My Montreal staple, first place I go when in town. Well second, I first get coffee. But this place is for sure second. I once got a skid row tape there in like 2015, but today I just dug around a little bit and found a Montreal doom metal album, and a Canadian press of Days of Future's Past. Sick. Great shop, great bunch of people working there, talking music. Have a lot of new vinyl as well. Some guy giving them low stars for parking, like maybe yelp the street instead. read more

Cheap Thrills - Bookstores Near Me - Montreal, Quebec

Tres cute record store next to McGil University. They have popular LPs from every decade and just enough potential for a hidden gem to keep you digging for an hour. Prices are market, but add in the helpful staff and it's well worth the visit. read more

Cheap Thrills - Bookstores Near Me - Montreal, Quebec

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I was very disappointed with my visit here. For starters it's hard to find, the outside signage isn't clear, it looks like you're going into someone's home. Once you make your way up the creaky, lopsided staircase that seemingly defies gravity you enter a reasonably sized room. Mostly they seem to cater for vinyl, with very little in the way of CDs for sale. Staff were friendly, but didn't go out of their way to make me feel welcome or help find anything I was looking for. read more

Great recent arrivals. Prices were reasonable. Wish they still had shirts! Would def come back.

I was in Montreal and searched for vinyl and walked to Cheap Thrills. Great little shop with lots of stock, bought 2 Dylan and 1 Doors (all new). Cheers, Jim read more

Boutique record store located in the heart of Montreal. They have all kinds of genres. Ended up buying some nice LPs from Whitney Houston and Lionel Ritchie. Definitely a place to stop if you're into records. read more

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I recently checked out Cheap Thrills during my first visit to Montreal. It was the last shop I stopped at before heading back to the U.S. I must start my review first talking about the god awful parking. This is a very busy area and parking was seriously the worst. I'm not sure if it was because of the workday or what, but it was an inconvenience. The shop itself is located upstairs in a building that houses other businesses. After walking up the carpeted stairs I noticed the shop on the left. Inside I really liked the overall setup and look. Small, but lots of records. The ratio of new vinyl really trumped the used selection by a lot! There was a great variety though of new records, but that's not really what I was searching for. There was one record not on the floor that I requested from the discogs page. The guy behind the counter kindly grabbed it for me. I picked through most of the used records, and only seemed to find one other one that caught my eye. I have to admit I was a bit disappointed with the overall used selection, especially hip hop. Yes they technically had a section, but it was mostly 12"'s and abysmal. They also had cassettes, CDs, and books. I'm glad I checked out the shop for its history, but not a really deep used vinyl selection worth the headache to park. read more

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Welcome to cheap thrills, the store that try's to kill you before entering it! After you do a spin o Rama move around the homeless man outside asking for spare change make a quick sprint up the slippery unsalted front stairs for and leap for that door handle. Now time for the tricky part of going up the purple stairs, make sure your grappling hook is sharp and ready, make three giant swings and release it. The grappling hook should grab on to the carpet first or second time, then while holding a firm grip on your rope pull yourself up the stairs. Once you've reached the summit aka the store you will be greeted by a man with greasy hair and glasses, be careful of this one as anything you say your looking for will be answered with another question within a question followed by a condescending answer. The spin o rama move here won't work at the upstairs has very confined spaces, my advice is to hang an hard left for the jazz section and wait for him to get distractedly someone looking to sell old DVD box sets of "the hills". You'll find the prices on majority of the vinyl are somewhat fair and will have a wide variety to select from, lots of rare records and mass produced arcade fire to choose from. Aside from the troll behind the desk and the busted building it's a fun place to visit, lots of metal and punk records too which is hard to find in normal Montreal record stores. read more

Cheap Thrills - Bookstores Near Me - Montreal, Quebec

Wonderful used book store. I love perusing the shelves. They have tons of great books and in decent conditions! They also have tons of vinyls and DVD's. I don't usually shop for those but they do have an awesome selection if that's what you're looking for. The staff is always super friendly and welcoming. Prices are fair. Each time I come in it just feels so cool. The crooked staircase with the purple banister makes me think of Alice in Wonderland each time! read more

Go here. Fun vinyl collection, knowledgeable staff. Good stuff--I was a tourist visitor and wish I had a shop like this in my town.

