The Exclusive Company is officially closing its East Side location (1669 N. Farwell Ave.). A closing date has not been set, but it is expected in the next couple of months.
The independent record store made an announcement on its Instagram late Friday:
“It is with immense sadness that we share The Exclusive Company on Farwell Avenue, Milwaukee will be closing at a yet to be determined date in the next few months. We have loved every minute of serving the East Side community and thank you endlessly for the support you have given The Exclusive Company at this location over the past 30 years.”
But East Siders may not be left without a local record store to frequent. A new shop, Lilliput Records, is fundraising to take Exclusive’s place on the block. Lilliput will be run by familiar faces Tanner Musgrove and Brian Kirk, who are the current manager and assistant manager at Exclusive.
“With every ending comes a new beginning. We are excited to welcome Lilliput Records as the newest record store to Milwaukee. The new owners may look a little familiar, as they have been with The Exclusive Company for 17 years. The current managers, and new owners of the Farwell Ave. location, will continue to bring the East Side the selection, variety and quality of music our loyal customers deserve and expect.”
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There is currently a GoFundMe open to help the pair buy the Farwell location as well as the current inventory. The goal is to raise $120,000.
“The Exclusive Company on Farwell closing came as a shock to us all, but we couldn’t stand the idea of seeing the void that would be created,” Musgrove and Kirk wrote in their GoFundMe post. “Without a second thought, it was clear that our next step was to open our own shop: Lilliput Records. We are negotiating a price for the Farwell location to keep our store alive and are turning to our loyal customers and community to help us make this a reality. We are looking to switch hands in the near future, so it has become a time-sensitive endeavor.”
In a Facebook post, Lilliput Records thanked the community for early support in the mission to open the new shop. Musgrove and Kirk hope to work with local artists, businesses and people to make Lilliput Records a hub for the city’s musical community.
The Exclusive Company has other Wisconsin locations in Greenfield, West Bend, Oshkosh, Janesville, Green Bay and Appleton. The stores carrie new and pre-owned music and movies along with audio equipment, record accessories, books and more.
