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Official Record Stores List (help us list them)


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Checked out Play It Again Records in Bethlehem, PA for the first time today. Really good selection of new records. Their used section didn't have much punk in it, but if you are looking for classic rock at a good price they had a ton. Worth stopping by if you are in the area and haven't already spent all your money at Double Decker. (they are only around 5 miles apart)

Play It Again Records

129 W. 4th St.

Bethlehem, PA 18015

(610) 868-3711

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  • 3 weeks later...

haha well all the shops I know of in St. Pete/Tampa/Orlando/Miami/Atlanta are already covered but here are my thoughts on the ones I've frequented.

Park Ave in Orlando- I've probably spent the most money at this one. Definitely good if you're looking for new LPs and like indie/hardcore/punk. Used selection is a little small and they base their prices on ebay, so you probably won't make any great finds. My only gripe with this store is they sell bootlegs. That in and of itself isn't a big deal to me, but I accidentally bought a Mars Volta bootleg live LP and when i later discovered it was a bootleg, the guy that does their vinyl stuff told me I should've known it was a bootleg to begin with and would only take it back as a trade in even though I hadn't even opened it. I'm not sure how common that is normally at other record shops to have bootlegs it would just be nice to know when you're looking at it.

Rock-N-Roll Heaven in Orlando- Huge used selection, but mainly old classic rock. Their used punk/indie sections are pretty small compared to what else they have. And a little over priced on the few new LPs they do carry.

Sound Exchange in North Tampa- Their selection of LPs is mainly used if I remember correctly. Mainly classic rock. Ended up never buying any records there except for some bargain bin Jazz records for $1 each.

Daddy Kool Records in St. Pete- They're a pretty cool little shop. They're right across the street from the State Theatre so they usually have tickets to a ton of shows that come through. Usually have tour posters for sale too. Their LP selection is almost all new if I remember correctly, but great if you're looking for indie/punk/hardcore/ska etc

Vinyl Fever in South Tampa- Another cool indie shop, most of their LPs are split pretty even between new and used with a little bit of everything. Though I haven't frequented this store too many times bc of how far it was from where I lived at the time.

Uncle Sam's Music in South Beach Miami- had a pretty cool selection when I found them, plenty of used LPs with a wide variety of genre. Prices didn't really seem to be off the wall but I've been there once only. And if you're into dance/electronica stuff they had a large selection of that too. I guess they have to it being South Beach and all haha.

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Las Vegas......

Zia Records (2 locations)

4225 South Eastern

4503 West Sahara

kind of a chain with stores in AZ too I think. they have a lot of old used vinyl that doesn't phase me much. I prefer the location on Eastern but I'll find stuff I like at both locations from time to time

Cash 4 Chaos

4110 South Maryland Pkwy

have a pretty good selection of punk/hc but stuff is marked up a dollar or two more than what you'll find on the itnernet. not a big deal if you have the$$$$$$$

Record City

300 East Sahara

4555 E. Charleston

I don't live there anymore, so I don't know of anything else that's popped up recently but chances are nothing has or will for years

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  • 2 weeks later...

theres only 3 locations here in saint louis that i really give my money to, and those would be.

Vintage Vinyl out on the Delmar Loop, it's apparently THE record store in this city, but they are kind of overpriced due to their popularity, and the odds of hiding a record and it still being there when you come back are slim.

The Record Exchange out on Hampton has walls and walls of records, a diggers paradise even, but finding real gems is rare. great prices, great owner, HUGE selection [seriously never seen this many records in one building] but most of the stuff is crap, aside from the upstairs "collectors"room, but you have to schedule an appointment to go up there.

also, the 2 CD Reunion locations [o'fallon, or st. charles] have a great selection of vinyl, and lots of great stuff. the stores are run by an old burnout hippy dude named cliff and his 4 or 5 man staff. if you catch him in the store he's usually got a huge smile on his face and is always willing to talk about music and turn you on to new stuff.

his stock is also fairly reliable if you're the type who likes to look when he's broke and come back for stuff later.

so yeah, thats where i shop.

that and...

the internet :-/

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Vintage Vinyl out on the Delmar Loop, it's apparently THE record store in this city, but they are kind of overpriced due to their popularity, and the odds of hiding a record and it still being there when you come back are slim.

