I know Fopp has opened up somewhere: is in in Covent Garden? How big is it? I have recently become better at buying in Fopp: it is very tempting to buy a bucketful of albums for a £5 just to, y'know, have them, but I have done this in the past and never got around to listening to them all properly. So no more. Anyway...
― Clive, Thursday, 29 August 2002 20:27 (10 years ago) Permalink
1) THESE records (lambeth North on the tube).2) Sound 3233) Tower records4) Reckless (good second hand stuff)5) Rough trade (covent garden is closest for me btu also have a shop in notting hill).
― Julio Desouza (jdesouza), Thursday, 29 August 2002 20:36 (10 years ago) Permalink
― anthony easton (anthony), Thursday, 29 August 2002 22:50 (10 years ago) Permalink
― chris (chris), Friday, 30 August 2002 11:47 (10 years ago) Permalink
these are all the obvious onesi quite like haggle vinyl on essex rd, islington. only vinyl and good for jazz, old school rave and jungle, and showtunes<
― gareth (gareth), Friday, 30 August 2002 11:50 (10 years ago) Permalink
Plus record and tape exchange (v. small)
and excellent market too. lovely bread and cheese.
― chris (chris), Friday, 30 August 2002 11:59 (10 years ago) Permalink
― jel -- (jel), Friday, 30 August 2002 12:52 (10 years ago) Permalink
― Tim (Tim), Friday, 30 August 2002 12:57 (10 years ago) Permalink
― zebedee, Friday, 30 August 2002 13:05 (10 years ago) Permalink
Selectadisc - BERWICK STREET
Sister Ray - BERWICK STREET
Resurrection Records - CAMDEN
MVE - CAMDEN
i have yet to visit Sound 323 - nr HIGHGATE TUBE.
[by the way Tower Records, in Camden closes today (Tower are closing all their UK stores apart from Piccadilly Circus and Kensington High St), and I have still yet to visit FOPP in 1 Earlham Street, Covent Garden ]
Anyone visited Fopp shop in London?
― DJ Martian (djmartian), Friday, 30 August 2002 13:27 (10 years ago) Permalink
― DJ Martian (djmartian), Friday, 30 August 2002 13:29 (10 years ago) Permalink
― Tim (Tim), Friday, 30 August 2002 13:32 (10 years ago) Permalink
― Sarah (starry), Friday, 30 August 2002 13:36 (10 years ago) Permalink
HMV are continually expanding in the UK, so maybe they could snap up the lease? presumably it's a lease and not owned by Tower? [i am surprised HMV haven't arrived in Camden to date considering the amount of young people shopping in the area]
WhSmith don't have a store in Camden - so maybe?
― DJ Martian (djmartian), Friday, 30 August 2002 13:46 (10 years ago) Permalink
I've always thought Rough Trade was overpriced.
― rosemary (rosemary), Friday, 30 August 2002 14:46 (10 years ago) Permalink
There's another good one that I like down Portobello Road below zero?? something like that, the man who owns it is a big Nick Drake fan. Sells bootlegs etc.
― chris (chris), Friday, 30 August 2002 15:06 (10 years ago) Permalink
― Andrew L (Andrew L), Friday, 30 August 2002 16:05 (10 years ago) Permalink
― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Friday, 30 August 2002 16:20 (10 years ago) Permalink
no-one's mentioned the Soul Jazz Records shop Sounds of the Universe yet, on Ingstre Place, near Berwick St. and Dub Vendor in Ladbroke Grove and Clapham(?)
― michael (michael), Friday, 30 August 2002 17:44 (10 years ago) Permalink
― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Friday, 30 August 2002 20:25 (10 years ago) Permalink
Does.not.compute...
― michael (michael), Saturday, 31 August 2002 15:20 (10 years ago) Permalink
― Tim (Tim), Wednesday, 25 September 2002 13:04 (10 years ago) Permalink
― Sarah (starry), Wednesday, 25 September 2002 13:06 (10 years ago) Permalink
― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Wednesday, 25 September 2002 16:58 (10 years ago) Permalink
― Dr. C (Dr. C), Wednesday, 25 September 2002 18:04 (10 years ago) Permalink
― bert, Wednesday, 25 September 2002 19:26 (10 years ago) Permalink
― chris (chris), Thursday, 26 September 2002 08:36 (10 years ago) Permalink
― jon (jon), Thursday, 26 September 2002 08:42 (10 years ago) Permalink
― Tim (Tim), Thursday, 26 September 2002 08:43 (10 years ago) Permalink
― chris (chris), Thursday, 26 September 2002 08:49 (10 years ago) Permalink
do you too get a strange kick from the unspoken rack etiquette that goes on as people work their way through EVERYTHING but in different orders to each other?
