After parting ways with the corporate world in 2017, Lofidelic Records owner David Hernandez was inspired to follow in his parents' footsteps and open an independent record store in Belmar, New Jersey. With his son Ethan by his side, Hernandez is spinning his love of vintage vinyl into a successful second career — and sharing the joy of record collecting with young and old alike.
Tell us a little bit about Lofidelic Records in Belmar.
Lofidelic Records is a vinyl-only record store that sells tons of new and used vinyl records from the 1950's to present. We try to stock every genre under the sun. We also sell turntables, speakers, shirts, and turntable supplies.
What was the inspiration for your business?
My parents owned a record store in Jersey City around 1968 and records were always a part of our family. I can clearly remember my parents’ record shelf in our apartment that had thousands of records in it, some that I still own to this day.
During my high school days in the mid-1980's, I started deejaying and began buying records for my own collection. Using my lunch money to go buy records at Jacks Music in Red Bank was a weekly event, so my own collection started to grow quickly. I even worked at a tiny record shop in Long Branch called Street Beat Records during the late 1980's. This was my inspiration for Lofidelic Record Shop in Belmar, NJ.
What do you enjoy most about being part of the local business community?
Belmar is a great Jersey Shore town with a lot of potential. I have lived here for over 15 years, and I can’t see myself living anywhere else. Over the years, we have seen some great businesses come and go, and I really believe that the heart of a great town is the businesses and the local community.
I want my Lofidelic Record Shop in Belmar, NJ, to be known for….
I want it to be known for being a cool-vibe, chill-out shop that people can walk into and be amazed by everything they see on the walls and hear from the speakers. We want our shop to be inviting to the first-time record buyer and the die-hard collector that has been collecting for years. We want everyone to have a great experience when visiting our shop.
If I was asked to describe my background in a few sentences, I would tell you that….
I am a die-hard music lover, and I love everything about records and record collecting. Since I opened the shop, my music taste has expanded very quickly. I am now collecting records that I never thought would be in my collection, and that helps me interact with a lot of people that come in.
My professional background has always been management and leadership and, hopefully, that helps me lead people to the right recommendations on new records.
When I’m not working, I like to….
Spend time with Ethan, of course! Mondays are our day off, and we try not to do anything related to records. I always ask Ethan what he wants to do on his day off, and the answer is usually ride his bike on the boardwalk, go to the Belmar Library, or visit the parks around town. As much as we love being in our shop and hanging out with our friends that come in, we also need time to do some other fun activities around town. What is the biggest lesson you have learned being in business for yourself?
The biggest lesson is learning that you always need to find a way to get your business name out there. Don’t sit back and expect people to know about your place just by word of mouth. You need to go out and introduce yourself to all the local businesses, and you should be finding ways to network and partner up with different shops and venues so that everyone helps promotes everyone else's business.
Lofidelic Records
905 Main Street
Belmar, New Jersey 07719
732-722-7882
Story and photos © copyright by Christine Cardellino, owner of www.VacationInBelmar.com and publisher of the award-winning Belmar Beachcomber Blog, a travel and tourism guide for the Belmar region of the Jersey Shore. Do not copy any content (including images) without our permission. All rights reserved.
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