Record Stores...

[toys2cool]

Growing up in Miami, I practically lived at the Sam Goodies in the Grove, Specs at Miracle Center or the Peaches on US1.

man i use to go to all of those

and the specs at Mall of the Americas or if you were old school Miami (Midway mall)

[Mikey]

I still remember the first record album I ever bought by myself with my own money ... The Rolling Stones Hot Rocks

[SeattleEd]

Plenty of record stores in Seattle. The two big ones are Easy Street and Sonic Boom. Silver Platter, Cellophane Square, Bop Street, Second Time Around, Everyday Music and Groove Time. Also the Audiophile boutiques in the University District. Yes all these places carry brand new vinyl and vinyl is huge up here. Just like in L.A. I went to visit back in L.A. and there are so many record stores now though but sad Tower is gone. I miss the Tower on the Sunset Strip. Is it still there. I didn't go last time I went to L.A. Also run out of time.
When I grew up in L.A. I stuck to shops on Hollywood Blvd like Peaches and Melrose like Aarons, Rene's, Vinyl Fetish and Bleeker Bob's. Also in the valley like Poobahs and Neils out in Pasadena/Glendale and Licorice Pizza, Music Trader and Moby Discs in the San Fernando Valley.

I do miss record stores and more so the ones that had posters and colored vinyl all over the walls with incense burning and great music playing.
I still collect records but mostly from rare ones from ebay or specialty shops online. As for new albums I go to Easy Street. They have a killer selection and have a great buyer.

[david_b]

I MISS the record stores.. 1812 Overture Records and Tapes..

Not retail stores, mind you, but specifically the 'Record Store'..

They had such a personality to them, some were ultra-cool, some not.

I just miss all the cool covers, the best of which I still have in my possession and frame.

I can't wait to get back home and put up the Beatles 'White Album' Poster again..

Record Stores were the greatest..

[wilbs518]

I totally miss them. We had ERL records, Music Shack(2 locations), Worlds Records, Flipped out Records, Rhino Records and Essential Sounds around here. 7"'s, LP's, t-shirts and every kind of music. Most importantly you could talk and hang with people that actually knew something about music.

[BendyZaius]

Where I grew up, Scranton, PA, we had the Electric Mind Shaft downtown. Awesome place with vintage as well as new records. Used to hang out there a lot. The location moved around a few times. Five years ago or so, the owner got busted for growing weed on the second floor of the building where he had his shop. He apparently had a huge hydroponics setup going with hundreds of plants and grow lights etc. I thought to myself, now everything makes sense. Used Beatles records downstairs, pot farm upstairs. Store is still there under new owners of course.

[Mikey]

A great place for used records was The Princeton Record Exchange right next to Princeton University.

I used to go there about every 2 weeks ..... Their turnover was amazing .... People used to bring full boxes of records in to sell every day.

Sell Used CDs & DVDs at 1 of Largest Music CD Stores, Record Stores

m

[Rallygirl]

Our local chain wasBelieve in Music.. I spent so many of my teen years in those stores buying vinyl, 8 tracks, 45s and finally CDs. They also have stamp books that could be redeemed for merchandise. I don't know what I had been saving for, but last year I found about 2,000 stamps in a box of my stuff from high school.

I miss 45s. I loved having less than a buck in my pocket and being about to buy music. They are still all stacked in my basement near the Atari 2600 and my 8 tracks. LOL. I also miss browsing for music. I bought so many albums based simply of the cover art.

[bgrimm77]

Growing up I had Rockit Records and they were awesome.....could always ind great imports and stuff. They got bought out by Newbury Comix (which is still a cool place)

[VintageMike]

In this area, while there were some small independent shops it a;ways been abotu chains. However back then the chains weren't owned by the same company and each was cool. In the mall there was shop called simply "Record Town" where it seemed you could find anything. It's an FYE today. The last of the "cool chains" was Tower and of course they are gone in the states.

[jwyblejr]

God I wish this stuff came back with a vengeance....The last record store we had was Record Giant over 15 years ago and even then it was a mis-nomer because they were all CDs. The Last Unicorn kicked around for a while but it was used 45s/LPs and eventually used CDs. Can't even find decent stuff and garage sales anymore....

Not sure if it's still there but there use to be a place in Utica called Off Center Records. I believe it's over on Bleeker Street.

[kryptosmaster]

Oh man, I loved going to Record Theater in Buffalo, I went there all the time. They had a fantastic selection and I remember that big 7" singles section too. I probably still have a half filled book of stamps in a box somewhere too.

Yeah that's right. I forgot about that 7" section. That was an awesome store. I went to the one on Main St & Lafayette most of the time. I think that was the flagship store.
I still have some of those stamp booklets too.
I also remember the huge cassette wall. You had to reach your hand in a tiny hole but the tapes wouldn't fit through the hole. If you wanted to mbuy it you had to drop it down on the conveyor belt and go to the desk and they'd turn on the belt and bring your selections to the counter.
There was also a guy (I think his name was Fred) that seemed to know EVERYTHING about songs, etc if you ever had a question about anything.
Rich

[phil]

In the Pittsburgh area the big local chain was National Record Mart. They had stores everywhere! In the early to mid '80s there were four or five NRMs of various sizes within walking distance of each other just in downtown Pittsburgh. I was going to college in the city at the time and it was great having easy access to those stores because the stock did very slightly. The main NRM in the city was quite large and had a big Classical section staffed by people who actually knew what they were dealing with. NRM also carried a lot of oldies on 45 which was good for me since I like older music. Sadly National
Record Mart is long gone.

[trekman101]

When I was a kid my mom used to take us to the independent stores all the time...see was a music nut and had tons of 78's and 45's...I still have my 45's to this day.

[david_b]

A great place for used records was The Princeton Record Exchange right next to Princeton University.

I used to go there about every 2 weeks ..... Their turnover was amazing .... People used to bring full boxes of records in to sell every day.

Sell Used CDs & DVDs at 1 of Largest Music CD Stores, Record Stores

m

A local place like that was where I bought all my Stones stuff in college.. I remember the 'Digital Masters Release' of 'Exile On Main Street' being out and I contemplated so long about getting that album for like a hundred or something.

Yes, second-hand shops were great for finding excellent rare and low-priced vinyl in college.

david_b