Locating true vinyl records is certainly not the simplest task and Don and Kathy Weddle, lifelong music lovers, knew that first-hand.

So, using their passion for the sound, they treaded on unfamiliar territory and opened up Old Town Records, one of the only record stores around, situated right in the heart of Old Town Temecula.

"Someone needs to cater to the person who needs that rare vinyl, that you can't get on CD," owner Don Weddle said. "Plus, as a firm believer, and you can ask any avid record collector about this, vinyl sounds better."

While Old Town Records officially opened their doors in 1999, the idea for the shop didn't happen overnight. Rather, it developed over years of avid record collecting by Weddle himself.

"After collecting since I was a teenager, I would shop at swap meets, record shows, thrift stores, and garage sales," he said. "After accumulating a mass collection, purchasing 25,000 LPs from a defunct radio station, and seeing the interest in records from other record dealers and past record shows, I decided to open my own store."

But the credit cannot all be accepted by the Weddles. In fact, the business could not have been started if it weren't for Don's father, Warren, who first introduced him to the world of swap meets when he was just a tyke.

"I give my dad, Warren Weddle, full credit," Don said. "Shopping with him as a kid at swap meets got me started. I bought records that didn't interest me, but would definitely interest someone else, and eventually I started selling records at shows to make extra money. Although, I would then turn around at a show and spend everything I made on records that I actually wanted for myself. I still say it's a hobby, but we do get to eat out once in awhile."

At the moment, Old Town Records caters to the nostalgic purchaser, searching for out of print used vinyl that consists of 45s, LPs, and 78s. The collection ranges from obscure LPs, and even some reissues that may never make it onto CD. Items range from $3 to $20 dollars, with some wall items selling into the hundreds and thousands of dollars. However, as of late, some CD's have made their way into the shop, as well as an occasional 8-track. Cassettes, on the other hand, are considered taboo, and not found within the walls of Old Town Records.

"Right now, it's very difficult to keep Pink Floyd and Led Zeppelin in stock for more than a day," Don said. "The Beatles are always good sellers -- they'll have generations of collectors. Other notables are (Jimi) Hendrix, The Doors, and basically anything punk and/or garage band. Most of our records are dated 1950s to 1980s, with the exception of punk LPs. Today's modern music is mostly by choice of CDs."

Collecting records for over twenty years, Weddle's personal collection is chock full of amazing artists, and rare recordings that would leave any record enthusiast salivating.

"For 20 years now I've been collecting garage band/psychedelic 45s and LPs," Weddle said. "I own approximately 2,000 records, but I keep some at the shop, as well. My favorite is a rare Frank Zappa 1961, 45 surf record that he privately made at Pal Recording Studio in (Rancho) Cucamonga."

Primarily run by Don and Kathy --- herself a Claremont native who grew up on goth and punk -- Old Town Records is also home to Todd Miller, an individual who has the ability to talk your ear off on Sunday afternoon's when it comes to discussing Jethro Tull, Genesis, or King Crimson. But while running a record shop of your own may sound complicated, Weddle has the ability to turn it into a seemingly simple task.

"Other than flipping a disc every 25 minutes on the record player, we often keep filing LPs alphabetically, and are always looking to meet someone of interest, which helps us to decide what's hot, and what's not," Don said. "Sometimes we get to talking to someone from out of town, and never seem to get anything done here."

Located in plain view, in a corner lot of Old Town, Weddle still finds that people are shocked to stumble upon the classic shop. But everyone is always thrilled with the find.

"Nostalgia is what draws people in to Old Town Records," Don said. "People come in and remember their past. It brings back wonderful memories for many. Some enjoy looking at the record covers. You can consider it art. Back in the day, records came in gatefold covers, fold-out posters, iron-ons, stickers, 3-D covers, photos. Those things you just don't get in a 5-inch CD case."

Since Old Town Records opened their doors, they have taken their business online. But that hasn't stopped people from stopping into the shop on a fairly frequent basis.

"There are some days we won't have a single customer, and I'll have to call my dad to come down and buy something," Don said. "Other days, we'll have over 50 customers stop in. Outside on our porch, we have a two-for-$1 LP bin that seems to be everybody's favorite. We can sell a couple hundred records there alone."

But locals aren't the only ones stopping in to make purchases from Weddle's shop. Many customers are collectors who travel all the way from countries such as Spain, Japan, England and other parts of the world, simply to purchase albums from Old Town Records. It's a type of word of mouth that has made Weddle's shop world famous.

"Most collectors tell me that we have the best records in the Southern part of California, which is always nice to hear, because we compete with L.A. and San Diego," he said.

While Old Town Records continues to gain ground in popularity, Don feels that his passion is just beginning, and is always looking to expand his business in any way possible.

"We now sell T-shirts, such as the Beatles, Pink Floyd, the Ramones, Led Zeppelin, and more," he said. "We plan to expand and sell used CDs, posters, and stickers as soon as we get more space here in town. We would also like to have more space so that I can have live gigs for our local group. At the moment, I'm in the process of finding a larger store and location."

Want to learn more about Old Town Records? Stop into the shop, or visit the Weddle's online store at oldtownrecords.com.

Sound Bytes

Looking to support the local music scene? Temecula-based artist, Overland, released his new album on Aug. 23. So, if you're looking to add a new CD to your collection, or just want to hear his latest tunes, head over to myspace.com/overlandmusic.com.

Erika Sorocco writes a monthly local music column for The Californian. She can be reached at calpreview@californian.com.