If you dig going through old albums, books, cds and dvds, this place is EVERYTHING you want. Go on up the very crooked but charming staircase to this second floor place that has interesting little hidden things everywhere. No matter what you listen to, they have it or can recommend something you'll like instead. The service there is insanely wonderful - wow, do they ever know their music. It's been around since 1971 - a hidden jewel in Montreal. read more

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Oh man! I haven't reviewed Cheap Thrills!?? What the f*ck have I been doing with my life. When you feel like your soul is being eaten by downtown, by the spinning glass buildings, the endless construction, the pushing consumerism and tourists of St Catherine's Street, please find your way to these narrow stairs. Cheap Thrills is right there for you, in the thick of it all, a living memory palace full of records and books, and quiet people deeply invested in these things and their history. A nice thing that happened to me here was that a very non-judgmental staff person chatted with me for a few minutes, didn't make me feel shitty for my spotty and partial music knowledge, and then casually introduced me to a record that I have loved and played on repeat through good and bad times, and that changed how I think about music, and basically changed my life (Judee Sill, Heart Food. A million stars.) Sometimes I am too shy to ask for recommendations in record stores but this experience was deeply positive, and my swelling record collection eating up my front hall will attest to that fact. The prices are fair, the quality is high. The organization is shifting and mysterious. All the more reason to plan to get lost, and then to find something totally unexpected. read more

Followed a friend on a long walk through a crazy street fair to find this place and from the moment we approached I knew this place was going to be good. Those crooked stairs lined with Pepto Bismol-pink railings and the shitty sign out front announcing that CHEAP THRILLS are just a few steps up... The place seems small and cozy when you enter, but it's really just a packed room filled with treasures. There are so many records in here and they run the gamut of variety. I was so stoked to see two different CHVRCHES albums and some Otis Redding (which I can never seem to find here in the US). The two guys working the counter were absolutely hilarious to listen to and when we finally got to chatting with them I really wished we had met them sooner and weren't leaving the same day. I would have loved to talk to them more about their Montreal! read more

It seems odd to describe Cheap Thrills as a stalwart fixture of Montreal's downtown, considering the apparent uncertainty of a stone 3-story walk-up within a sea of skyscrapers, shopping complexes, and parking facilities, and the general shabbiness of its second-story location, but they've been around since 1971 and they're still alive and kicking, so there you go. In fact, you might even consider Cheap Thrills something of an oasis, given the state of things. The thrills in question come in the form of LPs, CDs, and books. CDs and LPs come new and used. Books are strictly second-hand. Most of the above qualify as "cheap." Cheap Thrills is a tiny operation, but the shelves run high and they're generally well-stocked with auditory and literary finds of all kinds. On the music side, they specialize in rock, jazz, soul, indie, beats, and experimental, and their collection could safely be labeled "savvy." read more

Cool store, kind of hard to find. It's up the stairs in a little building that features a Vietnamese restaurant on the ground floor. If you keep your eye out for the restaurant you'll be able to find this place. This place is really small, but it has a really excellent selection. For a Sunday afternoon it was surprisingly busy. There was one guy working at the counter who greeted us and asked if we needed help. I find a lot of music shops have a really stupid, hard to maneuver organization system but we were able to find the section we were looking for fairly quickly. They had a really nice selection of rock, indie and I saw a bunch of jazz too. I'd say if you were looking for anything you can't find at HMV this is the place for you. read more

I have a tradition where I buy my husband a local record whenever I go out of town. This trip to Montreal I found Cheap Thrills...so glad I did! I often ask for a recommendation as I am looking for local music. The reactions are hit or miss from people but the guy (assuming the owner?) was awesome and so helpful! He asked what kind of music I was looking for and had lots of suggestions but never pushed me to spend hundreds of dollars like has been done to me! I scored what I am sure will be an awesome record...can't wait to give it to the Mr. The space is also convenient (note it's up a walk-up so check the address when searching). The new and used selection was also great. They have a book section also but I didn't venture over to that side. I definitely recommend this place for record shopping in Montreal! read more

This is my kinda place. A creepy staircase leading up to a hidden shop with interesting finds galore. The staff has great taste in music, and the shop specializes in underground and avant garde. You'll also find a good selection of metal, jazz, and an odd assortment of used records and CDs. Prices on new stuff seemed to be $1 or $2 cheaper than anywhere else. I picked up a couple of Severed Heads re-issues, Tame Impala live versions, another copy of the Top Secret soundtrack for a gift, a handful of 80s 12" singles and an amazing 2LP Pye Corner Audio which I overheard in the store. Will definitely be back. read more

