Amoeba Records

Discussion in 'Music, Movie and Hardware Store Guide' started by varyat, Dec 25, 2014.

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  1. varyat

    varyat Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    wheaton,IL,USA
    Merry Christmas to all of you. My family has given me the ultimate gift-a trip to Ameoba for a day of serious shopping! I am based in Chicago and we have a few great shops, but Ameoba has always been a dream . Now the question to all of you- which one of the Ameoba locations is preferred for vinyl only ?
    Pros and cons for each location are much appreciated!
    Thanks in advance,
    Mark
     
    Licorice pizza likes this.
  2. Maybe LA?

    SF is good for new vinyl but just ok for used . But if you go to SF you can go to both Amoebas in SF and Berkeley and then go to Rasputin in Berkeky too which has great used LPs and is on the same block.
     
  3. Licorice pizza

    Licorice pizza Livin’ On The Fault Line

    San Francisco has a huge store! Berkeley is...meh...ok, but I prefer going up a block to Rasputin's, better selection.
     
    greelywinger and OldSoul like this.
  4. Uncle_Meat

    Uncle_Meat Forum Resident

    Location:
    Plymouth, UK
    San Francisco is better for CD than vinyl. You do have the option of Rasputin on Haight and in the city centre too.
     
    wavethatflag likes this.
  5. Ras
    Rasputin on Haight is not very good. But if you to to SF you have all those great options. The LA Amoeba is the largest.
     
    wavethatflag likes this.
  6. OldSoul

    OldSoul Don't you hear the wind blowin'?

    Location:
    NYC
    The Rasputin downtown is also crap for vinyl. Really, the only good one is Berkeley.


    It's funny, I never realized how much Amoeba in SF is a tourist destination until about 3 or 4 months ago. I had a long free period at school, so decided to make the trip (not even considering the fact that it was morning) and got there about 15 minutes before opening just to find people outside checking over lists. Haha Guess it's a privilege to be able to just randomly make a day of it.
     
    Robin L likes this.
  7. Jayson Wall

    Jayson Wall Forum Resident

    Location:
    Los Angeles, CA
    Amoeba in SF is great for used CD''s and not bad for vinyl, Berkeley is OK, but I still find the LA store to be the best of the 3 if I had to pick. I have walked out of both SF and Berkeley stores without buying a thing many times, but it never happens in Los Angeles.....and in LA we have Atomic Records and Record Surplus with are worth a visit.
     
    Mazzy, Robin L and davers like this.
  8. nancybrooke

    nancybrooke Not quite Senior Member

    Location:
    Seattle, WA, USA
    I've been to Amoeba SF several times and Amoeba LA twice; the last time in SF (September) the vinyl selection seemed kind of underwhelming compared to previous trips - but then, I'm always looking for odd stuff, so your mileage may vary. LA, on the other hand, I had great luck back in February and found loads of stuff on my want list (I'd budget maybe a couple of days for shopping because it can get a little overwhelming, especially on first visit).

    Parking tip if you're arriving by car: the SF store validates for the Kezar lot down the street on Stanyan and it being San Francisco parking is a real pain, otherwise. The Hollywood store has a couple of free lots (the garage under the store is handy), and validates at the Arclite garage next door I think. There are no public restrooms in either store (can you imagine what a nightmare that would be for the staff?).
     
  9. Pavol Stromcek

    Pavol Stromcek Senior Member

    Location:
    SF Bay Area
    As Mazzy said above, the upshot of going to Amoeba in SF is that you could then hop across the bay to Berkeley and go to Amoeba's flagship store on Telegraph Ave. Between the two stores you'd probably get to flip through a good selection of vinyl.

    Rasputin's on Telegraph is also definitely worth a trip, although I don't find nearly as much of what I'm looking for there as in Amoeba, not to mention, I find Rasputin's LPs to be overpriced and it seems that any LPs under $10 are unplayably scratched or scuffed. Rasputin's on Haight St is worth it if you have 10-15 minutes to spare, but the selection is small, and Recycled Records, several blocks east on Haight, might be worth a trip, too. (But avoid Rasputin's on Powell in downtown SF at all costs!)

    But back to Amoeba - I've only been to the LA store a couple of times, but each time I walked out of there with something. I was at the SF store just last week and their vinyl racks were looking pretty robust.

    The thing to remember about all Amoebas is that your experience may differ every week. Some days you might walk out empty handed, but others you might make a serious score. It's kind of luck of the draw, really. So, don't set expectations too high, and make sure to have a good time in whichever city you end up visiting.
     
