Record stores in Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island & Connecticut!!

I went to Fidelis this October and I will admit to being under whelmed. There were good guys working there, they were polite and helpful without being intrusive. The records I looked at seemed to be in very good shape. I never chose to not buy a record due to it's condition. Where they buy collections the inventory can vary widely and when I went in the collections seemed to be from people maybe even 10 years older than me. There was quite a bit of 50's and early 60's music but more by artists my parents would enjoy more so than me. I was also told by several folks they carried high end and audiophile pressings, there were a few but the pickings were slim when I went. I looked around for an hour and found 3 LPs to buy, but the inventory didn't really match my wants. I gave up after I had looked at about 80% of the selection. As I was heading out I spotted a corner shelf with a few box sets I had missed. I did find a 16LP Glenn Miller box set that I once owned on CD. They were not really aware they even had that and hadn't put a price on it. They seemed eager to move it and set a great price for it. That made the trip worthwhile for me.

I do plan to go back, when and if, I am in the area for other purposes. For me it is not worth a special trip just for this store. This is the same way I have come to feel about The Infectious Groove, which is several miles up 101A in Amherst, NH. On my first trip I found one of my holy grails, Let It Be Naked, but each time since I have been a little less and a little less impressed. When I have business in the area and time I will make a stop.

 

I must comment about Garrick's in Lowell. They have been around since 1935. I remember visiting them in the 60's and 70's, but I don't seem to remember the organized chaos I found when I revisited. I also seem to remember there having a decent selection of new records. I went back in February 2018, a week after I had ordered a new turntable. I figured they would be a good place to start for used records. For me and my tastes in music and preferred shopping experiences, I was wrong. What I found was total DISorganized chaos. There were stacks and stacks or records on tables, in browsers and shelves everywhere, and I mean everywhere. Many of the LPs were stacked vertically. It was owned by the three Garnick brothers at this time. They were the sons of the founder, so it was a second generation business at this time. One brother was there and was nice enough, but VERY pushy and always in my face or watching me like a hawk. He claimed that they had over a million records on premises, some of which were stored on another level. He said his brother knew where everything was and he would find every artist or record I wanted. Supposedly his brother was due back any minute and he would set me right. I was just there to see the big picture of what they had. I did not necessarily to buy unless I saw a really great LP I didn't have. Also where I was getting back into vinyl after 30 years I wanted to see the availability of jazz on LPs. I had gotten into jazz when I started buying CDs in the mid 80's.

The brother kept asking me who I liked. I said I would like some big band LPs, perhaps Duke Ellington and Count Basie. He pointed out a couple areas that would have such records, though not all in one place. He also pointed out I would like Les Brown and Lawrence Welk. I found there were certainly hundreds of those along with plenty of easy listening type jazz. There was no organization evident to me. It just looked like the LPs came in and just went on whatever table of shelf was free. The records were generally in marginal condition. Many were without inner sleeves, plus records in the wrong jackets weren't uncommon and the few records I did find that interested me were not in great shape with visible scratches, dust and lint. The one brother kept saying his brother had called, was on the way and he would take care of me. I was patient for a while because I figured maybe the LPs he was referring to on another level were the higher priced, less common and more desirable jazz albums.

After an hour my parking meter was running out, plus I had a headache. I don't know if it was from dealing with complete and utter chaos and disorganization or from the dust and super dry heat. It felt like the heat was cranked up to 80. As I went out to the car the brother followed me and insisted his brother was minutes away. I said my time was up and I had to leave. At this point I had, had enough fun there to last me my lifetime. I hit two other Lowell record stores that day and my headache soon went away. Garnick's is just not my scene. I like looking through organized well curated record selections where the records are in good condition-except for the $1 and $2. I hate to give a negative review like this, but I would hate to see someone make the trip not knowing what they will find on the other end. Plus I don't know hat has happened know that we are in the pandemic years. Extreme crate digging is not my scene. I know that is where you sometimes find the once in a lifetime holy grail find at a bargain. If the type of crate digging I described is your cup of tea, then Garnick's may be your dream. It was my nightmare.

