Record stores in Hartford/Springfield area

Discussion in 'Music, Movie and Hardware Store Guide' started by Andrew, Oct 2, 2006.

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  1. bartels76

    bartels76 Forum Hall Of Fame

    Location:
    CT

    There's no record stores in Hartford anymore.
     
  2. JonUrban

    JonUrban SHF Member #497

    Location:
    Connecticut

    There was a Korvette's that fit this description in Hartford in the '70s.
     
  3. Thesmellofvinyl

    Thesmellofvinyl Senior Member

    Location:
    Cohoes, NY USA
    Do you mean B-Side Records? I'm told it's closed.
     
  4. Chris Desjardin

    Chris Desjardin Senior Member

    Location:
    Ware, MA
    In Northampton, Main Street Records used to be a favorite spot of mine. There is also a record store in the basement of Thorne's Marketplace that seemed to have a lot of vinyl the last time I was there.

    Amherst has Mystery Train records. For the Record just closed down after over 20 years in business. There used to be an AlBum's there, but it closed years ago. Too bad - they had some good stuff there.

    There's a good store in Greenfield as well, on Main St. I don't remember the name, but they had a ton of gold CD's there a couple of years ago. Once word got out, they were wiped out with mail orders.
     
  5. ARK

    ARK Forum Miscreant

    Location:
    Charlton, MA, USA

    The record store in the basement of Thorn's Marketplace is the aforementioned Dynamite Records.
     
  6. bartels76

    bartels76 Forum Hall Of Fame

    Location:
    CT
    That's the only good place in Nothampton in my book.
     
  7. CybrKhatru

    CybrKhatru Music is life.

    Location:
    Los Angeles
    If my wife saw this thread, she'd probably be cryin' homesick tears. She lived in Northampton/Easthampton for 15 years, and worked at Paul & Elizabeth's restaurant in Thorne's Mktplace....


    --Matt
     
  8. bresna

    bresna Senior Member

    Location:
    York, Maine
    Have you been in there lately? It's a shade of it's former self. A few years back when they hit serious financial straits, their distributors refused to ship them stock. COD only. The place was sad, sad at that time.

    Back in those days, their used CDs were stored in their cases behind the counter. Out on the sales floor, they had the cover art in a pouch. It gave them tons of floor space for new CDs and used LPs. When the vendors stopped shipping new CDs and their stock started drying up, they moved these used CDs out onto the floor to make the store look fully stocked. It still isn't.

    As for their vinyl, not a lot of turnover. High prices on a lot of the bigger names. Don't go in there looking for a bargain. Also, I believe a lot of the vinyl is being sold on consignment.

    These days, when I visit Holyoke, it's Integrity 'N Music in Wethersfield, CT. Nothing else out that way is in the "can't miss" catagory.

    I will have to plan a trip to Replay Records. :)

    Kevin
     
  9. Andrew

    Andrew Chairman of the Bored Thread Starter

    Here's a place I just discovered: Platterpus Records in downtown Westfield. Both new and used vinyl & CDs, so it might be worth a look for area members. Open 7 days a week, too.


    http://www.platterpusonline.com/
     
  10. bartels76

    bartels76 Forum Hall Of Fame

    Location:
    CT

    I went there a couple years ago and didn't care for it.
     
  11. fortherecord

    fortherecord Senior Member

    Location:
    Rochester, NY
    Is there a used record store in the Lee/Stockbridge area. I thought I drove past one last Summer, which was off the beaten path, a stand alone shop, not in a mall or a plaza, but went back later and couldn't locate the store.
     
  12. jblock

    jblock Senior Member

    Location:
    Connecticut
    This thread takes me back. Rhymes was great. When CDs first came out, I trade most of my albums to them for CDs. You could get great prices on trade-ins. But Brass City Records in Waterbury has always been my favorite. Cutlers was much better in the days. Capital Records in Hartford was also good.

    I went to UMass in the early 80s. I remember the day Al Bums opened. I also spent lots of money at the record store that was inside a store called Faces, in Amherst.
     
  13. BITBANGER

    BITBANGER Senior Member

    Location:
    Devon, CT.
    Doesn't anyone remember Festoones Records in New Haven? They closed in the early 80's. I remember buying a stock copy 45 of the Velvet Underground - Who Loves The Sun/Oh Sweet Nothing from this guy for only $6.00!
    Rhymes was also around at this time. They were down the street from Cutlers, up stairs on the right. Later they moved across the hall on the left.
    Cutlers was also great at this time for 45s and LPs.
    Sure miss those places.:sigh:
    Merles Record Rack in Orange/West Haven is worth checking out for used vinyl & CDs.
     
