Favorite Record Shoppes

My serious vinyl-buying began when I was in high school in the mid-70's. Much of my early collection came from a local record shop called Clan Records (never got used to that name!) in the sleepy suburb of Alhambra. Also, a buddy turned me onto a guy who took record orders from a small closet inside a local pool hall.

During my college days, there was a great store in Westwood Village (wish I could recall the name) that I'd drop by daily after classes; it specialized in classical music IIRC but also had a very decent pop/rock selection (I occasionally kick myself for passing up on that live Yardbirds set issued by Epic). There was also a place in Westwood Village called Disc-Connection that was owned by a couple of hippies. The place was small with terrible lighting, and patchouli or some other incense seemed to be always buring, but I'd rarely leave the place empty-handed. And, in Hollywood, there was a place called Peach's Records.

 

Wallich's Music City, where you could listen to a record in those little booths before you bought it. Many locations in CA, I used to ride my bike to the one in Lakewood.

Wenzel's Music Town in Downey.

Mr. C's Rare Records on Glassel in Orange. (Right where that Tom Hanks movie was filmed.)

Some place on Olympic around Bundy in Santa Monica had a huge selection of used records. Can't remember the name of it.

 

It's been mentioned here often, but I've been buying music from Andy of Record Connection in Ephrata, PA since around 1982, back when all he had was a stand in the downstairs Flea Market of Park City in Lancaster. More than twenty years later, and more than a decade since he officially opened the store, and he's still here, miraculously apparently thriving in an era where pretty much all of my other old record haunts from fifteen or so years ago have long since fallen. I even made a trip out there today, found some used Iggy and Hendrix.

It's a sad state of affairs when another Forum member, in another topic, asks about good places to find used vinyl and 45's in the area, besides Record Connection, and damned if I can come up with any. They used to be plentiful, but have pretty much all fallen to the age of Best Buy and Target. Long may Andy run.

If you're visiting south central Pennsylvania, ie, Lancaster, Harrisburg, Hershey, Reading, you owe it to yourself to plan a trip to Record Connection. It's truly one of the last of a dying breed of great independent "mom and pop" record stores.

 

Around the Washington DC area, from the 60s thru the mid 80s, there was a department store called "Korvettes". They had a rectangular sticker with SKU and DEPT #. There was a price code A, B. C. D. E. F, G< etc. Everyweek, the label on SALE would change. One week Capitol, the next week WEA, the next MCA, and then RCA. I would speculate that 3 out of 4 LPs sold in the DC area came from Korvettes. Just yesterday I bought Emmylou Harris' " Blue Kentucky Girl" ($3) in shrink with intact Korvettes sticker. It sure sent me back 30 years.

 

Bill, you may not know that Wenzel's closed up for good about 2 years ago. They were the BEST place in town for oldies and 45's. Good people too. I suspect they either couldn't make a go of it anymore or retired.

 

In the golden day's of NYC record shops...

Sounds
It's Only Rock And Roll
Revolver Records
Second Coming Records
Bleeker Bobs
Smash Records

Crazy Collecting Vinyl Day's!

 

I fondly remember Korvettes also! Wow! What a memory rush! Thanks...

 

I know it's mostly a CD store, but I was blown away by Amoeba in Haight Ashbury - it was like the Costco of CD stores. You could spend hours in the used section alone...

 

I think they just got tired of it and retired. I happened to drop in there one day when they had it up for sale and Mrs. Wenzel told me how she was looking forward to taking it easy. It was a neat place.

 

How is their Cee Dee section? If I ever make it to SF I'd like to check them out!

 

Re Amoeba/Haight

Gi-frickin'-gantic. Football-field-and-a-half size. And that's not even counting Jazz/Classical room. I budget at least half a day for it when I'm in the Bay Area.

 

Re: Re Amoeba/Haight

It's on my official places to visit "wish list"...Cali seems so far away...

 

I've been to the Berkeley and Hollywood Amoebas. Amazing. Enough to make you wish you lived there.

 

Montreal

There's a store in Montreal that sells used vinyl. It is the size of half a gymnasium but the records aren't in any kind of order. You need to spend lots of time there if you're looking for something. It's gigantic. The good thing is that it's right near a Metro (subway), so if you don't wanna drive, hop on a train and you're there in minutes.

 

Those indie stores used to be so plentiful that I can't remember their names anymore. Some were great though....

Bleecker Bob's in Manhattan got a mention - they were great and had EVERYTHING. I thought they were still there, but I haven't checked since the 80's, so I'm not surprised.

A few miles north of there - a shop existed on Park Avenue South (across from Union Square, 1 block south of Max's Kansas City) that specialized in all things new wave. I bought Costello's El Mocambo and "Help us Hype Elvis" lp's there. I should have picked up that Joe "King" Carasco (sp?) and the Crowns promo 78 rpm disc when I saw it there....

