Used Record Shops

[andywithaz]

In my area there is only 1 record store and it is going out of business because they can no longer find what people want anymore.

I have found that ebay's high prices are not my cup of tea. I would like to find a used record store that has reasonable prices and also carries rare stuff. I have found that gemm has better prices than ebay but I can't look at what I'm trying to buy.

Is their a website out there that has a list of record stores in a ceratain area

If any A&M members live in the South and have found a great record store please let me know

 

[daveK]

If you have a Half-Price books in your area, they are sometimes a good source for vinyl. And speaking of which, I have a question for knowledgeable A&M Corner members.
At a Half-Price store in my area, there are a number of sealed copies of A&M LPs: Herb Alpert's "Solid Brass" and "Warm", Sergio Mendes' "Crystal Illusions", Baja Marimba Band's "Do You Know The Way To San Jose?", Claudine Longet's "Run Wild, Run Free", and Carpenters' "Carpenters". My question is this: is there a way to tell for sure, by looking at the covers of these LPs, whether or not they would be brown or silver label pressings. I was thinking that "Warm", "San Jose" and "Run Wild" may not have even lasted into the silver area. All of them are priced $5.98 except for the Sergio which is $11.98. Can anyone give me any definite info?
Thanks!

 

[Rudy]

To be honest, I'd have no way of knowing if an LP is ochre or white/silver...all guesswork. I doubt any Baja LP ever made it to the white/silver A&M label, and ditto that for Warm. I would think that given the lack of popularity for A&M's older artists in the 70's, compilations would be more likely to appear on the newer label.

As for locality of record shops, pick up a Goldmine or Discoveries magazine. Even if no local record shops place ads, there may be a record show in your area, and some dealers will set up a table there. If you attend one, you may discover other dealers that, while not close by, may still be within a reasonable drive.

GEMM online has some decent selection--thousands of dealers list their products on there, although you have to watch pricing and dealer ratings carefully to make sure you're getting what you want.

 

[jimac51]

Many places that carry second-hand anything may carry second-hand music. Some places are run as non-profit or charities and some of these non-profit places may be funding an organization(i.e.-religion or politics) counter to your beliefs. In general,these places have a set price for vinyl,cassette or CD. There are sometimes special clearance days or frequent buyer rewards that will discount your purchases. Be wary of places with no prices,waiting for you to ask-avoid them and maybe let them know why you won't buy. Pawn shops frequently deal with music,though the possibility of stolen property is always there(it seems that the police are in every other time I visit one of thes places). Garage sales and/or charity second hand sales that may last only a day or two may find interesting finds if you have time to kill and enjoy a good hunt. Ebay's presence was indeed a double-edged sword-here is a place auctioning almost anything you can think of,where geographical place means nothing but also attracting customers with far deeper pockets that one could imagine. If you are planning to attend a record show some distance from your locale,I advise bringing extra cash in case you find the vendor of your dreams. You may find stuff you are looking for to cover what would have been multiple visits to your old store. Happy hunting- Mac

 

[LPJim]

Of the albums listed I believe only CARPENTERS SP 3502 got a vinyl reissue during the silver/gray era, which began roughly in May 1973, while the others had gone out of print by then.
There's a possibility the other titles exist on silve/gray in Canada and/or U.K.
Over the years I've run into foreign pressings that are inconsistent with the A&M record label time-color continuum
(ochre from 1962-73; silver/gray from 1973-86; brown or black with white lettering afterwards ...)
For example, THE FRENCH SONG by Lucille Starr (LP/SP 107) was out of print in the U.S. long before 1973 but exists with a silver/gray label in Canada.
Stranger still is an English vinyl version of Suzanne Vega's 99.9F which I acquired soon after its 1992 release. The record label is silver/gray.
JB

 

[W.B.]

Of the albums listed I believe only CARPENTERS SP 3502 got a vinyl reissue during the silver/gray era, which began roughly in May 1973, while the others had gone out of print by then. . . . Over the years I've run into foreign pressings that are inconsistent with the A&M record label time-color continuum
(ochre from 1962-73; silver/gray from 1973-86; brown or black with white lettering afterwards ...)

