Good record stores in DC/Annapolis/Baltimore area?

Discussion in 'Music, Movie and Hardware Store Guide' started by Toby, Jun 3, 2005.

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  1. Toby

    Toby Well-Known Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    Texas
    Well, I finally graduated from college in Arizona, moved, and got settled up here in Hollywood, Maryland (in St. Mary's County, 10 miles from my new job at the Patuxent River Naval Air Station). I'm 70 miles southeast of DC and 60 miles south of Annapolis, so I was wondering what good record stores (preferably vinyl, but also used CDs) are around Washington DC, Annapolis, and Baltimore (and Virginia near the Patomic). I'm used to Texas- and Arizona-type distances, so I don't mind driving a couple of hours! Thanks.
     
  2. reechie

    reechie Senior Member

    Location:
    Baltimore
    Joe's Record Paradise

    Also, look around for the Record And Tape Traders chain. There are a number of them in the area, and some of them have some used vinyl.

    Norm? :D
     
  3. Roland Stone

    Roland Stone Offending Member

    Welcome to Southern Maryland! I'm about a half hour south of you, past St. Mary's College and NESEA. Unfortunately there's no vinyl or dedicated music stores in the immediate area. Between WalMart, Target, and the Internet, a local chain of three stores (Lexington Park, California, and Prince Frederick) closed up shop several years ago.

    CDepot in College Park, MD, serving the University of Maryland main campus, is one of the larger used CD stores I've ever seen, and a little over an hour from here. Unfortunately it appears that DVDs are consuming ever more rack space while incoming CDs are filtered for eBay and half.com material. Still a fun field trip, although I'd recommend against trying the commute during rush hour, which is especially brutal on Route 1.
     
  4. Roland Stone

    Roland Stone Offending Member

    Also, don't drink more than one Mai-Tai at the Tiki Bar on Solomons Island! There isn't an drop of liquid in those drinks that isn't alcohol, unless you count the juice in your orange slice. The "punch" is several flavors of schnapps and Triple Sec, to which rum is added. They're $8.00 (or whatever they are this year) for a reason. Don't say you weren't warned.
     
  5. Toby

    Toby Well-Known Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    Texas
    Heh heh, my landlord already recommended the Tiki Bar to me! Must go there some night...
     
  6. daveman

    daveman Forum All Star

    Location:
    Massachusetts
    Joe's Record Paradise is in Rockville, MD and is pretty nice. Also, the Wheaton Library has stashes of vinyl for $1 each and there is often semi-decent to decent stuff there. There is Disc-O-Rama on Rockville Pike which has mostly CDs (and a lot of "imports"). Not a bad store but not great. Also, like Ron mentioned, CDepot in College Park is a very large and very nice store with a lot of new and used CDs at good prices.

    There's also the Tysons Corner Record Show this Sunday! :thumbsup:
     
  7. jojopuppyfish

    jojopuppyfish Senior Member

    Location:
    Maryland
    Is Phantasimgoria in Wheaton still around?
    And how about that oldies shop in Silver Springs?
    Just curious.
     
  8. Jay

    Jay New Member

    Location:
    Pittsburgh PA
    Probably the best is Orpheus Records 3173 Wilson Blvd Arlington, VA. (703) 294-6774. Used and new. Orpheus' original Georgetown location is the place everyone's records went to die when CDs came out. Later on, when I got back into LPs, I discovered they had a good selection of jazz, plus all that old r'n'r.

    Second Story Books in different DC suburbs carry used CDs and, depending on who's running a store at any given moment, a fair-to-excellent selection of used records. Sometimes they're into classical, sometimes rock. The managers have a lot of say about what is sold in their individual stores, or it used to be that way, at least.

    There's also what was originally the Record Exchange, which became the CD/Game/Whatever Exchange, and which I think has now settled on just The Exchange. I found some of the very best buys of my entire life at the Tenleytown store 4XXX Wisconsin Ave. NW DC. Old Stones from Germany and England: MINT. Ditto Kinks on Pye for $5: MINT. It was the most excellent crapshoot.