I'd occasionally rummage through their stock decades ago back when there was a used record shop at every street corner and found a few obscure and rare discs, although when compared to other shops (on Le Plateau area, now all gone) their stock on experimental abstract electronics was not as impressive. Now in 2016, Cheap Thrills still stands tall and strong, and is one of the last decently-priced shops for your new and used vinyl, CDs, DVDs, books, magazines, and even audio cassettes. Their layout is tight, compact, but easy to navigate, and their genres organization isn't half bad at all-I myself was easily able to find pretty much what I was generally hunting for within minutes. It's a great feat to be able to pack in so much stuff in such tight quarters without feeling as though products will fall on your head or the need to jump over a few obstacles. I was quite impressed with their selection(s) considering that we live in an age where the physical medium itself is considered obsolete. Granted you won't find those long-discontinued Vromb, Coil, or Panasonic CDs in their new nor used sections, but for noise fans, they have a great selection of Merzbow, Pita, and other more comtemporary non-music artists. Plus anyone that carries a handful of Muslimgauze gets extra points in my book. If your musical tastes are more towards rock, punk, and/or jazz, chances are you will be quite impressed with Cheap Thrills' sélections: they carry an impressive array of such more traditional styles of music in all formats possible. If you're looking for used DVDs (and BluRays) and books, they also carry a good selection of those. By quickly looking (at a glance) I did see they have a lot of inventory but did not manage to browse long enough during my half lunch hour break trek to see if they had a good selection of more obscure film titles, or if their stock was limited to the "usual" used shop material. Cheap Thrills is deffinately a place to stop by if you are any kind of musical collector, even if it is but to soak up the (already) nostalgia of roaming through records and CDs, an experience which has unfortunately become a true rarity in today's Wireless online shopping. read more

My husband and I have recently gotten into vinyl so we've been making an effort to check out local shops wherever we go. Cheap Thrills was a fantastic surprise for us. After reading other Yelp reviews on various record shops in Montreal, we knew this was the one for us. Don't be fooled by its appearance--they have SUCH an impressive supply. We didn't go in looking for anything specific, but we left with a full bag of music. It's organized really well and is easy to search. The staff wasn't really into talking music with us and weren't all that inviting, but we left with great records nonetheless. They were also pretty fair on their pricing. Also: don't be fooled by the somewhat confusing entrance. This shop is on the second floor. Walk up the stairs from the sidewalk and then up two more flights of stairs once you're inside the building. read more

I can't believe I never reviewed this place. By far the best record store in Montreal. Most interesting collections, both new and old, most fair pricing, and old school knowledgeable staff. I love Cheap Thrills so much. read more

Cheap thrills actually does slay it the selections sick, even the new vinyl section is packed with shite I didn't even know I really wanted, the record set up for listening to the oldies you're flippin thru is both classic & obviously so useful (thanks buds!) would have slapped 5 stars on this bad boy but I fell down tha frickin stairs ! What's a boy to do ! f'real great creat (crate) digging read more

One of my favourites record stores in Montreal. A nice selection (even if the used CD section has decreased a lot over the years) and fair prices. They also do special orders and sell concert tickets. Nice staff (especially Jennifer) and no hipster bulls**t. read more

Easily the most interesting shop in Montreal. Cheap Thrills has been around since 1971. The prices are very fair, and the selection is incredible. Not so difficult to find, just look up and you'll see the Cheap Thrills sign and a cozy lamp leading the way. The owner is very savvy and they have gone into vinyl recently. What always gets me is the new arrivals. I've never been able to leave this place empty handed. Great selection of new and used music. I've always enjoyed the book sections. They always have some collectors' paperbacks hanging around. Great stuff. read more

One of my favourite shops in all of Montréal. Great selection not new and used. The shop may not be huge but it's expertly curated. There's a fantastic book section and the Criterion DVD box is always stuffed with great films. The staff also knows what's up and what's out and the catalogue has what you need. I always take my visitors here and they always walk out with a bag of records. read more

This is definitely one of those stores that you take your time in. The prices are very reasonable and you don't have to be looking for anything specific to leave happy. The staff is very comforting and helpful with assisting you in finding what your looking for. This is always a good place to check out some great music and vinyl records from any genre. read more

Awesome place. Cheap used records, books, and CDs as well as new records and concert tickets. Cool place to just browse for a while. Music lovers need to check it out. read more

don't know how this place stays open, the selection is horrible and the people working are super rude, no hi how are you and no thanks either. read more

This is a fantastic little record store in the heart of Montreal. A tight little spot that is well organized with an amazing variety of vinyl. Their used vinyl records were in good shape and had some rare and unusual albums that most record shops don't have. I found some real gems that I've never seen before. They also have a fantastic selection of new music on vinyl. The staff were very helpful and enthusiastic about helping me find what I wanted. They made some great recommendations when looking for new artists. I had many questions and they were more than happy to answer. I really enjoyed my experience here. The prices were very reasonable. It looked like they were continuously getting new stock of the latest music. Very up to date. I will return and always shop here first when looking for my music. Keep up the good work. The best record shop in the East! Cannot wait to save up some more money so I can return and buy some more records! read more