Shake Rag Music is located in a tiny strip mall on Live Oak Street in Dallas. You wouldn't know it from the outside, but inside, it's a claustrophobic music time capsule.
"If we get more than 4 or 5 people it's a traffic jam in here," said owner John Gasperik.
The aisles have narrowed as Gasperik has collected more and more guitars, memorabilia, and records. He hopes to sell off collections of guitars and records and close his business by the end of next year.
"It's amazing what you can find when you're out looking for guitars and records, stuff to fill in the empty spaces here," Gasperik said smiling. "If there's such a thing in this store."
Empty spaces, there are not.
"It's a little claustrophobic, yeah, but I enjoy that," said Stephen Roberts, a regular customer from Nashville. "Whether you're looking for a guitar, or a record, a CD, or just an item like this clock I just bought."
Gasperik has been collecting since he bought his first album, Elvis Presley's 'Hound Dog'.
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'It's music! It's the soundtrack to your life, basically," said Gasperik. 'It's the music you grew up with. You can put on a record or song and it will take you back to when you first heard it."
For his customers, music isn't just for the ears.
"It's a lot more physical," said Ryan Richmond of Dallas as he held a Queen record he was buying. "It maybe isn't the most portable and you have to flip the side, but I get to hold the album and look at the picture. I get to say I own this album. Here it is."
Gasperik admits, closing his business will take some time.
"It's become overwhelming. That doesn't mean I've stopped buying, because I enjoy buying more than selling," said Gasperik. "Everything gets old after a while. It's time to move on and get into some other kind of trouble!"
