You know you’re in a great record store when …

When ....
You buy a stack of records.
Set the time machine controls to the year 1995.

 

Hand you a Jack and Coke.

 

I buy an EX Robert Ludwig Zeppelin II for $10 and Imagine Dragons are over $30.

 

..... you find that great album you didnt know you were looking for.

 

The prices are fair. I'm sick of looking forward to going to second hand record shops and seeing items priced far higher than they go for on eBay, as well as the walls having common Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd etc albums on, with ridiculous prices on them. I recently saw a copy of that massive selling number one album, The Wall, for £120. A lot of copies of that, probably most of them, will be in EX condition still.

Also, when there is a good range of music, the shop isn't full of the same old 60s and 70s so called classic rock, which most collectors already own if they want it.

 

Josies in Dallas is my latest, greatest example of this.

 

When you walk out with 10 new records and you spent no more than $25.

 

CD Cellar only has one store these days. They consolidated their two stores into one at the beginning of this year.

The new store (it's pretty large) is located not far from where the old Falls Church store was; new address is 105 Park Ave, Falls Church, VA 22046.

 

They have a steady flow of used CDs and boxsets at great prices, many are preferred versions, always in great shape, but you can check the condition of them anyway; throw in a staff made up of vets that are always friendly and ready to order whatever you need that they don't have... thanks The Sound Garden in Baltimore.

 

A BIG SHOUT OUT to "The Record Centre" in Ottawa! On Wellington Street for decades now, with good prices and great selection. They even have small bands playing there some nights.

"New Arrivals" as soon as you walk in the door, and they even sell old Turntables, Receivers & Speakers too! Check 'em out of Facebook!

***** Probably best prices & selection in Ottawa

 

Just a shout out to The Sound Garden in Syracuse, which has most, if not all of the attributes listed in the OP, and the best CD selection in Central New York. I'm told their vinyl section is pretty good too, though I have no first-hand experience with it.

 

The Disk Union stores in Tokyo tick just about every box. I've no desire to shop online.

 

...there is incense burning.

 

Yeah, I've heard great things about the record stores in Tokyo. Hopefully I'll get to check them out someday.

 

I've been to the Sound Garden branch in Baltimore many times, as I lived in the Baltimore area from 2007 to 2009. It's an excellent store. Definitely among the top 10 that I've been to in the United States. I say that as more of a CD lover than vinyl, although they do stock a decent amount of vinyl, too.

 

Luv Da Fetus!

 

It's impossible to know everything, I worked in enough record shops over the years to know that, although it's expected.
What I like is asking, and the guy shouts HAY! Fred someone interested in xxx and Fred shambles from the back, clutching a handful of records, saying can I help you mate.

 

The Best Record Stores........

1. You smell incense the second you open the front door.
2. At first glance they have so much used vinyl you have no idea where to start digging.
3. All the VG and below graded vinyl is separate in dollar bins
4. They have racks of vintage clothing
5. The walls are plastered with vintage memorabilia
6. A sexy chick in a mini skirt works there and she is playing VH I.
7. Hold on I just spotted a 1st press of Fun House....gotta go!

 

I had one amazing record store guy at a place here on Long Island that used to just put discs aside for me that he thought I would like. I'd go in once a week and he'd hand me a stack of CD's. Introduced me to GBV, Mind Science of the Mind and a bunch of other stuff, as well as hooked me up with some imports and rarities. I miss that whole experience.

 

...they don't say "we seem to be having a problem with your credit card, sir."

 

Yes. There is a new trend in a couple of shops I've been to recently in Montreal, where they try selling everything at something like $10. Then a couple of weeks later, they drop the price down a couple of dollars for what's remained, and so on... Even the unsaleable stuff! I sure miss when they decided upfront to put stuff in the dollar bin, and they stuck to it! That was fun, and return business in my case...

 

One other thing I'll add is a great store will not do what I've seen one time too often here in Montreal: taking receipt of the return of a (really) defective used LP with no fuss, yet, since it is a collectable item and it looks NM, turning around, and the next thing you know the album is back in the rack with even the same price sticker on it! "The next customer may not care about this and/or might be a tourist from so far away that we'll never hear back from it..." I despise this practice!

Check this out when there is "no fuss/no question". It's often a sign...

 

Portland has some nice stores, as a CD guy I always liked Everyday Music when I visited. Of course Amoeba is probably record store heaven for my money.

 

They have a nice, fat "new arrivals" section every time you visit.

 

I've been to Portland once, and the record-store scene was pretty great. But it has been more than 10 years since I've been there. I'd love to get back sometime and check it out again.