Your favorite vinyl stores

[Hardbopjazz]

a record store opened within less than a mile from where I live. I was surprise to see the number of jazz albums there were in stock. My wallet will be thinner as a result.

What's the vinyl situation like where you live? Are there store to visit and peruse through?

Edited July 14, 2009 by Hardbopjazz

[kh1958]

I like Academy in New York, but since I live in Dallas, I mostly frequent the various Half Price Books stores.

There isn't a pure vinyl store in the city of Dallas (the closest one is in Arlington) that I would visit (I'm excluding one store which I can't tolerate).

Edited July 14, 2009 by kh1958

[michel1969]

Ebay. Other shops resigned.

[Shawn]

Quite a few places to get vinyl in Austin (End Of An Ear, Waterloo, Encore, etc). Though as light as my pocketbook has been for the past year I haven't really bought any.

[jeffcrom]

Guess I'm lucky - in Atlanta there are four or five good used vinyl shops, including a small, but interesting one a block from my house in the city. At most of these the owners know me and know what I like. I buy stuff online, but there's nothing like just flipping through a bunch of records and discovering stuff you had forgotten or never even knew about.

[Hot Ptah]

In Kansas City you can buy vinyl at Vinyl Renaissance (although whatever they consider a "collector's item" is very expensive), Zebedee's, and Prospero's Books. Nearby Lawrence, Kansas has Love Garden, with the biggest selection of them all.

We lost Music Exchange, with its 1 million vinyl inventory, although many of us bought too much of that inventory at very cheap prices last year (like less than ten cents an album at the end of the sale).

Half Price Books has three locations and an interesting, ever changing vinyl selection.

You can still buy vinyl in Kansas City at a brick and mortar. CDs, too.

[clifford_thornton]

Though not what it probably was 10-15 years ago, Shawn is right and Austin is still pretty good.

End of an Ear is my favorite, followed by Backspin (cheap, DJ-centric) and on a good day, Friends of Sound & Waterloo. Antone's can also be good but it's needle-in-a-haystack.

I'm pretty addicted to the internet for hardcore collectibles, but some stuff I've found here pretty damn cheap, especially the things that aren't real heavy pieces.

[Tom in RI]

If you are in Providence you must check out Round Again Records on Wickenden St., the last man standing for RI record stores. Still manages to keep a decent selection of jazz and at quite reasonable prices. They have been at it since 1980 and still doing the job. Especially appreciated, not every rare item gets the Ebay treatment. Like all good record stores, you need to be a regular to get the good stuff, not because he's holding records for regulars but because Steve prices stuff to sell.

[Dan Gould]

Its getting tougher and tougher in south Florida and I haven't done much to support what remains. Not even sure if Blue Note is still at the storage bay they moved into two years ago; there was a good store in the western suburbs that relocated to Georgia, Radioactive Records in Fort Lauderdale, if they are still around, would be the only place of any consequence. They actually expanded into vinyl in a big way a couple of years ago but they aren't nearly as convenient as they were, and I don't have the cash flow to spend anyway.

[Teasing the Korean]

Its getting tougher and tougher in south Florida

Hit the thrift stores and flea markets, man! That's where to buy vinyl in Florida!

[sidewinder]

Heavily depleted over here - London isn't a patch on what it used to be for jazz vinyl 5 years ago, never mind 10 years ago. Nevertheless, I have a couple of places I check out in my local vicinity, much more convenient.

[Big Al]

I like Academy in New York, but since I live in Dallas, I mostly frequent the various Half Price Books stores.

There isn't a pure vinyl store in the city of Dallas (the closest one is in Arlington) that I would visit (I'm excluding one store which I can't tolerate).

What about Good Records?

I know exactly which store you're referring to which you excluded, and I completely, totally, 100% agree with you. It's amazing that guy's still in business.

[Shawn]

I know exactly which store you're referring to which you excluded, and I completely, totally, 100% agree with you. It's amazing that guy's still in business.

Is that the store with the poor, over-priced selection run by the creepy guy whose leering at you with bad intent?

[Big Beat Steve]

Heavily depleted over here - London isn't a patch on what it used to be for jazz vinyl 5 years ago, never mind 10 years ago. Nevertheless, I have a couple of places I check out in my local vicinity, much more convenient.

Like what, exactly?

Haven't been to London for almost 9 years, yet I know London's never been like it used to be ever since Mole Jazz went belly up, but what's left of Ray's Jazz shop at Foyle's now, and what about the area arounds Camden Town and the upper end of Portobello Road (Honest Jon's)? Everything's gone, too?

[kh1958]

I like Academy in New York, but since I live in Dallas, I mostly frequent the various Half Price Books stores.

There isn't a pure vinyl store in the city of Dallas (the closest one is in Arlington) that I would visit (I'm excluding one store which I can't tolerate).

What about Good Records?

I know exactly which store you're referring to which you excluded, and I completely, totally, 100% agree with you. It's amazing that guy's still in business.

I stopped at Good Records once and wondered, where are the records? Is this a joke?

[kh1958]

I know exactly which store you're referring to which you excluded, and I completely, totally, 100% agree with you. It's amazing that guy's still in business.

Is that the store with the poor, over-priced selection run by the creepy guy whose leering at you with bad intent?

