Criminal Records saved?
Atlanta record shopping staple is in OK shape
On Sept. 6 of last year, Criminal Records owner Eric Levin went public with news that the store was in dire financial straits and he was possibly on the verge of closing its doors for good. At the time, a confluence of factors were conspiring against the city’s largest independent record store: low sales, a high overhead, and a sizable debt that included, among other things, a large chunk of change owed to the Georgia Department of Revenue that grown out of Levin's control. The projected figure the store needed was in the neighborhood of $90,000 to $150,000.00 — all part of a perfect storm that seemed prone to sink Criminal Records. A self-imposed deadline was set to raise the money by Nov. 1, which has since come and gone.
?
Though the news first broke six months ago, the store is still standing in middle of Little Five Points. The electricity is still on, and new and used records and CDs are still being sold, as well as magazines and candy. So what gives? Was Levin just crying wolf? Or did he come up with the money to pay off his debts? The short answer to both questions is no — at least not entirely.