My boyfriend and I love music, he has a record player back home in Sac., and drags me to every and any record store. I love it bc I can also buy some vinyl and enjoy it at his house. He took me here this weekend and it was so fun, the staff was respectful and kind and he ended up buying 3 records and a CD! The CD was a Bob Dylan live CD, and it cost him only $3! Please check them out! You won't regret going! The store is sooooo pretty too! read more

Hercules Records - Records and CD - Vinyl Records Near Me - Berkeley, California

Quaint yet the selection doesn't feel limited, just enough - the perfect little record shop! I love that you're able to listen to vinyls on their record player and they even have headphones to use. Records are decently priced, labeled with sticky notes with its genre/vibe, and you can sell your records here too. I stumbled upon Hercules during an afternoon walk as it's tucked within the neighborhood. They are ran by very genuine and kind people! read more

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Wanted to love it... but left feeling unwelcome. My friend and I were excited to check out Hercules Records for the first time. We got there a little early and waited across the street at the coffee shop until it opened. We went in around 12:15. It's a small shop, so we knew to be mindful of our space and volume. At first there was no music playing, which made the space feel a little tense. A few minutes in, music started, and we felt a bit more comfortable chatting while browsing. My friend mentioned she had started working out, nothing graphic or inappropriate, just casual conversation between friends. Not even 10 minutes into being there, the person at the counter sharply interrupted us, saying: "Can you guys please stop talking so loud and about people's bodies? Talk about records. I have work to do and you're distracting. Didn't you notice I turned the volume up to drown you out?" We were both stunned. We understand it's a small shop and maybe the sound carries more than we realized, but it felt like an overreaction and was handled pretty aggressively. It left us feeling embarrassed and uncomfortable. We left shortly after and ended up going to Lloyd's Record Shop instead. It was more spacious, had a great selection, and the staff were friendly and welcoming. We really wanted to support a local spot like Hercules, but based on this experience, it's hard to recommend. A little communication and kindness would've gone a long way. read more

Gave them all our records from 60s - 90s. Hope you all enjoy them. Dig deep for the hidden gems!

I wanted to sell my vinyl records. My wife got a hold of a really nice guy. Tall and blondish. I wrote his name down, but lost it of course. I went in. Every neighborhood in America needs a sweet lil shop full of treasure like this. It was busy and friendly people looked really happy. Even their dogs felt at home. So, I brought my trove of records to sell him. Sadly, I was a little late. They just made a massive purchase and many of my records they had. I mentioned the offers I had earlier and he said under the circumstances, I should take the offer. I really liked his laid-back personality and felt comfortable accepting his advice. He was still very helpful and I felt he has an honest way of doing business. This is why his shop is jammed, I'm sure. Next time I want an old school used record shop, this will be my stop. First, I have to find my turntable. Sheesh. read more

UTTER TRASH I am a retired attorney in my mid 70s. I have been a collector of rock n' roll memorabilia for many decades and have accumulated a large collection of items. Ten years ago Collectors Weekly wrote a long article about my collection. If you type into your computer "Blueprint for the Occupy Movement" you will see it. I recently decided to sell some of my collection. I have a number of original 3 day tickets to the Woodstock Music Festival in 1969. The tickets are in mint condition. I have been selling them to various places in the Bay area. I found this miniscule record store on the internet and have never been a prior customer. I called to see if they might be interested in purchasing some of them. I called the telephone number listed online. I said "I would like to speak to the owner". Immediately the person on the other end hung up the phone. I waited a bit and called back. I spoke to someone who identified themself as Chris. He said that he was the owner. I told him what I had. He said that he was interested in purchasing some of them. I set up a specific appointment to come to the store and bring them with me. It took me about a 30 minutes to get to the store from my home. Much to my astonishment, he was not there. Again, I made a specific appointment with him. His employee had no idea what I was talking about. This is incredibly rude and classless. He had my telephone number, yet never gave me the simple courtesy of calling me and saying "Don't come. I won' be there." I drove back home. The trip probably cost me over $10 in gasoline. Two days later I received a phone call from him. He did not apologize. He said during the conversation 4 different times that he was interested in purchasing "all' of my Woodstock tickets. He repeatedly said that he would pay "a grand" for all of them. He told me that I should come to the store between 2:00 and 3:00 pm. I told him that I would be there at 2:30. I packed up my tickets. Yesterday I drove to the store with 50 Woodstock tickets. Unbelievably, he was not there AGAIN. He was able to call me on Sunday to say that he wanted to buy all of my tickets, but couldn't have the simple human decency to call me the following day and tell me not to come. This is beyond belief. I have dealt with, in long life and professional career, a large number of jerks, liars, scoundrels, miscreants, and other assorted human low lifes. However, in the panoply of all of endless human contacts, one person stands head and shoulders above the rest. He is the MVP in the Hall of Fame of Deplorables. To do this to someone once is disgusting. To do this to someone TWICE-within 1 week is astonishingly rude and really classless. His word means absolutely nothing. If he says that today is Tuesday, check your calendar before you believe him. You simply cannot take whatever he says at face value. If you are interested in buying or selling vinyl records or other memorabilia, go to Down Home Music in El Cerrito or Groove Yard in Rockridge. I have dealt with both of them. They are professional, gentlemanly, fair, and have very good prices. Most important, they are honest. read more

