Happened upon this off the beaten path record shop in downtown Naperville. It wasn't the biggest shop but it was well organized. The selection seemed to be focused on a lot of older albums but prices were decent. I didn't find anything that grasped my attention but happy I stopped in. read more

Purple Dog Records - Vinyl Records Near Me - Naperville, Illinois

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Stumbled across this hidden gem of a record shop in downtown Naperville. The have a pretty large vinyl selection--punk, classic rock, jazz, oldies, 80s, and even some CDs. The owners are super friendly. While not the largest, it was neatly organized with a strong focus on older albums at reasonable prices. I'm not a collector but I'm impressed and glad people are purchasing from their small business! read more

Really small record store. Tiny. And tucked away off of a little alley. If my kid hadn't already known it was located here, I'd have unknowingly walked right by. It's pretty heavy on the 70's and 80's albums, but there are some great finds in here. The records and jackets all look to be in great condition. They're organized well. A range of prices from $5 to $30 each. While I'm still a bit bummed they had to move from the spot at the train station, I have to say this place is more conveniently located. I'll stop here more often because I'm often in this area. read more

Purple Dog Records - Debut album - Vinyl Records Near Me - Naperville, Illinois

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Small store, BUT a digger's wet dream. Lots of finds if you dig at great lower prices. Compared to other record stores you can get your moneys worth here. I found some Budda productions records here. BOMB!!! read more

I didn't know there was a record store in the back of one of the allies in Downtown Naperville. My friend saw and we decided to explore it. There were great records, new and old, from various genres. I saw that the place was used as a venue for local punk and rock bands. My husband and I were super stoked considering we like rock music. We definitely checking this place soon! read more

A quaint little store tucked away from the busy streets of Naperville; once you walk in, you will not be able to stop yourself from coming back. The new location serves it perfect as it takes you away from reality and takes you to a whole new world. Though the store is small, it doesn't feel that way as you browse through the countless vinyl, both new and used. They offer up different sections of their store to different genres of music. Along with their great vinyl organization, they offer a clearance section filled with many good tracks. I often pick out a few clearance vinyls and discover new artists. The staff is amazing. They know they're music and are super helpful. On top of the amazing customer service, they also have something called the "Frequent Buyer Card" where you fill up the five slots and get $10 off a used vinyl. I find this a great way for customers to purchase more vinyl and expand their music taste. After a couple trips to Purple Dog, I can confidently say that 95% of the actual vinyl they sell are in very good condition (Mint, Near Mint, VG+). For records that fall below these rankings they put a sticker telling you the condition which is incredibly helpful. For the sleeve, it depends on if the vinyl is used or new. Again in most cases the sleeve is in good condition. Overall, the quality of their vinyl is really good. As for their collection, they have a heavy concentration of 70s and 80s rock. But they also have categories such as: Hip-Hop, Punk, Jazz, Metal, Alternative, and many others. Whenever I stop in, they always have new vinyl in stock and they are constantly expanding their collection on a daily basis. Overall, Purple Dog is one of the best record store I've had the opportunity to stop in. Lucky for me, it is in my home town so I will definitely be returning multiple times to purchase more vinyl. Whether you are new to vinyl or have been collecting for years, Purple Dog is the place to go to begin or add on to your collection. read more

Nice record store. Very small. Like garage small. But good selection of used items mostly centered around 80s pop and classic rock.

Vinyl is all the rage again and stepping into Purple Dog Records brought me back about forty years, when my favorite store was a little hole in the wall record store that sold new & used. I have been in the store twice, but all I did was take a trip down memory lane and check to see how much I could get for some of my old albums, which I would never sell anyway. I am not looking to expand my vinyl collection, so I'm never going to be the best customer. Nevertheless, I definitely enjoy the opportunity to experience a favorite part of my younger days. read more

Prelude: I sold hi fi and records between 1976 and 1982. I live in southern KY and travel the country a lot. One of my favorite pastimes in each location is to check out the local record stores. The review: The location is apparently to cater to those getting off the commuter train. I found it through Google, otherwise there is no way I'd know it was there. This is a very small place (maybe 150 sq ft). But for such a small place, the selection is fantastic, and many of the records are even rated (VG, etc). And the prices are outstandingly low! i.e. if you just want to go to a record store to browse all the nostalgia, old stuff and talk to people, this is not the place to go. But if you want to actually buy used vinyl, this should be your first stop! The owner is VERY friendly as well. read more

Humble record store in downtown Naperville, Illinois! Found what I was looking for and staff was nice.

