The place is ok. Heavy metal vinyl section is probably the best you will find. A bit pricey but LPs have gone up in value. There seems to be a major contrast in personalities with the two guys who work there. The guy in front was friendly and helpful. The guy in the back could use a lesson in manners. That guy's got a major chip on his shoulder. I think he is the manager because he was barking out the prices. read more

Giving this place a thumbs down. Place is ok. Owner is a real jerk. Cool guy in front isn't there anymore. He prob had a enough of the owner. read more

The prices are not clearly organized and it felt like the man was making up prices on the spot. I wanted to purchase items from a discount bin of DVDs, the bin was labelled "5 for 10" there were no other qualifiers for what belonged in the bin but when we brought up the items we thought were on sale, we were informed that certain items didn't belong there and he was going to charge us for them... I love stores that offer physical medias such as CDs and DVDs and it is disappointing to be turned off by one of the few remaining stores of its kind in my area. read more

I had been to this record store several years ago, but decided to go back and check it out. Unfortunately, their hours are limited. Even during the holiday they're open Wednesday and Thursday 10 AM to 3 PM. Friday and Saturday only till 5 PM. I got there just around 4:25 PM on a Saturday night. Merle was there with another staff member. The owner Merle was very friendly. They have a very nice large section of compact discs in the middle of the store. Lots of records as well there's a section for used cassette VHS tapes 8 track tapes. As well as real to real tapes. It's very impressive their section of used audio equipment. I saw amplifiers cassette tape decks. A few open reel decks as well. Some nice tube table radios of course several turntables even a couple of 8 track players They do repairs on audio equipment. I asked Merle if they would work on a boom box as I'm looking at one from 1983 from the original owner, that looks in great shape. But after 41 years, I'm sure I will need belts. Merle told me that there's a $40 diagnostic fee just to make sure it is the belt and not something else as well Some people have complained about the prices here. I went to the used cassettes which are usually in other record stores somewhere between $.99 and $3.99. Here they used tapes were $5.99. Just a couple dollars more than Other stores I've been to. The sealed cassettes are $8.99. Which is pretty reasonable these days as it's hard to find cassettes that are sealed. I went to the couple of bins where there were $3.99 and $4.99 Records. I got a nice Cheech and Chong record with a cool fold out cover I was pleased to see a few Judy Collins records. Even though I own a bunch of them. I forgot to take one from when I left home and didn't want to drive 60 minutes back as I'm going to see Judy Collins in Connecticut on Sunday night and want to see if she will sign it. I Purchased, a Dolly Parton, cassette, and a cassette from the band Saxon as well as threeRecords Merle has been in business for 62 years. I chatted with him briefly. Things were a lot different back when he opened 45 RPMs were very popular and actual LPs didn't sell as well as 45 rpm Records. There were no cassettes back then. No. 8 track tapes either. no open real tapes until about 1963 or 1964. Cassette tapes came around in 1966. I didn't have as much of a chance to look through everything as it was closing time pretty soon after I got there. They were a lot more things I wanted to look through. Next time in the area, I'll get there earlier. Definitely wanna bring that boom box back if the belts need replacement which I'm sure they will I hope they had longer hours though. Merle said it was a staffing problem. I hope they could get enough help so they could be open till at least 6 PM or 7 PM on a Friday or Saturday. But I definitely recommend checking this place out. Especially if you wanna get some used audio equipment he has the biggest selection of used audio equipment. I've seen in a record store. So I definitely recommend coming here. read more

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If you go to the store, look up the prices he gives you before you purchase! This another store where nothing is priced. The owner will price everything at the counter. I looked up each record i wanted to buy on discogs. Records he was quoting me as $80 were selling on Discogs and Ebay for $20. Ones that were selling on Discogs and Ebay for 10 bucks he was quoting me at $75. The guy is a crook avoid this place at all costs. Do not waste your time or your money here. There are far better stores within the area. Redscroll, Gerosa, Retro Shop, the Archive, etc. read more

Great store! Mike is very friendly and knowledgeable and is always helpful. He recently repairing 1959 Grundig console and it works great!