On the other hand, I don't either.
― jon (jon), Thursday, 26 September 2002 08:50 (10 years ago) Permalink
The two Trojan comps I bought ("Socking Good Time", an obscuro rocksteady comp, and "Reggae Fever" by the Inspirations are also socking good. But then I pushed the boat out for them: they were £3 each. For shame.
― Tim (Tim), Thursday, 26 September 2002 08:59 (10 years ago) Permalink
― chris (chris), Thursday, 26 September 2002 09:01 (10 years ago) Permalink
http://www.soundgenerator.com/news/index.cfm?articleid=1466It is reported that Tower Records, the record retail chain are to close all their remaining stores in the UK ending all ties with the British Isles.
― DJ Martian (djmartian), Tuesday, 28 January 2003 14:27 (10 years ago) Permalink
there are far too many virgin megastores in london. i was hoping we might get swan & edgar back.
― Marcello Carlin, Tuesday, 28 January 2003 14:36 (10 years ago) Permalink
― Marcello Carlin, Tuesday, 28 January 2003 14:37 (10 years ago) Permalink
― DJ Martian (djmartian), Tuesday, 28 January 2003 14:38 (10 years ago) Permalink
― DJ Martian (djmartian), Tuesday, 28 January 2003 14:41 (10 years ago) Permalink
― Julio Desouza (jdesouza), Tuesday, 28 January 2003 15:27 (10 years ago) Permalink
― Marcello Carlin, Tuesday, 28 January 2003 15:39 (10 years ago) Permalink
― Julio Desouza (jdesouza), Tuesday, 28 January 2003 15:46 (10 years ago) Permalink
― Matt DC (Matt DC), Tuesday, 28 January 2003 15:47 (10 years ago) Permalink
― DJ Martian (djmartian), Tuesday, 28 January 2003 15:49 (10 years ago) Permalink
― DJ Martian (djmartian), Tuesday, 28 January 2003 15:50 (10 years ago) Permalink
Elite on Vauxhall Bridge Road was the best record shop in the land.Sorry to see you go,guys.Good luck with the new label!
― Eugene Speed (Eugene Speed), Thursday, 30 January 2003 20:17 (10 years ago) Permalink
"a cheap 250mb external with fast USB for PC"
he'll be using it when he moves to Japan soon and he wants to try to buy one while he's visiting London. Any help on where to look would be good. TCR?
― Tim (Tim), Wednesday, 2 August 2006 09:53 (6 years ago) Permalink
Record shopping in London talk seems to centre exclusively on TCR anyway, so it's not a million miles away from relevance. Sorry.
― Tim (Tim), Wednesday, 2 August 2006 09:55 (6 years ago) Permalink
Yoyo tech is the most reputable of the disreputable bunch that are the TCR suppliers.
― Ed (dali), Wednesday, 2 August 2006 09:57 (6 years ago) Permalink
(i'm not sure i trust these things still, too many stories of them just failing)
― Koogy Yonderboy (koogs), Wednesday, 2 August 2006 10:04 (6 years ago) Permalink
― Ed (dali), Wednesday, 2 August 2006 10:11 (6 years ago) Permalink
― Forest Pines (ForestPines), Wednesday, 2 August 2006 17:37 (6 years ago) Permalink
Has anyone been to the clearance sale at Rough Trade, Neals Yard? If so, any good bargains to be had?
― Neil S, Wednesday, 11 July 2007 14:32 (5 years ago) Permalink
Rough Trade West now has a second hand vinyl basement. Don't fucking bother, the prices are ludicrous, go to Intoxica instead (which is what I just did).
― The Eyeball Of Hull (Colonel Poo), Tuesday, 6 March 2012 14:39 (1 year ago) Permalink
whenever i'm in the area i go into rough trade east with the best of vinyl intentions, and invariably leave empty handed. fuck right off with your £20+ lps.
― Boo-Yaa Too Rough International Boo-Yaa Empire (Merdeyeux), Tuesday, 6 March 2012 14:49 (1 year ago) Permalink
Can never work out how RT get away with charging what they do (for everything, not just vinyl) and not going bust.
― Humperdin C.K. (seandalai), Tuesday, 6 March 2012 14:58 (1 year ago) Permalink
I knew it was going to be a waste of time when I saw the bargain bin was £5.
They were charging £20+ for records you can easily find for £5.