Very nice selection of vinyl in this small store. The quality of the records was very good and there were many records that I have not seen before. There is a budget bin of records in the hallway that are a bit dated but there were a couple albums that I picked up. Will will come back again next month to see if they get new records in stock. Prices were fair. read more

Small little shop packed with gems in every genre of music. There is plenty to look through, set aside an afternoon if your looking to add a good amount to already budding collection. They offer a frequent buyers club with discounts after you buy a certain amount of records. read more

Purple Dog records is the best record shop in the area on many fronts. 1) The owner is a dedicated and passionate individual who knows so much about the bands whose records he sells. He can definitely recommend you an album. 2) The reward cards are nice since it doesn't take much to redeem one, unlike other shops in the area. 3) The location is right near downtown Naperville. 4) The selection of records is impressive and spans many genres from 50's jazz to 80's pop & psych to heavy metal. They have what you are looking for. They also have good records even in the clearance section! 5) The price is spot on! read more

As a vinyl junkie I was excited to hear there was a new record shop in the downtown Naperville area. At the same time, I know how disappointing these suburban record shops can be with their high prices and weak selections. Let me say, I am very pleased that Purple Dog is a great little shop! It's a small little joint but it's well packed with all genres well represented. Everything is well organized and records are nicely shelved in their sleeves. Prices range from around $5 - $15 for most of the stuff I saw. I came across a decent variety, but the rock selections are mostly concentrated around the 70's/80's rock classics like Kinks, Petty, Blondie, etc. This is great if you are building your vinyl collection in this area. Again all is nicely and appropriately priced. Also, there is a cool indie record shop vibe going on here (rare in the burbs)! I spent close to an hour there flipping through everything and walked away with some nice picks from their blues section. The shop owner is a nice dude and very helpful and even willing to play your picks if you want to test them out - nice! My only wish is they carry more current modern indie/rock selections. I'm sure it just depends on what comes in the door. For sure, I'll be adding this place to my regular vinyl hunting stops. Totally worth checking out in downtown Naperville! read more

Purple Dog Records, along with Mile Long Records in Wheaton and Rediscover Records in Elgin, represent a new batch of record stores that have opened up in the Western suburbs within the last few years. This "new crop" is interesting, as they are opening in locations where stores might have not been found in the past (typically the down town areas of their respective towns). In addition, they are focusing much more heavily on stocking LPs rather than CDs. In most cases, the stores also offer other services, such as turntable repair, cartridge sales, or special ordering of LPs, which makes them like some of the stores they've replaced that used to service these areas at one time (e.g., Remember When, Threshold, Record Swap, etc.) On the whole, it's good for the record buyer that these places have turned up, as there is now more choice of shopping possibilities for LP buyers in the Western and Northwestern suburbs now than there has been in some time. This is especially true when one also combines the various Half Price Books locations that have been springing up the last 5 years or so, 2nd and Charles in Naperville, and older stores that are "still around" like Kiss the Sky in Batavia, Algonquin Records in Des Plaines, and Rainbow Records in Barrington. Purple Dog Records is the Naperville addition to this newer set of stores. Like others in this group, they have nice prices and a nice selection of new LPs--that is, LPs that are still sealed and come from the factory that way. The place is also run by a guy who seems really nice and is definitely a fan of music. Unlike Mile Long and Rediscover, or Music Masters in Downers Grove, the prices on used LPs make Purple Dog stand out--and in a very good way! The prices here are *very reasonable*--like the prices at Remember When when it was open or places like Oak Park Records and The Old School. This makes Purple Dog stand out so much because the prices at the other places like Mile Long and Rediscover are often 2 to 3 times what they should be, particularly on "collectable records,"* given what the realities of the actual local Chicagoland marketplace (and NOT Ebay auction outcomes, which is what other stores seem to be basing prices on, at least in part). The one negative for this store is that it is much too small. The records are currently jammed into a space of what seems like the back room of another store. I'm sure this keeps the rent down, especially since they only opened a few months back. But they have clearly already outgrown the space they have. The impact of this is that they have a lot less room to display the new LPs they offer than stores like Mile Long and Music Matters, and thus, they are currently having to offer most only through sale on their online website (or by request). This is a small negative, however, and one they hopefully will correct in time (by moving to a bigger space). Overall, this is a nice addition to the stores in the suburbs and the Chicagoland area more generally. Definitely a place to check out! (* I put "collectable" in quotes because often times, these albums really are not--for instance, stuff by Dylan, Hendrix, or Springsteen, and US Pressings of Bowie, Floyd, and Stones stuff, can actually be found pretty easily, and in good condition, at affordable prices, if one is patient enough. Thus, they are not actually rare, which is one thing that "collectable" is used to mean. Another, and what makes it get called "collectable" by many of the suburban stores--is that it is expected than fans of these groups will want the album when they find it and probably don't want to wait. Hence they'll pay more for them. This also explains why the albums often sell for higher than they should on Ebay, a second factor which encourages stores like this to charge more for these kinds of LPs, as Ebay prices seem to influence decisions. However, stores I can think of offhand who offer the records at 2-3 times less than the prices one tends to see at stores like Mile Long or Rediscover in this category are Half Price Books, Reckless, Oak Park Records, The Old School Records, Logan Hardware, and, of course, Purple Dog, as mentioned above. See my reviews of the other 40+ stores in the Chicagoland area I have now reviewed for comparison/contrast.) read more