wait. Not being able to hide a record for a later purchase is a negative thing on a store? why would you hide a record?

people who hide records in another area are one notch below people who steal records on the list of people i dont want in my store

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Vintage Vinyl out on the Delmar Loop, it's apparently THE record store in this city, but they are kind of overpriced due to their popularity, and the odds of hiding a record and it still being there when you come back are slim.

wait. Not being able to hide a record for a later purchase is a negative thing on a store? why would you hide a record?

people who hide records in another area are one notch below people who steal records on the list of people i dont want in my store

id never put something in another section. but sometimes i put them to the side of the bin if the price is to high for what i brought with me, and i come back in a week or two to pick them up.

they are almost always still there when i come back, but never at VV. too many people shop there.

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  • 2 weeks later...
CALIFORNIA

6400 Sunset Blvd. - Hollywood, Ca

Phone: (323) 245-6400 - This is the only Amoeba I've ever been to. Almost every time I go I find some great deals. The place is huge so you'll need to give yourself plenty of time. Lots of fairly priced vinyl to look through and pricey rarer items on the wall. EVERY kind of music.

Rockaway Records

2395 Glendale Blvd. - Los Angeles, Ca. 90039

Phone: (323) 664-3232 - This place specializes in rare classic rock. Tons of really rare Beatles, Beach Boys, etc. They keep their boxes of 7" behind the counter and you have to ask someone to get the box down that you want(punk,oldies, etc.) I didn't know this the first couple times I was there, so just a heads up.

Soundsations http://www.yelp.com/biz/soundsations-los-angeles

8701 La Tijera Boulevard

Los Angeles, CA 90045 - Near LAX, I've found some good stuff here, but not too much (a couple of color Fat). 7" selection is pretty small, LP selection is better, but not much.

Freakbeat

http://freakbeatrecords.com/

13616 Ventura Blvd.

Sherman Oaks, CA 91423

phone (818) 995-7603. - LP selection is pretty good, found some rare stuff for fair prices. Smaller place, but it's packed with stuff. Parking is meters only so bring change. One of the ONLY record stores I've ever been in that has a bathroom for customers.

Headline Records

7706 Melrose Avenue, Los Angeles, CA‎ - (323) 655-2125‎

Tiny place in a cool part of Hollywood. There use to be a lot of stores right here, Taang!, Vinyl Fetish. This is the only one left. Specializes in punk. LOTS of rare punk in here.

Penny Lane

1661 East Colorado Boulevard, Pasadena, CA‎ - (626)

535-0949‎

Pretty decent. Only prob is that they are one of those places that puts the sticker right on the cover....bullshit! I have found some good stuff here....good mix of genres. One of the only places that advertises buying CDs and DVDs from them, copying them, and bringing them back for like 80% return. This is kind of odd except that I saw a lot of cool boot live DVDs...Dwarves, Misfits, etc.

You did a really nice job with this but I figured I'd do my own version of these and add a few more.

Amoeba Hollywood

6400 West Sunset Boulevard

Los Angeles, CA 90028

Refresh rate is very fast here with tons of new vinyl coming in all the time. Unfortunately they also know their stuff and pricing can run pretty steep on anything really worthwhile, but the flip-side to that is you can usually sell vinyl to them and get a pretty fair price for it compared to the other record stores around Los Angeles. No vinyl listening stations. Best purchase - The Sound - JEOPARDY for $35

Rockaway Records

2395 Glendale Blvd

Los Angeles, CA 90039

They mostly focus on classic rock but they do get in a good selection of punk/new wave stuff and tend to only buy vinyl that is in very nice condition. They also have a very nice stock of cheap vinyl (usually $3.99) which can occasionally have some surprisingly nice titles that they deemed unworthy. No listening stations. Best purchase - Television - ST signed by band for $40

Atomic Records

3812 West Magnolia Boulevard

Burbank, CA 91505

They seem to mostly focus on used vinyl and have a nice wall of obscure stuff and seem to get a lot of records in weekly. They tend to be a little pricey on the popular titles (T. Rex - The Slider for $24.99) but they have a very nice selection of albums from the 1970s and soundtracks. No listening stations. Best purchase - Big Star - #1 RECORD (White Label Promo) for $35 or sealed John Cale - FEAR for $9