  14. signothetimes53

    signothetimes53 Senior Member

    I used to go to Mountain Park as a kid back in the 60s. It was only much much later that I learned that the Yardbirds played there. Where did they perform, inside the Pavilion near the miniature golf course? Or outdoors?
     
  15. DougT

    DougT Forum Resident

    Location:
    Ct
    I'm pretty sure that Festoon's moved to West Haven as Replay Records. Several posts in this thread about Replay.
     
  16. mike65!

    mike65! Senior Member

    Location:
    Connecticut

    Yup - Festoon's got bought by Doug and he renamed it Replay Records.

    Merle's Record Rack in Orange is hit or miss, and the last time I was in there, I asked why there were no prices on most of the lp's. The owner assured me that this was to prevent changing price stickers. If you wanted to know how much the lp was, you would have to ask him and he would tell you. I got the feeling that the prices were "flexible", based on how badly he figured you wanted it.:shake:

    To be fair though, that store has been his bread and butter for many years, and if he can support his family like that in what is admittedly a very difficult market, then more power to him.
     
  17. DougT

    DougT Forum Resident

    Location:
    Ct
    That must be the only Merle's left in the state. I know the Guilford, Wallingford and Derby stores have closed. :(
     
  18. Jerry

    Jerry Grateful Gort Staff

    Location:
    New England
    The Orange Merles was the one from Derby. Run by my buddy Mile Pappa, he moved the store a couple of years back and is doing a booming business. Merle, the woman who started the company, died recently.
     
  19. Andrew

    Andrew Chairman of the Bored Thread Starter

    Thought I'd found another place in downtown Westfield, but despite the "open" sign in the window it was obvious that Music Plus had gone to the great record store in the sky. I wonder what will happen to the leftover inventory still sitting in boxes?
     
  20. R. Totale

    R. Totale The Voice of Reason

    Is that the little hole-in-the-wall right next to the bridge? I was only in there once a number of years ago and didn't find much because everything was at price guide prices without condition to match. Supposedly the whole basement was filled with records, too, though.
     
  21. Thesmellofvinyl

    Thesmellofvinyl Senior Member

    Location:
    Cohoes, NY USA
    Yes, it's that little hole in the wall. The guy who ran it the few times I went in was called Bob. I think the sign that indicated he was open was a folding chair out front on the sidwalk. No chair = closed. I used to call ahead to make sure he was open before heading that way. I went by there two weeks ago without calling ahead and found it was dark inside.
     
  22. Andrew

    Andrew Chairman of the Bored Thread Starter

    The chair was outside, but the door was locked and a good deal of the shelves were empty.
     
  23. MRT

    MRT Forum Resident

    Location:
    New London
    hey, great topic! fits the bill perfectly because ive recently gotten back into purchasing vinyl and live in the area.

    (this forum moves really fast though! this topic was on the second page before i got a chance to respond to it. :eek: )

    there is a new Newbury Comics that opened up in the mall in Manchester. i havent visited it yet, but i guess they carry some vinyl?

    did no one mention Brass City Records in Waterbury CT yet? great CD selection and ive found some good vinyl over the years there as well. i havent been there in a few years now though.

    also wanted to put in a good word for Integrety in Wethersfield. great place. i plan on taking a trip there soon.

    hey, me too. :wave:
     
  24. KBanya

    KBanya Active Member

    Location:
    CT
    Sadly, in CT, we have lost some great stores. Rhymes...Capitol...to name just a few. Merles Record Rack in Orange/West Haven is a complete rip off...as someone has already mentioned, no prices...until you are interested in something. Then the price becomes over-inflated...to the point where I usually just put it back on Mereles rack (this guy is a scammer). No way to run a business. This was not the case with the Wallingford store which, sadly, closed recently.

    Cutlers in New Haven used to be excellent. Now, forget it. Prices are are generally in the "mall" price range and their used selection is minimal. Very unfortunate...this place used to be a mecca back in the day.

    Still woth visiting:

    Brass City Records in Waterbury.
    Replay Records in West Haven (great jazz LP's).
    Exile on Main St. Records in North Branford.
    Newbury Comics in MA - Various locations.
     
  25. MRT

    MRT Forum Resident

    Location:
    New London
    oh. it was mentioned earlier in this topic, but i wanted to lament the loss of all good Record Breaker stores in the area too.

    Record Breaker in East Hartford (or was it Manchester) and in Hartford (strangely) were both really good for vinyl. i got some real nice finds there for great prices before they closed.

    dont forget to add Integrity to that list. there is also anew Newbury Comics that opened up in Manchester (havent visited it yet though).
     
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