    Someone mentioned Phantasmagoria. The last I heard, they moved all the stock out of their DC store into their Wheaton store. I googled it just now, though, and saw "RIP" next to the name. Plus their webpage is dead.

    I read that Vinyl Ink in SS went OOB.

    There was a store called DCCD in Adams Morgan, but I'm not sure it's still there.

    If I think of anything else, I'll add it.
     
  9. teaser5

    teaser5 Cool Rockin' Daddy

    Location:
    The DMV
    I think Phantas in Wheaton is history. Not sure about their Dupont Circle store
    There is however a newer shop in Wheaton also in the Triangle area.
    The pick of the pups is Joes for sure; esp for vinyl. Also as Ron mentioned the CD place on RT1 near UM College Park campus is huge for CD's. Found a silver MOFI Firesign disc there earlier this year.
    Sadly Y&T on Rockville Pike closed their doors a few years ago although Skip still hits the shows. His speciality is still 45's. You might just see him and a lot of us at the show Sunday
    Welcome home dude!
    Peace-
    Norm
     
  10. Jay

    Jay New Member

    Location:
    Pittsburgh PA
    It's been gone for at least six years. They consolidated in Wheaton and then, I guess, closed there, too.
     
  11. Oatsdad

    Oatsdad Oat, Biscuits, Abbie & Mitzi: Best Dogs Ever

    Location:
    Alexandria VA
    This is wrong. Norm owns enough stuff to open a store, but I don't believe he's businessified himself just yet. ;)
     
  12. teaser5

    teaser5 Cool Rockin' Daddy

    Location:
    The DMV
    Oh I think Reechie was just asking for my two cents since he know I hail from these parts.
    I don't think he was suggesting that I open my record store just yet. Although "Norm's Records and Tapes" does have a nice ring to it.
    :shh:
    Peace-
    N
    ;)
    BTW Oat: Congrats on post 3K. Have we done a thread for you yet?
     
  13. jojopuppyfish

    jojopuppyfish Senior Member

    Location:
    Maryland
    I went to Churchill and use to go to Yesterday and Today all the time. He closed the store and went online. Still has the best 45 selection I've ever seen.


    There was a black oldies store in Silver Spring and right around the corner there was another record shop....all near the Armory in Silver Spring.
     
  14. teaser5

    teaser5 Cool Rockin' Daddy

    Location:
    The DMV
    Wow. So did I! When did you graduate?
    Peace-
    Norm
     
  15. HeavyDistortion

    HeavyDistortion Senior Member

    Location:
    Baltimore, MD
    I've heard from a good source that Orpheus Records purchased the left over LP stock from Phantasmagoria.

    By the way, you should also check out Joe's Record Paradise's Baltimore location; it is excellent and only 15 minutes from my house. In fact, I may stop by there this morning to check on a few LPs.

    I'm looking forward to the Tyson's Corner show tomorrow.



    Ed Hurdle
    HeavyDistortion
     
  16. Oatsdad

    Oatsdad Oat, Biscuits, Abbie & Mitzi: Best Dogs Ever

    Location:
    Alexandria VA
    (I know Reechie's intent - just making a joke!)


    Thanks, and no - there's no thread! Never got one for 2500 either - no one loves me, no one cares... :(
     
  17. daveman

    daveman Forum All Star

    Location:
    Massachusetts
    Not true -- somebody does! :D
     
  18. Russ

    Russ Outlaw

    Location:
    Anglesea, NJ
    I'm kinda shootin' myself in the foot...what the hell. All of these places can be found using Yahoo yellow pages with the 22311 area code.

    C D Cellar
    (703) 534-6318 709 W Broad St # B
    Falls Church, VA

    Just some of the stuff I found there all for around $10 - 15.