― The Eyeball Of Hull (Colonel Poo), Tuesday, 6 March 2012 15:07 (1 year ago) Permalink
where are the best places for second hand vinyl nowadays? i quite like kristina but it's a bit on the expensive side itself, albeit generally not for things that you're going to find with ease elsewhere, but most of my vinyl purchasing ends up happening in the kingsland road oxfam.
― Boo-Yaa Too Rough International Boo-Yaa Empire (Merdeyeux), Wednesday, 7 March 2012 02:24 (1 year ago) Permalink
Rough-trade used vinyl basement is a joke.. Even the 'sale' section in the main shop is overpriced...
Walk a bit further up and check out Honest Jons for cheap new vinyl..
― Night Nurse with Wound (Jack Battery-Pack), Wednesday, 7 March 2012 09:11 (1 year ago) Permalink
I have been enjoying going to the main Notting Hill Record & Tape Exchange, unfashionably enough. I am mostly buying really cheap second hand 70s country vinyl these days, which as far as I can tell no-one else in the world cares about.
South-East London record hunting safari can be rewarding once in a while - I am putting this here even though I realise most of you won't consider these to be London at all. BUT:
- Rolling Records by West Wickham station is expensive but has quite a surprising selection of 70s stuff, and there always seems to be a soul record there I can't resist.
- Wanted Music in Beckenham is a proper, old-fashioned record store like they used to be - there's always something I want to buy and the dirty cheap section in the front of the shop does me proud.
― Tim, Wednesday, 7 March 2012 10:52 (1 year ago) Permalink
I'm going to Notting Hill MVE this lunchtime as I leave this job tomorrow (at Kensington High St). They seem to have slowed down the price reduction thing, at least it seems I don't go in for a couple of months and everything I had my eye on is the same price.
― The Eyeball Of Hull (Colonel Poo), Wednesday, 7 March 2012 11:01 (1 year ago) Permalink
Ach, missed yer.
― Mark G, Wednesday, 7 March 2012 20:34 (1 year ago) Permalink
So, MVE Camden is shut. kind of saw it coming, reducing the stock pretty quickly. Sad to see it go, when I lived in Kentish Town I the cheap CDs and Vinyl used to really cheer me up. On another tip can Rough Trade East get any worse? It's like they don't know what to do with the shop at all, and it's so expensive. Sad really when I think about how the Covent Garden shop shaped my musical tastes about 10 years ago.
― mmmm, Wednesday, 19 September 2012 18:54 (9 months ago) Permalink
It's like they don't know what to do with the shop at all
do you mean in terms of their stock? it has felt to me like they're trying to cover everything and the result is having a really random or shallow collection of stuff. it makes going with specific things in mind feel pointless. and yeah, then if you do find something it's like £18 for a single lp.
― Right or wrong, It's the truth! (Merdeyeux), Wednesday, 19 September 2012 21:32 (9 months ago) Permalink
I was interested to note that the Clarks concession in RT East had gone last time I was in (I don't go very often anymore because I no longer work in the area). Assuming they are trying to turn the place into a kind of Alternative Selfridges with lots of concessions, Clarks always seemed a strange fit, but then it's not clear to me who the good fit would be.
I wouldn't be amazed to see the cafe part growing in proportion to the record shop part, getting more booze in, getting more involved in the "night-time economy" and less dependent on selling records.
― Tim, Thursday, 20 September 2012 10:04 (8 months ago) Permalink
The Gap started as a record shop.
― TracerHandVEVO (Tracer Hand), Thursday, 20 September 2012 10:17 (8 months ago) Permalink
Yeah, I'm moving out of the area, workwise, so making my last easy visits to MVE, RTE, Intox etc.
― Mark G, Thursday, 20 September 2012 10:19 (8 months ago) Permalink
I had no idea! Did they stop selling records early on in their history?
(Also hi Tracer, we need to meet for a beer soon.)
― Tim, Thursday, 20 September 2012 10:23 (8 months ago) Permalink
xp yeah I did all those before I stopped working in Kensington - ah as documented on this very thread in fact.
Now I work in Battersea where there are no record shops at all. Probably just as well really, can't afford any at the moment.
― Colonel Poo, Thursday, 20 September 2012 10:41 (8 months ago) Permalink
where is actually still good? i brought my decks over from dublin recently, first time in 4.5 years being able to play vinyl
― Know how Roo feel (LocalGarda), Thursday, 20 September 2012 11:04 (8 months ago) Permalink
i mean for pretty much any type of music... not just house/techno.
