Record stores in Ohio & Pennsylvania

Discussion in 'Music, Movie and Hardware Store Guide' started by panicproject, Jan 7, 2018.

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  1. Scott Davies

    Scott Davies Forum Resident

    Wow, there are a lot of recommendations here that aren't very good. I went to Columbus last year and found nothing redeeming. If Used Kids is the best store in the area, it's pretty slim pickins. In Pittsburgh I've only found Jerry's and The Attic worth a stop. As far as Cleveland, the best I've found is A Separate Reality. It's like Jerry's Lite, though I sensed when trying to unload some extra vinyl there that they are struggling to stay afloat, which is sad. And if anyone recommends The Vinyl Groove in Bedford, OH, stay clear unless you like a bad attitude. But my judgements are based on the Classic Alt selections at these places, which is still minimal at the ones I do like. But the other places that I didn't care for are great for dollar bin and thrift store standards.
     
  2. tmtomh

    tmtomh Forum Resident

    So actually there are a lot of recommendations here that aren't very good for your particular main genre of interest. Way to bury the lede.
     
    Echoes Myron likes this.
  3. spridle

    spridle Forum Resident

    Location:
    Cleveland
    What is Classic Alt? Like the Sirius channel? If that's what you're looking for, I can't see many brick and mortar stores bothering. Most fans of that stuff stream and the ones that want a record or two just get them from Amazon. A Separate Reality definitely doesn't carry any of that stuff unless it happens to show up in a collection. Vinyl Groove is a great store. Dave likes all kinds of stuff and if you want to talk Punk, he'll talk to you. If Jazz is your thing, he's got a decent selection and he's very knowledgeable.

    Then again, if it's all "attitude" then maybe you should check yours. I've never had any "attitudes" at any record stores I've ever been to, even when people have told me to expect it. Saying "Hi" and being nice goes a long way, I guess.
     
    Benno123 likes this.
  4. Jeff Kent

    Jeff Kent Forum Resident

    Location:
    Mt. Kisco, NY
    This is in NJ just over the border from Easton, PA so extreme Eastern PA...

    Spin Me Round
    Phillipsburg Mall
    1200 US-22, Phillipsburg, NJ 08865

    Spin Me Round - Phillipsburg, NJ
     
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  5. Fortysomething

    Fortysomething Forum Resident

    Location:
    Californ-i-a
    Jerry's in Pittsburgh is OK for the sheer volume. I know it's spoken of with hushed tones and I found some things there, but unfortunately, rather than that volume meaning they have everything or a lot of what you might want, it means that they'll have, like, 100 copies of any popular record. Still worth a glance, though.

    In Pittsburgh I liked Juke the best. Attic is solid too.
     
    panicproject likes this.
  6. Fortysomething

    Fortysomething Forum Resident

    Location:
    Californ-i-a
    Curious what your definition of this is, too.

    I like a lot of genres/eras but I am always looking for bands I liked from the late 80s/90s, especially UK bands/singers, and those are notoriously hard to find in ANY store, just because their initial release was in that donut hole after vinyl stopped being a given but before the vinyl revival.

    So a lot of my favorite UK acts, especially in the early 90s and during Britpop era, aren't available, nor are mid 90s indie bands.

    I get the frustration!
     
  7. greelywinger

    greelywinger Osmondia

    Location:
    Dayton, Ohio USA
    Been planning some road trips for Ohio record stores. So far I did Lost Weekend (Columbus) & I’m visiting Used Kids (Columbus) today. Will start looking at Cincinnati record stores soon. Want large selection of used vinyl in excellent condition.

    Darryl
     
  8. Echoes Myron

    Echoes Myron Forum Resident

    Location:
    USA
    You will love Used Kids.

    Also mandatory...Records Per Minute and Spoonful records.
     
  9. greelywinger

    greelywinger Osmondia

    Location:
    Dayton, Ohio USA
    Got back from Used Kids after spending a few hours there. Now that's a records store!
    Overflowing with used & new vinyl. It's now my goto place whenever I'm in town.

    Darryl
     
    Fifth-Chord likes this.
  10. greelywinger

    greelywinger Osmondia

    Location:
    Dayton, Ohio USA
    Anyplace in Cincinnati close to the volume of Used Kids?

    Darryl
     
  11. Chris C

    Chris C Music was my first love and it will be my last!

    Location:
    Ohio
    As was highly recommended many times by me to you, back in April, in this thread ...

    CD and Record Stores in Columbus, OH*
     
  12. Chris C

    Chris C Music was my first love and it will be my last!

    Location:
    Ohio
    Not nearly as good as "Used Kids", but this store used to be pretty decent down there ...

    Everybodys Records
     
  13. Chris C

    Chris C Music was my first love and it will be my last!

    Location:
    Ohio
    R. Totale likes this.
  14. BGS

    BGS Forum Resident

    Location:
    Columbus, Ohio
    + 1
     
  15. MKHopkins

    MKHopkins Break out the Hats and Hooters

    Location:
    Beaver Falls, PA
    Good day at Half Price Books on McKnight Road Pgh yesterday. Real clean copy of 1984 and a nice Reprise pressing of Fleetwood Mac. Plus a couple Brubeck odds and ends I was missing. It is hit and miss but it was hit yesterday.

