Sunrise Records to close both Toronto downtown locations

Discussion in 'Music, Movie and Hardware Store Guide' started by eddiel, Sep 12, 2014.

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  1. johnny 99

    johnny 99 Down On Main Street

    Location:
    Toronto
    Yonge & Bloor
    Yonge & Dundas
    Eaton Centre location

    There are 3 from Yonge & Bloor to Yonge & Queen.
    When Sunrise goes in Nov., they will be the only stores of their kind on Yonge St.
     
  2. Squealy

    Squealy Forum Hall Of Fame

    Location:
    Vancouver
    I'm STILL amazed that they're all still open. Believe me, if you think it's bad where you live...
     
  3. Deuce66

    Deuce66 Senior Member

    Location:
    Canada
    I moved to Toronto in 1986, it was record store heaven back then, the sheer number of places you could buy music was staggering.
     
  4. johnny 99

    johnny 99 Down On Main Street

    Location:
    Toronto
    It's all rapidly changing.
    The only store we have left that sells used records in good condition at a fair price is Vortex.
    Other than HMV (which is about all that will be left on Yonge Street) who still sell new CD's, we have a few stores like Soundscapes and Sonic Boom who cater to the hipster crowd and (IMO) aren't worth going into let alone giving any business to. They're snobs.
    The used records I recently saw for sale at Sonic Boom for 9.00 made me feel a bit sick. They weren't worth 2.00 in the shape they were in.
    As Bob sang "Things have changed..."
     
  5. Deuce66

    Deuce66 Senior Member

    Location:
    Canada
    I'm about 2 km away from Vortex so I'm in there at least once a week, the place is beat to hell, too small and becoming a little disorganized with all the CD's they're taking in, I have to wonder how much longer Bert will keep at it. It wasn't too long ago that the Yonge/Eglinton area had maybe 7-8 stores that sold music now down to 1. Sad really.

    Sonic Boom's pricing reflects E-bay, they know what certain pressings are worth and they charge accordingly, I can't blame them for that but when I see a $75 price tag for an original Kyuss Sky Valley pressing or $125 for a Tragically Hip or Sloan vinyl I shake my head and move on, when I return a couple of weeks later they're gone.

    Check out Good Arrivals - http://instagram.com/goodarrivals
     
    Repeter13 and eddiel like this.
  6. eddiel

    eddiel Senior Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    Toronto, Canada
    There's two HMV stores downtown that I know of. One at Yonge and Dundas and another at Yonge and Bloor. They closed the one on Queen St earlier this year.
     
  7. eddiel

    eddiel Senior Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    Toronto, Canada
    There's a decent selection of stores offering good stuff at fair prices than just Vortex IMO.

    Good Music that Deuce66 provided a link too is great. Lincoln runs it who used to manage Vortex. He offers some of the best prices for product in the city. Honest guy and will give you a deal. He's always checking to make sure he's offering fair prices. Easily comparable to Vortex. Actually I'd say it's better than Vortex. My friend and I joke the Vortex is our favourite store that never has anything because whenever we go, they always seem to have just sold a record we're looking for! :)

    Rotate also has fair prices on their used (and new lps). Stock is decent as well.

    June Records, just west of Soundscapes, also has ok prices and stock for used lps. New lp selection isn't bad either and prices are ok IMO.

    Discovery down Queen St E isn't too bad. I've been told the owner can be temperamental but he's always been nice to me. Prices have been fair for the stuff I've been looking for. Stock isn't as good as some other stores though.

    Another place just opened up at Queen & Broadview: http://www.tinyrecordshop.com/
    Apparently this store is part owned by the founder(s) of Paper Bag Records. Only opened Thursday but has been getting decent feedback so far. It's very small though.

    I never found Soundscapes or Sonic Boom to snobby though. At Soundscapes I once asked for an lp of a local group and they called the owner of the store who then called the band (knew them) to see if they had any lps left. The band then popped down later in the week and dropped one off for me. Always had decent service there but I haven't been shopping there for most of this year so maybe things have changed. I've been mainly buying used lps this year.

    My friend has said their stock isn't so good these days and, whereas in the past they would be willing to order something in for him, he's been turned down a few times. Other members on here have said they found issues with their stock as they don't seem to be getting anything in, at least not to the level they used to. Doesn't sound good does it?