I visited two other local record stores this day. The other two store owners shook their heads and smiled when I said I had come from Garnick's and had a headache. They completely understood.

 

This is great... if I ever make it back up to Massachusetts, I'll certainly have a bunch of new (to me) places in eastern Mass. to check out.

 

Yikes. Kill me now.

 

Yeah again, because thier focus is gear, the records are an afterthought. If it comes to them it comes to them and that's it. Which is why being near my office is great. I can go regularly. Well, in the Before Times at least.

The Infectious Groove opened in the time after we started working from home full time. And I'm about an hour from Merrimack, so when I'm not in the office, I very rarely get up that way. Whenever we get back, which we are told we will, I'll have to check it out.

 

Haha. Yeah, that describes Garnicks, I never recommend that people just drop in there. There are over a million records in the store. Bob doesn't know where all of it is but he knows where a lot if it is. Remember, it has been building up for decades. Longer than most places have been around an they are getting old. It requires a commitment and understanding what you are getting into. If you are local, willing to build a relationship with Bob, put up with his eccentricities and become a regular customer it can be very rewarding. This is how it works. Once Bob knows you he will begin to understand what you like and get your phone number. When a good collection comes in there are about 10 of us that get the first call. After that are about 20 or 30 that get a call. Usually within a couple of weeks anything good that has come in is gone. Bob doesn't price stuff to sit on a shelf. Once you pick what you want you sit down together and come up with an agreed price. When you first meet him he can be abrasive, but he is a really good guy and is full of great stories from over the decades. He got Brian Wilson to sign a Pet Sounds to me and a Surf's Up to my 6 year old, whose favorite song is Long Promised Road. He calls it The Down Song.

Sounds like you dealt with David, the middle brother. He does a lot of the repairs. Paul the oldest was also a repair guy, but is now fully retired. More laid back, though. Bob is the business brother. But again, he's an older Jewish guy who has been in charge of the store since the dawn of time. Just him and his brothers sitting in there all day for 60 years busting each other's balls day in and day out.

What other two stores? The one in the industrial park down the street, I assume. Don't know if he still keeps weird hours. I never seem to be around when he's open. I know, at least in the past, he got a lot of his stock from Garnick's. And you can't possibly have hit RRR when it was open. I call it Brigadoon. They open once every 100 years for an hour but you have no idea when that hour is.

 

Don't bother to make a special trip. It was a one and done for me. Extremely ordinary stock, and prices on the things he thinks are high end (which are mostly not) are absurdly jacked-up.

 

Yeah. I’d only be going if I was back up at the office. And even then I tend to prefer the thrift and antique shops in the area. The Goodwill buy the pound is super hit or miss but I did score a mint green Gorilla Biscuits ep there for about a penny and a half.

 

Thanks for this... I tried going to Garnick's a few times and they always seemed to be closed for lunch or just not bothering to open that day. I am not a fan of this type of shop with a priority list of special customers so I'll take this store off my list of record stores to visit some day.

Stereo Jack's is still my go to record store in the Boston area. Up in my area, there's Bull Moose & Bull Moose & Bull Moose & Bull... well, you get the picture.

 

You're in York, just come down 95 to Welfare.

If you think any record store doesn't have favored customers that get special stuff set aside, I have bad news for you But, Bob's business model is to move what he gets. He doesn't sell much on eBay he saves it for his customers to keep them happy and coming back. He's not trying to win the coolest record shop award. No Gen Z kids posting Instagrams of themselves in front of his hip displays. It's for the most part middle age white guys who love music, have a good sense of humor (except for The Doctor) and just want to buy records and share stories. He's there to sell records and he knows he can move just about anything he buys and move it fast instead of putting it out and just waiting for someone to walk in randomly and buy it. If you are a dedicated deep digger there is plenty of stock for digging. If I go in and am not interested in anything new he got, I'll pick an area and dig. Plenty of times I've come up with something that surprised him. But again, you have to vibe on the kind of place he's running.

