Sumter, SC (WLTX) - For over 60 years Seaco’s has been a haven for music lovers.
"Well it's actually an acronym for Sumter Electric Appliance Company and to me it was the cool place to hang out as a kid. I grew up in this store," Brooks Wilkinson said. "This used to be the hub of retail in downtown Sumter. We would stay open until nine o’clock up the two weeks before Christmas."
Edward Wilkinson opened the Main Street shop in 1956 and after all those years watching his father Brooks eventually took over.
"We started of course as a record store with a listening station. During the Van Halen era: Kramer guitars and Marshall amps. The nineties: sound systems and posters (and) t-shirts, so we just keep reinventing ourselves," he said.
They even sold concert tickets.
"People would start lining up the night before because this was pre-internet and (they) would tailgate before the tickets would go on sale at nine the next morning. There'd be a party in the parking lot," he said.
Some fans were lucky enough to see legends walk through the doors.
"Dizzy Gillespie stood right there and did the pose for everybody," he said.
But times are a changing once again.
"We're moving from Main Street to 657 Bultman Drive," Brooks said.
For weeks Brooks and his wife, Shannan, have been relocating.
"This has kind of put a new spark under us," Shannan said.
They've sold all their records. Thousands lined the walls with some dating back more than 50 years. The new plans don't include selling music. But they will continue to sell instruments, give lessons and install audio equipment.
"It's neat to still be relevant,” Shannan said.
“We still have a lot of walk-in customers that have been coming in here all of their lives which is pretty cool because they'll say, 'Oh! I remember you when you were a little boy.' Well that was a little while ago," said Brooks.
So while the music may have died in their Main Street location it will carry on a new beat hopefully for many years to come.
The Wilkinsons plan on opening the doors to their new location on Friday.