Honestly, I loved my experience here! I managed to find a couple of nice vinyls to get and was surprised by the overall selection they offered. It was clean and well-organized on the main floor. The downstairs is a tad neglected compared to the main floor. I didn't find anything downstairs to get. I was a bit shocked at the price of some of the brand new vinyls, but the prices for the older ones were comparable to other stores. I prefer shopping local, and was really happy to have stumbled upon here! Would definitely come back again! No bad experiences with the staff during my visit. They were actually more on the helpful and friendly side. Seems like they took past customer reviews/experiences seriously and improved. read more

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Beautiful record store with so many genres from all over the world. We really went out of our way to come here and it didn't disappoint because we found the records we were looking for. I thought the records were reasonably priced. I do wish they had a bathroom though because we were in there for awhile and it cut our experience shorter than we wanted because we really need to pee lol read more

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Chicago has so many good record stores but this one has to be the best. It's small and homey but fully stocked of a wonderful selection of music. It's cozy and inviting and I could spend hours here. I found their prices were very reasonable compared to some other, bigger, shops down the street. The people were friendly and inviting. I'm going back every time I'm in Chicago. Of course I walked out with about 5 records. They had it all. Jazz, Bossa Nova, Rock, etc. read more

Dusty Groove - Tote bag - Music & DVDs Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

It was alright, for a place called dusty it was the opposite, also staff did not seem punk rock.

Their inventory seems decent but I couldn't even stand to shop around with the poor attitude and service the employee gave me. I came with a purpose and that was to only check for a record that was coming out on Record Store Day. Before I could even ask about the record, I was quickly slighted with a "we don't know what we get". I held my composure knowing this was a dishonest comment from the hipster employee, said thanks, and left. Not even 10 minutes later, I arrive to another record store with all the information I needed and more. He informed me that you request the drop list in advance and it typically arrives up until hours the day-of. So you definitely know in advance what you'll be getting, even if you don't have it yet. It blows my mind that Dusty Groove was advertising a party for...what exactly? Surprise records or a day-of disappointment for a few beverages and snacks? It doesn't take much to be kind to your customers considering that's who keeps you in business day after day. read more

Good selection, decent pricing, parking in the area a bit of a challenge. Worth the effort. Top ten in chicagoland

I love this place. First time visit and they had a huge selection of new and used vinyl. I was able to find what I wanted for years. Definitely will have to go back. read more

I ordered from Dusty Groove online. They had an extensive online catalog and some real hard to find gems at great prices. Shipping was fast as lightning and items were as described. Highly recommend! read more

My husband is the vinyl nut in the house but even I enjoyed our visit to Dusty Groove. The store is clean and well-appointed, and I really liked how completely organized everything is. Well-labeled, clearly organized, really easy to zero in on the genre or type of music you are seeking. They also really play some cool stuff in the store... my husband came out with a big bag of records and a new song to play on Spotify because it's what they were playing in the store. Variety and selection here are top-notch. I did find the employees to be a little brusque. There was apparently still a mask requirement in the store, but all three of us missed the sign when we walked in the door. The gentleman who asked us to please leave because we weren't wearing masks and were standing around waiting for my husband to make his choices could have been nicer. Also, we visited on Record Store Day, and it was a bit offputting that the staff seemed to be prioritizing online orders over people actually in the store requiring assistance. They had a list of items available that was supposedly up to date, and they insisted that RSD patrons use the list to mark what they wanted. But in the end, none of the items my husband marked were actually available. Disappointing and confusing, though he still found plenty to buy. read more

Dusty Groove - Music & DVDs Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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If you happen to be walking around Wicker Park, check this place out. I've always been a mail order/online customer of Dusty Groove since the '90s, except for the one time when I called in an order and picked it up from the window while visiting Chicago. The selection has always been good regardless of genre. I kind of miss the early days when you could call and get suggestions from a really knowledgeable employee. But if you have good to great taste in music, you should be able to find vinyl you really like on your own here. read more

The go to record shop for the best of sounds & vibes...selections off the chain & prices reasonable...fast shipment when ordering...massive variety of vibes... read more

If you haven't heard of Dusty Groove then you must be new Their vinyl inventory is impressive; You gotta trust me, dude Peruse the shelves and dig in the crates to some funky tunes There's a 99.99% chance you'll turn into a wax junky soon If you wanna rep their shop, cop their affordable $9 clothes It's unfortunate the bargain basement downstairs was closed... ...due to Covid, so in the event of my untimely death, just in case Bury me on the corner of Ashland x W Haddon, my vinyl resting place read more

