About Us
Family Owned & Operated
503 Records was a dreamt up by Aaron (owner) while attending a weekly Hip-Hop event in Portland, OR called "Wicked Wednesdays." The host of WW is DJ Wicked who spins an all vinyl set with guest DJs, MC Cyphers, and B-Boys for over 26 years! The music and the culture of these nights took Aaron back to the days he'd load up the family stereo and speakers and DJ at the YMCA or a house party. Watching people dance and enjoy music coming off the wax on the turntable was a feeling that feeds his soul to this very day.
As a kid, he'd listen to his older brother's records until he started his own collection with his allowance. Buying Prince's Let's Go Crazy on 45 was the beginning of his love for crate digging. Although, his collection would decrease during the CD and MP3 eras, he'd hold on the his favorite records like ET narrated by Michael Jackson.
When vinyl made a huge comeback during the pandemic of 2020, so did Aaron's collection. In fact, he started collecting records with the hope of one day owning a shop. Posting his collection on Instagram and Tiktok became a new way to share his music with people.
Fast forward to 2023, after 17 years of serving the community as a city bus driver, Aaron decided to pursue his dream of owning a record store. With the help of his determined and creative wife, Tara, they started to take the steps to make his dream a reality.