Please listen to all of the negative reviews- they are highly accurate. The prices are absolutely insane. I've bought some records for $5 that are better quality than they'll sell for $30. These people need a psych eval. The fact that almost half of the records have no price is similarly bizarre and horrible business practice. The selection is also crap unless you want mostly records from the 50-80s. Almost nothing newer. DO NOT COME HERE - YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED! read more

Update: Had time to kill today and popped in to see if anything changed and I'm actually lowering my rating. Their albums are way way way overpriced. For what they charge they should come in plastic dust covers and one would think they would at least clean them before putting them on the shelf. All were filthy. I swear one had a short and curly. I bought Rufus ftr Chaka Khan for $10. My fault for not checking the album first, but there's tons of micro scratches to the point it won't even play through without multiple skips. And I'm using a high end Pickering D750 with a NOS stylus less than a year old. The seams are all split there's a stain on the cover. This should have been in a $2 bin not $10. Whoever is grading these must have 75/75 vision. I haven't even tried to listen to the others yet, but given how bad this one is not expecting much. I won't ever give these guys a dime again. If you want Goodwill quality vinyl at 10x the price this is your place. Pictures uploaded of this terrible G+ at best Rufus album after I cleaned the filth off it. Go elsewhere. Pissed off right now. I have to agree with some of the other reviews here. Everything is dusty disorganized and smells weird. When I walk into a record store I usually have a budget on what I want to spend. The fact that nothing has prices until you ask is frankly stupid. And the excuse of people don't want to ruin their cover peeling a sticker is stupid as well. Most record stores I shop at have a poly sleeve on anything of value where the price sticker goes. And as overpriced as this guy is he can afford poly sleeves. I went once, wasn't impressed, the prices were out of line compared to other stores and it was just awkward. I don't like surprises when checking out and that's what you get here. The best thing about it is they have record cleaning solution, cleaning supplies accessories and things like phono preamps. I don't care if they've been there for 33 years or how much experience the owner has. His prices based on grade are high, the lack of pricing is annoying and there's 33 years of dust on everything including the owner. Could be great too bad. read more

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I don't know how you can't give Merle's less than five stars. This place is a cultural oasis in the desert of pop music. True audiophiles and music lovers, this is our spiritual home. I've never left here less than completely satisfied. You can find anything you want here, and if they don't have it in stock they can order it for you. They also repair equipment. Good luck getting Spotify to do that for you, or one of the mall music stores. read more

Fantastic and affordable! Mike repaired my 1959 Grundig phonograph/AM/FM/short wave console system. It hadn't run on nearly 50 years, and now it gets played every day! Mike really worked hard to ensure this antique ran again! We are beyond happy. Karl read more

I will say this place is cool inside and they play good music while you're in there. The prices on alot of albums I've seen at other places for same quality are 5x the price. Like $1 bin items for 10-15 even $20 prices. I do wish it was cheaper, because they seem very knowledgeable and they seem like great people. Everyone has to make their money I understand that, but they need to be a little more reasonable. read more

The best selection of vinyl and CDs I have found anywhere. Mike and staff are always friendly and helpful. Unlike other places they give attention to their customers. read more

Mike and his staff are very friendly and extremely helpful! You can tell they really care about their customers and business!

Is this place quirky? Yes. You have to ask for pricing on vinyl, there's a little workshop in the back with Mike works on everything from vintage tube amps to solid state amps (he just wrapped up work on a Phase Linear 400 Series 2 and a Carver cube amp!), and you have to dig around for stuff. But does Merle's have the selection? Oh, it definitely does. Walking into Merle's reminds you of how records shops used to be, where records was the focus of the store not some afterthought because vinyl is hot again. Merle's hasn't wavered from vinyl and it shows. Does it deserve some of the scathing reviews below? I don't think so. This place is for aficionados and all of their media comes with a guarantee. If you're looking for cheap stuff, then yes, go rummage through your local discount store. But like all things quirky, you accept the idiosyncrasies and the pricing that comes with it. If you're looking for cheap because you expect that an "old" media format should be cheap, then you've got it all wrong. Try developing film these days from a 35mm film camera. It's a medium that's disappearing, but it doesn't mean it should be cheap (and it's not). So go to Merle's for the experience, the opportunity to gawk at the repair bench in the back and all the vintage phono players, and for the no compromise media guarantee. Don't go if you're cheap, you'll be disappointed. read more