Dusty Groove - D.I.T.C. - Music & DVDs Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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I was in Chicago this past weekend for my Uncle's funeral which was Friday October 25, 2024. I remembered while there that Dusty Groove is in Chicago! My wife and I found the place and I enjoyed browsing and purchasing music, which I have previously done, but online. I was actually in the place. The customer service was great and the selections were too. Next time I'm in Chicago, this will be one of my stops. I wish I could post a picture that I took while there. read more

Very disrespectful staff we had an encounter with today who did not want to help and kept pointing out bad English as the reason. As noted by the sales person, "We are having trouble understanding, there is a huge language barrier. There is no way we can give the record unless you go online and give us the item number". The gentlemen kept walking away and blaming that the language barrier repeatedly. After showing the exact record to the sales person, they refused to help advising that we should self locate the record online. What is the staff here for if it's not to locate records? Frankly, that's their only job is to locate records. Perhaps to sell as well, but clearly staff are hardly capable of that either. Being disrespectful of people whose English might not be the first language is unacceptable. Customer service after calling and trying to locate a record was absurd. The employees were pretentious, a really frustrating experience. Would not recommend. read more

This place is the holy grail of crate digging. A fantastic selection of new and used soul and jazz vinyl and CDs, all fairly/competitively priced. You'll find lots of amazing hard to find records browsing through the bins. Also a great selection of cool rock, reggae, hip hop, world music and electronic to mention a few (but not all) of some of the other genres they cover well. Also mail order from Dusty Groove is fantastic for us out of towners. And they pay well for used vinyl. Can't say enough good things about them. read more

Great record store, possibly my favorite in Chicago. Their selection is smartly curated, especially in Jazz, Soul, and roots music. But service is also terrific. I have spoken to multiple employees and none have the ill-tempered attitude that is all too common in record shops. You know that Jack Black in High Fidelity character... funnier watched on screen than personally experienced. read more

We stumble across this place months ago. My mom was dropping me off to run an errand and as she sat and waiting in the rain she mentioned she saw a record store on the corner. While we were waiting for decibel to open she remembered this place (which I didn't believe even existed) LOL. When I realized it was actually a place WOW. I am so excited. Great customer service and great selection of high-quality and reasonably priced vinyl. They have set the bar for all places in the Chi. The quality selection and prices rise well above the rest. The place was fun well organized and great customer service. I couldn't find a few things and the guy who helped me and even looked up some things I wanted to buy to see if they would be getting in. I ended up walking away with some great finds? The only set back is its a little bit further from me than I would like; or maybe its a good thing consider I would visit and spend all my lil coins in here. I cant wait to go back and add to my collection. read more

Dusty Groove - The best of Luther Lionel Richie Jackson 5 Live Sade Maaan I got some good finds!! - Music & DVDs Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

They buy records for more than Reckless Records and have a great inventory. Also lots to dig through in the basement though I expected more. I've seen more records in Toad Hall in Rockford read more

1st time visit after hearing about years ago. Great store and inventory. I'll be back. read more

Dusty Groove - Music & DVDs Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

This spot has some solid records, but the fact that an employee has to operate the listening station is corny. The type of people that shop here aren't even digging like that. Pricing is a bit high, seems like everything is just above what it would be on Discogs. If you want people to continue to support the brick & mortar, don't try & extract every last cent out of each sale. read more

I made an online order, and it was well-packed and the records were in the condition they described. For a casual record buyer, they're a good option. Some collectors, though, might have issues with them. For example, one of my records originally came with an 8-page booklet, but it was missing from the copy I received. Also, they don't specify which pressing you're buying; one of my records was an RCA Record Club copy. I emailed them about the missing booklet, and they replied that they "cannot guarantee that contents match those of the original release." Will your copy of the White Album come with the poster and four photos? They "cannot guarantee" it. If these issues don't bother you, then Dusty Groove is otherwise fine. read more

Review # 36 out of 365 Online store review. Excellent concept. I can search for used and new vinyl while either selecting it in my "wish list" or putting in my basket for purchase. Then, when I have found all the vinyl and my heart is content, I purchase it and have it ready to be picked up for 30 days. Awesome. Also, the records have descriptions and it's easy to read why one may be a better choice or why it was popular. With so many choices, it's nice to see this extra effort put in. Oh and that outrageously expensive record you eye, will have an additional description explaining what's special about it. So cool. read more

I get what this store is trying to do. Appeal to hip hop fans and producers with their large selection of soul/jazz/funk/library/african etc. But the vinyl in this store is graded way too highly, and overpriced. Just because you have a trendy concept for a store doesn't mean you can just try to rip people off who are unaware. I would have given Dusty Groove 3 stars, but one of the only good things about the store, is the bargain basement and they closed it sadly. read more

