As good as it gets? Try better! I went in not sure what to get and I walked out with a bag of LPs. They had some vintage Kiss (Destroyer) and even Master Of Puppets and on vinyl! I found some ELO, recommended by the two working. I spent more time and money on CDs than I anticipated, but it was my choice. Most businesses are concerned about making sales and up selling, but they showed they weren't out to rip me off. They were pointing out used copies of what I was going to buy. The CDs played as good as new and the records made my day. Thanks for the great experience guys! I'm coming back as soon as I can! read more

Love this place. Haven't been in a while but it's cool. People who work there are nice. They don't have a very wide range in the hip hop or rap section. Little expensive Still good value because the things I did buy from there haven't broken so that's a good thing for me. read more

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Great service ! Best selection. Great stickers and vintage clothing. Helpful staff and good prices.

Everyone was really helpful and check out was easy. Found three records and selection was good.

I heard so much about the crimin' stylings of Albuquerque prior to making the trip but didn't really see so much of it until I got to this place and watched the dude open the barred door with a broomstick handle. Nice! That aside, there is a lot of stuff here. The rating is for that. There is some organization, kinda, but they need to throw it all out and start over (also, if you want to have a new arrivals tag, you need to actually have some new releases), as it doesn't relate to things specifically, which means a lot of tracking back and forth across the store trying to find stuff. Plenty of vinyl, a decent enough CD selection, but no actual new releases, despite what the signage says... read more

Charley's is great. Well curated, diverse selection. Great ambiance. For a post-punk fan like myself, there were some true gems, off the beaten path classics that you don't see every day read more

Charley's Records & CDs - My finds at Charleys - Music & DVDs Near Me - Albuquerque, New Mexico

So I am looking for vinyl for a gift and called this establishment a few minutes ago and the gentleman who answered allowed me to ask one question, said one word, "No" and then I got a dial tone. I don't know if I had the wrong tone or the wrong genre, Hip Hop, or I asked the music equivalent of a stupid question but I grew up in the Bronx and have never encountered anything so incredibly rude. At least New Yorkers give you the courtesy of telling you you're an idiot and then hanging up. Lol read more

Best local vintage record store that sells, new & used cds, cassettes, vinyl, movies (DVDs & Blu Rays) & shirts. And they also have the mixed people there too. I've been coming here for years and I always find stuff here. read more

Could this place be any cooler? Answer. Maybe. But I doubt it. The selection is amazing and the vibe is even better. I had such a nice chat with one of the owners or maybe a manager about The Stranglers and the state of music. I'm a fan and so is my teenage son. We have something to do together and we love coming here for music. Today he got Velvet Underground and The Doors. He's 16 and we are obviously doing something right!! Charlie's is highly recommend by this family!! read more

Charley's Records & CDs - Music & DVDs Near Me - Albuquerque, New Mexico

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Visited this store today mainly to sell some CD's that we're collecting dust at home. My vehicle doesn't have a CD player so I mainly use the radio and streaming on Spotify these days. I had hoped to get some cash and at the same time give the CD's to someone who will use them. The staff was extremely helpful and friendly. The woman who runs the place was extremely helpful and you can tell she loves the place and works hard to keep it going. I loved that they had sections of the store dedicated to CD's, Cassettes, and vinyl's! They even had some fashionable vintage clothing and old military uniforms you don't see anymore displayed. I love the way they decorated the entire store. It's a unique place that I really enjoyed visiting. I saw a motley crew vinyl decal that caught my eye. My next visit I am planning to buy it and stick it on my rear windshield! read more

A cool place reminiscent of the glory days of record stores like Bow Wow, Natural Sound, Rare Bear and other cool haunts of the day. Nice selection and cool atmosphere. Double thumbs up for the helpful woman who guided us to some cool vinyl selections. She struck me as very helpful and knowledgable as an owner would be, but I couldn't say for sure if she's the owner. Slight mojo docked for the surly redhead behind the counter who couldn't be bothered enough to grunt in our direction. She had multiple chances to acknowledge us, but I guess we didn't rate. Maybe next time, yeah? read more

