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kashmir75

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The Record Store that I went to as a kid, Majors Records is still open. It has moved at least a few times over the years. You can get just about anything you want there. The change is that they carry very little stock. You have to order or submit a "wantlist".

I also remember all the record shops in Greenwich Village NYC and " The Hiawatha Express", good time spent. Bleeker Bob is still open last I checked. I met Lars Ulrich there browsing the racks. Nice enough guy.

Majors is the place I love though. I bought my first copies of Zep I II III The Forth Album and after 2 or 3 weeks of saving my allowance , Physical Graffiti. I also bought my first copies of  other records there. Looking back , of course they are fond memories but what I really appreciate is that it took months to gather those records . So my newest records were played often and I really appreciated them and got to know them.

Fast forward to the Zep re- issues , I woke up one morning logged on I Tunes and Zep I II & III were all there waiting to be downloaded. Instant gratification and overload. A month later I got an email from Majors Records that my Zep albums where in and that Saturday, in one fell swoop  I walked out with the heavy vinyl packages and the CDs.

I was driving home with a big smile on my face. I wasn't thinking about my new stash ( or the other much smaller package) , I was thinking of the first notes of Custard Pie from my first PG album and blast when I hit the button to engage the power to those crappy speakers.

Time marches on ? Like a Salmon swimming upstream, later on today I will swing by Majors and pick up a GF "The American Return" by Led Zeppelin. I forgot when I requested it. I'm trying to collect all The Zep , Godfather matrixes and I'm excited.

I'm lucky and grateful too.

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we have a record store near by. it is the only independently owned one left in the area. the owner is a bit scatter brained and is not the best person to do business with. outside the store there are huge signs saying everything is half off but then he marks the prices up crazy high to the point where at half off you are still paying top dollar. also, they test every record so there will be piles in the store that just sit there that he wont sell because he hasn't listened to them yet.

being the hipsterville that we are, we have actually have a surprising amount of record shops but prices are pretty high. the best bet to get some good vinyl for less than $5 a piece are thrift stores and garage sales.

back during christmas time I stopped by another music store to look around and they were trying to sell an older copy of physical graffiti for $54. it wasn't old enough to be special and it wasn't one of the remasters either. 

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On ‎2‎/‎16‎/‎2015 at 9:57 AM, drpete said:

I LOVED the independent record stores which sold bootlegs. Got my first Destroyer and Blueberry Hill that way. Now its all expensive Japanese cds and free downloads

My favorite memories were discovering LZ bootleg albums and buying them. I felt like I had something really special.

One Christmas, things were tight on money and all I asked for was Melancholy Danish Pageboys Get It On (7-23-79). I saw it in the small, independent shop and wanted it so bad. I still have it, of course. It was a bonanza of 3 lps and a great recording.

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Just now, ColoradoZephead said:

My favorite memories were discovering LZ bootleg albums and buying them. I felt like I had something really special.

One Christmas, things were tight on money and all I asked for was Melancholy Danish Pageboys Get It On (7-23-79). I saw it in the small, independent shop and wanted it so bad. I still have it, of course. It was a bonanza of 3 lps and a great recording.

oh, yeah, my mom could not understand why I wanted a record that costs $34 and what the big deal was. This was about 1984

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22 hours ago, luvlz2 said:

We have a record store that is historical in central Phoenix.  The store is called Trax In Wax. It's been open since 1982.  Trax In Wax . I've picked up quite a bit of stuff there. Going there tomorrow.

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That is the owner Julie O'Mahar Chiesa in the above picture. To the right of the counter on the floor is right where they used to have the crates filled with boots and you could only look through them only with strict permisssion, I picked up so much Led Zeppelin stuff in those crates.

http://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/music/tracks-in-wax-records-to-go-on-after-passing-of-owner-dennis-chiesa-says-julie-omahar-chiesa-6587610

 

 

 

I have been in that store a number of times, there's another good one downtown Phoenix and the name escapes me. I had my honeymoon in Arizona back in 2000, fun state

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Here's another story, back around 2002 the Smashing Pumkins called it a day, the last gig was in Halifax outdoors Citiadel Hill and the singer was out walking in the rain on Barrington st in Halifax on his way to the 4 level Sam the Record Man. I bumped into him and chatted for a few minutes. Nice guy. Because of that record store I met Corgan

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23 hours ago, Charles J. White said:

I have been in that store a number of times, there's another good one downtown Phoenix and the name escapes me. I had my honeymoon in Arizona back in 2000, fun state

Maybe you're thinking of Stinkweeds?

