Notting Hill (UK) CD/vinyl secondhand shops?

I've been told by a reliable source that there are some good CD/vinyl shops in the Notting Hill area of London. Any of you UK or globetrotting folks who can confirm this and offer some recommendations? I've been to Beanos and liked it very much, but I'd like to go exploring a little closer to central London this time.

All help greatly appreciated!

 

Hi Gardo,

The shops that you have been told about are probably the various branches of Music and Video Exchange that are situated mainly along the main road that runs through Notting Hill Gate (Bayswater Road). There are several shops, each devoted to a genre - one for classical, one for films/shows etc. The main branch used to be (still is?) on three levels, the main shop floor for general rock and pop, the basement for cheap stuff and the upper floor for rarities.
I must say I don't tend to visit much these days as a) I live out of town now and b)their prices and selection are far worse than a few years ago. Some points you might like to note:

1.They have a historically curious pricing policy where everything starts off top dollar and is reduced every two weeks or so.

2.Beware if you are buying vinyl, as their price stickers are incredibly difficult to remove unless using a solvent, and invariably leave marks.

3.They often have an annoying tendency to play in store music which might be an acquired taste (eg Captain Beefheart's 'Trout Mask Replica', the first Suicide album)

4. The staff are unfortunately often offhand, surly, rude or a combination of all three - not helped by the long hours and strict conditions they work under.

If you are in a position to walk along Portobello Road (should be signposted near the Underground station), there are some shops which may be of interest - Intoxica is one, plus there is a curious split shop in on of the side streets (Minus Zero is one of the traders), but I believe they are only open in the later part of the week, plus if you are there on a Saturday there are sometimes stalls selling vinyl and CDs in the market area further up Portobello Road near the Westway flyover.

If you get into the centre of town, try and check out Berwick Street and Rupert Street in Soho, which have a host of shops including Reckless Records and Selectadisc (the latter is new only, but has a good stock of vinyl).
Camden Town is also worth a visit - also has a Music and Video Exchange and Reckless Records, plus again on Saturdays several small markets with various stalls (vinyl and CD), also if you are there on the first Saturday in the month the Electric Ballroom(Camden High Street) hosts a Music Fair.

Sorry if I've rambled on a bit, but I hope that this is some help to you.

Mind you, if you had asked this question 15 years ago, I could have gone on for several more pages, but alas, many shops have since bitten the dust.

Best wishes,

Bluebird.

 

I'd also recommend Camden on Saturday. Just wonderful. And some of the shops in Soho are nice too. I believe I was in Reckless when I was there but I can't recall. There were sooooooooo many!

mud-

 

Many thanks, Mud and Bluebird, and especially to Bluebird for that wonderfully comprehensive reply. Welcome to the forum!

When I checked out Camden a couple of weeks ago, I found only one vendor (CD). Got a nice SMILE, but still ... was I looking in the right place? Tube to Camden Town and then right to the market, right?

Might take the students to Beanos instead, though their CD collection isn't as inspiring as I would have hoped. Vinyl, yes, but not all my students are into vinyl.

What would you do with eight students on a Saturday morning that related to popular music?

Cheers, and thanks again.

 

...across the canal bridge, first shop on the right, in the rear of the area?

I asked the guy if he had more cds. He took me out to his truck. BONANZA! I just wish I had more cash as that's what he wanted.

mud-

 

Nope, I went to the large open-air market, and I don't remember crossing the bridge. The vendor I found was in the back of the market, though. Might have been the same guy. Very friendly, and was playing Frank Sinatra over the boom box so I knew he was quality through and through.

 

Glad to be of assistance, Gardo!

With regard to Camden, you're correct to turn right from the Underground station - the thing with Camden though is that there are a few markets of varying size in the locale. The one on the main road just past the Electric Ballroom is what used to be known as Camden Antique Market, and used to have five or so vinyl/CD stalls, but is now mainly given over to clothes.
Opposite is Inverness Street market - largely fruit and veg., but sometimes there are stalls of interest there. This street is also host to (I believe) two collector's shops (as a side note, the pub at the end on the corner, The Good Mixer, was a famed hangout for Britpop style bands - Blur used it as their local in their early days).
If you carry on along Camden High Street for a few hundred yards, you'll pass Rhythm Records on the left, just before you cross the canal bridge mentioned by Mudbone. There is another market flanking the canal, known as Camden Lock Market, which usually turns up something.
Camden High Street now becomes Chalk Farm Road, and should you be at all interested just from a historical point of view, a couple of hundred yards further on you'll find the Chalk Farm Roundhouse, one of London's most legendary music venues in the sixties and seventies. I certainly had some great nights there - I fondly remember seeing Cheap Trick play there in 1977 in front of just a couple of hundred people, cost a princely £1.

Camden is an ever-changing area, but hopefully you'll find something of interest.

Good hunting!

Best wishes,

Bluebird.