Merle's Record Rack - Mike Papa working his magic on a vintage tube radio. - Music & DVDs Near Me - Orange, Connecticut

Where to even begin with this place....well for starters nothing is priced, if you see something you like you have to bring it up to the counter for the staff to price on the spot. This is not only annoying, but just lazy business practice. They barely even look at the record and just price it by pulling it out a bit and then giving the jacket a once over. Their prices compared to other record stores in CT are just ludicrous. If it's anything remotely popular they just price gouge you. Another complaint are the ridiculous business hours. The store closes at 5:30 every day when most people are just getting off work. But hey the place is still in business so I guess I'm the only one annoyed by that, it's just ridiculous when other music stores are open later and on weekends. If you are a fan of supporting local music stores like myself, just avoid this place all together. They may have a decent selection but it's all priced ridiculously. read more

Fabulous service from knowledgable staff. Great selection of parts, equipment, vinyl and CDs. Definitely a first stop for any audiophile's needs! read more

I rarely write reviews but I feel an obligation to warn unsuspecting vinyl newbies to avoid stores like this. This place is great if you really like the inconvenience and ridiculous prices of a record show where nothing has a marked price and everything is worth at least $15 because it's "original." Seriously there are so many better stores with less crap to sort through at half the price. You could buy stuff from Discogs and ship it anywhere and still pay less money. Don't waste your time unless you like to get ripped off. I tried to relieve them of some random country records that have probably been sitting there for twenty years and will be for another when he quoted me no less than $13 for Records I'll find at a flea market for $1. I feel bad for people who have been ripped off by this place. The guy seemed nice enough just delusional and out of touch. read more

Fuck this place. If I could give it zero stars, I would. This dude wanted to charge me $25 for common albums I could've found at the thrift store down the street for a buck (and later, did--persistence pays off!). Point being, nothing is marked. You're expected to sift through their musty stacks of mostly-crappy records, bring your selections to the counter, and let some moron who fancies himself some kind of record magician pull bullshit prices out of his hat. AVOID THIS PLACE. read more

I've never been one to jump on a site like this specifically to trash an independently owned specialty store, especially a record store. I love record stores. But Merle's has hit rock bottom for me today. I didn't think I could think so little of a place that I want to think so much of. For those that say Merle's is a gem for digging old, rare LP's and unique audio repair and whatnot, great. Good job Merle's. You're appealing to a very small market. But for the rest of us that like to drive around to find cool music stores, Merle's is a let down on all fronts. First off, let me say that everyone complaining about the prices of things is entirely right. I'm totally cool with paying a few more dollars to get a CD or LP from an indie store over a major outlet like Best Buy, Amazon or iTunes. I love supporting local business. But at Merle's I saw a used copy of a rather popular CD from 10 years ago going for $16.99. That's more expensive than it is to buy it new at other indie stores. Obscene. Then I saw some TV season DVD's in the back near the discount racks (which are terribly organized, even for guys like me who love perusing through racks and racks of cheap CD's) and I saw one season of a TV show for $100. Seriously. One hundred dollars. You'd have to an extreme amount of expendable income to justify a purchase like that. I'm sorry. The final nail in the coffin came for me today, which is Record Store Day, a holiday for indie record stores to band together and release limited edition LP's and such from a ton of great artists just looking to help keep these wonderful mom and pop shops alive. I went in and saw the place was a little bit more crowded than normal. There were a few more staffers than normal too, so I asked a younger looking gentleman behind the counter if they had any Record Store Day exclusives and he rolled his eyes and said "We didn't order anything." in a clearly disappointed tone. On a day that is molded around bolstering record sales and awareness at independently owned stores, Merle's opted to do exactly what it's been doing so well...let us down. When a staff member is clearly aware of such a blunder, I really lose confidence in a store. Merle's is catered towards a very small demographic with a few too many dollars of expendable income. To those audiophiles and collectors, I tip my hat. I'm glad you've helped the place stay open for 50 years. But to those of us that shop on a budget and like to see a store that gives back to the customers that stop iTunes and Best Buy and Target from putting them out of business, Merle's is a joke. Travel up I-95 and go to Exile in Branford, or even Redscroll in Wallingford. Those are places that aren't going to tell you to your face that a season of Deadwood is worth more than some of us make in a hard days work. read more