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A walk through our local record shop which has become the biggest one in the whole country by now.

In this video all the vinyl is still upstairs, but by now vinyl has also made his comeback downstairs.

 

Sounds - Venlo

Ok, after much delay, finally here’s the second chapter of this endeavor: ladies and gentlemen please give a big round of applause for Sounds in Venlo!

 

In past few years I’ve been travelling quite a few times through Brabantia, Limburg and Westphalia and tried to find some nice digging spots along the way.

I would have never expected this area was hiding one of the best joints in whole Europe for the wax hunter. 

Sounds is located right in the cute pedestrian downtown area of Venlo and has been there for quite a while. I know there’s at least one more chapter sharing the Sounds name in the Netherlands (Tilburg) but the two entities are not connected in any way. I’ve been told the the Venlo shop is the bigger of the two.

However, back to business. Sounds’ ground floor has mainly cd/dvd releases, books, action figures and some brand new records. To hit the jackpot you need to walk to the back of the store and then up the stairs to find yourself in vinyl heaven. Their extensive catalogue of new and 2nd hand records is very well organized and covers the whole spectrum: from easy listening to metal, from hip hop to wave and then some. Be forewarned that it will take several hours to dig through the whole thing. 

Prices are quite fair and you’ll definitely find some gems waiting for you. Maybe it’s the proximity to the famous Music On Vinyl label but Sounds has the best prices I’ve seen worldwide for their wonderful represses.

 

Sometimes they do in store shows and the schedule is on their website.

 

Here come the ratings:

Selection: 5/5

Prices: 4/5

Organization: 4.5/5

Personalized store bag: 4.5/5 (yep and a cool one too!)

Location: 4/5 (right downtown, no car access, needs some walking, parking could be a problem) Parade 66 Venlo

Edited by reswati
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  • 3 months later...

There's a record store that's been around for a few years in Old Town Scottsdale called "The Record Room". I just found out it is moving to a bigger location very close to me in Northwest Phoenix, I will be checking it out for sure, it's welcome news, the closer the better to go spend some money on vinyl! :Dhttp://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/music/the-record-room-to-move-from-old-town-scottsdale-to-north-phoenix-8323990

Edited by luvlz2
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I went to a small record store in seattle the other day and got a copy of led zeppelin at the fillmore west but the guy who worked there was a total dick. for zeppelin they had mostly bootlegs and just a couple studio albums. I wont be going back that is for sure. it kind of defeats the purpose of  having an independent store that charges more than the bigger stores when the customer service sucks.

Edited by sk8rat
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More likely he increased the prices because he has to rent the place and pay for everything himself. Nothing to offend but I do understand local sellers as I know of how hard it's to manage your own record shop. The bigger stores are selling cheaper because they're purchasing on wholesale. Sad to say, the corporate syndrom has been already introduced to the music industry. Smaller sellers have a thigh time nowadays...saying that I confess I am the one of them, though selling only as a private collector now.

Edited by zepster1979
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On 5/28/2016 at 0:42 AM, zepster1979 said:

More likely he increased the prices because he has to rent the place and pay for everything himself. Nothing to offend but I do understand local sellers as I know of how hard it's to manage your own record shop. The bigger stores are selling cheaper because they're purchasing on wholesale. Sad to say, the corporate syndrom has been already introduced to the music industry. Smaller sellers have a thigh time nowadays...saying that I confess I am the one of them, though selling only as a private collector now.

I didnt really have a problem with the higher price. it was the guy who worked there. he was rude, not helpful at all and had a pissy attitude. when I asked him a question he just rolled his eyes and didn't answer. I regret giving them my money. I would rather go to a corporate chain store that hires nice people than a store run by rude hipsters.

Edited by sk8rat
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43 minutes ago, sk8rat said:

I didnt really have a problem with the higher price. it was the guy who worked there. he was rude, not helpful at all and had a pissy attitude. when I asked him a question he just rolled his eyes and didn't answer. I regret giving them my money. I would rather go to a corporate chain store that hires nice people than a store run by rude hipsters.

Did you consider that maybe he thought you were being a dick....'Rolling his eyes'.....What was your question.....