The other end of the spectrum is Music Connection up in Manchester. Stock like you won't see anywhere else. But all priced to sit on the until the end of time.

 

Yes it was the middle brother.

I used inaccurate language when I said Lowell. I meant Lowell Area. You may be amazed but RRR records was my next stop. It is just around the corner but I moved my car so David didn't come back out and tackle me and drag me back into the store. I came out with my first record purchase in 30 years from RRR. The third and final stop was The Vinyl Vault in Littleton.

 

You made it into RRR. I consider you, sir, a legend.

And I’ve been told about Vinyl Vault but it always ends up just a bit outside my range.

 

Sounds a little like Dyno Records in Newburyport. I don't even know why I go in there. They have a lot of stock but their prices are crazy. I was in there the other day and they still had a used LP of The Sonny Clark Memorial Quartet's "Voodoo" for $75. I bet that's been in there for 2 years. I suppose if they don't sell it for another year, with the way prices are heading, it might wind up a bargain.

But back to the "special customers" at Garnick's - I live in Maine so there is no way I would ever be able to gain this special status there so there really isn't any reason for me to go in there. Picking through bins of beat up records after the best stuff was grabbed before it hit the shelf is no fun. The fun in digging through those bins is finding that one great record... but you already bought it. What you're describing is like digging into a box of cracker jacks where someone else already removed the prize. Ha ha ha.

I lived in Atkinson, NH for almost 30 years before moving to York and the few times I went into Welfare Records, I was pretty disappointed. It sounds like it's time to try it again.

 

There’s always the possibility that he’s selling it on line or (more likely) he has other buyers in mind that have been looking for the titles in question.

 

But with them, you just never know. Because they are a bit peculiar you cad find random stuff cheap, just because they don't care for it. I mentioned elsewhere I picked up Hoyt Axton - Joy to the World, which is not an easy one to come by, for $5. And a friend of mine got a bunch of KISS including all the solo albums for 50 cents each. Once I pulled an EX first press Village Fugs out of the free crate out front, because it didn't have a sleeve. I also got a first press of The Offs first album there for $50. They're so random. But usually expensive.

Agreed on Garnick's. But his model isn't bad or even unfair, it just is what it is. You really have to dig, there are piles that have been there for who knows how long, so you can find buried treasure. But in your case it's just not worth the trip. I found a couple of brand new Elvis 70s Sun represses of Mystery Train and Milkcow Blues Boogie that probably had probably been in the same spot for 30 years.

Really? I've never been unhappy with Welfare. Although since they did the big remodel their prices have gone up big time. But they always have a ton of stuff I want. If you're after high end stuff, ask to look out back. Aside from what's on the wall that's where the expensive items are kept.

 

There are four spots in Portland, all on Congress St or just off it. I’ve found Enterprise Records on Park Street to be well curated.

 

Enterprise is my go-to spot and visit at least once a week. The owner, Bob, looks out for me. But I do have to say, he's getting more and more new reissues in and I've been having a tough time finding stuff to buy over the pandemic (to be expected, I suppose). Moody Lords has good stuff for those who like the "staples". Stones, Who, Beatles, etc. Their wall is always fresh but they rarely have SUPER expensive wall records. Mostly top out at $40-$50, which is nice.

I like Strange Maine, but condition is very iffy. But stuff can be found for good prices.

 

Electra Buddhas falls somewhere in between Strange Maine and Moody Lords. They were in the process of moving to Congress St. from their old spot next to Marcy’s Diner, but I haven’t been since they reopened.

There was also a shop in Kittery that shared space with a breakfast spot (Lil’s Cafe). Not sure if they survived the pandemic closures or not.

 

I've been a couple times. It's a much more open space but, as with their previous location, I left empty handed. I may have purchased two records from them over the course of my 7 years here. Just not a good shop for my tastes, I guess, but your mileage may vary

 

I moved away from Boston 20+ years ago and didn't get to Lowell that often when I lived there, but he always kept regular hours (or at least I never rolled up to a Closed sign) back then. I bought a couple things mail order from him because $3 or whatever it cost was cheaper and easier than driving to Lowell.

