Greg Wagner, 61, of Jenkintown, is in the early stages of launching a new record shop in Jenkintown called Smelly’s Vinyl Vibes.

A Mt. Airy native, Wagner has lived in the borough for 26 years and was a resident of Glenside for six years prior. He purchased 744 Yorkway Place (across the alley from The Keep Easy) about a decade ago and currently works in the EdTech space out of the first-floor office.

Smelly’s Vinyl Vibes will gradually take over the office space until it’s ready to open, which Wagner said could be sometime in September.

The project was born out of Wagner’s plans to “slow roll” into retirement.

“I needed something to keep me busy, so I thought of opening a record store,” he said. “I’ve been visiting a lot of shops to see the different setups. After I get the interior painted, I’ll need more inventory. Then it’s just a matter of getting the custom-built bins. We can improve upon them as we go.”

A mural will be painted on the back wall in honor of “Smelly” Mike Kelly, Wagner’s best friend since childhood and the namesake of the store. Mr. Kelly passed away way too early, and the artwork will pay tribute to his first album, “Smelly Mike Kelly: Kids Songs that Stink“.

“Mike was a musician and an English teacher for 35 years. He was the nicest guy in the world,” Wagner said. “He used to sing songs with his guitar in class about the books they were studying. The students loved it. He is sorely missed by so many.”

A father of three, Wagner was regularly involved with the community through coaching youth baseball for Glenside Youth Athletic Club (GYAC), and youth soccer for Hunter Soccer Club from roughly 2000 to 2015. He also ran Abington Baseball Club during those years.

“My picture is still on the wall at O’Neill’s and Giuliano’s. They sponsored one of the teams I coached,” he said.

If anyone has vinyl they are interested in selling, Wagner can be reached at grawagner@gmail.com.

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