Charley's has been a staple for me since my childhood. I would spend hours in here looking for Iron Maiden imports and looking for posters to make my parents uncomfortable. It's much bigger than it was when I was a kid but unfortunately the selection can be limited. The boom in vinyl in the last few years has helped but it still falls behind some of the other local shops. I still enjoy coming here and reliving the sights and smells of my childhood. I just never seem to find what I'm looking for. I do recommend coming and browsing. Hopefully you will have better luck than me. read more

At the risk of sounding like a pretentious snob, I listen to some seriously odd music and I have grown accustomed over the years to being completely unable to find any of it in a real brick-and-mortar store. I'd love to tell you that I've finally found my Mecca with Charley's, that it has everything I could imagine, that I come away with fistfuls of weirdo CDs. But I don't. Every now and then, however, I do find something to enjoy that suits my more mainstream tastes. And that is actually enough for me to endorse a place. For others, Charley's should prove to be dangerously well-equipped to scratch albums off of the old wishlist. Charley's knows on which side their bread is buttered and so most of their offerings are comprised of the more popular albums from this and yester- year. That's to be expected, and that'll suit most people just fine. For the more adventurous, their offerings in jazz, blues, and metal are above average, and worth a stop-in for those connoisseurs. To further distinguish themselves further from the painfully vanilla fare offered at places like Target or Walmart, Charley's also boasts an impressive selection of local music, vintage vinyl, limited edition editions, and band merch. Prices on all this stuff is competitive and it's a lot of fun to browse. To boot, the staff has always been warm, friendly, and disappointingly non-judgmental, if you're concerned about some sketch-comedy style record store clerks inhabiting the place. Record stores are in a perilous position in these digital days of manufactured music, and alliteration aside, they deserve our support. Next time before you 'add to cart' or torrent that new album, maybe swing by Charley's and see if they have a copy for you. Perhaps they'll expand your horizons a bit in the process, too. read more

Super awesome music store. The best place in Albuquerque for used cds, and definitely for records. This was my go to music store when I was in high school (back around '96-'97), and I would say that it's even better now. I've lived up in the heights and then downtown for the last 6 years that I lived in Abq, and Charley's was still worth going out of my way for. Seriously though, where else are you going to go? Hastings? Please. read more

Love this gem of a place!! It's s locally owned small business and it's just perfect for the old soul music lover! For years I'd pass by it almost everyday until about 2 years ago I bought my first record player and was looking too stock up on my vinyl collection and finally took a peak in and fell in love. It's a mellow place with a Woodstock vibe obviously without the drugs. Haha. They have tons of records to Choose from old and new and I believe they can order whatever it is that you are looking for. They have a small selection of thrifty clothes stuff you'd find at your grandparents house but could be trendy. Not a whole lot of places like this around town. I definitely recommend checking it out. read more

Vinyl finds in the dollar bin: 1. Thelonius Monster - "You're Bumming My Life Out in a Supreme Fashion" 2. Jeff Beck with the Jan Hammer Group - "Live" 3. Tennessee Ernie Ford - "Bless Your Pea Pickin' Heart!" 4. Beat Farmers - "Van Go" 5. Bless The Beasts & Children Soundtrack 6. Ted Lewis and His Orchestra - "Is Everybody Happy?" 7. Fred Gregorich and the Del Fi's - "Polka Jam Session - Slovenian Style (41 Slovenian Favorites)" read more

Charley's has that nice combination of a hole in the wall paired with a decent selection. Although it's mildly claustrophobic for anyone over 5'5", it's still worth browsing. Average price for used CD's--my named poison--is 7.99. Not terrible. Although I'm not inclined to visit Albuquerque anytime soon (not a desert fan, sorry) should I ever find myself nestled against her mountains again (not a euphamism) I will certainly stop into Charley's again. read more

FIRST! This is a swell place to find vintage vinyl. Staff by eccentric audiophiles who are keenly knowledgeable in exactly the way people who spend too much time listening to music should be. I have added some essential and hard to find music to my collection thanks to this joint and I would encourage anyone who visits Albuquerque to make the journey to the cities eastern foothills for this not-to-miss collectors bonanza. read more

