Made in Tarrant: Arlington’s CD Warehouse strikes a chord with physical media collectors

Editor’s note: Made in Tarrant is an occasional Q&A series on small businesses started in Tarrant County. Submit your business here.

Co-owner Ben Oberg sifted boxes of newly arrived vinyl records at his store CD Warehouse. 

It was a Friday, a release day for records and CDs, and Oberg and his team had hours of sorting and cataloging ahead. Bring Me the Horizon, Alanis Morissette, Michael Jackson, Dolly Parton were among the artists in the mix. 

CD Warehouse Records & Tapes

Website: discogs.com/user/cd_warehouse_817

Socials: Facebook; Instagram

Phone: 817-460-2392

Address: 1213 S. Cooper St., Arlington, 76010

Soon, the records would join the bins crowding the Arlington store. CDs filled cubbies in chipped blue shelves. Album covers lined the walls, and band banners hung beneath fluorescent lights. Oberg estimates his store now holds about 100,000 items.

CD Warehouse, located on South Cooper Street, has stayed in business through the rise of downloads and streaming by buying used collections and expanding online sales. As CDs are becoming increasingly popular again, Oberg and co-owner Andrew Kocher keep belief in physical media. 

“We knew there would always be a niche for the collectability of physical media and just the desire for it,” Oberg said.

Oberg and Kocher spoke with the Fort Worth Report about taking over the business, finding new customers and making room for its future.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Dang Le: How did you and Andrew come to buy the store?

Ben Oberg: I started here in 2005 as a part-time employee, and about six months in, I became store manager. The previous owner, who started the business with his partner around 1993, was retiring. He was closing down the stores as their leases expired, and it came to where we were the last ones left.

He offered me the opportunity to purchase it, and it was a super sweet deal, kind of a severance-type package. My partner Andrew and I got together and got the funds together.

Andrew was a customer. We were talking when Bruce, the old owner, gave me that opportunity. I presented it to him, and we figured that out.

Le: Why did you move from Collins Street to Cooper Street?

Oberg: Once AT&T Stadium opened up, the events basically shut you down for a whole month of the year, cumulatively. We were looking for new locations and found this spot on Cooper between the high school and the college. 

We opened on Record Store Day in April 2012. Since then, it’s just kind of chugging along. We’ve seen ups and downs in the industry. You’ve got to motor through it, do what you can, evolve and figure out new avenues of success.

Le: 2012 was a fascinating time because iTunes and digital music were getting really popular. How did you maneuver your store around that? 

Oberg: When I began, people were burning their CDs and downloading, but streaming wasn’t as prevalent yet. We saw a lot of people dumping collections: “I’ve got it all downloaded on my computer. Why do I need this physical hard copy any longer?”

We took it as an opportunity to acquire a lot of inventory. We never saw it fading away completely. We didn’t understand at that time that it might become a big boom again, but we knew there would always be a niche for the collectability and the desire for physical media.

We did our best to have diversity in our inventory and the genres. We didn’t focus on just one thing. We’ve got everything, from all eras, new and old. Acquiring all that used inventory allowed us to keep prices down.

Now people come in and recognize, “Oh man, we screwed up.” They’re rebuying, and they’ll tell you: “I sold everything off 15 years ago. Now I’m rebuying it all again.”

We began online sales as well, which were a huge thing for us. That allowed us to be open 365 days a year, 24 hours a day, shipping things all around the world instead of just right here.

Le: What was the turning point in terms of people getting interested in physical records again?

Oberg: During COVID, we already had 40% to 50% of our store online. When our doors got shut, we were still able to turn those sales over. Everyone was sitting at home, got those checks and started getting online and buying. We saw pretty tremendous growth during that time.

It’s leveled out in some areas, but since then, it seems to be continuing. That also comes with the resurgence of vinyl records, but now CDs and cassettes, even DVD sales, have increased.

Kocher: Having an established online presence really helped, too. We didn’t have to scramble when they shut everything down. We were already up and going for years.

Le: Why do you think people are returning to physical media?

Oberg: I never thought it would go away completely. There’s always that niche and collectability.

I think people started realizing that their downloads got lost. They got a new computer and didn’t transfer all their files over. They streamed stuff, and now all of a sudden, it’s not available anymore. Plus just the appreciation of holding something tangible.

Le: How many records do you have at the store?

Oberg: 100,000-ish, give or take. We also have a warehouse over in Fort Worth that’s jam-packed. We buy so much every single day, and there aren’t enough hours in a day to price it all and get it out. Plus, there’s not enough space. We’ve always got a fair amount of inventory backed up that we can use, so I never really worry too much about acquiring new inventory.

Le: And what were your first records?

Oberg: The first record I bought with my own money was the “Back to the Future” soundtrack when it came out in 1985 or 1986.

Kocher: It was “The Beatles at the Hollywood Bowl,” 1977.

Le: What are your hopes for the store?

Oberg: Just continuing what we’re doing for another 25 years until I retire (laughs).

Kocher: I’d love to have a bigger store. It’s a matter of opportunity to make the big jump.

Oberg: Ideally, a larger location, as opposed to more locations. I think a larger location would be the way to go.

Dang Le is the higher education reporter for the Fort Worth Report. Contact him at [email protected]. 

The Fort Worth Report partners with Open Campus on higher education coverage.

The Report’s higher education coverage is supported in part by major higher education institutions in Tarrant County, including Tarleton State University, Tarrant County College, Texas A&M-Fort Worth Christian University, Texas Wesleyan University, the University of Texas at Arlington and UNT Health Fort Worth. 

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