Vinyl Stores in Toronto / Buffalo

Does anyone have any stores they would recommend in the Toronto area, or in Buffalo? Years ago, I used to frequent Peter Dunn's Vinyl Museum, but it is no more.

 

Toronto: Rotate This (east of Queen and Bathurst) carries a fair amount of good new vinyl (though mainly of the rock variety).

 

Star Records in Oshawa used to have a nice selection.

STAR RECORDS
148 Simcoe St. S
Oshawa, Ontario
Canada L1H 4G7 905-723-0040
[email protected]

 

Backbeat Records (Yonge south of Eglinton, knowledgeable owner) and Vortex (Yonge north of Eglinton) both had vinyl last time I was there. While you're in the neighborhood you can check out Edward's (I don't believe they have vinyl)- it's very close to Vortex. Discovery Records (Queen St east) has a selection of vinyl - check out their website at www.discoveryrecords.com. Kop's (Queen St west) has 45s.
Dave

 

In Toronto, Around Again on Baldwin St. has carried vinyl for at least 30 years. Near there on McCaul St. just north of Queen is a store (I forget the name) that carries a lot of classical vinyl. Queen St. in that area (called Soho) has a few vinyl stores that you can find just by walking around for a couple of hours. Vortex, as mentioned previously, has a lot of pop-rock vinyl. Stores in the west end where I live , She Said Boom! on College and also on Roncesvalles carry vinyl. As well, Pandemonium on Dundas just west of Keele has a lot of vinyl.

 

Backbeat Records I think is 2nd hand vinyl (90% certain). Vortex is definitely 2nd hand.
HMV at Yonge & Dundas has a suprisingly decent though modest vinyl section but is way, way overpriced.

That's my choice. A bit of work looking for stuff though with 'A', 'B', etc being the only indicators of an items location in the store.

 

The Record Exchange
3028 Delaware Ave.
Kenmore, New York

Suburb just north of Buffalo. As good as it gets here. This once great city for music has been reduced to Best Buys and Media Plays. Not much used vinyl to be found in Buffalo. I think almost every record dealer in the city rushes out on weekends to garage sales and estate sales and puts them up for bid on e-bay. It's tough to beat the hoards of them to any piece of vinyl in town.

 

there's a not-bad used vinyl store about a block west of Rotate This. can't remember what it's called at the moment (something gothic-y like 'Neurotica' (?) I believe). they have a good selection, but be warned; the place is FILTHY. four minutes of flipping through used records and your hands will be black.

(also there's a cat that lives there that just adores having his head petted. poor thing's starved for attention.)

they do have a pretty good selection of novelty albums from the 50s, and more weird religious and motivation speaking albums than you would ever need (even if Letterman hires you for more 'Dave's Record Collection' spots).

the CD selection is much less impressive, unless you're a fan of Russian pirate discs.

 

oops. sorry. me very mixed up. Rotate This is WEST of Bathurst, on Queen.

not east.

my bad.

 

Yes, it is called Neurotica and it does look kind of run-down!

 

I forgot about Eastside Records on the Danforth (in Toronto). I picked up a near-mint Die Beatles from their stand at a record show recently!

 

Was in Toronto on the weekend...try IN THE GROOVE down the street from Discovery records... 1 block east of Discovery on Queen St E.


sean

 

1 more that I forgot is 20th Century Records. It's in the east end of Toronto on Kingston Road. Besides the vinyl on display, the owner told me he has lots of classical vinyl in the basement.