The store has six employees, Springhart said, and the building is being sold.
The business is owned by Value Music Concepts Inc. of Marietta, Ga.
News of the closing was greeted with sadness by bargain hunters combing the aisles until closing time around 8 p.m. Tuesday.
Back home in Centerville during a break at the University of Cincinnati, Matt Walter, 21, said he was disappointed.
“It’s a very good music store,” he said while hunting soul, rock and folk selections in the vinyl record department.
“I wasn’t expecting this at all.”
Phil Clark, 21, also of Centerville and a University of Dayton student, said the closure “is kind of sad. I love music. This place is a part of my life.”
He said he drove right to the store after being alerted by a text message from a friend.
John Huffman founded Gem City Records in 1981, carving out a niche for hard to-find and import records, foreign movies and eventually indie rock selections.
In 2006, he sold the business to Value Music Concepts Inc. At that time, it operated 61 home entertainment stores in 22 states, including the Music For A Song chain.
A representative of Value Music couldn’t be reached immediately for comment.
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