This was my first visit. I loved the interior and selection. I found a couple hard to find vinyl which made me happy. I noticed they also sell some vintage toys which is cool. And the help was extremely friendly. I'll come back for sure. read more

Record Breakers - Interior of vinyl record store. - Music & DVDs Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Bee here multiple times, they bought some records off of me and I've been here for record store day. Great selection and friendly service.

I feel so sad for the large turtle they have in such a small tank. They need much more space and enrichment. The rest of the store is lovely. read more

Great store! I stopped by to sell some records, they were friendly and took their time to make an offer that matched up well with the records I brought; none of that Half-Price Books style low-balling. I browsed a bit while they were checking over those records. The store is mighty nice and well-organized from what I saw. read more

Nice selection of new and used vinyl, Record Breakers hosted a great shindig on Record Store Day 2011. Live bands, free soda, lemonade and they kept the hot dogs coming (thatswhatshesaid?). The CD boxed sets and collectibles collection is impressive and aptly priced. Huge selection of CDs, but I wouldn't mind seeing used CDs come down in price. There's plenty of vinyl selection, whether it be Rock, Jazz, R&B, even saw a generous portion of Classical (with Louisville Symphony Orchestra having a huge selection of "white labels", hey JT!). Staff is helpful without a hint of Championship Vinyl 'tude. I can see coming to browse Record Breakers followed with dinner and a show at Reggie's Music Joynt. read more

I'll be honest, this store has straight up one of the most racially suspect selections of music I've ever encountered in the city. How do you land a record store less than a block from the projects and you don't even try to sell to the people in the community you land in? And this isn't even on some 'wahh the rap section is small and overpriced' thing (altho it is), there isn't even an R&B section in the vinyl (its a part of 'rock' and i already own EW&F's greatest hits, thnx) and don't even talk to me about the jazz section. To be fair, the bar has pretty good food. read more

This place has a nice selection of LPs. They do a nice job of presenting a wider selection in popular genres, such as pop, classic rock, and jazz. They also have a decent selection of r and b, and country, despite what other reviews have suggested. In addition, they also have a nice selection of classical music. Reckless, Dave's, Dusty Groove, and Logan Hardware do a better job in similar areas than they do here, so I've put Breakers lower in the list. But they do try, and give good competition, so I'm willing to give them a good, solid, better than average rating. read more

Great selection of new and used vinyl, lots of classic rock at decent prices. Nice vibe with staff and they have a stage for local music as well Plus a frequent shopper reward card so we will be back read more

4 1/2 stars. This place is a sleeper and well-worth repeat visits. Sandwiched between a bar/club and a roof deck, Record Breakers has a huge selection in all genres. The prices range from a bit high to very reasonable and I was surprised to find some rare jazz & soul records there even though you'd think the place would mostly be strong in rock, punk, and indie music. You can also buy tickets here to shows. The staff are young, friendly, and knowledgeable. Last, I'm not sure how you become a "preferred customer" but when I bought a whole pile of records they gave me this discount (amounting to maybe 10-15% off). PS One other tip: the store also sells some rare stuff on discogs and this inventory isn't out on the floor to browse. So check the discogs site before you go there, and then ask them about items because they have these filed away behind the counter. read more

I thought when I've been to certain music stores in the past(*cough* FYE on new CD pricing, and numerous other independent stores I won't mention), I thought those were really bad. However, the way they price music here is mostly downright disgusting and unacceptable, especially for used CDs. Get this: the prices of used CDs here is almost equivalent to FYE's new CD prices! That is just NOT acceptable, and never will be in my book. Best thing to do with this store is to browse here to get some ideas for albums you may be missing before or after seeing a Reggie's show(or if by some random chance you're nearby after 2pm in this area after this place opens, I dunno for what reason besides coming from Chinatown), and save those purchases for either another store or online. The little good about this place is that they had a few bargain bins that were acceptable, if not great price-wise with some hard-to-find CD singles and records, the overall selection of both records and CDs is great, and they had a cute talking parrot. But until they fix their prices for used CDs(I fear their record prices are as bad), I would instead suggest first going to Let's Boogie in Bridgeport before here, sadly. read more

A gem of a record store. Nice size inventory, roomy space, sometimes there's a dog wandering around the store. Anything they don't have, they'll special order for you. Thrilled to have Record Breakers in the neighborhood. read more

The stories I've been told about old record breakers stash finds prompted me to race all my friends through the aisles trying to grab hot wax, however I couldn't find a single goddamn thing I was willing to throw down for. I definitely didn't see any "sketchy" or "racially suspect" records, but if that review was referring to the old behind-the-counter selections RB once sacrificed I didn't see those either sadly. I think their stock is slow as they just moved in, I will review it again when I visit Reggie's for a show. I can't imagine they'd be that hard up for good vinyl upon opening though. read more

I've visited this record store twice before today (and dropped a good chunk of change) and had great experiences. I was very excited to go back today and I was surprised to see a couple low Yelp reviews when I put the location in maps. Upon visiting I figured out why! The cashier was extremely rude. When he was finished processing my debit card, he literally tossed my card on the counter rather than handing it back to me. It even flipped!! It was an actual throw. He barely said anything at all to me. I was being a normal customer... I had greeted him on my way in, browsed quietly with my boyfriend and made a purchase. I wasnt being obnoxious or anything that would warrant someone being so rude. After being a fan of this place and telling friends about it, this experience really turned me off. Very unfortunate. I don't think I'll be back. read more