It's been a year since someone reviews this place so it's overdue for an update. So here we go - THIS PLACE STILL SUCKS!!!!! It's remarkable to read the other reviews on here and then you go there and everything that was wrong about this place is still wrong with this place all this time later - HOW ARE THEY STILL IN BUSINESS? I'd say 20% of the music is priced and it's all way over what you'd expect to pay for used CD's. That leaves 80% of the merchandise that has no price on it at all. So that means the kid at the front counter has to run to the back of the store and ask the great Merle how much he'd like for a CD that no one has ever inquired about - EVER. Comes back and say $18 for a CD that is available for about $5 if you use one of the big online places. The real kicker was when I found a Tears for Fears CD in their $1 pile (Hey, it's a long ride home I wanted to listen to something). So the kid runs to the back, before I can say anything, and I see him conferring with the great Merle's mystery pricing guide - verdict $9.99. First of all I love that Merle couldn't say "$10" (marketing 101, if you say 9.99 they'll go for it - F'in brilliant) secondly, when I tell the kid I got it from the $1 pile he says "We really should label these" - YA THINK !? While you're at it, price the whole F'in store - that's how a record store should operate. Like the other people that reviewed this place - I REALLY wanted to like it. Anytime I go on vacation I research the areas record stores just as I would hotels, tourist attractions, etc. I love record stores and rarely leave without dropping $20 at a min. and often more - but I want SOME bang for my buck. I seriously would love to know how this place has stayed open for this long. I for one will never step foot in there again - sadly, I'll be going to FYE the next time I'm in the area. read more

Terrible experience, HORRIBLE customer service ... Overpriced, beat up, used scratched records, and the place smells like body odor .... the owner is a condescending pseudo "music expert" who needs to get punched in the face .... DON'T WASTE YOUR TIME !! .... I have no idea how this place is still open .... read more

Merle's Record Rack - The WORST Record Store in Connecticut ! .... arrogant, unprofessional, terrible customer service, overpriced scratched records ! - Music & DVDs Near Me - Orange, Connecticut

I scored a 70s Scott receiver and a pair of Yamaha NS 20s from Mike this week and couldn't be happier. Everything was at internet market price, which is something to be said when you get a 30 day full return policy and the knowledge that the gear has been tested and gone through. Mike even let me test out different speakers with the receive I purchased. We noticed some distortion coming from the receiver, and he had the signal path completely cleaned out for me THAT Day. You can always roll the dice and try and save a few bucks on some gear on eBay, from someone w no way of backing the product, but I wouldn't recommend it. I am originally from New York, and I have had friends make the drive up to Merle's, as it is truly a destination for analog gear. Great people that work there, with a dedication to keeping the pursuit of quality audio alive. read more

I've come to this record store several times and today was probably my last trip to Merle's. In short, I agree 100% with all other reviews written thus far, but let me share my experience. My number one complaint is that nearly NOTHING is priced, so today, searching though their Rock and Heavy Metal collection, I found a few records that stood out to me and that I was interested in. I had an idea about what some were worth but i did not expect to be scammed (like they attempted). So I brought my selections to Merle - the genius who prices everything without even looking at half of the discs - and was told outrageous prices on all of my choices... This is not the first time I have been told outrageous prices by them, and I know that they are 100% trying to get every last F*****g dollar they can get. I know the economy blah blah blah, but without consumers, your business is shit, so stop screwing us. Word to the wise - know what you're looking for, search the internet for prices, and always buy what's cheaper. read more

What a greatplace to find old vinyl and other cool music. The owner Michael Papa helped me find the record I wanted!

