Just three days after Michael Jackson's death, record shops like the Sound Exchange on Richmond near Dunlavy are still getting the rush of customers requesting the King of Pop's music.
"Talking to my partners, it has surged quite a bit," said Kevin Bakos, VP of the Sound Exchange. "Probably getting the usual 8 to 10 calls per hour on that right now."
Surprisingly, they're also getting a flood of calls from people wanting to sell their Michael Jackson merchandise.
"Whenever a celebrity dies, you get a lot of questions from people," said Bakos. "Most of the questions are about the value of their records. The value of their records remains constant. It really hasn't changed at all."
Several blocks away, 30-year-old Bryse Doherty frantically searches for one of her favorite albums at Cactus Music.
"It's very meaningful to me," said Doherty. "When I was unable to locate my Thriller album, I'm now on the hunt to see if I could replace it. This is the miscellaneous section where I'm sure I won't find it."
Like many other record stores around town, Cactus Music says it is sold out of its Michael Jackson merchandise. The store is expecting to receive its next shipment as early as tomorrow.
"In my experience, every time somebody passes, people just want their stuff," said Pedro Tijerina, Cactus Music manager. "They forget about an artist until he passes away and they start remembering him again."
Local retailers say the music icon's death has created a boom in record sales.
While the buzz is on the legacy Jackson leaves behind, many of his fans are also wondering how their renewed interest in his music will help the worth of his estate.
"Since he's no longer spending the money, but the royalty money continues to come in, I'm sure his estate will do just fine and his children will be well cared for," said Bakos.
"Talking to my partners, it has surged quite a bit," said Kevin Bakos, VP of the Sound Exchange. "Probably getting the usual 8 to 10 calls per hour on that right now."
Surprisingly, they're also getting a flood of calls from people wanting to sell their Michael Jackson merchandise.
"Whenever a celebrity dies, you get a lot of questions from people," said Bakos. "Most of the questions are about the value of their records. The value of their records remains constant. It really hasn't changed at all."
Several blocks away, 30-year-old Bryse Doherty frantically searches for one of her favorite albums at Cactus Music.
"It's very meaningful to me," said Doherty. "When I was unable to locate my Thriller album, I'm now on the hunt to see if I could replace it. This is the miscellaneous section where I'm sure I won't find it."
Like many other record stores around town, Cactus Music says it is sold out of its Michael Jackson merchandise. The store is expecting to receive its next shipment as early as tomorrow.
"In my experience, every time somebody passes, people just want their stuff," said Pedro Tijerina, Cactus Music manager. "They forget about an artist until he passes away and they start remembering him again."
Local retailers say the music icon's death has created a boom in record sales.
While the buzz is on the legacy Jackson leaves behind, many of his fans are also wondering how their renewed interest in his music will help the worth of his estate.
"Since he's no longer spending the money, but the royalty money continues to come in, I'm sure his estate will do just fine and his children will be well cared for," said Bakos.