― Know how Roo feel (LocalGarda), Thursday, 20 September 2012 11:05 (8 months ago) Permalink
I miss stumbling across random places, like Stevie's Sounds or that clammy, labyrinthine shop in Rupert St or the inexplicable punk music shop that sprung up off Bayham St in Camden.
― Pat Ast vs Jean Arp (MaresNest), Thursday, 20 September 2012 11:13 (8 months ago) Permalink
You mean "Cheapos" in Rupert Street? When did that shut and why wasn't I informed at the time?
― Mark G, Thursday, 20 September 2012 11:15 (8 months ago) Permalink
I don't think anywhere's amazing, really. I still enjoy trawling the dear old Record and Tape Exchanges, Honest Jon's is pretty good but could be cheaper, I quite like Flashback on Essex Road (and I am sure there is good stuff in Haggle but I can't stand being in the place). Wanted in Beckenham, as mentioned above, is a good old-fashioned record shop. the Soul Jazz shop in Soho is always good for a browse. Past those, most places seem to think they're doing you a favour by charging you £18 for an LP.
Oh I like the really skrunky soul / reggae shop down that side-road in Dalston, but I can't remember what it's called.
What makes me craziest is the prices most Oxfams charge for their records, but that's another story entirely.
xpost Cheapos went a couple of years back. My wife certainly wasn't sorry to see it go. I was in two minds.
― Tim, Thursday, 20 September 2012 11:19 (8 months ago) Permalink
Yep, It's been shut - I think - for at least a couple of years, I didn't venture in there too often cause it was reeeeealy cramped, I loved the fact that the further into the shop you ventured the more random it became with huge piles of promos stacked up holus bolus.
― Pat Ast vs Jean Arp (MaresNest), Thursday, 20 September 2012 11:20 (8 months ago) Permalink
X -Post
The people who run Kristina records in Dalston seem like they have their hearts in the right place but it all seems a bit... curated. I miss big random piles of stuff to search through.
― Tim, Thursday, 20 September 2012 11:21 (8 months ago) Permalink
Some of the people who worked in Cheapos were genuinely dreadful, is the other thing.
― Tim, Thursday, 20 September 2012 11:23 (8 months ago) Permalink
That's what I loved about Stevie's (or was it Steve's) that random 3 for a tenner CD crates. with loads of random shit that they didn't care about or know how to price.
― Pat Ast vs Jean Arp (MaresNest), Thursday, 20 September 2012 11:23 (8 months ago) Permalink
I think Cheapo's carried the wretchedness of Rupert St and it's denizens right inside.
― Pat Ast vs Jean Arp (MaresNest), Thursday, 20 September 2012 11:24 (8 months ago) Permalink
It was a shame to lose Second Layer but at least you can still pick up records from the owner in person if you order online.
How is Rat Records in Camberwell?
Any other off the beaten track recommendation for picking up second-hand vinyl?
I'll offer up Alan's Records in East Finchley: http://www.alansrecords.com/page2.html
I love that place.
― Barnaby, Hardly, Thursday, 20 September 2012 15:17 (8 months ago) Permalink
Haggle is worth a visit heard good things about Rat but never been in
Agree on the curated feeling of Kristina though that might be because they're kind of new
― suare, Thursday, 20 September 2012 15:33 (8 months ago) Permalink
Rat's alright; I wouldn't make a trip specially (but then I live not to far away). They tend to price sensibly, which is a blessed relief.
I've never been to Alan's! Maybe I will.
― Tim, Thursday, 20 September 2012 15:58 (8 months ago) Permalink
Last rites time for what used to be DADA in Chiswick. It briefly shut in the early summer for a few weeks then reopened (officially nameless) just to clear as much stock as possible. Now discounting. As soon as they've got rid of as much as they can, will be closing for good.
― Jeff W, Thursday, 20 September 2012 17:36 (8 months ago) Permalink
Just went to Flashback. They've got a new, rather good new vinyl section. I picked up that Uncle Acid LP, plus a Pavement record.
― Arvo Pärt Chimp (Neil S), Thursday, 20 September 2012 17:42 (8 months ago) Permalink
went west for the first time earlier this week and it puts the east and centre to SHAME, intoxica has a really interesting selection (seems that it's on the verge of closing down, though), and honest jons, shiiit i could've spent thousands there without even touching the reggae and funk, which i wasn't expecting. i had to force myself to stop looking because i'd already gone way over the budget i'd set myself. (forgot that rough trade west was around there too, but i imagine they just bring the tone of the area down.)
while central i also bought a couple of records from sister ray and they seriously oversell their vinyl gradings. which i guess is pretty evident when their grubby dog-eared sleeves are apparently near mind.
