Miguel Ángel Valverde has 5,000 vinyl records and thousands of movies on DVD and sells everything at Chollomanía, a store located at number 33 Bonestar street, in the Gavarra neighborhood of Cornellà. More figures: he is 59 years old and has been running this Cornellà establishment for 25 years, which has recently made the leap to Instagram. In addition, the business is gaining a lot of fame among young people thanks to its collaboration with the new cultural platform El Llobregat Suena. "They come to see me from Girona now!", says Valverde with joy.
In 2001, this resident of Cervelló raised the shutter of Chollomanía with the help of an employee in a premises on Vistalegre street in Cornellà. The shop, however, did not yield many profits and, after two years, Valverde decided that he would take charge of the business all alone. Until well into the 2000s, he sold mainly first-hand products such as records, films, t-shirts, stickers and posters, but as trends changed he started selling only films and vinyls.
Collector since eight years old
Valverde warns that one must enter the store with an open mind and let oneself be advised, as the public will find an immensity of records that cover all possible styles. It is also advisable not to go in a hurry, because it is difficult to make room there. To give us an approximate idea, this music lover explains that he has been collecting vinyls since he was eight years old and that he has “thousands of films” because he has bought entire video clubs. “At home, my wife and I had a room for my vinyls and films and, when we had a child, we moved house and I fitted everything I have in the attic,” shares the one from Sant Boi, who currently lives in Cervelló.
As he/she explains, after the pandemic, he/she thought that the best thing he/she could do was sell everything he/she had at home and boost more than ever the second-hand sale: “Before I didn't want to do it, but given the current moment, yes. I have given my life for the shop”, he/she comments.
The shopkeeper laments that, with the rise of Wallapop, people, in general, do not bring records to the shop to give them a second life: "They come when they are burned out from the application, but they bring me the remains that sometimes I don't take because they have no outlet. Before, they would bring me a whole box with 50 records and you would get 100 euros from it."
Now, however, this does not take away that Valverde has a very loyal neighborhood audience that entrusts him with everything, whatever the time it may be. “There are some who call me on a Sunday afternoon, because they are watching a movie and ask me if I can get them the soundtrack”, he explains with a smile, happy to serve them.
And what is most requested? On his Instagram (which his son manages for him), the one from Chollomanía explained days ago that the top three best-selling albums are, first of all, Thriller by Michael Jackson, 40 mayores éxitos by Elvis Presley and the greatest hits albums by Alaska.
A regional collaboration
Recently, Chollomanía has premiered a new facet. Now it acts as an almost television set through the collaboration it has initiated with the platform El Llobregat Suena, which gives voice to artists from Baix Llobregat with musical recordings and a small annual festival.
All this started last year when Adrián Martínez from Cornellà, musically known as Joven Greko, asked Valverde if he could record a music video at his shop for one of his songs, Dapper Dan. Given the success it had, Martínez told the shopkeeper that, with some friends, he would soon start the El Llobregat Suena project and that they wanted to promote recordings in the style of the Tiny Desk Concerts (intimate and acoustic concerts broadcast by NPR Music, in Washington, for years). The proposal in question was to do them at Chollomanía. "I was blown away, and even though I wasn't sure, because I have so many boxes, it seemed like a very good idea and I said yes," shares Valverde. No sooner said than done. The collective published the first of these recordings in March, which they have named as La Tienda. So far, they have recorded two.
Finally, Valverde regrets that when he retires, the shop will not have a successor. Until then, there is no doubt that in Cornellà a lot of music and many films will continue playing.