Edited by JTM
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12 hours ago, JTM said:

Did you consider that maybe he thought you were being a dick....'Rolling his eyes'.....What was your question.....

I didn't do anything that would have warranted him thinking I was being a dick. I walked in, looked around grabbed a record then went up to pay. I asked if they accepted cards or cash only. 

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On ‎5‎/‎28‎/‎2016 at 3:42 AM, zepster1979 said:

More likely he increased the prices because he has to rent the place and pay for everything himself. 

Part of the reason my buddy's store survived for so many years is that he has "owned the bricks" since the late 80's. His overhead is low but his prices are high .

But customer service is number one, the customer is always right. With a valid return he will give the purchase price plus a five buck store credit coupon full knowing that the customer will come back.

He is as engaging and patient to the kid at the discount CD rack and the cranky old timer looking for 78's.

I will buy items from Discgogs but I'd rather pay extra to "The Major" if he locate the item. He has a real good source for boots (imports) and will actively seek out items for most customers . You pay for that too. Lol , he's a businessman.

Plus he lets me and a couple of other guys with nothing better to do hang out there and BS. And we get first crack at what comes in from the street. But nothing for nothing big buys or bulk deliveries we "bag and tag" or "snap and stash".

His vintage vinyl is under graded and full disclosure of any damage noted .

He is also a master at getting skips out of records (for a fee). Knows almost every stylus by heart or what will work (overpriced too) 

I bought my first records and cassettes from this man, sadly a dying breed. He made a good living for himself and his bride. Selling records cassettes and CD's.

I rue the day.....

 

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2003, I'm in Record Collector in Sheffield, with an armful of secondhand cds I want to buy. I get to the counter and put the cds on it. The girl behind the counter looks up, half smiles to herself and goes back to reading NME. And keeps reading it. Ah, I get it: she's clearly far too cool for this malarkey. I count to 100 in my head. She's still reading NME. So, you really don't want to sell me this 50-quidsworth of cds? Fine - you'll never sell me anything again, either. And they never have. Ask to see the manager? Nah, I'd sooner not give them my money. They must've lost 1000s of pounds from me in the 13 years since then, too. All because of yet another 'rude hipster'. Record stores? F*ck em.  

Edited by Brigante
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28 minutes ago, Brigante said:

2003, I'm in Record Collector in Sheffield, with an armful of secondhand cds I want to buy. I get to the counter and put the cds on it. The girl behind the counter looks up, half smiles to herself and goes back to reading NME. And keeps reading it. Ah, I get it: she's clearly far too cool for this malarkey. I count to 100 in my head. She's still reading NME. So, you really don't want to sell me this 50-quidsworth of cds? Fine - you'll never sell me anything again, either. And they never have. Ask to see the manager? Nah, I'd sooner not give them my money. They must've lost 1000s of pounds from me in the 13 years since then, too. All because of yet another 'rude hipster'. Record stores? F*ck em.  

Sorry, I'm calling either  a misunderstanding/lack of communication or BS...

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This has been one of my favourite record shops since 1973 when it first opened, now in it's fourth location, and a pic of John the owner. I've spent a lot of time there over the years. As an independent prices are higher than major chains but the service is first class. 

skeleton.jpg

Weaver.jpg

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3 hours ago, JTM said:

Here is an interesting read for those that feel they have been ignored in a Record Shop/Store.

http://www.sevenstreets.com/record-store-day-lets-keep-record-shops-scary/

that has to be one of the biggest pieces of hipster elitist nonsense I have ever heard. we get it, you work at a record store, you're are too cool for school. your opinion is right and anyone who think different is wrong. now fuck off and let my buy my shit and get on my way.

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1 hour ago, sk8rat said:

that has to be one of the biggest pieces of hipster elitist nonsense I have ever heard. we get it, you work at a record store, you're are too cool for school. your opinion is right and anyone who think different is wrong. now fuck off and let my buy my shit and get on my way.

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4 hours ago, sk8rat said:

that has to be one of the biggest pieces of hipster elitist nonsense I have ever heard. we get it, you work at a record store, you're are too cool for school. your opinion is right and anyone who think different is wrong. now fuck off and let my buy my shit and get on my way.

I thought it rather amusing, then, I know the places mentioned in the piece, I know what to expect. Both Skeleton and Probe are for true music heads, there for the people who seek something different from what can be bought anywhere. Elitist they may be and I love them all the more for it.

Edited by JTM
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