Freakbeat Records

13616 Ventura Boulevard

Sherman Oaks, CA 91423-3700

Pricey records and cheap buyers. They mostly focus on classic rock but I never seem to find anything I want there. They have two listening stations. Best purchase - Roky Erickson - THE HOLIDAY INN TAPES for $15

Record Surplus

11609 West Pico Boulevard

Los Angeles, CA 90064-2908

They save all their best stock for their quarterly sales and don't have a new arrival section. They mostly focus on classic rock but don't usually have any of the really select titles that people are actually looking to buy. They have two listening stations. Best purchase - Sealed copy of Nina Nastasia - ROAD TO RUIN for $11.

Origami Vinyl

1816 W Sunset Blvd

Los Angeles, CA 90026

They mostly handle new vinyl but have a small selection of recent arrivals that sometimes get worthwhile new indie records. Prices on new vinyl tend to be a couple dollars more than Amoeba (or online) but help is very friendly and they have some out of print titles sprinkled into their collection. They also have a section for local bands which is very useful. No listening station but if you ask they will probably spin a used record you are curious about. Best purchase - My first stop on record store day and I found the Pavement - Quarantine the Past RSD vinyl.

Vacation Vinyl

3815 W Sunset Blvd

Los Angeles, CA 90026

They also mostly handle new vinyl but their used selection is always worth a browse. They often get used limited pressings and have first dibs at limited metal records. If you are looking for a rare Melvins or Boris album, you should probably check Vacation Vinyl. One listening station. Best Purchase - No Age - WEIRDO RIPPERS (Handmade Vinyl Edition) for $25.

Records LA

5654 West Adams

Los Angeles, CA 90016

A weird record store that is only open Thurs-Sun but has an amazing selection of used soul, funk and hip hop. The owner is weird but incredibly sharp when it comes to soul and funk, he specializes in 45s and you will find many boxes of them that are unsorted and unpriced. Happy hunting. Bring cash because they don't take card. One listening station. Best purchase - Jerry Washington - RIGHT HERE IS WHERE YOU BELONG for $40 or Exuma - ST for $30.

Wombleton Records

5123 York Blvd.

Los Angeles, CA 90042

Great curated selection of records that mostly focus on 80s and 90s new wave/punk. Records can be on the scratchy side and they are probably getting more picked over each day but this is a place to go if you are interested in finding Jesus & Mary Chain singles or Wedding Present albums. No listening station but the dude seemed like he would be down to spin a record for you over the store speaker. Best purchase - Nikki Sudden & The Jacobites - The Ragged School for $15

CD Trader

18926 Ventura Boulevard

CA 91356-3212

Sure they mostly specialize in CDs and DVDs but they also have a decent selection of used vinyl. However, I usually find that the only place I need to look is the New Arrivals section, anything worthwhile usually won't make it out of there. No listening station. Best purchase - Modest Mouse - THE MOON AND ANTARCTICA (original pressing) for $30.

Record Outlet

1489 E Thousand Oaks Blvd # 1

Thousand Oaks, CA 91362-6206

Overstocked with disposable classic rock but occasionally worth checking out because the owner seems to never price anything above $10 and that can lead to some great deals. Two listening stations (both shitty). Best purchase - too many to name... I guess I'll go with Joy Division - UNKNOWN PLEASURES (first edition, UK Press) for $10.

Grady's Record Refuge

2546 E Main St

Ventura, CA 93003

Mostly classic rock (formerly co-owned by Record Outlet owner) but very reasonably priced with a nice oddities section and some discounted new vinyl. Very clean layout for this type of store. Two listening stations. Best purchase - Bob Dylan - SELF PORTRAIT for $8.

American Pie Records

1412 Tower Sq # 2

San Buenaventura (Ventura), CA 93003-5130

Layout is a fucking headache and the owner is an old school asshole who is likely to lay out his political beliefs and sexual practices while you are browsing his stash. The stash is pretty undeniable though, it's set up in a huge storage unit and he has many rare pressings (a copy of VU & NICO that isn't supposed to exist) and I'm sure you could go in there with a fat wallet and leave with plenty of good records that you haven't been able to find elsewhere. His records are not the cleanest and his record jackets can sometimes be too worn to be worth the price he is charging but you will find something there if you are interested in records made before 1980. If you are interested in newer records (New Wave/Punk/Alt), don't bother because the owner hates that shit and will tell you about it. No listening station but owner will play your record (as long as it's not punk). Best purchase - Velvet Underground - LOADED for $30.