Make sure you know what you're selling and what it's worth before you contact Skip at Dusty Groove. My older parents contacted him a few weeks ago and they arranged a deal to sell him LP's and some pocket books from a large collection of rare books, albums, DVDs and LP's. Unsupervised and greedy, Skip took over 15 boxes of comics and other rare books that were not agreed upon. I actually see the comics and other things that he stole listed on the Dusty Groove website today. He had the audacity to leave boxes behind that contained rare materials that he wasn't supposed to take to pick up for later. When my dad called him out on his actions, he returned 13 boxes of books (he never even took the records my parents sold him) the next day. He completely took advantage of the situation and acted from a place of greed and dishonesty. Be careful and make sure you supervise any sales if you have a large collection- you wouldn't want this to happen to someone you know! read more

Dusty Groove - An example of something that was taken but not agreed upon. - Music & DVDs Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Preordered a record advertised on their website. I get a cancellation email saying I don't get the record I preordered because they didn't get enough. Two thumbs down. read more

Preordered a record a month ago. Got a cancellation email saying they didnt get enough of them. Real bummer.

Groovin' on a Sunday afternoon. Really couldn't get away too soon. No no no no. Groovin'. Groovin'. I kept singing this song to myself when we visited this store. No joke - we visited on a Sunday afternoon and once I get something in my head - watch out! We were a couple miles away enjoying a day out when someone suggested that we check out Dusty Groove for some vinyl. We ran a map and grooved on over. This place was great! We spent hours flipping through their eclectic selection. I literally sat on the floor and looked through their bargain boxes while my hubby walked through and looked at every section in the store. Our sixteen year old son was with us and he was entertained for about a half hour before he was bored. Thankfully, they had some chairs at the front of the store and he had his iPhone to provide mindless entertainment. We loved listening to the jazz play above our heads while we reminisced about the tunes and searched for our favorites. They had a little bit of everything. Not a lot of pop type stuff, but more of the needle in the haystack stuff. The staff were helpful and held our bags behind the counter. The setup was kinda cool. I think we have a clothespin assigned to our bag so we didn't have to carry it around (I'm sure this helps deter the would be thieves as well). We were looking for a few specific artists when we first came in and they didn't happen to have any of those, but their selection is rapidly changing. During our visit, a couple brought in records to sell. You know that whole 'one man's junk is another man's treasure' thing? I think that could easily apply here. We left with a heavy bag of goodies and know that we'll groove on back just the next time we're looking for some different vinyl. read more

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What a great place just to hang out, even if you're not buying (or selling) records. The staff is attentive but only if you ask for help; otherwise, you can browse their enormous and varied collection at your leisure. Check it out! read more

They really know there stuff up in here!! I couldn't figure out who the artist was of this song that I heard at a old school bbq. So I brought the tape (lol) to Dusty Groove on a boom box and one of the sales associates told me who the artist was. It was Swing out Sister-When the laughter is over!! Great a song! Go listen!! read more

I walked in to this store because I'd always been curious to stop in and look and I was very impressed. this place is spotless and very very organized. Things are visible and easy to find. They had exactly what I was looking for so now this place is a treasure spot for me. read more

Felt totally disrespected by owner Rick. I can't help but feel he would have treated me much differently if I wasn't a younger person as right before he was rude to me he'd been glad-handling an older customer. I simply asked to clarify his perceived value on a record (original promotional pressing of Tupac's All Eyez on Me) that I was selling. He then muttered at me not to take his offer, as I tried to tell him I just wanted to know what the shop valued it (standard procedure when buying and trading records to a used record store) he literally ran away from me to the employees only door and slammed it. This type of behavior would be unacceptable from any employee ... but the owner? Ridiculous and immature. Don't have a business where you buy used records if you are going to act like a petulant child when someone asks a reasonable question. Maybe your buying hours could be expanded (by one hour) to match the hours of your store instead of throwing a fit? I took the item to Reckless Records and they offered me more money. read more