Excellent selection of vinyl. Punk, classic rock, jazz, oldies, 80s. Even some CDs too. The owners are really nice. Definitely a place I'll be going to again! read more

Walked in to a closed for 30 minute post it note. Waited until employee returned and he asked if I was there to shop. That was the only interaction which is a bit uncomfortable for a shop so small. The selection was limited and the two records I found were so dirty and scuffed that I would never buy them. I'm from out of town so perhaps that is par for the course in the Chicago area. read more

It is a tiny little shop which is fine. it is all well and good, but my word is it expensive. You're easily going to spend 2 or 3 times what you'd spend online. For example, for less than $20 you can get a brand new Re-Issue for just about any random Beatles album. You can get a used older record for around $7 to $15 in most cases or less if you're willing to keep an eye on things. Here you're spending $30 or $40 for that used Beatles Album. These aren't necessarily NM copies either. If you like the idea of a record store and you're willing to spend the extra it requires to keep a place that open, then I'm sure this place will do, but that isn't for me. read more

Small shop next to the train station. I stuck to the $1 bin in the hallway, but found some cool stuff !

Great place in Naperville to add to or start your record collection. Mostly classic rock, some jazz, a lot of 70s-80s music, no classical, very little hip/hop, and 95% used LPs. It is right next to the Naperville stop on the Metra/BNSF line so very convenient for commuters. I probably go 2 days per week just to see if there is anything new and browse. Yes, its small, part of the charm. Recently they have reorganized the store, much easier to find specific artists, plus Joel and the other employees are always very helpful and know where everything is at. DO NOT FORGET to ask for the frequent buyers card! For every $50 you purchase, you get $10 off on your next visit, wish other stores had that. My only recommendation for improvement is that they take the time to grade their inventory (G, VG, VG+, etc). Some are graded and some aren't and the condition is all over the place of course, which means you have to inspect each LP. As for price, I think they are fair. You won't get a bargain on Pink Floyd, Hendrix or the other most popular artists, but there are some bargains in there. I recently picked up a Steely Dan two-fer (Donald Fagan the Nightfly (Japanese pressing) and Aja - special edition red clear vinyl) for $20 total, so you just have to look around. read more

I'm a fan of this cool little shop. Have always been treated well by the owners. Lots of great finds, if you're willing to dig a little. That's part of the fun! Personally, I think the prices are very fair. It's unfair to compare brick and mortar prices to what you can pay online. Apples and Oranges. I, for one, will pay a bit extra to support those that put everything on the line to follow their dream. Keep up the good work! A loyal customer! read more