    And 11 Nancy Drew books for my little girl. We love our time there obviously. It is always hit for her books.
     
    Chris C likes this.
  16. greelywinger

    greelywinger Osmondia

    Location:
    Dayton, Ohio USA
    Had my wife with me back in April, so didn't have a lot of time. Glad I was able to spend a few hours at Used Kids.
    I can go through all the vinyl in my local store (Omega) in less than an hour.


    Can you recommend one over the other for selection of used vinyl?
    What do you mean by decent?
    What about Plaid Room (in Loveland, OH)?

    Darryl
     
  17. Chris C

    Chris C Music was my first love and it will be my last!

    Location:
    Ohio
    I've never heard of Plaid Room in Loveland, so I can't help you there. Tough call between Everybody's and Shake It, as with any record store, it depends on what they have that day or week. Regarding my use of the word "decent", I use that word because, to me, neither of those stores in Cincin really don't compare with Columbus' "Used Kids", especially in regards to "used vinyl". All three of these stores use up a LOT of their valuable space with new releases. Far too many new releases, in my opinion, but I don't really buy that much "new vinyl" anymore, as I feel that the prices on those are ludicrous, especially when you can walk ten feet down in the same store and find a near mint original for $5 or less dollars. I'm all for the new higher end pressings of albums (MFSL, A.P., Intervention), but these standard new reissues from the likes of Friday Music or Universal Music Group for $30 bucks a pop, give me a break!
     
  18. greelywinger

    greelywinger Osmondia

    Location:
    Dayton, Ohio USA
    If the new pressings aren’t Analog, forget it.
    Just my opinion. If I have time ⚾️I may go down to Cindy, but would only be able to go to one store.


    Darryl
     
  19. Chris C

    Chris C Music was my first love and it will be my last!

    Location:
    Ohio
    You might be better going to "Shake It", if you only have time for one store, but that's just my opinion (and mind you, I haven't been there for a while).
     
  20. Fifth-Chord

    Fifth-Chord VG+

    Location:
    Columbus, OH
    I'd vote for Everybody's Records over Shake It if I had to just hit one. Shake It was one of my favorite stores 6 years ago but it has slid down my personal list over the last couple years. They also had a cameo appearance in the documentary 'Mistaken for Strangers' when the owners don't recognize Matt Berninger the singer for internationally famous band The National.

    I highly recommend Plaid Room Records in Loveland. There are walking/biking paths, shops and eateries. My wife enjoys it everytime.

    If you're still in Dayton, I suppose you're only 30-55 minute drive from a dozens of stores in Cinci, Columbus, and Yellow Springs.

    I do like the brothers at Omega, nice shop and they keep it curated pretty well. Great story with taking the business over from their father.
     
    greelywinger likes this.
  21. greelywinger

    greelywinger Osmondia

    Location:
    Dayton, Ohio USA
    Love Omega (been going there about 30 years). Also like Toxic Beauty in Yellow Springs.
    Everything else around the Dayton area is a bookstore that happens to sell records (HPB, 2nd & Charles).
    My 2 concerns are condition & overpricing.
    My trip to Used Kids was productive & resonably priced, I picked up 16 records
    A $10 Monkees LP & a $6 Ricky Nelson LP...
    Everything else was $5 & under.


    Darryl
     
    Fifth-Chord likes this.
  22. Fender Relic

    Fender Relic Forum Resident

    Location:
    PennsylBama
    If you get to the middle, or Centre County, of PA in State College/Bellefonte/PSU area there are a few small shops scattered around. The best is probably Stax Of Trax at Websters Book Store down under the sidewalk on Beaver Ave.State College. A few more are within antique shops/co-ops in the area. No huge shops like Jerry's or The Attic in The Burgh.
     
  23. Echoes Myron

    Echoes Myron Forum Resident

    Location:
    USA
    Too bad Arboria Records in State College closed. When I went to Penn State I spent a lot of time there. My copy of Exile on Main Street still has the Arobria sticker.
     
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  24. Fender Relic

    Fender Relic Forum Resident

    Location:
    PennsylBama
    Arboria, or what's left of it, is actually still around inside Apple Hill Antiques near Nittany Mall....or what's left of that.

    Stax Of Trax is run by former Arboria partner or manager. So, Arboria lives on!

    Yeah, I used to shop Arboria too from the 70's on til they closed at the Beaver Ave. location. I liked the earlier underground Allen St. location best. I have a few LP's with their sticker still on one being a nr. mint German copy of Harvest and a few Buffalo Springfield titles. I bought all my Richard & Linda Thompson Carthage reissues from Arboria and City Lights. I miss City Lights when Greg and Ken ran it.
     
    MKHopkins likes this.
  25. Echoes Myron

    Echoes Myron Forum Resident

    Location:
    USA
    Yeah City Lights was really good too.
     
    Fender Relic likes this.
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