I used to live in Noble Square, right by Chicago Avenue, which meant I was near three of the best record stores in the city: Permanent, Reckless, and Dusty Groove. I called it the Danger Zone. It was terrible for my wallet, but I bought many beautiful records, so I regret nothing. Dusty is a sleek, modern space that might be the most shopper-friendly of all the local record shops. -It is so clean. Maybe too damn clean. -Stacks are easy to flip through. There's space between the records as opposed to them being crammed into shelving. -The staff always play cool artists like Makaya McCraven. -Dusty has lots of new vinyl but its used game is very strong. -Its wall is covered with rare, super expensive pressings of albums that make me want to cry like the Velvet Underground's debut with a pink banana, Sonny Rollins' Saxophone Colossus, or Coltrane's A Love Supreme. No, I won't complain about their cost because they are glorious. -Rock is not Dusty's focus yet their selection is better than most people realize. -If Dusty was a person, it would be like Ginger Baker, a stylish rebel equally at home in London and Lagos, the kind of person who would drive overland across Africa in an old Range Rover or be high on shrooms discussing Mingus wearing a velvet suit. -It also, real talk, has more customers with melanin than every other store, and I don't need to explain what that means. Over the years, I've gotten clean copies of the following records and more. All used, mostly originals. The Walker Brothers, Nite Flights (SUPER RARE!) Kate Bush, Hounds of Love (OMG. People tend not to part with her.) Cocteau Twins, The Pink Opaque Tom Waits, Small Change The Blue Nile, Hats (promo, damn!) The Gun Club, Miami I love Dusty. Could it be cheaper? Maybe. Could it be better? Not really. read more

I shop all over the country for high-quality, relatively reasonably priced vinyl. Dusty Groove set a new standard for quality, selection and price. Simply none better anywhere I have been. Luckily (or maybe unfortunately) I don't live too far away. I will be a frequent customer for sure. Hope they start a frequent shopper discount program! read more

I finally bought a record player and was excited to go record shopping for the first time. After hitting up three other places on the Milwaukee stretch between Damen and Division, I arrived here and found it to be my favorite. While the others were either too large and overwhelming or too small and with a bad quality selection, this one is the perfect size, well organized, and has records in really good condition that you actually want. This is the Goldilocks of record shops. I definitely will be coming back here from time to time whenever I want something old that's new to me. read more

They over price there cds way too high might as well shop online get free shipping save me gas money it's a clean place i walked in both employees ignored me im sure cause im not from around here make me feel uncomfortable and way to pricey wont be back again to each there own but this place used to be ok now garbage it is if u looking for hip hop cds don't come here all there are over priced or internet priced shop on ebay or discogs instead read more

Relatively good selection. Really fair prices. Biggest issue is they don't grade CDs (there is a specific guarantee that CDs/cases will be clean), they sell some really junky stuff that is clearly dirty and banged up, and they don't take any accountability for not meeting their posted expectations. I spent a fair amount of money with them online only to be told they don't want me as a customer any more because I requested to return stained, liquid damaged CDs that stank like cigarette smoke covered up with perfume. I tried to be flexible and air out the smell on most of the items but they deemed a stained CD "clean" and asked me to find another store. read more

I can never go wrong in this store. Some of my most treasured discoveries I have found here! Great compilations, very unique selections of books and soundtracks. I have never shopped with them online because I love discovering what they seem to curate in their bins and shelves. Some of the reviews said staff was less then warm and snuggly...well, I come for the music not a group hug. If you read Mojo, Q and are a crate digger...this is a very reliable spot for great music! read more

Super rude staff. Prices OK. Product condition leaves a lot to be desired.

This is one of my "go to" record stores in Chicago! The selection is excellent and you will find a lot of stuff that you don't see in other stores. The vibe is real chill and the sales staff don't have that "elitist" vibe. You crate diggers know what I'm talking about. Be sure to check out the Bargain Basement for some extra digging! The records are 50 cents! Well worth digging! read more

The only reason I am giving this place 2 stars instead of 1 is because of their awesome selection. Other than that I hated my experience there. I used to buy records from them online and was very excited the first time I walked into the actual store (back in January 2012), I spent about $300 that day and they did not offer any kind of discount. I was a little frustrated but happy with what I had bought so I did not say anything...until today! I went back there for the second time today with the intention of spending somewhere between $150-200 and ended up leaving 2/3 of my stack on the counter. Thinking about it now I should have done no business with these people. Let me explain why: the main reason I still shop in record stores is because I love finding out about new bands and new music to listen and what better place than a record store for this? Except when the staff is unapproachable, and when you ask to listen to records they tell you you can't! I can understand not wanting to unseal a new copy of a record, but if the seal is already broken/if there is no seal: where is the problem? They will not allow you to listen to more than 5 records at the time and you have to be accompanied by one of the employee who puts the needle on the record for you (yes you are here to buy records but yo are not allowed to touch them!!!), so it makes it very awkward when you want to skip to a different song... When I go record shopping I usually dig in crates for 1 or 2 hours and then listen to what I have in my stack and usually end up buying 90-95% of my selection. Dusty Groove America made it impossible to happen! I guess I'm done with them...too bad, considering they have one of the best deep funk and soul selections I have seen in years. read more