BELLEVILLE—Thirty-five years is a long time to be on your toes. But when you’re the last Sam standing, there’s no resting on your laurels.

Far from it for Spencer Destun, who’s still moving and grooving with the business he started in 1979.

“I’m the last standing Sam the Record Man,” he says proudly amid endless rows of movies and music — 10,000 rock artists alone — in his Belleville store.

Yes, this is that Sam’s, the legendary music mogul’s retail chain established in 1937, which once numbered 140 locations across the country. The flagship Toronto store at 347 Yonge St., a landmark since 1961, closed seven years ago, a casualty of competition, the Internet and changing retail record business. The other remaining franchise in Sudbury disappeared soon after. Sniderman himself died in 2012 at the age of 92.

Destun’s hard-earned “last Sam” title, stamped on a commemorative black T-shirt, has special meaning on Record Store Day, April 19. Founded in 2007 by a group of record store owners, the global event brings together fans, artists and business owners to celebrate the culture of independent record stores.

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Count Sam among them. Fully independent for many years — the family-run store’s only formal tie to the founding company is its name — the shop in Quinte Mall is offering storewide specials, a gift with purchase and a draw for a record player in a spring version of Sam’s famous Boxing Day sale.

The store’s link to the past is ever-present. “They’ve kept the magic of Sam’s back in the day,” says rock ’n’ roller Freddy Vette. “It’s not just the name; it’s everything Sam stood for.”

True to the Sniderman tradition of promoting homegrown artists, Belleville Sam backs them all, says the 41-year-old musician, who covers ’50s songs with his band, the Flames.

“Every local artist is welcome there and they always find space for us even with their floor-to-ceiling inventory. And they don’t take a nickel from us,” adds Vette.

In running the business, the family trio of Destun, his wife Holly and son Krystofer has taken more than a page from the old timer’s playbook.

“I learned from Sam Sniderman that the most important thing is selection and service. We do exactly the same things as the store on Yonge St. except we’re smaller,” says Destun, who had been looking for a way to supplement his teacher’s income when the franchise opportunity came up. He set up shop in downtown Belleville, moving to the mall just south of Hwy. 401 a few years later. Now 74, he spends mornings in the store.

Twenty years ago, 90 per cent of sales were music and 10 per cent movies, Destun says. Today it’s 40 and 60 per cent, respectively. “We’re not a music store any more; we’re an entertainment store.”

It’s a crowded house, with artists and titles from every genre vying for space and bearing price stickers that Spencer calls “competitive and fair.” Blake Shelton and Jason Aldean rub shoulders with Pharrell Williams and Katy Perry near the front; farther back, Bing, Tony and Vera Lynn beckon to the mature crowd.

Recently arrived 47 Ronin has taken up residence with The Wolf of Wall Street in the DVD racks, hoping to take on John Wayne’s four-pack selling for $10 in well-stocked western bins.

Maintaining a vast selection is vital, says Krystofer, a 41-year-old science teacher who works at the store part-time. “We’ve never had more competition than we do now.”

In the early days, a record buyer’s only option was to walk into a traditional music store. Today, there are big-box stores, online retailers, digital downloads and streaming services to choose from. And merchants have cut prices to the bone. John Legend’s Love in the Future, for example, sells for $11.88 on Amazon and $12 at Walmart. Sam, which is pitted against a big entertainment retailer in the same mall, sells it for $12.99.

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“It has been very, very challenging to keep (the business) above water,” Krystofer admits. Still, the store has remained profitable, though not wildly so, he says.

Vinyl’s comeback — both new and used — has triggered spinoff sales of turntables in numbers they never imagined, he says, citing a 12-year-old’s purchase of a $99 blue Crosley.

The family remains committed to core values of “unparalleled” service and selection. “We’ve followed Sam’s tradition as closely as possible. That’s why we’re still around,” says Spencer.

They know they’ve struck the right chord from Facebook comments like this: “Had a very successful visit to our favourite store last Tuesday. Oh, who am I kidding! Don’t we always? 3 cd’s and a dvd!”

The scores of Sams that fell by the wayside relied too much on bestsellers and new releases, and not enough on older material, according to Krystofer. “They didn’t follow Sam’s recipe.”

And they didn’t “adopt and adapt technology — we do,” Spencer continues, referring to a “sophisticated technological underpinning” that’s managed by his wife and son. They keep everything current, including online orders, web store, a lively Facebook presence and computerized inventory system that replaced the “bucketful of paper” years ago.

“I feel like my name should be Jack because I do everything,” laughs Holly, noting she also covers promotions and payroll for five employees.

Located two hours east of Toronto, the store is a magnet for nostalgics from the GTA.

“It’s the experience and so many fond memories of Sam the Record Man from childhood. Countless people come in and say they used to spend hours browsing downtown,” says Krystofer.

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