Second-hand vinyl stores in San Francisco ?

Discussion in 'Music, Movie and Hardware Store Guide' started by prof. stoned, Jul 27, 2007.

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  1. howlinrock

    howlinrock Forum Resident In Memoriam

    Location:
    SF Bay Area
    Or traveling farther south on the peninsula is Vinyl solution in San Mateo & Record Man in Redwood City.

    You'll find some interesting stuff in both shops..:agree:
     
  2. LeeS

    LeeS Music Fan

    Location:
    Atlanta
    I liked Rasputin's better than Amoeba during my recent trip.
     
  3. I had a HORRIBLE experience in Record Man--You see, they don't have prices on ANYTHING, and they look in a price guide which they DONT LET YOU SEE!
    I got 5 or 6 VG Sinatra records and the guy told me "You have a good $200 worth of records there----HE WAS TRYING TO RIP ME OFF!!!(well, I am only a 14 year old-------but my dad was still with me, and he was amazed at the crazy prices, he's a soul collector himself, and has pade $500 for some 45's, but for a mainstream pressing of Ring-A ding-----$60!?) It was crazy! He then would not let me see the goldmine book he was "pricing" them off of!!!
    San Mateo is a nice store (25th Avenue) A really nice store--Sinatra in VG for about 5.00 there-----Nice place and cool people
     
  4. imagnrywar

    imagnrywar Senior Member

    Location:
    San Francisco
    Record Man is a joke... search the archives, a few of us have posted about our experiences there. their CD prices are fair, though.
     
  5. Hypnotoad

    Hypnotoad Active Member

    Location:
    Chicago, IL, USA
    I was honestly a bit disappointed with the SF Ameoba coming from LA.

    The Ameoba in Hollywood makes the SF one look like a... very small thing. If you haven't been, you need to go. The largest record store in the US. And the selection is incredible. I find rare, out of print, high quality stuff there all the time. The buyers are incredible. Recommendations have turned me on to all sorts of great music.

    PS: Mostly CD's, but I love little Aquarius records in the Mission. One of the coolest little music stores out there.
     
  6. prof. stoned

    prof. stoned Forum Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    ...
  7. prof. stoned

    prof. stoned Forum Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    ...
    Wow! America is an amazing country. I just love it here.

    Guess what?!
    This is just my 1st day in SF and I already scored an amazing collection for an amazing price.
    Have a look at Bookbuyers at 317 Castro St, Mt view.
    They don't have much vinyl but their prices are amazing. They also have some 2nd hand CD's, which I didn't check out.

    Bought 13 records, all of them pressed before 1975 in vg to mint condition for 60 usd.
    Among them 1st press of Last time around (Buffalo springfield), surrealistic pillow in mono (Jefferson airplane), Sounds of silence in mono and Parsley sage two-eye stereo still in seal (S&G).

    I'm gonna have to buy an extra suitcase just for the vinyl, if things go on like this.
    Thanks for everybody for the responses. You've been very kind and helpful.
    I will be checking out the amoebe's, recycled, grooves and Rasputin the following week.
     
  8. rcdupre

    rcdupre Flying is Trying is Dying

    yeah, but the coffee shops aren't as nice as in the Netherands....:winkgrin:
     
  9. That place I was talking about will be open 10-6 Tomorrow and Saturday!!! Look at what I just got for $11!
     

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  10. action pact

    action pact Music Omnivore

    Another EXCELLENT source of cheap, collectible vinyl is the big antique flea market at the old Alameda navy base, on the first Sunday of the month. I bought a Swan "She Loves You" with pic sleeve in clean condition along with a bunch of swirl Capitol Beatles 45s, all for $20 once, and another time I hauled off about 50 bebop and r'n'b 78s.

    The Sunday flea market on Alemany Blvd in SF is also a good source for rekkids. A friend of mine found a mint Buddy Holly cardboard EP sleeve there once!
     
  11. RadioClash

    RadioClash Senior Member

    Hey Oliver, what is the address of that place. I'm down there from time to time during the week, would like to check it out.
     
  12. Jeff H.

    Jeff H. Senior Member

    Location:
    Northern, OR
    He is not so affectionately known as "The Rip Off Man". Steer clear of that store.

    Oh for those Bay Area record collectors who weren't aware, Open Mind Music has re-opened its doors in a new location.

    Open Mind Music
    2150 Market Street(between Church & Sanchez)
    (415)621-2244
     
  13. No address, but its a few doors up from the big "COSTAS" antique shop, on San Mateo avenue, San Bruno-You'll see albums in the window and you'll see the door open and a table of stuff out usually---
     
  14. hushypushy

    hushypushy Active Member

    Location:
    San Jose, CA
    You needn't check out Rasputin if you're checking out Amoeba, I've never not found anything at Amoeba. Although, it's worth going over to the Rasputin on Powell just to see the area.

    If you're determined to look everywhere, I suggest Streetlight Records. They're the best record store in the South Bay IMO, and they probably would be in SF if it wasn't for Amoeba.
     
