BOISE, Idaho — Michael Bunnell has been spinning records for as long as he can remember, but before he owned the Record Exchange in Downtown Boise, he worked as a logger in McCall in what seems like a previous lifetime.
"Then I had a logging accident," Bunnell said. "I took that money and used it to open the store."
In 1977, The Record Exchange was born. However, its initial home sat on Orchard next to a McDonalds for roughly half a year. The current home of 45 years - on the downtown corner of 11th and Idaho - is celebrating the milestone and its founder on Thursday.
"I think we've seen three recessions including 2008. And you know, and we survived all of that. Those were tough times," Bunnell said. "We've come full circle, you know, the vinyl - LP - was the dominant format when we opened, and now it is again. We're very comfortable with that."
Bunnell officially retired in September of 2021. He sold the business to his employees on the principle of culture; Bunnell wanted his predecessor to retain what had already been built.
"We get a lot of business types standing next to a punk rocker and standing next to, you know, whatever type of person. We're always really proud of that in here. The politics were washed away. And in here, it was about a passion. It was about an art form that we all shared and loved and pursued without distraction," Bunnell said.
The Record Exchange is hosting a public party on Thursday to celebrate the change of ownership and their 45th year of business. The event opens at 5:30 p.m. and includes live music, drinks, door prizes, and raffles, according to The Record Exchange Co-Owner and Marketing Director Chad Dryden.
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