Record Stores in Cleveland?

Discussion in 'Music, Movie and Hardware Store Guide' started by Yankeefan01, Nov 5, 2016.

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  1. Yankeefan01

    Yankeefan01 Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Tonawanda, NY, USA
    I'm going to be in Cleveland in a couple of weeks with my Wife. She's working and I'll be checking out the RnR HOF. I'd also like to hit any good record stores in the area. Any recommendations? Any good guitar stores?
     
  2. Vinyl Socks

    Vinyl Socks The Buzz Driver

    Location:
    DuBois, PA
    The Exchange, in Lakewood. Easy to get to.
     
  3. boboquisp

    boboquisp Magic Prism Eyes

    Location:
    NE Ohio
    Blue Arrow Records
     
  4. Yankeefan01

    Yankeefan01 Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Tonawanda, NY, USA
    How good is A Separate Reality? That's on my way from where my Wife will be working and the RnR HOF.
     
  5. rjp

    rjp Senior Member

    Location:
    Ohio
    there are exchange stores all over cleveland's suburbs.

    i don't know if you have access to a car, but the best store is about 30 miles away (a straight shot east on rte. 90) in mentor, it's called record den, and it is like going back in time. one can spend hours. literally, there. and as an added bonus there is a buybacks store (not great, but i have found things there) right across the street.

    as for the independent one of a kind stores they seem to come and go quite often anymore.
     
  6. R. Totale

    R. Totale The Voice of Reason

    Thanks for this, I'll be passing by there on 90 this month and will check it out.
     
  7. rjp

    rjp Senior Member

    Location:
    Ohio
    it takes about 10 - 15 minutes to get there once you get off 90 and it is well worth the trip. just make sure you leave yourself some time.

    and if you are hungry, about 15 minutes down the same street is a little restaurant called zappatelli's, i highly recommend it.
     
  8. Chris C

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

    Location:
    Ohio
    "A Separate Reality" has a ton of vinyl albums, as I was just there a few weeks ago. The road the store is on is currently being redone, so parking is a bit of a bitch right now!
     
  9. Chris C

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

    Location:
    Ohio
    I agree with member rjp that "Record Den" in Mentor is worth checking out, but it's seriously overwhelming your first time in, as the store, even though it is somewhat organized, has lots of disorganization around it, in boxes on the floor. That store could use a serious dumping of stuff in boxes, plus they could lose the mean guy who is always standing behind the computer, as he always snaps at me, when I ask him about new releases that I want, but they don't have. I personally have found it much easier (and cheaper), to just order what I want on Amazon, before driving all the way up to Mentor (an hour and 20 minutes away, each direction, from my house) and finding that they don't have what I want.
     
  10. Chris C

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

    Location:
    Ohio
    I really like this store and their stock of old vinyl, but I just wish that it were in a better area, as this place is literally in the middle of nowhere, unless one is going to a show at Beachland Ballroom, just down the street.
     
  11. Chris C

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

    Location:
    Ohio
    You may find that one of the best record stores, at least for CD's, is the FYE store that is right in the Rock Hall. The prices suck, but even though they recently cut back their stock, it still rivals almost any other CD store in the Cleveland area, with exception to Mentor's "Record Den".
     
  12. Chris C

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

    Location:
    Ohio
    With all that I said in the posts above, what I'd do to have "My Generation" or "Repeat The Beat" back. Now those were some great old school record stores!
     
    Alan G likes this.
  13. Yankeefan01

    Yankeefan01 Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Tonawanda, NY, USA
    Thanks for the tips on the stores and such. Visited 3 or 4 today and the best of the bunch has been "A Separate Reality". Pretty good selection and fairly well organized. Rock and Roll HOF tomorrow and I'll hit the Record Den either after that or Friday heading back to Buffalo.

    Thanks again.
     
  14. rjp

    rjp Senior Member

    Location:
    Ohio
    please let us know what you think of record den

    and don;t forget about zappatelli's
     
  15. Yankeefan01

    Yankeefan01 Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Tonawanda, NY, USA
    Just left the Record Den about a half hour ago. Yep, a lot of stuff. Most not sorted. I didn't have the time or the inclination to go through their stock. 3 people behind the counter and nobody straightening anything out. That kind of sucks. Prices for newer, unopened stuff were kind of all over too. Some bargains, some way overpriced.

    Walked out empty. I have kind of a small wantlist and wasn't about to go through all the stuff they had. They probably had all of what I was looking for, but we'll never know.
     
  16. jlykos

    jlykos Forum Resident

    Location:
    Parts Unknown
    Cleveland stores are a mixed bag in my experience.

    A Separate Reality has one of the best selections that I have ever seen (especially for progressive rock), but their prices on everything are stratospheric, like double to triple comparable items on ebay or Discogs.

    Record Den has a fantastic CD selection and some good new records, but the used records are a complete mess. I thumbed through some of them anyway and there is really nothing there worth checking out. It's a great place to go for Record Store Day, however.

    Blue Arrow is definitely the best of the bunch. They have some great stuff in there at fair prices (especially for soul albums), but you need to check for quality closely. Thankfully they have a listening station in there where you can hear if there are problems.

