Pearl Records, at 93 Main St. in Damariscotta, will open its doors in May. Owner Sally Delaney said the store will sell a variety of vinyl records, CDs, cassettes, gear for musicians, artwork, and more. (Emily Bracher photo)
Some people walking down Main Street in the last few weeks might have asked themselves “Why is there a Sabrina Carpenter cutout in this empty storefront?”
The answer is: a new record store is set to open in May on Main Street in Damariscotta.
Pearl Records will bring a combination of new and old vinyl records to the storefront located at 93 Main St. Owner Sally Delaney said the store will also include stereo equipment, speakers, turntables, drum sticks, guitar strings, clearing products, and more.
“I’m excited to bring something totally new,” Delaney said.
The store will also have an artist corner for local musicians to perform, a section for kids, and plenty of local artwork, Delaney said. Shoppers will also be able to purchase Damariscotta-themed merchandise.
Delaney said she is trying to appeal to all ages and tastes, specifically honing in on a younger audience by carrying artists like Carpenter, Charli XCX, and Kendrick Lamar.
“I want to appeal to high school kids,” Delaney said. As the store learns and grows, said she will be picking merchandise based on customers’ favorite artists and items. Special orders will also be available if someone cannot find what they are looking for, she said.
When entering the store, customers are greeted with bright yellow walls and rows of vinyl records. Throughout the store, they can find local artwork as well as posters of their favorite musicians.
The painting on the windows and signs is all done by Letter Luxe Signs, of Boston. The artwork by Sam Pitino includes the store’s logo as well as a shrimp playing the guitar. He also crafted a photo stand-in, where customers can stand behind a board with a hole in the middle and look like they are a clam.
New and used vinyl records line the shelves at Pearl Records in downtown Damariscotta. As the store learns more about what the customers want, owner Sally Delaney said the variety of records will grow. (Emily Bracher photo)
Delaney said a distinguishing feature of the store will be the gear she sells for musicians. By doing this, she said she hopes that local or visiting artists can quickly replace a guitar string or get a new set of drum sticks.
“I am hoping that musicians will wander in and find it useful,” Delaney said.
The first vinyl Delaney ever collected was “Caribou,” by Elton John, in 1974. She said she never got into trade shows or any retail-related jobs until she took over Dyno Records in Newburyport, Mass. in 2018. She had been a longtime customer and friend of the store’s original owner, Richard Osborne. The store itself was one of the reasons she moved to Newburyport in the first place, she said.
She said when the opportunity to buy the business came about, she couldn’t say no out of fear that it would close forever. With zero experience, Delaney ran Dyno Records for eight years and sold it in July 2025. The business is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year.
Twenty years ago, Delaney and her husband, Frank Childs, rented a house on Pemaquid Lake. After years of vacationing there, they decided to buy a house in Nobleboro.
Now, she is continuing her passion by opening a record store in Damariscotta. Delaney said all of the work she is also with the help of Childs, who has been adding his own personal touches to the storefront as well.
“I’m getting such a wonderful response from people who wave in the window or give a thumbs-up,” Delaney said.
The store’s exact opening date has not been decided, Delaney said. For updates and more information, find Pearl Records on Instagram at @thepearlrecords.
