Asa Blynn was 13 when he bought his first record. Now, 13 years later, he’s cashing in his collection — and a lifelong dream — to open a record store of his own.
The 26-year-old Bethlehem native is preparing to launch his first storefront, Railroad Records, on the city’s SouthSide on August 2, in time for Musikfest. Nestled near Lehigh University and steps from a public parking deck, the store is Blynn’s answer to what he called a “blank space” in the local vinyl scene, left behind after the 2023 closure of Allentown’s Double Decker Records.
That void inspired Blynn to leap. After recently graduating with a bachelor’s degree in history from Kutztown University, he decided to put his passion to work.
“I just decided a few weeks ago, what the heck — I might as well give it a shot and try to open a store and capture some of that magic that used to be around here,” he said.
Blynn’s store will primarily feature used vinyl — jazz, classic rock, and hard-to-find gems for serious collectors — as well as cassettes, eight-tracks, and a curated selection of new releases.
“I’ll definitely have some new records, but I really want to focus on the stuff you don’t see every day,” he said. “I spent a lot of time making house calls, looking at collections, spending money — just making sure the store has really good stuff that’s hard to find.”
He’s funding the project largely independently, using personal savings, small loans from friends, and his collection as startup inventory. Blynn said he’s leaning on a close group of friends for strategic support.
“I don’t have any investors,” he said. “But I have a group of friends who are much smarter than me and more strategically minded. I wouldn’t be doing this without them.”
Blynn said he hopes the store becomes more than a place to buy records, and envisions it as a welcoming space for students and locals alike.
“I’ve been collecting diner booths I found on Facebook Marketplace,” he said. “I thought about making a little study area for students — somewhere they can come meet, have events, maybe do a group project, or just hang out.”
He’s also looking to collaborate with nearby businesses, like coffee shops and restaurants, to strengthen the South Side’s sense of community.
Though he still works part-time in health care, Blynn sees the record store as a way to help people in his own way—by connecting them with music that speaks to them.
“I’ve always liked helping people,” he said. “I’m never going to go to med school, but if I could help people learn about music, that would be awesome.”
Blynn hopes the shop’s atmosphere will reflect the spirit of Bethlehem and his deep roots in the area. His grandparents, parents, and extended family attended Lehigh or Moravian University.
“I feel like Bethlehem is my home,” he said. “I grew up going to alumni events and football games — it’s always been part of my life. So this store, it’s not just for me. It’s for this community I care about.”