Yes, except there are no prices on anything (if you show any interest in something you have to negotiate with the creepy guy and he tries to cheat you)--and everything smells like it has been dipped in a vat of cigarettes and ashes for the last couple of decades.

[clifford_thornton]

Heavily depleted over here - London isn't a patch on what it used to be for jazz vinyl 5 years ago, never mind 10 years ago. Nevertheless, I have a couple of places I check out in my local vicinity, much more convenient.

Like what, exactly?

Haven't been to London for almost 9 years, yet I know London's never been like it used to be ever since Mole Jazz went belly up, but what's left of Ray's Jazz shop at Foyle's now, and what about the area arounds Camden Town and the upper end of Portobello Road (Honest Jon's)? Everything's gone, too?

Foyle's/Ray's has like three short bins of records, mostly overpriced marginal LPs - though they did have one beat-to-hell copy of Gyroscope for about $300! I poked around a few other Portobello shops and didn't see squat. Honest Jon's apparently has quit selling jazz - they also moved, so they are a ways out west I think.

Good Records NYC puts all their stuff on eBay.

I remember one store in Evanston where you had to pay for a record before you could look at condition... that was a racket if I ever heard one... minimum prices were around $40 and that included random Jarrett ECMs and so forth. Waste of time, now closed as you might expect.

[Hot Ptah]

I know exactly which store you're referring to which you excluded, and I completely, totally, 100% agree with you. It's amazing that guy's still in business.

Is that the store with the poor, over-priced selection run by the creepy guy whose leering at you with bad intent?

Yes, except there are no prices on anything (if you show any interest in something you have to negotiate with the creepy guy and he tries to cheat you)--and everything smells like it has been dipped in a vat of cigarettes and ashes for the last couple of decades.

Places like that have led to the amazing success of Half Price Books, in my opinion. The average middle class American with books and records in their basement to sell, viewed used stores as creepy places until clean, bright, well lit, customer friendly Half Price Books came along.

[Big Al]

I know exactly which store you're referring to which you excluded, and I completely, totally, 100% agree with you. It's amazing that guy's still in business.

Is that the store with the poor, over-priced selection run by the creepy guy whose leering at you with bad intent?

Yes, except there are no prices on anything (if you show any interest in something you have to negotiate with the creepy guy and he tries to cheat you)--and everything smells like it has been dipped in a vat of cigarettes and ashes for the last couple of decades.

That's the one.

[Big Al]

I like Academy in New York, but since I live in Dallas, I mostly frequent the various Half Price Books stores.

There isn't a pure vinyl store in the city of Dallas (the closest one is in Arlington) that I would visit (I'm excluding one store which I can't tolerate).

What about Good Records?

I know exactly which store you're referring to which you excluded, and I completely, totally, 100% agree with you. It's amazing that guy's still in business.

I stopped at Good Records once and wondered, where are the records? Is this a joke?

Really? I've never been there and have been curious for the longest time. Not any more. Thanks for saving me the gas!

[kh1958]

I like Academy in New York, but since I live in Dallas, I mostly frequent the various Half Price Books stores.

There isn't a pure vinyl store in the city of Dallas (the closest one is in Arlington) that I would visit (I'm excluding one store which I can't tolerate).

What about Good Records?

I know exactly which store you're referring to which you excluded, and I completely, totally, 100% agree with you. It's amazing that guy's still in business.

I stopped at Good Records once and wondered, where are the records? Is this a joke?

Really? I've never been there and have been curious for the longest time. Not any more. Thanks for saving me the gas!

Literally all they had was a very meager selection of new Indie rock records--no jazz whatsoever. It seemed more like a head shop than a record store.

[sidewinder]

Foyle's/Ray's has like three short bins of records, mostly overpriced marginal LPs - though they did have one beat-to-hell copy of Gyroscope for about $300!

Yep, I saw that one. About £250 I think. Not the greatest of sleeves, didn't check the vinyl. Still, just to even see a copy is amazing.

[sidewinder]

Honest Jon's apparently has quit selling jazz - they also moved, so they are a ways out west I think.

Have they shifted from the old Portobello Road location? Strange - never heard about that.

'Intoxica' is also located on Portobello. They used to have an amazing (but very, very expensive) modern/free jazz selection in the basement with some great rarities but I guess that has now been sold off as their web site doesn't list jazz any more. At one time you could skim through rare Lexington Blue Notes, Sun Ra hand-painted Saturns, Rendell-Carr Columbias etc, all at eye-watering £.

Edited July 15, 2009 by sidewinder

[sidewinder]

and what about the area arounds Camden Town

Last time I was around there it was just 'Vinyl Exchange' or whatever they are called (it's always been closed every time I've passed it ). The place near the Market that used to be a branch of Honest Jon's years ago stopped doing jazz/soul LPs and these days peddles skimpy tops for bimbos. 'Fopp' on the High Street also closed down I believe. Shame.

Edited July 15, 2009 by sidewinder

[clifford_thornton]

Foyle's/Ray's has like three short bins of records, mostly overpriced marginal LPs - though they did have one beat-to-hell copy of Gyroscope for about $300!

Yep, I saw that one. About £250 I think. Not the greatest of sleeves, didn't check the vinyl. Still, just to even see a copy is amazing.

It wasn't a keeper copy... I was told that Honest Jon's moved, but did not bother with it. I forgot the name of the other place around the corner that I visited - another "basement rarities" deal, with ringworn Muse LPs at insane prices!