Stumbled into this place while waiting for a coffee across the street. It's a really small place but that small business vibe was really inviting and you really can't go wrong flipping through some LP's to kill time. Literally about 200 square feet of space to peruse around. I was able to find me an Etta James album along with the soundtrack to The Rocky Horror Picture Show for $5 each so I was ecstatic. If you love records you'll want to drop by here and check it out. read more

Hercules Records - Window front - Vinyl Records Near Me - Berkeley, California

great local shop run by genuine people ! prices are very fair and the selection is among the best in the bay area. they regularly buy new collections and i can find something interesting and good every time read more

I found an early stereo repress of Herbie Hancock's "Empyrean Isles" with the hallowed "VAN GELDER" stamp (jazz collectors know what I'm talking about). Cool little shop with interesting finds. read more

So happy to find a record I been looking forever the smiths The staff were really nice and the owner knew a lot about the records Can't wait to check out for more gems They also have shows but I have not gone to any yet soon I hope read more

Awesome little shop! Great selection of curated vinyl in a variety of genres ranging from soul to hip hop to reggae and beyond. Two listening stations in the shop to preview vinyl before buying. I was going to spend about $10 on a couple of gems until I just decided to listen to his entire selection of reggae in the shop, ended up spending more like $50 on some great stuff I didn't even know I liked! I had the opportunity to speak with the owner, I believe his name was Chris, and he's a really cool guy. He has a radio show which I hope to catch soon. Unfortunately I forgot the time and station, so if you see this Chris, plug your show for me! Thanks! read more

This is a nice little record shop where you hunt for bargain LPs as well as collectible ones. Also they offer a listening booth setup - so if you're unsure about something you can always give it a listen! Although I wish they put the LPs inside the sleeves instead of behind them, that way you get to browse through the songlist quickly. Also they are up-to-date with the local music scene and have separate bin for the records. Go check it out! read more

This is definitely a unique record shop with a distinct vibe that makes you want to come back for more. Not only do they have a rare selection of vinyl, cassettes, and gear, but they have wavy underground music events for the Berkeley community. I love going to Beat Shop every 1st Tuesday, or the 3rd Thursday with MassFlow. You gotta check it out! read more

Great neighborhood record store. I've found some gems for cheap. Lodi dodi 12" for $1 was my best score so far. The listening station is cool too read more

Consistently one of my fav shops in the East Bay. Friendly staff, great records, fair prices, solid bargain bins. Dig it.

I appreciate Hercules records so much! Called them several times for advice on turntables - they provided expert knowledge and were extremely courteous. Thanks Hercules! read more

This afternoon I brought there a box of records to sell. The guy began to sort them and asked me if they were mine? I said yes, some r mine and some from my home. I was irritated that he was not liking me to listen good music. Then he asked me such a few more questions sound to me a bit racist since i guess I do not look probably racially normal in his norms.! Then I told will you ask 50 questions more or will look at the records? He yells at me back "g. Fk. Outa here!". Be aware if this place! read more

Awesome collection of records in tip top condition and at very reasonable prices. Chris and his staff are always helpful and always have some groovy rare vinyl tunes playing in the store. read more

Small store, but careful selection of mostly vintage vinyl. Especially good jazz selection.

I appreciate the response to my review. I think you understood my disappointment at the time. That being said i did come back around for a live event you hosted a few weeks back and we had a great time! The sense of community and camaraderie that was created there was truly a feeling that cannot be faked and it was a demonstration of not only the power of music but of openness many people, let alone stores, are willing to allow. In any case I do look forward to revisiting down the line and please do keep hosting events for the people. read more

One of the coolest record shops around. Always a great selection of used records (mostly). The staff is friendly and helpful. A listening station is awesome. They have a few monthly music events going on so its always well worth keeping a finger on that pulse. Thanks for doing what you do, Hercules. Keep it up. read more

Really cool store owned buy a musician. That means the bins are gonna be filled with quality stuff. The owner is super cool and has a ton of stories to tell. If you're in the area and looking for a deal or two, this place is perfect for it. read more

My new favorite record store! Low key and unpretentious, Hercules is small with a great selection of soul, jazz, 70's and 80's rock and metal. Support this shop!!! read more

Really interesting variety in a small but cozy spot that's easy to navigate. Prices were excellent and the vinyl super clean.

Maybe the best small vinyl store in the area....great prices and variety. They have a lot of different genres...rock, jazz, pop, blues, etc. I found great records for $1. The prices are similar or sometimes better than in Mad Monk, Rasputin or Amoeba. read more

I shopped at Hercules and also sold a turntable. I found the store very well designed so that you could look around at stock easily. The owner was well informed and helpful in my understanding. He spent time with me and I would highly recommend this store for fairness and shopping for favorites. If you are looking for some oldies, this is the place. read more