Meet Jose Jimenez | Record Vendor

We had the good fortune of connecting with Jose Jimenez and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jose, how did you come up with the idea for your business?
It sort of started by my reverence for all kinds of music, and collecting of records. Back in 2022 I bought my first records at an estate sale, they weren’t in the best of shape as they were pre-loved, but they were music from two of my favorite films, Star Wars, and Disney’s Robin Hood so I bought them. After that I got the “itch” and started buying records at auction so that I could build my collection pretty quickly and in a short amount of time. I went on to accomplish that goal and eventually grew my collection to around about four hundred records within a couple of months. Unfortunately thought, I didn’t have the space to accommodate so many, and a friend of mine suggested that I could start selling the ones that I don’t mind parting with, and since then I’ve been selling and curating a selection of records for pop up markets. I’ve been lucky enough to discovery new music through this, meet new people, and discuss and share great music with cool people. It’s been an awesome experience, and I’m glad I ventured down this road I never thought I’d find myself on. Also a cute little story about the name of my business is that I came up with it after my sweet cat, Melon, likes to hop on top of the record cabinet where I house my turntable and receiver after I put on a record. Since then, I decided to call the business “Melon’s Melodies”.

What should our readers know about your business?
I think what excites me most about what I do is when people pull a record out that they find really cool or plays on their nostalgia. It’s really nice having the privilege of witnessing the joy that pulling records brings to people. I get that a lot with my soundtrack records, and also my Spanish records. As far as what sets me apart, I think it has to be the fact that when I set up at pop up, I always bring a turntable, receiver, and noise cancelling headphones with me so that people can sound test their records if they would like to. I think it’s important to provide the option as a lot of what I have are used records, and I wouldn’t want people to get home only to realize that they do not like the sound of the record they purchased. I haven’t seen other vendors do that, but I’m happy to provide that option. Getting to where I am though hasn’t been easy though. A lot of struggles stemmed from my struggle with my mental health. If there’s anything that I would want to impart about my story, it’s that I was able to become the person, and success that I am today due to my willingness to ask for help, and by being vulnerable with others. I have met a lot of great people over the past few years since I sought out professional help, but I think that being honest about who I am, and my struggles really helped me connect with the strangers, who went on to become my dear friends. Something that really stuck with me, and motivated me to try to connect with others is something that a learned from a YouTube channel called Cinema Therapy, hosted by a licensed therapist who loves movies and a professional filmmaker who needs therapy. In reaction to a film called A Silent Voice, the therapist Johnathan Decker opined, “Depression doesn’t go away, doesn’t lift for most people, but there’s a capacity to feel again. There’s a capacity to experience joy. The cure for so many things is connection, and we may think no one wants to connect with me, but we just need to find the right people.” That statement stuck with me, and in part is the reason as for why I do what I do. To forge meaningful connections with others, around something that encompasses many things that I love, vinyl records.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Aw man for coffee and breakfast food I’d have to take them to EaDough Pastries & Provision. They have some great coffee and pastries! I’d have to recommend them to get the crookie if they haven’t sold out of them yet!
For lunch I would have to take them to a Houston staple, Barnaby’s Café, specifically the one on West Gray! The staff there are the best in my humble opinion, and the portions are huge!
For dinner I’d take them to Tiny Champions. Again, great food, but also great drinks and ambiance.
If I’m showing them around then we definitely would have to go to the Houston Arboretum. Its one of my favorite places in Houston to unwind with a serene walk.
At night I have to take them to Two Headed Dog. I know a few of the regulars there, who are a fun bunch, and the drinks are solid.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
If I had to shoutout anyone, it has to be my friends. For believing in me, for encouraging and supporting me throughout my journey. I’ve been fortunate enough to meet some great people during especially trying times in my life, but the friends I’ve made over the past couple of years have had a significant impact in my life. When I met most of them, I was either in or just coming out of dark point in my life, and I felt like a lost dog trying to find their way back home. Thankfully I found that home, and that home is my friends. All of them are hard workers and some are fellow entrepreneurs, and seeing how much effort they put into their work and the joy they get from it, instilled in me the confidence to try my hand at selling records. I try my best to emulate them everyday, and I hope that every day I can make them proud of me. My connection with them is partly what got me through some rough times, and I can’t thank them enough for changing my life for the better.

Instagram: @melons.melodies