Los Angeles area record stores

Amoeba recently combined their New and Used CD sections, about time too. It was always annoying to have to check two sections to see everything they had for a specific band. Went to town on their clearance section this weekend, came out with 27 cd's total for $63 and change. Almost half price compared to Amazon's baseline of $4 per.

 

Rockaway Records has cut its hours pretty drastically.

As of last month, they were open seven days a week from 11 to 7.

They're still open from 11 to 7 on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, but they're now open from 1 to 6 on Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday, and they're closed on Tuesday.

I discovered this when I tried to go there at 11:30 this morning!

 

I've not liked this store for many years. No bargains to be found anyway. Sounds like they are not doing so well.

 

^^^ I disagree. I find it hard to walk out of Rockaway without spending $50-100+. Great prices on catalogue CDs, the occasional rarity gem, box sets and stupid-inexpensive newish releases. As for vinyl, I always find interesting titles there as well. To each their own, I guess.

It's a tough business, I hope Rockaway continues to have some staying power.

 

Rockaway and Freakbeat are my two favorite LA-area stores, sincerely hope both are in it for many more years.

 

Has anyone been to Pop Obscure Records, in downtown on Los Angeles St. between 7th and 8th? The photos on Yelp show a store that seems to have a lot of vinyl, but a couple of closeups on their Instagram of records where prices are visible aren't especially promising....

 

Another vote for Record Surplus. I was there recently - took a female friend who has slight asthma so I had to leave early. Ha-ha, I love those dusty record bins.

 

Yes. It's fairly small, but perfectly okay for a used record store.

 

I'll bump for Record Surplus as well. I guess the old location had more charm, and the staff can be a little elitist about some titles, but overall good selection and decent prices.

 

Freakbeat's my fave. Not only is it within a 5-10 minute drive of where I live, but I've probably accumulated 70% of my collection from there.

 

By the way, not meaning to crap, but...how'd this thread get all the way to here from mid-2016, without getting relocated to the "Marketplace Discussions" area...?

 

Amoeba has been a great replacement for me after Tower and Virgin Mega died. Miss all the import comps from the 90s
I spent too much money on at Virgin. Loved seeing a film in Westwood and buying a record afterwards. My wife and then my children had great patience with me as I asked for another 10 minutes.

Does anybody know the name of the store in Westwood that was on a busy corner in the 80s?

 

Wherehouse...

I want to say that it changed to something else later on....

Then there was the one on gayley that had the used stuff. Drawing a blank on the name. Yankee Doodle, maybe..?

And then rhino wasn’t too far away, either-near the all American burger, south of Wilshire...

 

Thanks! Next time I’m downtown I’ll drop by and check it out.

 

On Gayley....Disc-Connection?

 

Penny lane is the one I was thinking of...

 

Ditto !

 

Penny Lane - whether located in Westwood Village (near UCLA), in Venice (near the beach), or in Pasadena, their stores were too cramped for the foot-traffic, sold colour photocopies as posters, and stocked overpriced bootlegs at-a-High-ratio-per legit CDs.

Whenever I found a used CD I was interested in (rarely), it was typically twice the price as used product at other stores (Aron’s, Rhino, Rene’s All Ears, etc)

 

Well, last time I made it to Amoeba in LA, Grady's in Ventura and Warbler Records in SB. Amoeba was great to see but to be honest not that good for used vinyl. Warbler was my favorite.
I'm returning now for 3 weeks and wondered what other stores you would recommend I checkout near SB ? What did I miss ? Mostly looking for used vinyl. Also interested in any markets taking place
in this area in August.

 

If American Pie in Ventura is still going, you might want to check it out. Owner is a bit abrasive and prices can be all over the place, but there are bargains to be had.

 

CD Trader in Tarzana has very reasonably priced new vinyls, and quite a few used titles as well

 

The selection is terrific, but the markup on new titles is pretty big

 

So if I am visiting LA looking for used vinyl would you suggest Record Surplus and Rockaway ?

Is the record fair on the 19th August at Smorgasburg worth visiting ? Are there any other markets worth visiting that might have records for sale ?

I liked Saltzers near Ventura where I found a David Ackles promo and Willie Nelson Red Headed Stranger.

 

Also in LA are Freakbeat and Atomic Records, both in the Valley.

 

I live in Ventura and frequent Salzers and Grady’s. I’ve found good stuff at both. I think the vinyl prices at Salzers are high, but that might be the market now.