 

That's why I shop so frequently at Armageddon Records in Harvard Square despite having little interest in hardcore or metal myself. If it's not in their wheelhouse, they put things out for super cheap just to get it out.

 

I was in Boston this weekend with my son and I stopped by Nuggets, and I can say without question; the place has survived well but has not changed. Snow falling down. "You MUST have a mask" the sign says as you walk in.

Nuggets Records--CDs, Imported Music, Cassettes, Records, VHS and DVDs in downtown Boston *** (3 stars out of five)

The reason you want to stop at this record store is because of the oddities. You're not going to find a really good copy of common classic records like Who's Next. Heck, they have more plastic dividers than records. Most every visit I've tried is, the weird imports and promos pop in and out without much to explain it, weird Jazz and folk titles you've never seen before. The condition of most everything is decent and some bargains can be had. It's almost like a half-priced books on an unlucky day. Just be aware of what is around you and make decisions quickly so you don't have to go back to the same areas. You also get a very odd feeling that the hoarding has taken control. You cannot walk around the place in sections, the fixtures are made and placed so you have to explore in a single "dead-end loop" so those claustrophobic might not like the layout. 5-6 people will make you feel crowded. This is also a very popular "Old Dirty Boston" traditional record store and gets hit frequently by patrons of all walks and even places in the world! There's a huge pile of vinyl in the back of the store that looks like it's been there for years (but you can't get there). Hotels and convention centers are close by, so is the Citgo sign seen from Fenway. I was able to get a couple of records from my Discogs list without spending a lot of time. Some "good" records are unsleeved and "record behind the counter" so you have to ask and try to mosey back through and ask. The price tags they use on LPS are really hard to remove and it's clear that simple security is what they're about. What stands out is the service, and the people behind the counter and thick plexiglass (Covid) were cheerful and happy. I almost didn't know how I was going to slide my records to them! If I had to say, this is my #4 place in Boston to look for records. You come here to browse hard and long because of deep-crate choices. That's what makes this place enjoyable but plan on digging. They have cassettes and honorable mention to the 45s and 12" 80's singles. They had a UK "Maybe Tomorrow" by the Iveys in there for $13, but I passed it by (Apple). Most people will say "Go to Nuggets". I would say, "Only if you have all day and you're alone."

 

Would you care to share your Top 3 locations here? TIA.

I remember the glory days in the 60's and 70's and into the 80's for Harvard Square as well as Boston. Both for records and hi-fi stores. Also books, posters, photography stores, but I digress. By the early 80's Harvard Square was becoming what it is today. More like a faceless outdoor mall with the same national brands. It lost much of it's local character and uniqueness. The coming of the megastores Tower, Virgin, HMV was good and bad. It marked the beginning of the end and then even they are gone. Sadly I was totally into CDs back then. I would have like to shop for both new and used records at a well stocked mega store. I got back into records in 2018 and I explored all around the Merrimack Valley, the North Shore, Southern NH and Southern, ME. I had made a few trips into Boston/Cambridge but I was just getting back into it and really didn't know where to go. Then came 2020. These days I rarely go to Boston or Cambridge, partially because of the pandemic and my being immune compromised from a 2020 liver transplant, and partially because of the changes. It used to be worth the drive or the train trip because there were lots of good stores to explore. As I get ready to retire or at least semi-retire I could see this changing if there are some decent stores to be found in the city.

 

Nuggets last got new stock in September 1987. I find it fascinating that they're even still open. They must own the building.

 

Nuggets is still open?!?

I haven't been in there in over a decade.

I still miss the Looney Tunes store near Berkleee. That was a great place for jazz records & CDs. The jazz buyer there, Louis Locicero, was a jazz guitarist himself, so he always had a ready opinion on any and every record you picked up.