In Queens - on Jamaica Avenue, there was a shop run by a bunch of hippies (late 60's/early 70's) that stocked all the imports. They burned lots of incense. Since it was a high crime area, they only stocked the empty lp covers in the racks, the lp's and inner sleeves were stored in a back room. I guess it was bad for collectors, BUT: they would never sell a bad pressing, as they checked the lp in front of you. Some records I bought there still have a very light scent of strawberry..

Zig Zag records in the 80's, Avenue U in Brooklyn. This store could have been the model for the shop in "High Fidelity". The owners were always discussing and playing music ("the best version of Space Oddity is on the Ziggy Soundtrack", "no one can get a copy of "The Relay" single"), but if you did manage to purchase something the owners "approved" of, they would pile in all manner of freebies in the bag. I got Blondies first "indie" lp and Elvis Costello's green vinyl "Green Shirt" 12 incher for free, just beacuse I purchased a Malcolm McClarren album there.

About 6 blocks west of there, another indie store that specialized in R n' B was equally unique. Thay had such goodies as sealed 60's soul lps (picked up "Otis Live in Europe" there) all stickered, and being sold for, the 60's prices (lp's $4.99, $5.99). They also had all if the latest lp's, singles, and 12 inchers from the early days of scratch and rap. Picked up "White Lines" 12 incher there, when no other shop knew what the heel the record was.

C'est La Vie.

 

there is store in cuyahoga falls, ohio called "time traveler".

they carry everything. mostly new cd's, but also a very nice used selection.

if i really need to find something, that is where i go.

renny

 

I remember that store (but not the name). That was the first time I ever saw bootlegs. I would take the bus from Little Neck, get there at the posted opening time (11 or 12) and they would still be closed. About 45 mins later, some bleary eyed guy with 5 o'clock shadow would walk up and unlock the place.

My college favorite store was Cheap Thrills in New Brunswick, NJ. I would hit the store every Wednesday since I never scheduled classes on that day They always had a lot of great used stuff. Does anyone know if they're still around?

My current fave is Sound Exchange in Tampa. I've been frequenting the store since they opened in their first location 15 or so years ago. Great selection of used LPs and CDs. The salespeople are incredibly knowledgeable about music and Ron, the owner, really keeps it together.

 

Amoeba in San Francisco is my current favorite among local record stores. If I had to name an all time favorite, it would have to be Leopold Records in Berkeley. Located about a block from the UC Berkeley campus this store was "THE PLACE" to find just about any kind of music you were looking for. Unfortunately in the late 80's the original owners sold the store and the name to Wherehouse Entertainment, who for a while maintained a hands off policy with Leopold and let them do their thing. But as time went on that changed and when Wherehouse first filed for bankruptcy protection, Leopold's ended up being one of the stores they closed in 1996. The vibe and spirit of Leopold's lives on with Amoeba since it was started up by former employees of the Berkeley store.

 

I remember Leopold Records. FANTASTIC place. Couldn't find it last time I was in Berkeley (obviously it closed in 96). Rasputin was still there.

 

I used to go to Cheap Thrills when I was at Rutgers Univ early 80's. I got my mono import White album there for about $18. I wish I had gone there more often. I don't know if they are still there. One day, I'll have to take a ride out and check.

 

Records Surplus on Pico Blvd., perhaps?

 

My favorites in the Detroit environs used to be Encore Records in Ann Arbor (formerly Liberty Music), Car City Records on Harper in St. Clair Shores, Solo Records in Birmingham (now in Royal Oak, I think, in a larger location), and Melodies & Memories in Eastpointe on Gratiot Ave. They were all large enough to have fair selections and worth a trip to visit. All four are most likely still around. Sam's Jams was a great place while it lasted...some of my 12" promos still have their familiar price sticker on them. I think there is a place in Ann Arbor called PJ's...? Haven't found that one yet.

There were a few used vinyl shops on the west side out here where I'm at now, but they paled in comparison to the others I mentioned.

 

East Coast:

Vintage Vinyl in Fords, NJ for CDs and occasional vinyl
Princeton Record Exchange in for vinyl and the occasional used CD (I walked out of this place once with 25 records for $27)
Newbury Comics - whenever I am in New England, they'll never let me down.
Plastic Fantastic - Ardmore, PA - Tons of Used LPs upstairs and tons of used CDs, DVDs and VHS downstairs.

West Coast:

Amoeba - Hollywood - I really haven't been to too many other stores out there, but there is NO WAY anything can beat this place. I bought a few things, but could have splurged a bit more if I had room in my suitcase.

Places like these make you want to spend money (things you are on the fence on just look a bit more appealing I guess). I guess that's a sign of a good record store, even if you do leave broke.

BOB

 

That's the one! Is it still there? I haven't been around there in years.

 

Last September on my last day in LA, I was on my way to look for Record Surplus, somehow I ended up spending more time in Santa Monica and did not make it. The fact that I already had filled my suitcase with LPs from Amoeba probably had something to do with it. As of last year, Record Surplus was still listed in the yellow pages.