Council Bluffs' Kanesville Kollectibles has plenty of records.
"We're way past half a million," said Tim Behrens, store owner, regarding his on-site record count. "We have probably 10,000 CDs, 20,000 books, 5,000 cassettes. We're building our DVD inventory."
Wall to Wall Music
Behrens increased his collection of records by "cleaning out garage sales" around the River City. Today, Kanesville Kollictables, now in its 30th something year of business, is literally wall to wall with music. Every record from early big band-era 78s is found in the lower level. The main level is alphabetized with everything from Abba to the ZZ Top. Upstairs are mountains of 45s and thousands of more albums.
Something for Everyone
The store also has rare used books, comics, movies and music memorabilia from nearly every era. Some of the books and magazines include back issues of "LIFE", "National Geographic", "Rolling Stone" and "Popular Mechanics." There is a wide selection of romance novels and mysteries.
Affordable Pricing
Album prices range from $3 to $40, depending on the year and rarity of the album. For example, a Bon Jovi "Living on a Prayer" single in good condition is about $3, while newer releases like Ministry, Black Flag or KISS sell for about $25 to $35.
Cassette tapes are about $2, and compact discs are less than $10.
VHS tapes, everything from retro Woody Allen to Motley Crue's “Decade of Decadence,” cost less than $10 and DVDs are less than $20.
Scavenger Hunt
Half the adventure of Kanesville Kollectibles is finding what it is you're looking for. With shoulder-width aisles, it's challenging to move from section to section. But once the rummaging and searching starts for the treasure you seek, it's easy to lose track of time.
Behrens and his assistant of over 15 years, the comic-book guru known as Cliff, are extremely helpful and knowledgeable of the massive inventory. Can't find it? Ask them and they know the exact location. It's truly amazing how they do this, considering the amount of records on display.
For the most part, the store is sectioned off by rock/pop, jazz, soundtracks and even new arrivals. DVDs, CDS and other offerings are alphabetized. It gets a bit trickier when trying to find sheet music or posters. These are crevased between things. Again, it's an adventure.
Too Many to Sell
Behrens has so many records that he gives some of them away. This place is worth the trip across the river, even if customers don't make it past the front entryway where they can peruse the free stack of records. Kanesville Kollectibles is open Monday - Saturday, and is located at 530 S 4th Street, in Council Bluffs, Iowa.
