What are currently the best used cd stores in Chicago?

Did a search, but hard to tell who's still in business

 

you will want to call these before going to them to confirm they are still open. this list is a few months old.....


Dave's Records
2604 N. Clark St
Chicago, IL 60614
phone: (773) 929-6325

description: Almost all 2nd hand, and all vinyl. Smaller sized shop, but they manage to cram lots of records in there. Very eclectic assortment, plenty of rock, jazz, soul, new wave, dance 12"s, etc, etc.

location: Lincoln Park, on Clark st., within a few block of Gramaphone. I recommend hitting these in one go. You're bound to come up with something between them.

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Dusty Groove
1120 N Ashland Ave
Chicago, IL 60622
phone: (773) 342-5800
website: www.dustygroove.com

description: New and used, vinyl and CDs, pretty big shop. All things funky - soul, funk, breaks, hip hop, old school, r'n'b, jazz, fusion, african, a bit of house in there as well. They usually have lots of used classic and hard to find vinyl, but they're good at pricing according to the current market value. Occasionally you'll still find good deals though. They've also got lots of breaks compilations and funk/soul reissue albums if you want a more affordable means of aqcuiring classic tracks.

location: Near Ukranian Village and not far from Wicker Park. Only a block from the Blue Line's Division St. stop by train (but parking is not too bad in this area if you'd rather drive). A couple blocks up the street from Wax Addict, and about 6-8 blocks from Reckless on Milwaukee.

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Gramaphone Records
2843 N. Clark St.
Chicago, IL 60657
phone: (773) 472-3683
website: www.gramaphonerecords.com

description: DJ specialty shop. Mid-sized shop, 80-90% new stock, 10-20% used. The used stuff is priced very cheap, so you may get lucky and find a few gems. Styles include house, disco and dance classics, hip hop, techno/electro, idm/ambient, dowtempo, trance, and maybe a little d'n'b (not sure, never really looked for it).. They definitely stock more house than techno, and they seem to cater more toward house and disco classics since that's what domintes the Chicago clubs.

location: Lincoln Park neighborhood. I'd recommend taking the train here since parking sucks (3 blocks east from Brown Line's Diversey stop, or around 6 blocks northeast from Red/Brown/Purple Lines' Fullerton stop). I'd also recommend hitting Gramaphone alongside Dave's Records since it's only a few blocks from here. If you have time, you can also hit Reckless on Broadway, which is about 4 blocks north. What else to do around here?.. Lots if you like window shopping. Tons of stores around here. Lots of restaurants on both Clark St. and Broadway. I'm not up to date on bars and such, so ask around to find the hot spots. Lincoln Park Zoo is about 1/2 mile south (closer to the Fullerton train stop), and it's free to get in.

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Hot Jams
4814 S. Pulaski Rd
Chicago, IL 60632
phone: (773) 581-5267
website: eBay store

description: Another great DJ vinyl spot on the southside. New and used, famous for their selection of house, new and old. They've also got disco, freestyle, dance classics, etc.

location: Down on the southside. I really don't know this area, but it's close to Mr. Peabody Records, also worth a visit.

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Mr. Peabody Records
11832 S. Western Ave
Chicago, IL
phone: (773) 881-9299
website: www.mrpeabodyrecords.com

description: ALl 2nd hand, mostly vinyl. A great place to dig for 2nd hand Chicago house and dance classics. Lots of used vinyl. Prices vary. For serious Chicago classics, it won't be dirt cheap, but they've got so much good old stuff that you're bound to find a few bargains. They've also got a lot of soul and jazz, some techno, italo, plenty of hip hop. Overall, great shop. A few of the guys were around during the early days of Chicago house and have plenty of stories to tell and decent recommendations if you tell them what type of sound you're after.

location: You can probably make it down by a combination of train and bus, but I think it's easier driving down to this area. Check the map. Also not far from Hot Jams, the other big house music spot on the southside.

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Reckless Records
2 Locations:
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Reckless - Milwaukee:
1532 N Milwaukee Ave
Chicago, IL 60622
(Wicker Park neighborhood)
phone: (773) 235-3727
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Reckless - Broadway:
3161 N Broadway St
Chicago, IL 60657
(Lakeview/Lincoln Park neighborhood)
phone: (773) 404-5080
website: www.reckless.com

description:New and used stock mixed together, genrally more used stuff, but for techno vinyl, it usually seems to be more new stock. Both locations are fairly large. Used stock is usually pretty cheap. Styles include rock, punk, industrial, new wave, soul, jazz, hip hop, electronic (which leans toward techno, idm, electro, ambient - not so much house). Overall, a bit rock-centric, but I've often managed to pull a few cheap gems out of their used stock (usually some soul/disco or post-disco 80's singles). update 1/22/06- Bones just checked the entire Milwaukee Ave location and came up with nothing, so don't get your hopes up; this place gets a lot of customers, so the stock can be "picked over" more than not.



i know dusty grooves, mr. peabody's & gramaphone are open.....

 

Remember When
309 W Ogden Ave
Westmont, IL 60559
(630) 963-1957

 

This must be a fairly recently opened store! I literally grew up 5 blocks from that address and went to grade school a block and a half down the road, which should lead to another good used record store -

Beverly Records
116th and Western

Still there 2 years ago, huge used vinyl selection, lots of 60s and 70s releases.