  15. Another Side

    Another Side Senior Member

    Location:
    San Francisco
    Thanks, I was not aware of that. :agree: :shh:
     
  16. rcdupre

    rcdupre Flying is Trying is Dying

    cool, I'm glad Henry's back, and a good location too ! :thumbsup:
     
  17. Jeff H.

    Jeff H. Senior Member

    Location:
    Northern, OR

    I went in last Friday and had a look around at the new place. It's got a bit more floor space than the old location, and is better lighted thanks to the windows at the back of the store. Henry told me that the reason the store closed last January was that his former landlord basically kicked him out after being there for more than 10 years to make way for another tenant that would pay higher rent.:realmad:

    I'm glad Open Mind is back too. I've known Henry for over 20 years, back when he worked at the Record Finder over on Noe. He's a rare commodity in the music retail biz. A real music fan and extremely nice guy!! At a time when I was really strapped for cash, he bought my Beatles and Motown 45 collections for a fair price, when others I had offered them to were basically trying to rip me off. I'll always be grateful to him for that.:thumbsup:
     
  18. KenJ

    KenJ Forum Resident

    Location:
    Flower Mound, TX
    I have been shopping in the bay areas this week and last. Here are my comments:

    1. Al's Record Barn - San Jose on Bascom. half price except singles and choice lps on wall. all genre including a lot of 78's. The rock seemed pretty picked over although many copies of popular lps. I bought:
    * Badfinger - Magic Christian which is in great shape (VG+ to NM) - $10
    * James Taylor - 1st lp on Apple ($7.50 in at least VG+)
    * Traffic - 1st lp in VG+/VG original $7.50
    * XTC - English Settlement double lp from 1982 in torn shrink $7.50.
    I wanted BLUE CHEER in great shape but on wall at $35

    2. Streetlight Records - just up the road on Bascom and other locations
    * some good $20 lps hanging (early Cure, Ramones live, etc.)
    * modest selection of $3-8 lps
    * new and used cds

    3. Amoeba - Haight in SF
    * the best store I've found for new in print vinyl and strong in new CDs
    * a lot of $1 really common lps
    * several collectors lps on the wall
    * pretty picked over used collectors lps in bins but affordable...
    * new rarrivals bin in the $7-$20 range +/-
    * $1-$3 CD singles
    * I bought the out of print 50's Rhino box which is selling on Amazon by users at $200+ for $60 (sealed)

    4. Amoeba Berkley - similar
    * I bought a stack of cheap singles (CD)
    * Clash 10" Blackmarket Clash $15

    5. Rasputins SF, Berkley, San Jose
    * I found a couple cds...noticed they had a lot of sealed CDs for $9
    * West German pressing of EMI queen day at the races $7 CD (SF location)

    6. Record Man - Redwood City
    * friendly (but wasn't the man guy), showed me the price book
    * small CD selection
    * had a used zerostat for $20
    * I found 2 records I was struggling to find but felt I over paid but oh well...I got them $13 ea for really nice condition (one was white label promo)....I save that place for something I really want now and can't seem to find but yet a title that doesn't book real high (70's power pop). I enjoyed flipping through the shelves as they have a lot of lps

    7. Groove merchant - Haight
    * friendly guy
    * scratchy old funk
    * good selection at reasonable prices
    * I bought a 45 off the wall for $10...not cheap but probably ebay price after shipping

    3. Grooves - market SF
    * modest rock selection
    * pretty picked over but I found a VG+ original "Sailor" by SteVE Miller Band which I love
    * had a rare yello POP-O-PIES second record but more than I wanted to pay

    4. Vinyl Solutions - San Meteo
    * I had better luck a few years ago
    * many nice $3-5 records
    * I bought a $3 Alarm 12" single
    * Much better selection of NEW in print vinyl
    * I didn't find much else I wanted
    * small used CD selection, some imports/singles, some boxes
    * record supplies
     
  19. KenJ

    KenJ Forum Resident

    Location:
    Flower Mound, TX
    Give me an example of what I would typically find in ROCK?

    VG Fleetwood Mac, Styx, and other big sellers of the era?
    Pop lps like Barbara Striesand and other mega discount bin stuff?

    anything unusual for 60's-90's rock?
     
  20. I wouldn't really know, since I'm there looking for specific stuff-----Well, there's a lot of everything, a lot from the 50's, 60's and 70's----Plenty of Barbra S.---not too much------a lot of everything---not much of "one thing"------I think it is worth it due to the prices though to swing by and check it out----
     
  21. rcdupre

    rcdupre Flying is Trying is Dying

    that's the same reason the Church of John Coltrane (African Orthodox Church) right across the street had to move too, what a bummer, as I used to live like 2 blocks away on Grove...once again, if you're still in town, checkout Recycled Records on Haight and Masonic...
     
  22. Jeff H.

    Jeff H. Senior Member

    Location:
    Northern, OR

    I was wondering what happened to that place. How long ago did the church move from that spot?

    Recycled is another good spot to look at vinyl. Plus the other thing that's good is that the records are often less than the marked price.
     
  23. Look at this haul! 20.00 at the place in San Bruno---WE NEED to organize a Steve Hoffman gathering one day------!
    [​IMG]
     
  24. prof. stoned

    prof. stoned Forum Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    ...
  25. imagnrywar

    imagnrywar Senior Member

    Location:
    San Francisco
    hey oliver, thanks for recommending the record buyer in san bruno. i made my first visit there today, and while i was overwhelmed at first (thousands of records not organized in any fashion whatsoever), it is indeed a great place. i was kind of amazed that everything was $1 each, no matter what the record. it's basically the opposite approach of the record man in redwood city - and that's a good thing! if anyone is curious, think of it as a goodwill or salvation army, but with 95% vinyl and 5% CDs, tapes, posters, books. at least, that's the "feel" of the place in my opinion. you need at least 45 min to 1 hour minimum if you're going to visit.

    i picked up records by Hank Thompson, Judy Collins, Starcastle, Commodores, Jermaine Jackson, Kool & the Gang, Rose Royce, Rick Wakeman, Karla Bonoff.:righton:
     
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