On my way to a gig in Connecticut my band and I stopped at this Record Shop. We were curious to see what they had. They had mostly classic rock nothing to subcultural sub-genre like, but they had some good classic rock staples. They had some great crate deals available at take-all prices. Not a bad stop at all, we found some gems. read more

collectors, avoid this place at all costs... there is a nice selection of vinyl, particularly picture sleeve 45's, but NOTHING IS PRICED...you have to ask for the price of all vinyl...total crap way of doing business... read more

I give Merle's a 3 star for their availability of reasonably priced cassettes ONLY. This is one of the few shops in my area that has any selection of used cassettes between $5-10. It is not a huge selection but if you have eclectic tastes you can probably find an interesting and affordable tape to add to your collection. I do not shop for records, t-shirts, cd's, posters, stereos or anything else but cassettes here. I did once buy a very valuable Celtic Frost German pressing LP of "Emperor's Return" for $13 haha. No one there knows much about 80's proto-death metal I guess- their loss! :P read more

I'm surprised to read the other reviews - I had a very positive experience at Merle's today! The guy who helped me, I think his name was Mike, was extremely helpful, knowledgeable, and efficient. He helped me install a new belt ($20) in a record player I'd inherited, determined that the receiver I had was busted beyond repair, helped me find a new receiver (for $75 instead of $145 as marked), and hooked everything up using speakers I'd brought. In other words, he took my equipment from non-functional to bumpin' in the course of an hour. Labor charges totaled $50, not cheap but I couldnt've done the work myself. I definitely recommend their services! read more

Stopped here for the first time at this location. What a pleasant surprise! Lots and lots of great records, stereo equipment and everything else you can think of. Don't be put off by the comments about no prices. Some have prices, if you find something you like. look it up on discogs. The prices are very reasonable anyway. Very friendly staff read more

The place to go if you've got a certain LP that you just gotta have....Tees and posters as well....full record store experience which isn't around much anymore read more

Merle's Records is not a place I would recommend visiting. Nothing is priced and the store owner looks up every item on eBay and charges the highest prices possible. The record selection at best is just ok and you can pretty much find the same items at other stores for much cheaper. read more

Great record store!! Also did a great job repairing a vintage Roland drum machine!! Mike rocks!! Visit this store and enjoy a trip down memory lane. Great friendly service!! read more

Wanted to buy two albums worth a total of about 20 bucks in NM. These albums were about VG+. He looked at one album and said 21.99 and the other 19.99. What a clown, please find yourself another record store cause this guy is a con artist and should be out of business. And when I was leaving he was like "You haven't seen them in a long time, Huh" Please, I can get them online for about 8 to 10 bucks a piece.. read more

You may choose not to be put off by "the 2 bad reviews", but you should definitely take note. A girlfriend of mine wanted to do something sweet for me when a vintage copy of a Poco album was destroyed. She went to Merle's, where the owner charged her "First Pressing" price for a cheap re-issue. She didn't know any better, I didn't tell her and I'm still embarrassed for her. I, myself, went in to look at some audio equipment (of which he has plenty). I was looking for a specific type of phono preamp which he didn't have. Fine; but, as I was leaving, he said "Come back again", but his tone said "Thanks for wasting my time". Unethical dude. If you go here, MAKE SURE you know what you want and what it's worth; then NEGOTIATE. Know who you're dealing with. That's the only way to keep these (this) guy(s) honest. His staff are far better to deal with. There is no incentive for them to treat you unfairly and I got good treatment from them. I used to go to Merle's back in the "60's when they were in New Haven. This is a far different place. Two stars, tops, if dealing with the owner. Three to three a half with staff. read more

This is the best public restroom that doubles as a record store. They got that hot yellow pressing. As I was going through the dollar bin records of Chuck Mangione and Brothers Johnson, all priced $7.99 and $10.99, I dug deep in the back, squatted and drained it. Relief! What up Merle. I'll be back next time I'm in town. All of you customers keep an eye out for those hot yellow pressings. They still keep a modest $7.99 price. read more

This place sucks. Went in to buy some records and nothing in there is priced. I picked out the records I wanted and had to wait 15 minutes awkwardly standing around looking at stuff I already looked at for some random guy to tell me he wants 20 dollars for a crappy record. I'm not going back there. read more

Avoid this place at all cost. I went in looking for a record as a gift. I walked in and yes it was a big record store with a great selection. Well that is how far as it goes. First off no prices on any of the records. A weird and major inconvenience. He can charge whatever he wants on the fly and every time I wanted a record I would have to go up to ask how much. By-the-way the prices are outrageous and I felt like I was bothering the owner when I had a question. Then what infuriated me was I did find one album that had a sticker on it. I was amazed. It was a good rating at that for only 2.99. I figured cool I will grab that. Well I got up to the counter and it figures he tells me thats not the price. Huh? It states 2.99 sticker. He says it's a mistake peels it off and wants to charge me like 12.99. He claims he doesn't use stickers because he would ruin the records but why not put them on the plastic. I said I don't want it. He was trying to rip me off. I left there feeling aggravated and very disappointed. I do not recommend this store at all. How does this guy stay in business. Take some advice, use ebay or disccogs and you will know the price and much cheaper. Also fare rating system on vinyl. read more

