I think the answer lies in the breadth of its genre offerings, the most striking variety I’ve seen in Boston so far. Although the store was admittedly heavy on ‘70s and ‘80s rock when I stopped by, Cheapo takes extra care to stock up on country, bluegrass, folk, soul, classical, rap, dance, soundtracks, and much more.

But even when the media proclaimed the “death of vinyl” at the hands of the CD, Cheapo rode out the panic and kept doing what it first set out to do: help record enthusiasts in Boston (and beyond) bolster their collections. You can’t help but think that Cheapo must be doing something right to have survived for all these years.

Having endured the ups and downs of the business, it’s probably more steeped in music history than any other record shop in the city. From the tumultuous yet fascinating ‘60s to the digitally crazed ‘80s, Cheapo has truly seen it all.