    MFSL
    Layla
    Clapton
    BOC
    Greatful Dead
    Allmans
    Elton John
    DCC
    Pat Benatar

    Smash
    (202) 337-6274 3285 1/2 M St NW
    Washington, DC

    Abbey Road Toshiba Triangle- 8 bucks!!!
    Wish you were Here mastersound - $10

    Record & Tape Exchange
    (703) 425-4256 9448 Main St
    Fairfax, VA

    I always find stuff here...the list is really endless
    Meddle MFSL
    DSOTM MFSL
    DSOTM toshiba
    Queen MFSL
    the Wall MFSL
    The Stones MOFI CD's
    Both Boston Mastersound

    They also have a lot of audiophile vinyl and Quad releases.

    Memory Lane Cd's & Records
    (301) 568-5032 2809 Walters Ln
    Forestville, MD

    I just went here for the first time a couple of months ago. On my first visit there I picked up two copies of DCC Tull Aqualung mint and one copy of DCC Pet sounds for $12 a piece. The next time I went I got Elvis 24KT, Beach Boys MFSL, and Eagles Hits DCC and the price went to $16. Still a good deal. I sold one of the Tulls on ebay for $185.

    Thats just off the top of my head...i have got a lot more from those three stores.

    Happy hunting!

     
  19. teaser5

    teaser5 Cool Rockin' Daddy

    Location:
    The DMV
    So Russ: after shootin' yourself in the foot are you coming to the show tomorrow or what?
    Always a lotta Led Zep there..
    :righton:
    Peace-
    Norm

    BTW: What the hell are Stones MOFI CD's?
     
  20. Mattb

    Mattb Senior Member

    Location:
    Maryland
    Anyone know if Music Machine in Owings Mills is still around?
     
  21. Oatsdad

    Oatsdad Oat, Biscuits, Abbie & Mitzi: Best Dogs Ever

    Location:
    Alexandria VA
    The European releases from the Eighties that came from MFSL masterings. They're not actual MFSL releases but used their work...
     
  22. HeavyDistortion

    HeavyDistortion Senior Member

    Location:
    Baltimore, MD

    Music Machine has been gone for several years.





    Ed Hurdle
    HeavyDistortion
     
  23. Eric

    Eric Member

    Location:
    crownsville md
    I'll throw my two cents into the pot.
    Normasl Book/Record in Baltimore
    425 E. 31st Street
    Baltimore, Maryland 21218

    (410) 243-6888
    e-mail: [email protected]
    Open 11 AM - 6 PM daily

    I've only been there a couple of times,I've found some interesting stuff. The Neighboorhood isn't the best,but I've never had any problems.
    The Fells Point section has a few music stores, El Suprimo on Aliceanna has a nice dollar bin which I visit every week or so. His regular selection is decent, lots of Soul/Funk as well as Rock.
    Reptillian is another store, it is very good if you like Punk, pretty worthless if you don't like Punk.
    Sound Garden is large mostly cd store, but it has some vinyl. It is very popular, they get some decent used stuff in, I visit it every month or so.
     
  24. johnborzatti

    johnborzatti Senior Member

    Howie closed the Music Machine about two to three years ago and not even sure if he is strickly online or anything. If he is he is under a different name. The Record And Tape Exchange that was in College Park and Annapolis closed the Baltimore stores in early y2K and are running strictly from the Fairfax VA store only. The last time I was in there however the clerk was asking about what was open in Baltimore and said they were looking to open a location somewhere there. Nothing as of yet. Joes's is still the best but quite a haul from Hollywood! Heck, Fairfax is closer but nowhere near the size of Joe's Rockville.
     
  25. johnborzatti

    johnborzatti Senior Member

    Correction on above listing on Record And Tape Exchange. The stores were never in Baltimore, just the locations listed. They were considering a Baltimore location last time I was there. This is what happens when I post at work and keep getting interrupted!!
     
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