(insert record store name here) customer files, cont'd

in the spirit of my brothers' encounter with carlos the other day, i feel the urge to continue the little series on my lovely customer base.

today's installment:

customer #000165 - "Jerry"

"jerry" first came into the store on a gloomy friday at the end of march. he looks like a very weathered tony larussa and speaks with a distinct local accent. he is also full of the most amazing knowledge. we talked for what seemed like hours about the virtues of collecting cassette tapes. i learned a lot about how the artwork on certain cassettes can be very valuable. also apparently valuable: certain types of plastic cases that said cassettes came in. as i said, i learned a lot. we talked about classic bands such as "the cars," "the eagles," and "the heart." it was a good time.

"jerry" quite adamantly expressed his pleasure in knowing that we existed. so, it was little surprise that he came in the next day to unload more wisdom. he introduced me to obscure folk singers of the 60's and was thrilled to find out that i had this magic internet source (aka, amazon.com) where i could actually order cds for him. so i ordered a few and he completed his purchase with a disc from the bargain cart. noting the value of the white case tray (as opposed to the standard black or clear.)

"the white ones are rare. i bet they are worth something." he pondered.

"do you like that band?" i queried.

"oh, i just want the white case. they are rare."

"fair enough."

fast forward to the following monday when i find "jerry" waiting for me as i arrive at the store. same with tuesday. on wednesday, he actually waited until after lunch to come in.

"jerry" has come in dozens of times since that first week. he usually calls first (why i gave him the number i still don't know) and mostly he just wants to know if i have found any new tapes. occassionally, he will drop by with nothing musical to talk about and give me his in depth opinions on the state of society and how all these "moral" issues are pointless because all of humanities traits are "chemical in nature." his views on the decline of the economy are particularly striking.

"things use to cost a dollar. and now they are more than that. it's crazy."

i seriously wish i could record the interactions. they are remarkable. he is also infinitely fascinated with geneaology. a fact that has given my neighbors at the bookstore a chance to interact with him as well.

all in all, he is a model, if not obsessed, customer. despite his varying reasons, he actually buys things. and, to date, has not once tried to sell me anything.

and that puts him in a class all by himself.