[ Where are we located you ask? Well, click on this here map! ]
Big B's CDs and Records is the brainchild of Brian Snyder. After hustling vinyl for several years at various swapmeets in Las Vegas in the early/mid-90s, Snyder sought a more permanent address: in May 1996, Big B's CDs & Records opened its doors on Maryland Parkway in a garish, '70s-styled double decker structure across from UNLV. With little more than 1,500 square feet of retail space to work with, Big B's made its debut specializing in vintage vinyl, with only a smattering of CDs for perusal.
From that time in 1996 through the beginning of 1998, Big B's struggled to stand out from other stores in and around Las Vegas. Trying to establish itself in a city that was -- at the time -- in its cultural infancy, largely apathetic towards small businesses, and sporting a transient population almost proved to be too much for Big B's to survive, much less thrive.
April, 1998 proved to be the first step towards cultural awareness and relevancy for the store in its hometown as Big B's held its first quarterly sale extravaganza. The customer turnout -- modest by today's standards -- was more than the store had hoped for. Those in attendance were treated to a sidewalk sale featuring several thousand CDs and LPs available for 99 cents, while merchandise inside the store was discounted 10-50% off.
As word began to spread about the quarterly sale days and the store's focus shifted to carry a wider selection of CDs, Big B's began its slow yet steady ascent as one of the town's best record stores to shop at.
On April 1st, 1999, Big B's literally made its biggest move: opening its doors at its new (and still current) location at 4761 S. Maryland Parkway in the University Park Shopping Center. Boasting 3,500 square feet of retail space and a far more prominently visable location than its predecessor, Big B's began its quest in earnest to appeal to the hipster cognoscenti and the casual music fan alike. Its first step was to put in place a knowledgeable, courteous staff of employees whose interests collectively read like a pedigree in the history of music. From there, every effort was made to stock the store to the rafters with an intelligent, well-thought out selection of CDs, LPs and DVDs.
Since then, Big B's has regularly appeared at or near the top of local "best of Las Vegas" lists with the city's various newspapers, due largely to its commitment to continually offer the city's most eclectic and varied selection of new and used CDs, LPs and DVDs. Its tradition of quarterly sale continues to this day which has become an event unto itself, bringing customers in from California, Utah, Arizona, and Colorado.
From top 40 to cult favorites, radio-friendly to relative obscurity and everything in between, Big B's is the place for people who love music.
