growing digital era of music sharing. Dylan Locke, owner of the Floyd Country Store, along with friends and supporters, saw the value in continuing this staple of Floyd and reopened County Sales under new ownership in its current location on Locust Street in 2019.

For many independent artists and bands today, it is difficult and very expensive to distribute their albums beyond their home communities and live performances. County Sales has shipped Appalachia’s music around the globe for over fifty years and with that long history and loyal customer base, County Sales works to serve independent artists and labels alike as their resource for sharing their music with a wider audience. Traditional music masters like Jeff Little, Larry Sigmon, Bruce Molsky, Sammy Shelor, Ronnie Reno and many more rely on County Sales as a key outlet for sharing their releases with the world. As we move further into the digital era, County Sales works hard to help those preserving and passing on traditional music by connecting international listeners and learners to their art.

Filling A Niche’

County Sales also faithfully serves the often-forgotten demographic of people who do not have technological access to digital music streaming. For many older or geographically isolated people, ordering a physical CD is still a necessity to be able to enjoy new and classic recordings alike. Physical CDs are also the preferred method of learning music for many. Having an album of any kind in-hand allow you, the listener, to take in the full project as the artist intended it with images, outlay and the full pallete of an albums outlay. With an album in hand you get the full liner notes where the artist shares the history and their personal connection to the songs they chose to put on the album. Think of it like the conversation and personal connection you would have with the artist themselves when getting their music in person.

Now as part of the 501c3 nonprofit Handmade Music, County Sales is working to help traditional artists share their music abroad and to preserve, provide, and reissue classic cuts and unreleased material. For decades, Floyd has been a key musical destination in Virginia’s Blue Ridge. On warm Friday nights, music makers and music lovers gather on the streets of downtown Floyd to share and learn Appalachia’s musical traditions. Founded in 2016, the

What’s One The Way

County Sales is excited to announce new initiatives as it takes the first steps of its next 50 year journey serving and preserving traditional music as a 501c3 non-profit. A series of new recordings of local music masters are beginning during 2023. Reissues like the classic 1973 County Records album ‘Kenny Baker Country,’ long out of print and an invaluable document of one of the fiddle’s key masters, will be available on vinyl through County Sales in 2023. Along with serving largely as a distribution arm for musicians and music lovers, County Sales is working to continue documenting and making available music that otherwise would go unheard just as County Records began doing more than half a century ago.

To celebrate its 50th anniversary as a staple of both the Floyd, Virginia and traditional music communities, County Sales will hold a 50th anniversary celebration throughout the first weekend of August (4th-6th) 2023. The half-century bash will entail, among other things, listening sessions, live performances, artist meet and greets, in-store and online discounts, refreshments and jamming. Be sure to mark your calendars and join us for a weekend filled with good friends and great music!

The resurgence in the popularity of vinyl long-play albums, or LPs, has County Sales working to connect folks to both new old stock, previously loved and newly issued or repressed vinyl albums of bluegrass and old-time music. They specialize in processing record collections of traditional music for countless more people to enjoy. Folks coming to visit County Sales will also find a hearty selection of traditional music related books, DVDs, cassette tapes and 78 RPM records.

Handmade Music School specializes in passing on Appalachia’s traditional music through in-person and virtual instruction for all ages. County Sales now serves as the archive from which students and enthusiasts alike can dive deep into their styles and instruments as well as the vessel through which music that hasn’t been heard publicly in years or maybe never heard can, be shared.

Through your friendship and support, County Sales plans to serve Floyd and far beyond for decades to come! As a 501c3 nonprofit they are now accepting donations of all kinds to help support County Sales and Handmade Music School. Have an instrument to pass on to other musicians? Have a collection of traditional music 45s, 78s or 33s! LPs to find new homes for? Looking for a worthy cause to support to ensure the longevity of our region’s cultural heritage? Drop by and visit us in Floyd, Virginia or visit County Sales online at www.countysales.com See you soon!