    There is a small used record store and vintage shop in the basement of Beachland Ballroom that has some interesting things at good prices. The problem is that they keep weird hours and are closed on the days when a show is not playing there.

    Music Saves has a lot of new indie stuff, but that's all they carry. If you are looking for a new copy of the latest album reviewed on Pitchfork, it's your place.

    Half Price Books locations are really hit or miss. Fantastic prices, but very limited selection. I always find a few things that I want in them, however.
     
    Yankeefan01 likes this.
  17. BobFever

    BobFever Forum Resident

    Location:
    Northeast Ohio
    Yes! Those two and Quonset Hut were the ones I frequented in the 90's Miss them dearly!!!
     
    Chris C likes this.
  18. R. Totale

    R. Totale The Voice of Reason

    Yeah, I stopped there this week and this was my experience, too. I'm not interested in new LPs or CDs and that's where they put their efforts. It would be great if you lived nearby and wanted to buy new records by popular artists at list price without paying shipping charges. As for the used stuff I don't mind digging through unending piles of unorganized records if there's gold to be found, but this was more like 50 picked over Goodwills full of late 70s and 80s major label common records, and not strong on condition. I still found one thing to buy (an uncommonly found insert still in a common LP) but it was a struggle.
     
  19. JinOhio

    JinOhio New Member

    Location:
    Hiram, Ohio
    I'm surprised nobody mentioned Vinyl Groove in Bedford. That's one of my favorites.
     
  20. MikeP5877

    MikeP5877 V/VIII/MCMLXXVII

    Location:
    OH
    I'm late to the thread.

    I agree with @Chris C in that the Rock Hall and Record Den have the best inventory for new CDs. I was working downtown last month (at World Series time!) and made a point to stop at the Rock Hall one day. I picked up 5 CDs that I suspect would have been cheaper online, but would have otherwise been off my radar (the excellent Spooner Oldham album from 1972 for example). I remember one visit there the only things I bought were a Streisand album and an Andy Williams compilation (nothing screams "RnR HoF" like those two).

    Where I normally work is about a 20 minute freeway drive to Record Den so I hit there about once a month. I was just there last week and picked up the book for the Beatles MONO vinyl box set for $30 (I bought the albums individually so now all I need is the box)I can't say I ever walked out empty handed but I get what people say about the general disarray especially with the used vinyl. The staff has always been pleasant to me but then again I don't talk to them that much. @Chris C I remember my first visit there - I spent about $100 per hour.
     
    Last edited: Nov 30, 2016
    Chris C likes this.
  21. MikeP5877

    MikeP5877 V/VIII/MCMLXXVII

    Location:
    OH
    I miss Quonset Hut the most, especially the Parma and Chapel Hill locations.
     
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  22. MikeP5877

    MikeP5877 V/VIII/MCMLXXVII

    Location:
    OH
    I went to Vinyl Groove one day on my lunch break this past summer. I came away with a few neat records, including a UK Beatles "She Loves You" from the 1976 reissue series. Unfortunately I didn't have much time to spend there but I was impressed overall and the owner seemed like a nice guy. I'll get back there soon.
     
  23. MikeP5877

    MikeP5877 V/VIII/MCMLXXVII

    Location:
    OH
    It's not Cleveland but I have to give a shout-out for Square Records in Akron in Highland Square, especially for new vinyl. They are my "go to" for Numero Group reissues.
     
    Last edited: Nov 30, 2016
  24. Chris C

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

    Location:
    Ohio
    Mike, I'll join you in your "shout-out" to Highland Square's "Square Record's". I often walk out empty handed there, but that guy does have a LOT of records (vinyl) that a newer and younger collector would appreciate finding at reasonable prices. In my opinion, Square Records is more for the "alternative" music buyer (The Clash, Devo, The Ramones) and with a heavy focus on new vinyl released by Indie labels, which I rarely have much interest in myself. Dollar for dollar, I give Cleveland's "Blue Arrow Records" the nod for used albums at great prices, as they focus more on "classic" releases or bands that are lesser known from the '60's, but even more, because they almost always seem to have some fun old 45's, which are my main priority these days, with six jukeboxes in the house!
     
  25. Chris C

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

    Location:
    Ohio
    Quonset Hut's original "old house" in Canton was where I bought so much of my collection, back in the day! I can still remember getting albums for $3.99 and when all of those albums started being pushed out, when those cardboard CD longboxes started to take over. I was there the very first day for all of The Beatles CD releases, which were done in batches on different dates and it was always like Christmas day for me, experiencing all of that! When they moved the music next door, to what was their warehouse (and is now "The Exchange"), was when they made their fatal mistake, as they tried to grow too large for their own good and got killed by the up and coming "Circuit City" and "Best Buy" stores, thanks in no little part, to their weekly "loss leaders" pricing on new releases. All of us collectors said that we hated those big box stores, especially to our friends and employees at "Quonset Hut", but we all still bought those new releases at the big boxes because you just couldn't refuse those super low prices, which were often $3 or more dollars less than "Quonset Hut"!
     
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