When the doors of the Long Ear closed for the final time at 6 p.m. Friday, when the last sale had been rung up and the last customer had wandered away, Terry and Deon Borchard stood together. 

They looked at each other, decades of emotion on their faces, and hugged. 

A friend rushed over with a camera to capture the moment. 

"You guys are gold," she said. 

After 41 years of operating the record store in Coeur d'Alene, and 53 years total including time in Bear Lake, Calif., it was over. The rollercoaster day included tears, laughter and hugs. And so many memories. 

"Happy, sad, relieved," Terry Borchard said when asked how he was feeling. 

While most of the interior was empty, there were still records and CDs that had to be stored, sold or given away. Lots of work yet to do for the owners of this iconic place that had a legion of loyal followers.

"Unbelievable support, particularly in the last two months," Terry said. "It's been such a great run. You could have the biggest and best store in the world, but if people don't support you, you've got nothing." 

Support, they had.  

Business over the past three years was great and last year, the best in their history, thanks in part to a resurgence in vinyl. But when their lease for the Government Way building was set to expire, and they couldn't find another suitable space, they announced earlier this year they would have to close. The Press published a feature story April 30. 

"Life goes on. You do what you can," Terry said. 

Since they opened, other music stores came and went.  

"Somehow, we survived," he said, laughing. "Good thing. I didn't have a backup plan." 

Their son, Victor Borchard, traveled from Oregon to be with his parents on the Long Ear's finale. He began working there when he was 9 years old. When he finally got big enough to see over the counter, he got his name on a business card. 

Victor Borchard came to love music and interacting with customers.  

"It's hard to overstate the influence growing up in a record store had on my life," he said. 

While disappointed with the Long Ear's closing, Victor said he was pleased to see his parents honored as they have been recently. 

"It's been an amazing outpouring of support from Coeur d'Alene," he said. 

On Friday, customers flipped through what remained of CDs and records. One shared a story of often coming to the Long Ear over the years and talking for an hour to a stranger about music. Another described "Boots" the store cat as a celebrity. Another said there was no place like it, and never will be. 

A few comments on social media:  

“Thank you all for creating such a wonderful space where we all felt like we matter. The Long Ear hasn’t just been a store, it’s been a community, and that’s pretty special."

"I am going to miss you so much I could cry. Thank you for the many great years of music. " 

"I just want to take a minute and say thank you. I just got our daughter into vinyl and she absolutely loved going in with me to flip through and find some treasures. It will be some lifelong memories for us, and you will be missed! 

"Long live the long ear memories, from teaching my girl about record stores at age 5 to senior photos in the store."

Terry Borchard was touched by the outpouring of praise. 

"It tears my heart out," he said.  

Deon Borchard said their customers were more than customers.  

"They're family," she said. 

With retirement, the Borchards plan to spend time with family, attend a granddaughter's wedding, perhaps travel, doing things they never had time for in their working years. Both feel young and energetic. Deon intends to garden, her passion. 

"Maybe I'll help with the gardening a little more," Terry said, smiling. 

As word of the Long Ear's closure spread, people stopped in not just for the going-out-of-business sale, but to see the Borchards and their longtime staff, Nic Fritze, Joel May and Ben Schoelen. 

They left behind countless good words.

"We're so blessed," Deon said. "We can see the Lord's hand in this whole thing." 

The Long Ear's last day was billed as "Whamfest 2026." That was always reserved for Christmas Eve, when Wham's "Last Christmas" was the only song that would play in the store. It seemed right, Deon said, that there had to be a last Whamfest. 

At last count, it boomed over the speakers 115 times before the doors were locked. Some of the song's words echoed of the barren walls: "Last Christmas, I gave you my heart ..."

    The poster announcing the Long Ear's final Whamfest for July 3.