27 Breathtaking Record Stores You Have To Shop At Before You Die

beaur

Fleetwood Sound
Oct 12, 2011
460
166
950
60
Brooklyn
I have been t a few;

1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 14, 15 and 20.

Obviously there a few more out there that aren't on this list. Found a couple on Munich last year that were pretty good but these days it generally takes a lot of digging to find something really good and I don't have the patience any more.
 

JackD201

WBF Founding Member
Apr 20, 2010
12,318
1,427
1,820
Manila, Philippines
1,3,4

Dang I was just in Osaka. I could have gone to 19.
 

Hi-FiGuy

Member Sponsor
Feb 23, 2015
2,241
762
385
Here is a link to at least find stores participating in RSD in your part of the world.

Places like Amoeba are too big and I generally lose interest pretty quick. I prefer smaller intimate stores.

http://www.recordstoreday.com/Stores?state=WA&new_search=

Some more obscure stores. I have been to quite a few of these in the US.

http://www.recordstores.com/index.cgi?country=United+States&internet=&brick=

International

https://www.recordshops.org/

This is not my idea of the LP buying experience, Amoeba Records.

best-record-gear-patrol-amoeba.jpg
 
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Folsom

VIP/Donor
Oct 25, 2015
6,029
1,501
550
Eastern WA
I enjoy small shops... but I'd go into large ones if I could get significant scores. It gets a little tiring and leaves you a bit disenchanted when you've got so many things on your list you'd like to find, that cost $300~ on internet prices and shops like to rack them up past their value due to misunderstandings on why they've sold for what they did. Even selling some on Craigslist turns into "well do you have anything valuable you're selling for less than $1?" And because most sellers are idiots all the dealers/collectors tell you they just inherited a turntable from grandparents or something made up instead of the real story. So if I can walk into a place that's a bit crazy and get some good finds without feeling like everyone's trying to gouge me, that'd be rad.

I like this website because it's easy to use while driving, will even update to your location.
 

NorthStar

Member
Feb 8, 2011
24,305
1,323
435
Vancouver Island, B.C. Canada
I like to go alone @ night when the store is closed; knowing the owner and have a friendly deal/exchange (key of the store for my sister's phone number...some' like that...). :b



...Or very very early in the morning, just as the doors open, and with no more than only one customer in the entire music store...

 

Hi-FiGuy

Member Sponsor
Feb 23, 2015
2,241
762
385
I enjoy small shops... but I'd go into large ones if I could get significant scores. It gets a little tiring and leaves you a bit disenchanted when you've got so many things on your list you'd like to find, that cost $300~ on internet prices and shops like to rack them up past their value due to misunderstandings on why they've sold for what they did. Even selling some on Craigslist turns into "well do you have anything valuable you're selling for less than $1?" And because most sellers are idiots all the dealers/collectors tell you they just inherited a turntable from grandparents or something made up instead of the real story. So if I can walk into a place that's a bit crazy and get some good finds without feeling like everyone's trying to gouge me, that'd be rad.

I like this website because it's easy to use while driving, will even update to your location.

Awesome app. Thank you. I use the Goodwill app when I am in unfamiliar areas and it has paid off several times.

I go to the large ones at times, but then my OCD kicks in and I get bothered that I cant possibly look through every single bin. What I try to do then is just have a specific list and knock it out versus a leisurely browsing session.
 

NorthStar

Member
Feb 8, 2011
24,305
1,323
435
Vancouver Island, B.C. Canada
It is amazing all the great free apps we can download inside our androids and iPhones and tablets, then plug the USB adapter to our cars and just cruise by following the directions to get there the fastest, with the less traffic, and with the speed limit indicated. Tomorrow we'll ask anything by voice to our cell phones and it will be delivered by the nicest and sweetest robots without even lifting our smallest finger.

We'll go to a record music store and our phones will tell us exactly which album pressing is the best of the music we love, ...which alley and bin.
Anything we'll pick we'll get all the info from our portable phones...the condition of the music recording, the pressing number, the quality of the sound by the music sound mixing engineers.

I was talking to one of my young nieces recently, and she told me that apps are voice activated for GPS road maps...the way to music record stores, the nicest beaches, restaurants, cabarets, music concerts, etc.

I remember looking @ maps while driving and get in the ditch because I couldn't see the road in front of me.
I'm sure you guys are more attentive than I was back then. Still, you get the picture. :b
 

Folsom

VIP/Donor
Oct 25, 2015
6,029
1,501
550
Eastern WA
I go to the large ones at times, but then my OCD kicks in and I get bothered that I cant possibly look through every single bin. What I try to do then is just have a specific list and knock it out versus a leisurely browsing session.

Oh, I know exactly how you feel on that...

My favorite local record store to go to doesn't always have the best stuff, but the dude keeps it real and prices so stuff moves. He needs to up his efforts a bit and go get some larger good collections to refresh the place, really, but it's a cool spot to go. You have fun, he's got a turntable setup to preview stuff. If you're in all the time grabbing stuff he'll give you better deals than he should; I tell him not to or try to make things in his favor more so.

Once in awhile I stop by thrift stores. I've never had a true score at one, but have a few things I've kept. The problem is all the guys that live for this stop at them early, and know people on the inside. In that case my time vs. money, well ok maybe it's alright if I have to pay a higher price tag at times. However it would be much more fun for me if I could go to them and find something actually really good, once in awhile. It is of a hobby of mine but other people steal the fun out of it so often it makes me wonder why I bother.

I've hit vinylhunt button while driving numerous times :p
 

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