― Perfect Chicken Forever (Merdeyeux), Thursday, 11 October 2012 00:30 (8 months ago) Permalink
As well as being awesome, Honest Jon's is also cheaper than everyone else for most of the stuff they stock.
― fish frosch (seandalai), Thursday, 11 October 2012 00:42 (8 months ago) Permalink
yeah, having the usual london prices in mind was making everything that much more tempting.
― Perfect Chicken Forever (Merdeyeux), Thursday, 11 October 2012 00:43 (8 months ago) Permalink
sorry to hear abt intoxica's impending demise, gd shop gd ppl
― Ward Fowler, Thursday, 11 October 2012 08:05 (8 months ago) Permalink
Is anywhere selling new vinyl for reasonable prices these days? I spoke to someone at Rough Trade and he gave me the impression that the labels set the prices (£35 for the new Paul Weller LP!) and that even he thought that new vinyl prices had gotten crazy, squeezing a small constituency of affluent fanboys. It seems to vary depending on label/genre/artist but even the Hot Chip album, which I really want, is north of £20 which is silly to me.
― Get wolves (DL), Thursday, 11 October 2012 12:39 (8 months ago) Permalink
Flashback in Crouch End sells new vinyl albums for £14.99. Not ideal, but at the moment it's probably as cheap as you're going to find.
― Here he is with the classic "Poème Électronique." Good track (Marcello Carlin), Thursday, 11 October 2012 12:48 (8 months ago) Permalink
Didn't know about Intoxica! It IS a shame but let's face it, in this day and age nobody can afford the prices they were asking, except maybe Paul Weller.
― Here he is with the classic "Poème Électronique." Good track (Marcello Carlin), Thursday, 11 October 2012 12:50 (8 months ago) Permalink
Because the LP is the 'deluxe' edition, the CD the cheapie, and the d/l the 'workingmans' format,
the pricing dictates itself.
Although, the last time LPs were sold en-masse, the quality of the pressing(s) were cut to the bone to allow a 'healthy' profit (I remember how bad the "Different Class" pressing used to be)
― Mark G, Thursday, 11 October 2012 12:53 (8 months ago) Permalink
I'm not so sure about the pricing dictating itself. I look in half these shops and think: I'm not paying YOUR rent (which with these inflated prices is essentially what you're doing; cf. Amazon etc.).
― Here he is with the classic "Poème Électronique." Good track (Marcello Carlin), Thursday, 11 October 2012 12:57 (8 months ago) Permalink
Clarifying: "The pricing dictates itself" as in "what the market can stand"...
e.g. I bought a nice Kinks box set of "Pye albums", fashioned so that each disc was a 'facsimile' of the album's release somewhere in the world (Sweden, UK, spain, yadda etc), and it was priced usually around £25 or so.
Compare that to the recent "mono" box set, ostensibly the same albums but a 'nicer' box, a booklet and other things, and people were prepared to pay £64
― Mark G, Thursday, 11 October 2012 13:02 (8 months ago) Permalink
It's like the Savages; the people who buy their new 12" won't be their fans, but Al Murray Pub Landlord types who will try to flog it for £300 on eBay one hour later.
― Here he is with the classic "Poème Électronique." Good track (Marcello Carlin), Thursday, 11 October 2012 13:22 (8 months ago) Permalink
That's the depressing thing - witness the price of the Massive Attack vs Burial 12" now. Mostly snapped up by hustlers.
― Get wolves (DL), Thursday, 11 October 2012 13:32 (8 months ago) Permalink
at the moment they have 25% off everything, so it seemed reasonable! they've had a few closing dates set that they've then managed to go beyond, but i guess now they're just waiting for the sales boost that this has brought about to simmer back down into being unprofitable before shutting down for good.
― Perfect Chicken Forever (Merdeyeux), Saturday, 13 October 2012 01:40 (8 months ago) Permalink
Oh god how I miss these places so...
I'd say HoJos is the best new record store in London, not just for the stock (not to mention the charm) but also because it is, as mentioned upthread, cheaper too.
― formerly EDB (ed.b), Saturday, 13 October 2012 05:02 (8 months ago) Permalink
are there any (new stock) record stores in london that aren't kristina, honest jons or phonica? record i want is sold out already in those three
― coal, Friday, 1 February 2013 11:09 (4 months ago) Permalink
Sounds of the Universe, Rough Trade? What are you looking for?
― questino (seandalai), Friday, 1 February 2013 11:11 (4 months ago) Permalink