Salzer's Records

5777 Valentine Road,

San Buenaventura (Ventura)

They mostly carry CDs and new vinyl. The used vinyl that they do have is usually very shitty, thrift store-type crap and classic rock standards. They are also priced too high. Best bargains can be found in the new vinyl section where they have many sealed records for 50% off retail price. They also have good sales a few times a year and you might be able to find some decent deals then. No listening station. Best purchase - The Dø - A MOUTHFUL (sealed) for $6.

Thanks for posting this, there's some stores on here I haven't checked out yet

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Took a recent trip to Fullerton to see The Growlers play the Slide Bar. I visited two record stores:

Burger Records

645 S State College Blvd

Fullerton, California 92831

I was only able to spend about an hour browsing this store before my friends grew restless and I was pulled away but I will say that this place is essential if you are looking for obscure indie bands from the 80s & 90s. They tend to price accordingly but some of their non-indie stuff is priced very reasonably (my friend got an early pressing (stereo) Bob Dylan - Highway 61 Revisited for 10). They have a listening station and a bathroom that you can use if you ask nicely enough. Might pose a problem if you are seriously allergic to cats though, because a fat pussy has the run of the store. Best purchase - The Cavemen - ...Yeah for $12.

Black Hole

108 North Harbor Boulevard,

Fullerton, CA 92832-1813

A weird record store that focuses its selection completely on punk, alternative and especially brit-pop. A huge selection of Oasis and Smiths stuff, including an Oasis singles box and stuff signed by Morrissey hanging on the walls. I'm sure there are some pleasures hidden in these shelves but I didn't get a chance to really delve deep into their limited stock because I got there right before they closed. I didn't see a listening station or a bathroom but this place seems to warrant another visit next time I find myself in thee oh see. I didn't buy anything.

Rhino Records

235 Yale Ave

Claremont, CA 91711-4725

A good mixture of new and used with a heavy dosage of industrial/dark wave stuff from the 80s. They have two listening stations but refuse to let you listen to anything used that's priced higher than $24.99 (which I found really annoying because there was a Brian Eno used bootleg that I wanted to hear). They seem to have a good number of OOP new releases mixed in with everything else. Best purchase: Al Green Gets Next To You OG press in shrink for $9.99.

I added these entries to my Greater Los Angeles area posting above on this page.

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  • 1 month later...

theres a new one in st.louis.

Apop Records.

2831 Cherokee St

Saint Louis Mo

63118 USA

314-664-6575

[image]

it's only been open about a year now. and i still have yet to check it out.

but i will soon.

they carry lots of local artists, and it seems its mostly vinyl in there.

they also have their own label, releasing lots of vulgar electronica, noise, grind, etc.

sounds like a helluva place.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Madison WI:

Strictly Discs

1900 Monroe St

Whole basement of Vinyl. Door in back left corner. Check it.

Chicago IL:

Record Breakers

Upstairs at Reggies

2109 South State

Chicago IL

Mostly new records, big selection of Punk/Hardcore in stock

2nd Hand Tunes

800 Dempster St

Evanston IL

Used and new records, tons of 7's. Cool place.

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Good Records

http://www.goodrecords.com/

1808 Lower Greenville Ave.

Dallas, TX 75206

(214)752-4663

Physical Store Hours:

Monday - Thursday: 10am - 11pm

Friday - Saturday: 10am - 12am

Sunday: 11am - 9pm

used/new records, cds, 7 inchs, LPs, dvds, magazines. Live performances now and then as well. This place always puts a dent in my pocket but its totally worth it. Its in the Greenville area

Bills Records( Downtown Dallas)

1317 south Lamar Dallas TX75215 2144211500

very few new records, TONNNNNNS of old LPS and 7inchs tonnnnnnnsss. You could certainly get lost. Lots of stuff wont leave empty handed.

http://www.billsrecords.com/

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I-10 @ 1-49

At the crossroads... here in Cajun Country.