From my understanding, the switch from ochre to silver & tan took effect around November or December of '73. Among the final "ochre" 45's were: "Top Of The World" by the Carpenters (AM-1468-S), "A Song I'd Like To Sing" by Kris Kristofferson & Rita Coolidge (AM-1475-S) and "Star" by Stealers Wheel (AM-1483-S). I do not know if any ochre copies of "The Lord's Prayer" by Sister Janet Mead (AM-1491-S) exist in the U.S., but it definitely was silver & tan by the time it became a hit -- not to mention the last known release whereby the Columbia pressings used their own label copy (in which they left the top completely blank, probably thinking that since the design was so highlighted it was to be left alone -- in contrast to the typesetters for Monarch whose label copy artwork Columbia's plants would import for A&M releases afterwards).

Furthermore, it was during the summer of '73 that the "ochre" design, viz Columbia pressings, underwent a considerable change. Apparently to get the colors in line with those of the custom label artwork for the Carpenters' Now & Then LP, Columbia, on both the LP and 45 label sheets, changed the ochre from the dark brownish, dull-finish variation used in one way or another for years to the mustardish variation already in use on Monarch pressings of A&M albums and singles since c.1971; and the orange became a pale warm red. I once saw a Columbia pressing of "Yesterday Once More" (AM-1446-S) which was obviously towards the end of its chart run, as the "mustard" and pale warm red colors were in evidence.

 

[jfiedler17]

If you have a Half-Price books in your area, they are sometimes a good source for vinyl.

Ah, Half-Price! My favorite record-store chain! I used to live in the Dallas area but moved up to the New Jersey area ten years ago (where the nearest Half Price is all the way out in Pittsburgh), so I go through Half-Price withdrawal sometimes! Wish I had one closer to me!
I never visit Dallas anymore without at least popping in two or three of them!

 

[LPJim]

It's hard to find an outlet nearby that deals exclusively in vinyl, especially since "Lost & Found Records" closed its doors last year. They have a booth inside a flea market now.
Locally my favorite haunts are McKay's Used Books & CDs in Knoxville and its counterpart, Mr. K's, here in Oak Ridge. The former has used Play Station games, DVD and movie cassettes but no vinyl. The latter has gradually increased its vinyl stash, with alphabetized boxes of LPs on the floor beneath the CDs.
The dollar/two dollar CDs are also on the floor, so you'll see me crawling around down there on any given day. Especially since its 5 minutes from the house.
Back in Knoxville, the Disc Exchange, locally owned with 2 stores, one downtown and another out west, has new & used discs with prices ranging between $3.99 to $18.99, sometimes more for double discs or imports.
They'll order anything that's not in stock, but it's seldom necessary because their stock is large and diversified.
There are two excellent sources of used vinyl on the south side of the city, The South Knox Flea Market and Basement Records, both on Chapman Highway (the road to Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg).
You can easily kill an afternoon just in those 2 places. The Flea Market has some 45s --- a comodity that's getting harder to find these days.
JB

 

[Rudy]

I'm surprised nobody has put together an online guide of used vinyl/CD shops, categorized by state and city, with mini-reviews of each one. I think it would be quite handy, especially for travelers who wouldn't know which shops are good and which are worth skipping when visiting another area.

Detroit's pickings are getting lean. However, I think a lot of it has to do with how well the stores are managed, and not just the current climate in music retailing. Some retailers are quick to blame music downloading on their failure, followed by big box stores undercutting their profits. If you consider we're still in a bad economy, nobody's going to spend a few days' grocery money on music purchases. (Don't overlook rising prices either.) That and the lack of good new music by the major labels puts a pinch on sales. It's a combination of everything that's weeding out some of these retailers.

I think used dealers serve a niche that the big box stores miss--music that's out of the mainstream, music that's no longer available, maybe even collectible. If a good used retailer manages their space correctly and stocks properly, there's no reason they can't stay in business.

Good example is Pete over at Encore Records in Ann Arbor. He built up Car City Records in the 70's and 80's, but sold out later in the 80's to go into another business venture. When that didn't pan out, he bought out 50% of Liberty Music in Ann Arbor, going into partnership with his sister. Renamed it Encore. Almost two years ago, he bought out his sister's share, and is now 100% owner of Encore. That store, each time I go, is packed with more inventory. Every inch of floor and wall space is in use, and the stock is *deep*. The store is busy all the time, and to me, the inventory seems to rotate well since the artists I look for always have different selections when I'm in.

In contrast, Pete tells me he paid a visit to his old Car City Records and found out they're not in good shape--after he left, Car City expanded into an adjacent storefront. Business boomed while I was a customer there throughout the late 80's and 90's. But in recent years, they reduced back into one storefront, and now they're operating with only one or two people on staff now. Lots of empty floor space. And working on a month-to-month lease. They won't last much longer, IMHO. Pete knows how to buy inventory and keep every inch of his floor space productive. He's ridden out recessions before, and has done quite well for himself.