Something aboiut the 70's vintage clothing store, juxtaposed with a desperate scene from John Cusak's HI-Fidelty music shop did not seem to vibe with me here..\ The petrolium based black tar pancakes are as nostalgic as wood burning stoves in this media era. Owning CD players that draw 80-300amps before they even hit your speaker array is daunting to think about. The selection is overly redundant of TOP HITS, CLASSIC 1-HIT WONDERS, and the kind of bootleg quality you recieve when buying used. Save your dollars for the next concert in town, and use torrents, stream rippers, music aggrigate sites, and internet radio, like celebrated apprciators of music do, and for god sakes invest in your headphones 20-20khz is for checking if something works, 8-30khz or wider is what you need..... Just saying -The music loving, audiophile read more

In a time where physical copies of music are almost obsolete, Charley's never fails to give me the best selection of cassettes, vinyl, and CD's. I can spend hours in here! The cool vintage clothing is a plus as well. I stop by often and always leave with something awesome. read more

Support Small! Charley's is the jam and more. I love coming in to browse and look for old gems in the used section. Everything about this store is what I love about this city. It's eclectic, colorful, and the variety of music is impressive. You'll find all your music needs. Heavy Metal, Soul, Reggae...whatever you please! I say yes to Charley's 33's. read more

Was looking for "Ten Years After" Album and they had what I needed on vinyl :) nice little spot for music lovers, defiantly a good place to browse read more

Love this place. They usually have what I want & are willing to order whatever I need. Support Local Awesome Businesses! I definitely recommend! read more

I love this place! Excellent selection, fabulous staff, and great prices. It's a musical refuge for the audiophile. I always find what I want, and they are always welcoming. read more

First off, thank you for making me laugh. I've been on a Bob Marley kick lately thanks to my fiance. So, when I stopped by to see what they had, I asked at the door where the Marley cd's were. I was expertly pointed to the cleary marked sign that read "Reggae". There I found a few, not the exact one I was looking for, but I still bought 2. Upon check out, the same kind man rung up my sale and joked about the cd's rolling around in the car. I laughed a few times the rest of the day and was very happy with jammin' to some Marley all the way home! read more

What a great place to lose yourself while looking for music. Very cool vibe, very knowledgeable staff, and tons of affordable records which are ALWAYS in great condition. If you've not been here, you have to check it out. It is Albuquerque's best gem for vinyl. read more

A REAL GEM! Albuquerque is lucky to have such a great place to buy records! Friendly knowledgable staff, I had a great experience, great selection. This is my go to place from now on. read more

Absolutely love the store. Every time I've gone in, I've spent more money and time than the last visit. I love the vibe I get when I'm there. Not only do I go for the music, but the posters and patches. All the patches on my battle vest are from here. They always have a better selection each time I go. Highly recommend going here for CDs, vinyls, and even cassettes. read more

Charley's is possibly my most favorite place to go to in Albuquerque. They usually have a great selection of old records and are constantly replenishing their stock. Looking through their vinyl is easy because they organize it, categorize it according to quality, and label them accordingly. Everything is clearly priced so there is no mystery as to how much I will pay for when I bring my items to the cash register (and I usually walk out with a bunch of records!). The staff is a bunch of very friendly, pleasant people who treat you more like old friends than customers. It's very rare that I don't find any interesting music whenever I go to Charley's. I'd recommend Charley's to anyone who is a vinyl addict like myself. read more

I love going to Charley's! You never know what you are going to find. There is an excellent range of music to choose from and the prices make it easy to pick up something new to give it a try. The staff are helpful and extremely knowledgeable. Plan to spend some time rooting around. read more

Great record store! Knowledgeable staff, great finds, and decent prices. Lots of great vinyl. I visit ABQ once a year and always visit Charley's when I do. Recommended. read more

Definitely one of a half a dozen places to stop for wax in abq. Prices are cheap and there is a decent selection. One thing to note is all used lps are resealed in shrink, so you can not inspect the wax yourself, although I have never had a problem with the grading system there.i have found that much of the stock has not moved for years, so I only check in every several months.It's like many stores in the area as far as being hit or miss, but I have definitely come up on some good rock and jazz in the past. read more

This is hands down my favorite store in Albuquerque, I've been going here regularly for almost ten years. They seem to have the best selection and have the most fair pricing of any store in the city on the whole and they put out new records almost daily. It's worth checking out whether you're a new collector or have been collecting for years as they almost always have something for everyone. read more

The staff at Charley's is extremely friendly and helpful. They let us film at their store for a student film at no extra charge, and were very accommodating for everything we needed. They also have a wide and very good selection of records! read more