MILWAUKEE – Farwell Exclusive Company, a Milwaukee record store, is closing. But, two current employees don’t want that to happen, so they’re considering buying it.
Tanner Musgrove and his colleague Brian want to open their own record store in space, called Lilliput Records. According to their GoFundMe, they are currently negotiating a price for the Farwell location.
But, in order to make the dream a reality, Brian and Tanner ask for the public’s help. They created a GoFundMe with a goal of $120,000 in hopes that customers and community members would help them buy the store and its inventory.
Tanner and Brian said their goal was to have a smooth transition from the exclusive company to Lilliput Records. They explained that the name Lilliput refers to the island from the fantasy world of Gulliver’s Travels.
They said they saw the name “working in tandem with the idea that the record store is a place where you can get away from it all”.
According to the GoFundMe page, the goal of the new store is to have something for everyone. Brian and Tanner hope to offer a wide selection of new and used vinyl, CDs and DVDs. They also said they hoped to feature local artists and businesses, creating a “community space.”
“Every day we see how important music is to people, and we know how much it means to us. Personally, I’ve been with The Exclusive Company for five years and I’ve gone from part-timer to manager I’ve made lifelong friends and discovered endless artists by rummaging through our bins and through your purchases and recommendations,” Tanner wrote on GoFundMe.
The company is accepting donations on its GoFundMe, which has already raised over $11,000. As a thank you to those who donate, Brian and Tanner offer tiered benefits once they open their store.
- $25 to $49: 10% off your first purchase
- $50 – $9: 15% off your first purchase
- $100 – $29: 1 Lilliput Records t-shirt (you choose the size) and 20% off your first purchase
- $300 – $49: 1 Lilliput Records t-shirt (you choose the size) and 10% off your first 2 purchases
- $500 – $74: 1 Lilliput Records shirt (you choose the size) and 10% off every purchase for the first 3 months of operation
- $750 – $99: 1 Lilliput Records Shirt (you choose the size) 15% off every purchase for the first 3 months open and $25 credit
- $1,000 – $1,999: 1 Lilliput Records shirt (you choose the size) 20% off every purchase for the first 3 months open and a $50 credit
- $2,000+: 1 Lilliput Records shirt (you choose the size) 10% off every purchase for the first 6 months open and a $100 credit
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