Record Store Day

Vinylville, LA 70507

Vinyl Records

♫· BOOTH 500A ·♫

Lafayette Jockey Lot Flea Market

3011 NW Evangeline Thrwy (I-49)

Lafayette, Louisiana 70507

http://vinylville.webs.com/

The Flea Market is next to the Hub City Ford dealership on the West Frontage Rd along I-49

just a bit North of Interstate 10.

Cajun Country has many events. Here in Lafayette,

Festival Internationale is a free event in the Downtown CBD area.

http://www.festivalinternational.com/site.php

Well worth the trip! Great food, great music, women in honky tonks that drag you onto a dance floor. It is like going to heaven with a Cajun accent on a daily basis down here. It doesn't snow.

Well once every decade or so we get an inch or so of frozen dew.

SAT · SUN ~ 8 · 5

Blues · Cajun · Rock · Jazz · Psych · Zydeco

IN THE NEWS:

http://www.2theadvocate.com/news/latest/vinyl-popularity-spinning-up.html

Two Dat.

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  • 2 weeks later...
I-10 @ 1-49

At the crossroads... here in Cajun Country.

Vinylville, LA 70507

♫· BOOTH 500A ·♫

Lafayette Jockey Lot Flea Market

3011 NW Evangeline Thrwy (I-49)

Lafayette, Louisiana 70507

http://vinylville.webs.com/

West Frontage Rd along I-49 just a bit North of Interstate 10

SAT · SUN ~ 8 · 5

Blues · Cajun · Rock · Jazz · Psych · Zydeco

IN THE NEWS:

http://www.2theadvocate.com/news/latest/vinyl-popularity-spinning-up.html

Vinylville is now a dealer of factory sealed old store stock.

Artists such as Dr John, Meters, Clifton Chenier, Boisec Ardoin, Kid Thomas, Bob Marley, Black Sabbath, more...

New & Gently Used Vinyl LPs

The value is in the grooves.

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  • 3 weeks later...

Located in different parts of North America, but these are two of the best record stores I've ever seen. Do yourself a favor and spend a few hours in both if you're anywhere close to them.

Minneapolis, MN

Treehouse Records

http://treehouserecords.blogspot.com

2557 South Lyndale Avenue

Minneapolis, MN 55405

(612) 872-7400‎

"Treehouse Records is the current incarnation of a series of storied record stores at the corner of 26th and Lyndale in south Minneapolis. After becoming Oar Folkjokeopus in 1972 it quickly emerged as the epicenter for the burgeoning 70s and 80s Twin Cities punk scene. Renamed Treehouse in 2001 after the Oar Folk manager took over the business, the store remains a staple of the Twin Cities underground/independent music community and the best source for vinyl in the state."

Small, but incredibly good stock. The staff clearly knows how to select the right records. Especially great for garage rock/punk LPs and 7"'s. Stock is split about 50/50 between new and used vinyl.

I'm new around here, but I'm pretty surprised to see no mention of Toronto's shops in here so far, so here's my best stab at it:

Rotate This

801 Queen West

First place I bought a record in Toronto way back before I moved here, and still my go-to shop. Mostly new stuff, but with a healthy selection of used as well, and a decent selection of higher end collectibles. When it comes to new albums, you'll find a great selection of the entire spectrum of pop music here. Anything from pre-war blues and Americana, to obscure foreign garage rock collections, to the whole scheme of punk rock and all the new indie hits. A fairly scant selection of 7"s is the only drawback. I would say that this is the place to go if you can only hit one shop in the city, but as you'll find out below, that probably won't be an issue.

Much like Treehouse, but it's larger and they have more titles. Soul, blues, indie rock all great categories in the store, but maybe the best selection of experimental/garage LPs I've ever seen in a store.

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Here's a list of the main shops in Sacramento, CA. As far as I know, they haven't been mentioned:

Phono Select

2312 K St

Sacramento, CA 95816

(916) 400-3164

www.phonoselect.com

Esoteric Records

3413 El Camino Avenue

Sacramento, CA 95821-6309

(916) 488-8966

The Beat

1700 J St

Sacramento, CA 95811-3008

(916) 446-4402

Dimple Records

2500 16th St

Sacramento, CA 95618

(916) 441-2500

If you're in or around Sacramento, go to Phono Select for sure. Great place!

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