10 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY DECEMBER 18-24, 2025 www.montereycountynow.com 831 If your grandparents had a record player and lived in Monterey, then chances are something in their collection came from Recycled Records—or perhaps is on the shelf there now. Half a century marks the time Recycled Records is believed to have been in existence, but it has changed hands a lot during that time. Still, the same analog attitude is felt when you walk in: A record is often playing on the house system and has a story behind it that shop owners Kellen and Bree Cookson can tell. Kellen moved to Monterey County in 2012 and Bree in 2013. A few years later they met in that same shop for a first date, bonding over their love of vinyl records. They married about a year later in 2017. “He won me over with Lionel Richie,” Bree laughs. “I even gave you a CD of his,” Kellen adds, turning to her. The couple has been collecting records individually for about 15 years. Recycled Records stood out to them as the go-to shop when they moved to Monterey County—something they say audiophiles look for in a new town. The Cooksons became regulars at the shop, often going together but browsing quietly on their own for their dates. When they saw a “For Sale” sign placed in the window one day, they talked to then-owner Tom Stewart and bought the shop in October 2023. Kellen says that there were a few owners before that, but the rest of its history isn’t fully accounted for. “We didn’t get a history rundown,” Bree says. “It’s been a bunch of people,” Kellen adds. A green “Est. 1975” sign hanging in the back of the shop is one of the few proofs of age. The Cooksons also found artwork and flyers dated 1975 and 1976 by the original owner, Jeff Helwig. Kellen believes that Helwig painted the sign green and it hung outside the shop. Bree cites that there was at one time a different address on one of Helwig’s posters, but according to their landlord, that may be because it used to be two separate buildings. (Both addresses are on Lighthouse Avenue.) The only real history that the Cooksons have about the shop is spoken word from the building owner Lorna Torkos, who still lives above the commercial space. “Her family owned it and her dad used to have the watch shop,” Kellen says. Bree adds, “We have some clues, but not really a whole lot of ways to figure it out.” Still the Cooksons concur that the shop is indeed 50 years old as of 2025. Though it’s unclear as to which month Recycled Records actually opened, they commemorated 50 years with small events over the course of 2025. Some of those included a costume party in October, onsite performances by local artists and vinyl pop-ups at Other Brother Beer Co. All the events stayed rooted in the informal traditions that come with record stores, acknowledging the resurgence of analog and vinyl happening in the 21st century even as streaming has come to dominate. “It’s really cool to see so many different kinds of people from all walks of life,” Bree says. “It reminds me of when I was first collecting.” The Cooksons say there’s a lot of camaraderie between different record shop owners in Monterey County. “The nice thing about records is there is so much music,” Kellen says. “No one does exactly the same thing.” Other record stores in Monterey County specialize in different kinds of music or experiences depending on the owners’ tastes. Vinyl Revolution in Pacific Grove, for example, carries more inventory from metal genres while Pop & Hiss, also in Pacific Grove, focuses on experiences, with a bar and live performances. The Cooksons curate a general selection for their shop with records, cassettes, 8-tracks and even movies on DVD and VHS. Their goal is to have something for everyone but they’re also quick to call another store if something isn’t there for a customer. Kellen remarks that he and Bree grew up with what he calls the “switch to digital,” but they don’t want the stories to go away with that. “It’s cool to not feel alone in your liking of this niche thing,” Bree says. Recycled Records is located at 604 Lighthouse Ave., Monterey. (831) 375-5454, instagram.com/recycledrecords831. Analog is Alive Recycled Records in Monterey celebrates what is believed to be 50 years in business. By Sloan Campi “It’s cool to see so many different kinds of people.” TALES FROM THE AREA CODE DANIEL DREIFUSS Kellen and Bree Cookson had one of their first dates at Recycled Records in Monterey. They are now married and own the Lighthouse Avenue establishment. 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