In this episode of Gems with Shom, we sit down with Rob “Late Bloomer” Geddis - professional record buyer at the legendary Princeton Record Exchange, lifelong beat digger, and the man behind those late-night posts that make collectors everywhere say, “What is that record?!”

From buying thousands of records a week to navigating basement collections across the Northeast, Rob shares what it really means to be a full-time record buyer. We get into the chaos and magic of the Utrecht Record Fair in the Netherlands, the global digging community, and why taste, patience, and curiosity matter more than ever.

This episode goes beyond the crates — into identity, loss, discovery, and the lifelong practice of staying inspired.

In this episode:

• Life as a professional record buyer at Princeton Record Exchange

• Utrecht Record Fair stories: characters, chaos & long-lost grails

• Late-night Instagram digging posts and the art of sharing music

• Early years: skateboarding, MTV raps, sample hunting, college radio

• Evolving taste — jazz-rock, psych, folk, library, global vibes

• Knowledge vs. gatekeeping in digging culture

• Why “peace” is the thing he values most today

If you love vinyl culture, beat digging, hip hop, rare grooves, or just hearing two music obsessives talk with passion — this one is for you.

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