Philadelphia Music Stores

...and the place where Jimac51 and I met a couple of times!

Harry

 

Double Decker is good for some interesting finds. I need to check out this Inner Grooves spot..the record collector is a few miles from prex and worth a look..and if you feel like driving, the record connection in Ephrata near Lancaster is filled with vinyl..

 

Record Connection is better at the record shows than in their store, they wheel and deal at the shows.

Mr Suit in Lancaster is a very nice, well curated vinyl store; Stan's around the corner is a bit of a wreck. Then there are the two "ponk" rawk stores nearby, one very pricey, the other selling broken junk that you wonder if it might be a front.

 

Well, I'm a CD guy, so I don't personally care about their vinyl selection. That being said, I see lots of folks happily shopping for vinyl there, so my guess is that most of their vinyl shoppers would disagree with your analysis.

 

If he likes new the FYE on Broad St has a big selection. Inner Groove always has good stuff & the owner is very knowledgable. Beautiful World has a huge Discogs inventory they are usually better for picking online & then picking the items up in the store. The Haddonfield store is just gouging the market,I wouldn't waste my time. Inner Groove can be accessed by public transportation also so it's more convenient than you think. Good luck

 

Any body familiar with the Record Museum(I assume it has nothing to do with the old record store chain of the same name)?

Record Museum »

 

How are thosw record shows in Lancaster? Been meaning to go to one for ages.

 

You really have to dig to find decent copies. I tend to find tons of titles I would love there but they are trashed.

 

the usual collection of the unbathed unmedicated now with millennials

like anything initially new you should find some decent stuff, but then it turns into the same old same old

Show Flyer/Schedule »

 

So record shows havent changed since I last attended. Good to know..

 

I could say I don't like Whole Foods for whatever reason and you could have the same response--their shoppers must disagree! And you don't know how happy they are shopping for vinyl there. I could go in there and look like I'm browsing around all contently and walk out without buying anything. Whatever, we don't need to nit-pick over this. I've been to dozens of record shops in the last 5 years and I don't think I'd list PREX in my top 10 at this point, especially for one to take the hour-long trek from Philly where there are plenty of closer options. YMMV.

Hey, there are always people who will buy stuff that others won't. Maybe I'm picky now that I've developed a larger collection. All I'm saying is that according to my interests, PREX is not the be-all-end-all that some people would have you believe. I have a friend who works in the Princeton area and sometimes stops by PREX during his lunch hour. He says the same thing I do--their vinyl stock is overpriced for the conditions and picked-over. We have similar tastes so maybe it's really a taste/interests thing.

 

You're entitled to your opinion, but I think you'll find that you're opinion is in the minority on this forum.

I'm a CD buyer/collector and have been to many stores in New Jersey and Philly area and the PREX is by far the best in terms of selection/price and turnover.

You've mentioned twice about their stock being picked over. Well, how exactly do you measure that? The store has a high turnover of inventory and a lot of customers.

I think that's generally a good thing and preferable to a store that has a slow turnover of inventory and has few customers. When a store finds itself in that situation, it usually means that the end is near.

Thankfully, PREX seems to be quite healthy.

 

Princeton Record Exchange...hand down.

 

Guess I'll have to check it out again soon then. Still doesn't rank in the top 10 around here for me.

 

If you can look yourself in the mirror and honestly say "I am not am a$$@@@@" then you have got to go here. Otherwise, visit any of the wannabe record stores that everyone else is listing. Good luck. (You ain't never gonna see a place like this) (if you go, online research beforehand is recommended)

 

Timely post ! I will be there in 3 weeks to visit my wife`s family. Some places mentioned I never knew about. Hitting Princeton R.E .on the way of course !

 

I guess it depends on your focus. I never have trouble finding stuff I want at PREX, but I'm bouncing across both CDs and vinyl, multiple genres. The new arrivals bins aren't stagnant for very long. I've even gotten some cool audiobooks for cheap.

 

yup, you gotta know your **** to hang with Val, but once vetted he's cool

I saw the little vinyl shop in Frenchtown shut down.

 

Frenchtown had a vinyl shop?

 

yeah, hidden next to the big white tavern across from the gas station

he started strong and then was open less and less

and in the classic tradition of record shops he wasn't the best at interpersonal skills

 

Wow, never knew - I would have checked it out. I pass through town quite often while biking.

 

the Golden Nugget down Lambertville way is worth checking out

 

I will have to check it out. It's a flea market, right?

 

Before I retired I bought a lot of vinyl at Siren in Doylestown. I only visited the Frenchtown store once but he had the smallest selection of records I've ever seen in a record store so I never went back.

 

Enjoy the Philly mood