The few good used vinyl shops around here have been in the business for years. I seriously don't think it's a business anyone can just arbitrarily start and wish for it to be a success. It's not only about selling used recordings...it's about catering to a niche market, knowing what sells, knowing what it's worth, and offering a deep enough inventory that turns over enough that regular visitors don't show up time after time to see the same selections they did six months ago. Anyone green behind the ears can't pull it off.

 

[Rick-An Ordinary Fool]

Good write up Rudy. I agree about old record shops staying in business, they have to cater to a niche. I try to visit my local record dealer's shop at least once a month, and when I do, I always see new stuff that wasn't there before, it's a small shop but like you said, this one is also filled with every space available, every nook & cranny is filled, In fact sometimes there is no place to stand. I've found some promo 45's in places I didn't think I would. My last find was that Simon & Garfunkel Super Stereo Separation of there 1964 LP

By the way what is Half-Price, you all lost me with that one? Is this a record shop online?

 

[jfiedler17]

I agree about 45s; there aren't a lot of good used record stores near where I am where you can get 45s. I can think of only two, and even then, the stock almost never changes at either of them. I'm running out of stuff to get there!
Which is pretty unfortunate for me, 'cause I almost EXCLUSIVELY collect 45s these days. (I replaced at least half my LPs with 45s, since the LPs were taking up too much space and most of them had only 1 to 3 songs I ever listened to on them.)
The best luck I have finding 45s near me is when the local flea market is in season. Usually, the dealers there with 45s sell the stuff by the boxload or crateload for $5-20 rather than individually, so I find a lot of new favorites I've never heard before that way.

Half-Price Books, by the way, (the full name is actually Half Price Books Records Magazines), is a relatively big chain of used book/audio/video/software stores. They're not in every state (mainly up the West Coast (there's a bundle of them in Seattle) and up most of the Midwest, where most of them are, especially in Texas), but there's maybe 70-80 locations in all. They have a gigantic headquarters store in the Dallas area that you could literally spend all day in and not see everything. (They do have a website, halfpricebooks.com. You can buy some stuff on there, too, but it's just not the same for me as actually being in one of the stores and digging through piles of twenty-five-cent 45s and LPs. (Prices vary between locations for some weird reason, unfortunately, so some locations are a lot cheaper than others. I've been in some where LPs are at least a buck each and others where they're as cheap as a dime each ...)
I've probably bought more 45s and LPs from there over the years than any other record store I've been to.
Definitely worth checking out if you're ever near one.

 

[Dave]

There are many record shops, very well run which have been in business over 20 years. Others, sadly, are a very much a reflection of how they treat their customers, how they price their goods, and have what people are looking for. It is by luck, too, how well a business like a used record store succeeds, but the big picture is how well run, well stocked and how well customers are treated that will determine its success.

And what I've learned over the years is, the time to buy that LP or '45' you see in the store that catches your eye that you're not sure if you'll like or want is the time it's right in your hand. Otherwise you'll be looking for it online at eBay or GEMM, for more $$$, as well. Just make sure your closet is big enough to put everything in. If you don't like it right when you bring it home...You may want to listen to it later...

Rare '45's are best come across mostly at the Record SHOWS! Though a lot of patience is definitely needed, especially when thumbing through many which AREN'T in alphabetical order. Be prepared to replace the sleeves that are ragged--or that aren't there! I seem to have EVERYTHING in A&M sleeves right now, until I know exactly how many of those plain white '45' sleeves I'll need for what I intend to keep and for potential "incoming material"; funny how sleeves I buy are easily used up. And many Record Company '45' Sleeves are valuable, too; even if they become too brittle or torn to safely keep your record in. At least you can put them in plastic covers (least if they look good) and have a little "collection" of them, too. I've got a collection of rare Record Company LP Sleeves, too.

Dave

...anticipating what I'll need, before I even know I'll need it or hear about it later...

 

[DAN BOLTON]

Try some second-hand stores in your area, and don't overlook the local Goodwill Store...sometimes you can find albums there...I've seen TJB albums at some stores. They might not be in the best shape, but you can usually get them for next to nothing...

Dan

 

[andywithaz]

Thanks for all your help

I agree with Rudy that somebody needs to have an online recoord store guide. Maybe that can be a job for somebody here at the A & M forum (hint, hint)


Andrew
...wishing all my friends at the corner a Happy New Year...