Easy to get from downtown to this location by car or Metra train.

If I find some info about exact address or phone number, I'll add it in later. I do know they have a webpage as I ordered from them a couple of years ago.

Good luck and have fun!

Steve In Louisville (but formerly of Blue Island)

 

Also try DR.Wax and Second Hand Tunes

 

Very pricey stock, but has a lot of collector-worthy pieces at Vintage Vinyl, on Davis St. in Evanston. While you are in Evanston, there is a 2nd Hand Tunes and a Dr. Wax, which both have more reasonably priced (and quite a broad selection) of vinyl and CDs.

Are the Hi-Fi Records locations all out of business? That would be a bummer if they are; the one on Broadway had a great vinyl selection.

 

There's a new Reckless Records in the loop at 26 E. Madison. I was there a couple weeks ago.

http://www.reckless.com/

 

UPDATE: Yep, the web confirms that Hi-Fi Records now only exists as an eBay merchant, I'm sad to say. I miss Video Beat as well; the owner had truly one of the most extensive music TV archives I've ever seen. Wonderful times, back when you could walk on Broadway from Gramophone down to Tower Recs. and between those two stores there were four other top shelf stores, all along the same mile or so.

 

Another new store worth a visit:

Permanent Records
1914 W. Chicago Ave., Chicago

There are still a number of stores on North Lincoln Ave. near Western like Laure's Planet of Sound if I recall.

BTW Dave's is all vinyl.

 

I was at Dave's on Clark Street last Sunday, Father's Day, with my daughter. Dave's is 100% vinyl, no CD's. I picked up a new Nick Drake and the new Death Cab for Cutie reprint.

We also hit Reckless Records on Milwaukee Avenue. My 21 year-old daughter loves RR. I don't care for the store, but it has many devotees, as mentioned.

Remember When on Ogden in Westmont is one of the nicest used stores I've been in. I need to stay out of that place come payday. Lots of CD's upstairs and the lower level is a record collector's heaven, complete with a 10" (not EP) section.

Don't forget Val'sHalla Records. Val's in new location, off of Arthur Avenue. a websearch will give you the exact address. Great, great store. Val worked for Capitol Records in the early 60's. She has some history that is sure fun lisening to. She is a neat lady.

 

If you ever make it to Grand Rapids, MI, check out Dodd's Record Shop downtown. Gerry Dood has been selling vinyl since the 50's. Here's a link to a previous SH post on his store, complete with pics.
http://www.stevehoffman.tv/forums/showthread.php?t=87672

 

It might also be worth your time to take the Blue Line out to Oak Park, home of Chicago Digital. Supposedly the first store in Illinois to start carrying CDs, back in 1985.

 

The prices are high at Vintage Vinyl it's true but as they say"you get what you pay for"and as a long time customer[1986]I can say the quality of what they have is hard to beat imho.

 

Please don't misunderstand me; Vintage Vinyl has a slew of excellent records (and some CDs), at what are probably very fair prices. You just won't ever find a copy of, for example, the Stones' Some Girls cover with the first-issue faces in less-than-perfect condition for $6, like I did at Video Beat many years ago. At the same time, I did see a mint condition of the Radar This Years Model WITH the original "Neat Neat Neat" / "Stranger In The House" single for sale at Vintage Vinyl, which made me drool like a fiend. Too bad I was in college, and couldn't afford the $40 price tag (if my scrambled memory serves me). But honestly, that's probably a fair price.

Vintage Vinyl is definitely a great store with knowledgeable staff.

 

Does anyone know if Hipcat is still around? They were in the 'burbs but I lost track of them a year or so ago.

 

They are still around. They moved to Wilmette.

 

Awesome! I used to be very good friends with the owner (Jim) and his main employees, Angel and Mike.... but I lost touch the last few years.

 

I used to go to buy all my import Pink Floyd stuff. I went there last year with Gort Koz and picked up a couple of LPs. The following month they were gone.

Koz found out that they moved to Wilmette.

 

Awesome! I actually helped them move from their original location to their one near the high school back in the 90's. I still wish they were able to keep their original place - it had a bit of charm! I spent many an hour there, and used to work the Hillside record shows with them.... ahhh the good old days!

 

i went to vintage vinyl and the other spots in evanston, and i was less than impressed. that was october 2005.

 

A great store IMO.

Was there about 2 weeks ago with some forum buds and we had no trouble finding good stuff.

The owner who has had the place since 1983 is one of the good guys in the business too.

 

Very true. He's always been friendly to me, and although he doesn't call me by name, he recognizes me everytime I come in. In watching him deal with others, he is consistently kind and helpful to people with requests that are way out in left field.

 

Yes I discovered them back then, not much of a discovery since I lived in the next town. But I bought a bunch of Hendrix, in fact everything they had one night. All of them Japanese pressings. It was all new, but they open everything and put the front insert into a plastic cover and you look thru them.

I found some DCCs here way after they went OOP. Last time I was there they had some still new CCR DCCs but the owner wasn't there and the other guy seemed to think they were going to mark them up.

Anyway the used selection is small but sometimes you might find what you might want.

 

Wow the Gramaphone is still around. Incredible. I bagged about 8 DCC Gold discs there for $11.99 each back in the early 90's when I was living in Chicago. I got all the Doors and some Creedence titles there. What great memories.