Vinyl Dinosaur Moving To Bigger Location In Bayville

BERKELEY, NJ — The Vinyl Dinosaur in Bayville has been riding the wave of vinyl revival since the store opened in 2019. Dinosaurs may be extinct, but the store is living proof that the resurgence in vinyl record sales is more than just a fad.

Owner Steven Baeli announced last week that The Vinyl Dinosaur is moving into a new location in October that will be twice its current size. The new store down the road at 655 Atlantic City Blvd. will be housed in the same shopping plaza as Conquest Comics.

“It’s the perfect fit,” Baeli said. “We have a lot of cross traffic. People will come and do a day trip, and hit this place and that place. Now they can just go next door.”

Throughout the pandemic, Baeli said The Vinyl Dinosaur has remained a popular destination for music lovers, with customers visiting from as far as North Jersey, Delaware and Pennsylvania.

With the exception of a few thrift stores and big-box retailers, The Vinyl Dinosaur is the only business in Ocean County that specializes in selling records. The next nearest record store is in Belmar.

“When I reopened, people were jonesing for albums,” Baeli recalled. “A lot of people don’t like looking online. It’s about the hunt for a lot of people and you’ll find something you never even thought of.”

The Vinyl Dinosaur’s record selection spans a variety of genres, including rock, jazz, soul, R&B, country and big band. In addition to records, the store also sells CDs, books, magazines, stereo equipment and instruments.

The new store will have expanded space for merchandise, including a room full of books and a small stage.

“I’m gonna have a little stage area where I can display instruments and what not, and maybe once in a while we can have a little jam,” he said.

Baeli is aiming to unveil the new store by Oct. 1 and plans to have a grand opening party with live bands.

“A lot of my customers play instruments and they’re like, ‘I’ll play! I’ll play!’” Baeli said, adding that some have also offered to help him move and set up the new space.

“I’ve got the best customers. They like coming here and one of the good things about this kind of store is we can sit here and have beautiful conversations about anything just about," Baeli said.

The Vinyl Dinosaur will be open until the new store is ready, but with adjusted hours — opening an hour later at noon and closing an hour earlier at 6 p.m. each day. The store is closed on Tuesdays.

Baeli is spending that time to prepare The Vinyl Dinosaur's new location.

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