The Record Collector. i hate to say it because the owner is a scammer and will rip you off the second you turn your back and dont even think of getting a refund on a scratched lp. that said the guy has got just about any lp you want and usually decent prices. out of principle i dont shop there but it kills me. 7809 Melrose Ave at corner of Fairfax in hollywood. 323-467-2875 |
Rhino Records and Record Surplus. Two of the best; both in West L.A. |
i should add that the record collector is only good for jazz and classical. |
I purchased vinyl from Rhino (in the 70's-80's) and it was a great shop. I also purchased from Arron's (sp), now on Highland in Hollywood (used to be on Melrose). Does anyone still shop there? They used to have a good used and import section. I trade CD's there occasionaly, but have not lokked at the vinyl (no longer do it). |
whatup dekay? aron's (one 'r') is terrible now for used lps. they do have a small selection of new jazz lps on 180 and it's worth calling because of that but not taking a special trip unless you also want cds. they have a better selection of trance/hip hop lps as well and a smattering of other stuff like shuggie otis. speaking of trance and hip hop and pop vinyl fetish on vermont in los feliz is pretty good. |
I do all of the above -- but also check Record Rover on Venice Blvd. near Centinella. Small, but I've gotten good stuff there. You can get a tatoo next door and Japanese female 'rasslin videos next door to that. Then do lunch at the bowling alley across the street. Finish up with some sashimi and Sapporo to take home at Mitsuwa Market, within a few steps, and you are set. Oh, there's a costume shop down the street if you into that kind of thing... what a neighborhood. Love it. |
Kubla: Too bad about Arons, another one bites the dust. I run across a lot of good vinyl in the WLA/LA/Hollywood area thrift stores "Out of the Closet's" in particular, but alas, do not have a rig. I may start picking them up anyway, just in case I change my mind some day. |
dekay you're right it is very sad. i hate to say it but chains like the glendale WoW are simply the best places for jazz cds now. just their miles section is about 10 feet x 3 feet and they have all kinds of hard-to-find japanese coltrane pressings. i hate walking in but what's a flitchen to do? i think that's why i try to nurture my vinyl problem - so i can still troll around the mom and pop shops and wash my hands of the corporate stench and assuage some of my guilt. too harsh?
which 'out of the closet?' the one on santa monica blvd or the one on fairfax? is it worth a drive down there for lps? |
Kubla: Both of those and many of the others. It's hit and miss, but they get new (old) collections in all the time and always have many on hand. I just started checking out the vinyl recently, but have purchased at least 300 CD's from them in the past year. I don't know how to check them to see if they have been "plowed", but they are only about a buck, so take a chance. |
Isn't Rock-a-way in Silverlake still around or don't they have any vinyl? |
oh the rec col. schmuck!
rhino is moving things around, so call before flying.
record surplusYESSSSSSSS! plenty of categorized, and alphsbetized reg priced LPs ($2-40-$50 and up). then theres the upstairs!! a buck a disc. categorized not alphabetized.
a week after your visiit , the stock will be different in the $1 racks. amazing.
arons- a big disappointment for one who has traded there for a long time. much fewer vinyl, tho there are new releases that youre either willing to pay for or not (widely varying prices).
eastside records on hillhurst in the los feliz area is a good resource, used to have MUCH MORE vinyl. what you see illl be in good cond, bill doesnt buy crap.
rockaway is still there in silver lake. interior is MUCH smaller due to subdividing into rentable spaces. still a good asource for LP. reg price stuff is overpriced. there ar $1 records worth fingering thru. used cd prices are pretty good as is the selection. ive gotten some important CDs here, and im a vinyl fan!
hope ive been a help. |
hey tommy, did you have problems with the 'record collector' guy too? i think i hate that guy. but his store is great for jazz, what can i say. but i think i hate him. what's your story? |
Rhino will actually have two stores. The new, larger one that is in disarray, will be the main store. Probably much better for live performances. Maybe even in the parking lot??? The original store (currently business as usual) will be the "value" store. The new one was supposed to open in February -- just a *little* behind schedule. |
Please forgive this Texan's lack of knowledge of the LA area. I will be in Santa Monica in early August (Fairmont Miramar on Wilshire). How close are these recommended vinyl stores: Rhino; The Record Collector; Record Rover? Any other recommended shops in SM/LA area -- primarily interested in Classic Rock, Blues, Jazz. How long will it take me to get to the LA shops? I will have access to a rent car...
Thanks! |
what's the address of the fairmont miramar? anywhere in santa monica leaves you w/in a half hour to the record collector and a bit closer to Rhino in westwood by UCLA. basically you just drive down wilshire and make a left (north) to get to either of those stores. i don't know where the record rover is. |
never bought anything there, id have to really need it. he sits there in the unorganized place and if you shows interest in anything, you can hear the cash register wheels in his head and mouth. as i remeber, the prices were ludicrous at low end and i didnt bother to ask about the wantables.
record surplus is THE store to hit, it changes often enuf to go more than once a week. my doubtful friend was a convert in two visits!
......regards....tr |
tommy, you're so right about the cash register in his eyes. i went in and asked if he had the chet baker/russ freeman mosaic set. he said he did which impressed me because it's not easy to find. 'how much?' i asked. 'eighty dollars' he replied. 'REALLY! That's all! I'll take it!' i shouted. Right away and w/o missing a beat he said, 'Oh, the that the um I was this one was that the one I was thinking about the I this was that this one is one hundred dollars.' (I think that's verbatim). so he jacked the price up twenty bucks; not really a big deal but ya know...come on.
my relationship with that store went down hill from there. he always had what i wanted but w/o getting into it any more the guy is just unethical. if you know what you want you can beat him at his own game but it's too tiring. |
You need to be very, very careful at the Record Collector. Prices are grossly inflated; he views himself as a kind of art dealer selling Monets and Rembrandts, as he likes to put it, and charges accordingly. But if there is an LP that you really want, he will have it. I would suggest he's only worth buying the really expensive records from. Otherwise, a rip-off. |
My concern as a vinyl lover is when to buy the CD and when to buy the LP. A lot of the Cuban-Latin jazz that I love just doesn't seem to hit the wax...but on the otherhand I'm sometimes shocked when I see in the new release bin an LP that I thought would never make it out on vinyl. I just never know if something is going to be put out on vinyl. I end up buying the new release as a CD because I don't like waiting.
Is there some sure-fire way of knowing if most or any of the new releases now-a-days will be put out on vinyl or not? |
gordy, rockaway is still there and they have vinyl. their 'priced' vinyl is too pricey and i stopped looking in it. they have $1 vinyl that has gems but a lot of chaff. their used cd pile is worth going thru, prices are right and it is dynamic, that is it turns over fairly frequently. ive gotten some good really good titles out of that pile.
.......regards.......tr |
Tommy: Where is Rockaway located? I have never heard of this one. |