    Sonic Boom doesn't have the best prices considering the condition of the lp. But they've got a customer base that keeps coming back. They can't keep records in stock and were having trouble keeping up with demand. But again never encountered snobby behaviour there, at least not by the staff. I do find it offensive that they sell Crosley t/ts though. :)
     
  8. Torontotom

    Torontotom Forum Resident

    Location:
    Canada
    The Sunrise closing sale is well underway. 40% off everything as of now; $10 for all T-shirts.
     
  9. eddiel

    eddiel Senior Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    Toronto, Canada
    I stopped in on Thursday. They still have a lot of stuff left. Nothing caught my eye but some of the prices are quite high so even at 40% off it wasn't always the best price for me.
     
  10. Deuce66

    Deuce66 Senior Member

    Location:
    Canada
    they still practice deceptive pricing - discount % goes up, base price on hot items also goes up…..:thumbsdow:thumbsdow:thumbsdow:thumbsdow:thumbsdow
     
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  11. Torontotom

    Torontotom Forum Resident

    Location:
    Canada
    I've noticed that. They'll 'X' out the sale price and revert to the base price.

    Still, they have some good items left - some Beatles, Beach Boys, Dylan. I picked up the Legacy Edition of Elvis Aloha from Hawaii for $18.99 minus 40 percent.

    And the Yonge Dundas store has the Yellow Submarine Stocking for $15 :laugh:
     
  12. Repeter13

    Repeter13 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Toronto,ON, CA
    Pretty much this.

    There is more demand for vinyl in this city than the current stores can meet. In the last few years - multiple stores have opened to fill this demand - yet we are still seeing prices that reflect short supply.
     
  13. dance_hall_keeper

    dance_hall_keeper Forum Resident

    And then there was one...
     
  14. Rocker

    Rocker Senior Member

    Location:
    Ontario, Canada
    I stopped into the Yonge & Dundas location this evening, expecting to take full advantage of the 40% off sale and come home with an armload of purchases....

    ... but the place has been almost entirely cleaned out. There's hardly anything left. I guess people have really been scooping up the Criterions, foreign films, cult movies, and other stuff that's normally pretty expensive. I only came across 2 or 3 titles I was interested in. :(
     
  15. Torontotom

    Torontotom Forum Resident

    Location:
    Canada
    There's not much left, you're right. There are expensive TV box sets in the back. Family Ties entire series for $250 (?). Lots of "A Christmas Story" merchandise that was never going to sell (love the movie but nobody is going to buy the leg lamp lol).

    If you look hard enough there is still some goodies. Lots of vinyl left.
     
  16. Rocker

    Rocker Senior Member

    Location:
    Ontario, Canada
    Apparently all the leftover stock from the Yonge & Bloor location was being moved down to the Yonge & Dundas store yesterday.... anyone been in to check it out?
     
  17. Torontotom

    Torontotom Forum Resident

    Location:
    Canada
    I was in there today and found some good stuff. Some Laura Nyro reissues from Icon Classics, the Elvis Presley "That's the Way It Is" Blu-ray and best bargain, the Donny Hathaway box set "Never My Love" for $20 (I think there is one left).

    The Bloor stock has been moved to the Dundas location.
     
  18. Daryl M

    Daryl M Senior Member

    Location:
    London, Ontario
    I was out to the Sunrise in White Oaks Mall today and it looks as
    though they are packing it in....although I saw no official notice
    posted. That would leave only the HMV in Masonville as the lone
    chain music store in the city.
     
  19. Also, Pandemonium has a huge vinyl selection but is quite pricey
     
    Adam9 likes this.
  20. They announced today that they will be opening a new store in Timmins.
     
  21. Daryl M

    Daryl M Senior Member

    Location:
    London, Ontario
    I screwed up. They are still open here in town.....although there seems to be more shirts and
    trinkets and less CDs all the time.
     
  22. DeRosa

    DeRosa Vinyl Forever

    It was announced yesterday there is going to be an 80 storey condo on the site where the yonge & bloor Sunrise location used to be. No wonder the owner wasn't renewing the lease, they sold the property for a pile of money.
     
  23. eddiel

    eddiel Senior Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    Toronto, Canada
    Well that makes sense considering the other buildings on that corner being bought and torn down. Inevitable I suppose.
     
  24. The owner of the Yonge & Bloor property was the Sunrise Records owner.
    So it wasn't about renewing a lease.

    Ditto for the Yonge & Dundas location.
     
  25. DeRosa

    DeRosa Vinyl Forever

    The owner sold the property to a real estate developer, so the store isn't his location to lease anymore.
    The block is being redeveloped.
     
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