Best Record Stores in New York City

[MylesBAstor]

Gotta say, have only been to two of them: Academy and Academy LPs. Thing is, Academy now puts anything of note, value or interest on its ePay site. So what's in the stores are basically late pressings, albums in less than great shape and just junk.

[lasercd]

I don't get to hit the stores in Manhattan much these days. Seems like slim pickings for the most part. The best shops seem to have moved to Greenpoint and Willaimsburg. My last trip there uncovered some killer vinyl. Pricing was reasonable and negotiable considering the rarity (Vertigo Swirls, Pink Islands, etc).

[MylesBAstor]

I'm Mark's analog equivalent of a digital couch potato when it comes to record collecting. I did the yard sales, Lincoln Center sales, record store, record trading groups, flea market rounds for decades. The return on time investment was terrible. I can find more albums online nowdays for far less effort and time than the old days.

[Johnny Vinyl]

There's very little out there and it's gotten worse in the last few years. I still go from time to time because I enjoy the browsing part, but I have no expectations. I usually get my wants from Discogs, the SHForums or CAM.

[lasercd]

I still enjoy the hunt. Gets me out of the house and from time to time I find things. Its not like it was in 1985 but stuff is out there. Collections come in - not everyone wants to sell on Discogs or Ebay. It helps if you develop a relationship with the store owners. If you are a good customer they make sure to take care of you and set albums aside that might be of interest. I'm at a level of collecting that I go with no expectations and if I walk out with an album I'm happy.

Believe me I do my fair share to keep Discogs and Ebay in business. Half the shops in Japan love me. Still there is nothing like walking into a shop and pulling something out of the bins.

[MylesBAstor]

There's very little out there and it's gotten worse in the last few years. I still go from time to time because I enjoy the browsing part, but I have no expectations. I usually get my wants from Discogs, the SHForums or CAM.

The problem was that dealers got smarter as time went on and increased prices. Also some people couldn't keep their mouths shut about great records, dealers found out and upped the prices. Then eBay came along and all of a sudden dealers starting pricing their albums according to what they saw on eBay. Even this past weekend, the dealer at CAF hadn't priced some albums, pulls up the album on popsike to see what it's gone for and then gives me the price.

[MylesBAstor]

I still enjoy the hunt. Gets me out of the house and from time to time I find things. Its not like it was in 1985 but stuff is out there. Collections come in - not everyone wants to sell on Discogs or Ebay. It helps if you develop a relationship with the store owners. If you are a good customer they make sure to take care of you and set albums aside that might be of interest. I'm at a level of collecting that I go with no expectations and if I walk out with an album I'm happy.

Believe me I do my fair share to keep Discogs and Ebay in business. Half the shops in Japan love me. Still there is nothing like walking into a shop and pulling something out of the bins.

I'm not sure if these collections are getting harder to find or stores are getting lazier and not expending any effort to find records. After all, many of these places now pay their rent selling CD and DVDs.

[lasercd]

I dunno Myles. Most of the stores I frequent have little in the way of cds or dvds. Mostly they sell them for next to nothing. You can't pay rent selling dvds 2 for $5 or $4 a cd. The shops I frequent are pretty agressive getting in collections.

Sure its almost impossible to walk into a shop and find a mega-rarity for $5 but this is the "information age" after all. Dealers are too tuned in...frankly as they should be.

BTW, ever notice that as soon as you walk into any record store your cell phone loses signal? PREX must line their ceiling with aluminum foil. Makes searching for comparable prices impossible.

[Johnny Vinyl]

As Ken said..."dealers are too tuned in."

There's an upscale pawnshop here that sells used vinyl. The section is about 8' wide with back-to-back record bins double stacked, so approx 32 running feet of vinyl. Pretty rare to see from the pawnshops I've ever been to. Anyway, they're fairly expensive for a pawnshop! There is no doubt in my mind they have someone researching pressings, rarity, condition, etc. They also actively seek out collections.

[Bill Hart]

I rarely go to the city, let alone to shop for records, mainly b/c as Myles notes, the rare, the obscure, and the valuable gets put on the Net to generate top dollar, or at least a broader market. The local little record shop here in Nyack is cute, and I'll probably feed them some inventory just to get it out of here, but they can't scratch my itch.

So, a question- Myles, Ken, others- local to NY metro- I have my NOLA buddy, Max, a long time record collector- coming to visit in several weeks. I haven't been to Princeton in years- I had assumed it also shrunk on older vinyl, but I don't know. There's that store in Pa- DoubleDecker, maybe a few others. Which one(s) offer the richest vein? We did some stores north of here a last year, including in Beacon- Williamsburg is cool (Motorino! Couldn't deal w/ Lugers). Thoughts, please?

[Bill Hart]

He's from the Pearl Jam era, younger than us, but got into Free, Tons of Sobs, into Zep, he's more into glam rock than me. Also bigger name progressive stuff, like Yes, I think, not the obscurities you love. Me- I'm pretty agnostic, as you know, but to make the trip, it's got to cover my interests too. (which I think you generally know: early hard rock, psych, and psych-folk, as well as prog). Thanks, Ken.

[lasercd]

I would focus my attention on Greenpoint and Williamsburg. You and your friend will be able to kill a day or two there. Lots of stores. You won't have to dig for the rare and unusual stuff. It will be hanging on the walls.

[Bill Hart]

Thanks, Ken. I'll shoot you a note privately and you can fill me in on which stores- I assume they aren't all in one area, walking distance.

[Rob]

The problem was that dealers got smarter as time went on and increased prices. Also some people couldn't keep their mouths shut about great records, dealers found out and upped the prices. Then eBay came along and all of a sudden dealers starting pricing their albums according to what they saw on eBay. Even this past weekend, the dealer at CAF hadn't priced some albums, pulls up the album on popsike to see what it's gone for and then gives me the price.

some vendors pull that BS at our monthly record show I don't go for it and walk away. Cash talks, who cares if one person on the 'net over-payed for a particular title, that doesn't make a market. That said we have a few local dealers in LA that know what they're worth online and still mark them 30% lower than ebay prices. Its smart business and its why I drop over a hundred bucks on most visits.

[mep]

As Ken said..."dealers are too tuned in."

There's an upscale pawnshop here that sells used vinyl. The section is about 8' wide with back-to-back record bins double stacked, so approx 32 running feet of vinyl. Pretty rare to see from the pawnshops I've ever been to. Anyway, they're fairly expensive for a pawnshop! There is no doubt in my mind they have someone researching pressings, rarity, condition, etc. They also actively seek out collections.

Is that an oxymoron?

[Johnny Vinyl]

Actually NO. You should see this place.

[Alrainbow]

I remember when tower records and jh audio were around . They had headphones setup to hear the music beige you would buy them.