Avoid this place at all costs!! It looks very nice on the outside but what you will find is nothing but overpriced garbage. I recently visited this store looking for some jazz records. I had asked the guy there if he had a few titles on vinyl, I can tell right away he did not now of the artists I was inquiring about. I ended up finding a Stanley Clarke album I've been wanting , when I asked how much he replied " ohh that's a rare album ahh $35" Really!! First off it wasn't rare it was a second or 3rd pressing of Clarkes 1st album & second it only goes for $5-$10 elsewhere. Next I asked a kid there if they had any mofi releases he rudely answered " what the heck are those" I actually ended up finding a box of them there , their were a few good titles nothing great however the condition of these were all no better than VG. Out of curiosity I asked how much for George Bensons Breezin mofi , the first guy I was talking to says "$60 for that piece" again Really. The records in this store all look kind of beat to be charging prices like this. Even the bootlegs they had there were pretty thrashed. I checked out a few cd titles & to my surprise upon opening the jewel case to 4 of the titles were CD-R's inside with custom lables, nice pal! I would also like to point out that there is a shrink wrap machine behind the counter so I would avoid anything claiming to be sealed. Upon leaving the store there was an older gentleman complaining about a tape restoration that this store had made that wasn't to the gentlemans liking , they would not give him his money back , but did offer him store credit. It really was an argument the older guy was saying "but I don't want anything in this store" God knows how much he must have paid for the restoration. I felt really bad for him. Terrible way to do business but I guess it works for the guy who owned this place. read more

Total crap. After waiting about 20 minutes for the owner to futz around with someone about something, he finally got around to looking at what music I came in to trade in. I had about 100 CDs and LPs. Everything ranging from the ultra-rare (i.e. Rolling Stones in Brussels, 1973), to well yes, more mainstream stuff. Even the rare U2 live collection, U22. He looked at it for about 30 seconds (after I spent those 20 minutes looking at some other items--way, way overpriced, at least the things that were marked) and was told that there was absolutely nothing he could use. Really? A sealed 30th Anniversary Goodbye Yellow Brick Road SACD? The perennial best seller Eagles Greatest Hits 1971-75, foreign pressing? Derek and The Dominoes box set? Steely Dan Greatest Hits 1972-78 that runs 80:16 long, 16 seconds longer than a CD's regular 80 minute capacity? He just kind of just dismissed the whole bunch with a wave of the hand. So I did what most people would do----walked out, did not buy anything, will NEVER buy anything there, and went to Exile On Main Street in Branford, where they took in about 1/2 of my stuff. And I got what I was looking for too. If Zero stars were possible, that would be my rating. Never, ever again. Now I am actually kind of glad that he didn't take any of my stuff. Swine. Total slime. read more

Not sure about the other reviews, but I thoroughly enjoyed my visit to Merle's this past weekend. I grew up going to the one in Guilford and was excited to finally make it out to this location, especially because of the record selection.(it can be overwhelming! Make sure to put aside time to peruse!) Yes, there is a large inventory of used records, CDs, DVDs, equipment, and paraphernalia, but isn't part of the the fun finding what you want (because it is somewhat organized and the owner is more than willing to help you.) and then coming a cross a gem you didn't know you wanted? Yes, most of the items are not priced. That is to preserve the quality of the record sleeve. While some of the pricing was a bit higher than I expected, I was able to purchase some really great albums at a fair price. The employee behind the counter was helpful and willing to explain pricing if I had questions. (I bought a copy of The Beatles White Album for $6, (priced so because of the condition) and the owner offered to trade it in if I returned home and found the quality wasn't up to snuff. Both people working seemed invested in music and chatting with patrons about their passion for their work. I hope this visit was not a fluke, because I will for certain be back for another visit soon. read more