  10. Alan1074

    Alan1074 Forum Resident

    Location:
    UK
    I've only been to the one in LA on holiday, but I spent 5 hours there and spent several hundred dollars. I remember it had a pretty wide selection of both CD and vinyl.
     
  11. nancybrooke

    nancybrooke Not quite Senior Member

    Location:
    Seattle, WA, USA
    Also, would you be going in the winter? SF will probably be foggy and gray but not freezing, LA on the other hand will be warm and have that bright light that makes everything look wonderful (or maybe it's just the extra jolt of vitamin D that is such a relief after a Northwest winter).
     
  12. varyat

    varyat Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    wheaton,IL,USA
    These suggestions are great! Please keep them coming as I need to make my decision tonight...
     
  13. WalterDigsTunes

    WalterDigsTunes Forum Resident

    You get more bang for your buck at Berkeley. The other two are in high-rent towns and have a big staff, so the cost is passed on to the consumer.
     
    Licorice pizza likes this.
  14. reg slade

    reg slade Forum Resident

    LA!, you need that overwhelming experience when you walk thru the doors and take in the enormity of it all...
    go to canter's for a nice lunch round 11, get a cookie or 2 to sustain you later during the shopping excursion...do a complete "void" (i.e. pee, etc) as there are no bathrooms at amoeba (although the arc light next door provides a nice relief stop;) If someone is with you, have them get lost for at least minium 3-4 hours! you'll need this time all to yourself, afterwards i suggest an astonishing massage at Thai Classic on Vine about 5 minutes away (no "hanky panky", it's cheap and just the thing after a day of power record shopping!) this sounds like something out of Ladies Magazine, huh? :)
     
    dlemaudit, pdenny and zphage like this.
  15. thesisinbold

    thesisinbold Forum Resident

    Location:
    Camarillo, Ca, USA
    If you're looking for a specific record (or records), stay home and go on eBay. If you want an experience, head to LA. There are record stores, and then there are experiences.

    If you need to pee, go across the street to Jack n the box.
     
    Mal likes this.
  16. TeacFan

    TeacFan Forum Resident In Memoriam

    Location:
    Arcadia, Ca.
  17. Moth

    Moth fluttering by

    Location:
    UCI
    The LA store is an incredible place. If you can only do one, that's the one you want. By the way, on my recent trips to LA, my friends have been able to use their restroom.
     
    Robin L likes this.
  18. Robin L

    Robin L Musical Omnivore

    Location:
    Fresno, California
    Note that the Haight Rasputin's is smallish and 'meh', the Downtown Rasputin's being something of a hellhole.

    Used to practically live at Berkeley's Amoeba, ain't what it used to be. LA Amoeba is awesome, San Francisco is close behind. If you go to San Luis Obisbo, Between LA and San Francisco, Boo-Boo Records is good for LPs.
     
    Hey Vinyl Man likes this.
  19. nancybrooke

    nancybrooke Not quite Senior Member

    Location:
    Seattle, WA, USA
    I read that the Jack in the Box lot may become a hotel:

    http://la.curbed.com/archives/2014/...wood_jack_in_the_box_might_become_a_hotel.php

    Groundwork Coffee across the street from Jack's on Cahuenga is a good place to decompress and go over your purchases, or take a break.
     
    WalterDigsTunes likes this.
  20. If you are visiting SF don't rent a car. It's a pain. Taxi or Uber X.
     
  21. wavethatflag

    wavethatflag God is love, but get it in writing.

    Location:
    SF Bay Area
    Yes, you want to go to the Rasputin on 69 Powell in the city, or you want to go to the Rasputin in Berkeley. Those rank No. 1 and 2, former and then the latter. But, Rasputin in Berkeley is almost on par with the one in the city, I think. I haven't been to the Berkeley store in a while.
     
  22. TeacFan

    TeacFan Forum Resident In Memoriam

    Location:
    Arcadia, Ca.
    That Jack needs to go or at least a major refurbishment.
     
    jconsolmagno likes this.
  23. But the downtown one is a dive.
     
  24. WalterDigsTunes

    WalterDigsTunes Forum Resident

    For me, the charming Peruvian place around the corner from Amoeba is always a highlight of my Hollywood trips.
     
  25. Chris C

    Chris C Music was my first love and it will be my last!

    Location:
    Ohio
    If it's vinyl that you want to make your jaw drop (and believe me, this is coming from a huge fan of all three AMEOBA stores), go to "Jerry's Records" in Pittsburgh! It's like a WalMart size store, with more than enough vinyl, in every genre, to keep ANY fan of vinyl happy for an entire day!

    I actually like AMEOBA, much more for CD's, than for vinyl, especially since I'm more of a 45 collector.
     
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