Crystal Wise
Doc’s Records & Vintage has been a main contributor to our vinyl-buying habits for years, going back to its very first shop in Hurst, nearly two decades ago. Some of us even remember when Jerry Boyd, the father in the pop-and-son team that owns Doc’s, used to sell vinyl at record conventions in Dallas. Us and Doc’s, we go back a ways.
But it’s the latter part of its name — the “Vintage” part — that has always set Doc’s apart from other record stores. And over the years, and the course of four stores, each one bigger than the last, it has become a major component to its business model.
The current incarnation of son Jenkins and pop Jerry’s store, located in The Foundry District, is split evenly between record shop and vintage market.
On the music side of the store, Jenkins guestimates there’s at least 4,000 records in stock, plus a virtually uncountable number of CDs. Just about every genre is represented — punk, indie, blues, jazz, hip-hop, country — and there’s a healthy selection of new and used, national and local. Posters, T-shirts, and music and film memorabilia are scattered about; some of the more collectible records are kept behind glass.
When it comes to customer service, Doc’s is more “Empire Records” than “High Fidelity.” The people who work here are friendly and knowledgeable, and if they don’t have the answer to your question about an obscure German ambient band that put out a record on an Australian label that doesn’t exist anymore, well, give ‘em about 10 minutes, and they will.
They’re real music fans, people happy to turn you onto what they’re listening to or share their opinion on what Flying Saucer Attack record to buy first. You’ve seen them at shows, clubs, and bars, working or listening or performing. They’re Doc’s customers, too. When they’re flipping through records, you don’t know if they’re on the clock or just looking for stuff.
Crystal Wise
The west side of the building is dedicated to antiques and vintage goods. The word “antique” may be pushing it, although we’ve spotted some pieces there from time to time that could be 100 years old — the true definition of an antique. But Doc’s isn’t gonna put Carter Bowden out of business anytime soon.
The emphasis, rather, is on vintage pieces, with a particular focus on midcentury to the ‘70s — smart, very smart. Midcentury has been hot for years now, and ‘70s memorabilia is right on its tail. Most of the booths are run by individuals who pay Doc’s rent to lease out the space, and most of them keep their prices on the approachable side.
Booths are jam-packed with furniture, kitschy knickknacks, artwork, colorful toys that will elicit responses such as, “Man, I used to have that,” and clothes, clothes, clothes, lots of clothes. For those who love rummaging through racks of vintage wearables at thrift stores, in search of everything from concert T-shirts to funky jeans to rad purses to retro summer dresses, you could easily kill a day here.
Opened in 2006, the original Doc’s was on Pipeline Road in Hurst. Next came a move to Montgomery Street in Fort Worth, then to a larger building on Camp Bowie West. Each store was bigger than the last as the Boyd’s inventory — and demand for it — continued to fatten.
Finally, in 2018, the Boyds opened their current home at 2628 Weisenberger St., in a former warehouse in the bustling Foundry District. Taking full advantage of the space’s goliath 9,800 square feet, father and son have flooded it with cool stuff, had its facade painted in incredible murals by local artists, and hosted all kinds of music and art-related events, from concerts to art installations.
But it all comes back to the records and standing there by yourself flipping through them. For a music lover, there’s really no better feeling than that. So, sell all the midcentury wares and clothes you want, Doc’s — you’re still a record store to us.