Tops. Massive selection. New & Used. If you're looking for something obscure, you're likely to find it here. Also their staff is friendly and inclusive. I one time got free tickets to a Primus show from one of the cashiers for being a frequent customer. That's definitely a way to keep customers coming back! Additionally, they've got lots of far out artists in stock. Harry Partch? Xiu Xiu? Scott Walker? The Residents? Those types of artists are pretty normal at Record Breakers. So tempting to just blow tons of dough here. read more

The new location is very spacious, the play great music, and they have an excellent selection. One thing really keeps them from a 5* review in my book though. They're on the high side price-wise for most albums - especially given condition. I don't mind paying discogs prices in a store for an album I really want, but I do mind paying NM prices for a VG album. They also have a LOT of thrift store chaff in the overflow shelves, which are also very difficult to look through as they're stored spines out and not covers out. They also have a large painted turtle that could really use a bigger tank and a larger and drier sunning area. read more

Manager was super helpful. Answered my questions and accommodating. I'll be here regularly

Funny enough, I've lived close by for some time but never knew you were there. Crossed paths at CHIRP yesterday, and had a great interaction. Fast forward to today when I decided to stop in: Had a really awesome experience. Low-key place - lots of great new+used. VERY ORGANIZED (that's a big deal to me). Blake and I chatted it up a bit - super nice and welcoming. Easy to talk with and helped to search inventory when I had a question. I'll be seeing you all often. Thanks for being cool. read more

This place is amazing!! I always stop by when I'm in the neighborhood. They even have a stage where you can catch some live music. They have an incredible selection, art on the walls, a turtle...and if you're lucky even a puppy! Love love love it!! read more

If you love records, THIS is the place to go. Something for everyone, from boxed sets, to holiday favorites, to a few obscure finds. I don't know if they buy LP's, but it's definitely worth asking about if you have stuff you don't want. There were even some vintage Sesame Street titles that brought me back to my childhood. :) read more

This record store was a bastion of hard to find music. When I took classes at Harper during high school, I had to drive past it once a week. It was a constant temptation, luring my insufficiently-filled wallet into its well-stocked confines. Luckily, they had a large stock of used cds in addition to the pristine stuff. They also had 2 or 3 cd players with which to test out your potential buy. They're moving to the city and opening up a venue to boot, which is awesome for me because now they'll be closer..but its a sad loss to all the kids in the Northwest Suburbs. read more

Seems like it will be tough to be profitable on the retail side if Record Breakers is plopped down between highrise apartments, an auto repair place, and the post office on south State street, as trekking down here is really inconvenient. The store inside is pretty large, but it seems to lack any consistency with the big inventory - When I was browsing it seemed like they had every single record I have never heard of but nothing of what I was looking for. I don't understand the concept of "showcase" items randomly displayed in cases on either side of the store, it just adds to the general overall disorganization. The pet parrot was a great touch, however. They had an excellent used cd section that I wish I had more time to peruse. Probably not worth the trip unless you are hard up for something new, or you're seeing a show downstairs. read more

I give Record Breakers 5 stars for transporting my husband and I back to the 80's and 90's. We felt like kids again browsing their aisles upon aisles of used vinyl. There are so few Vinyl friendly stores left for old folks like us, that it seriously makes me sad. I still love that garage appeal of their layout, the smells associated with old vinyl, and rifling through the stacks looking for forgotten gold. They offer both new and old vinyl, cds, laser discs, posters, t-shirts, etc. You are never to old to shop for good music. I am ecstatic that they offer tons of old ska, soul, punk, and rock and none of the crap that music aficionados hate that can be found on the air waves today. We found a boxed set of the Flaming Groovies, bonus!. read more

This place has a HUGE selection. The prices are fitting depending on what you get because a lot of the vinyls are rare editions. The staff's also pretty helpful. Definitely a cool place to get lost in for a few hours. read more

I like the selection. At times its hit or miss to be honest. Their prices are pretty significantly higher than many of the surrounding record stores in Chicago, Its the location thats the buzzkill. I live in South Wicker Park/ Ukranian Village and its a pretty big pain in the butt to get out there, much less trade in a huge box of records when you are taking public transit (when they only accept trade-ins on certain days now) Some of the staff come of as being pretty pretentious and snobby, All in all breakers isn't the worst place but it isn't the best. Honestly I really miss it when it was in Hoffman Estates. The prices still sucked but it was less snobby. read more

I am promising myself I will indulge more in my rock music just because they have almost every kind of music you can think of. Every genre.

This store has a top notch selection and I'm a big fan of the new location on Milwaukee Ave. Very friendly welcoming staff and they are extremely supportive of local musicians. All around fantastic establishment here! read more

this is more of a "quantity over quality" type of place. the imports and other hard to find things are interesting to look at, but not really worth the prices. they have a lot of kitschy items that no one would consider buying as well. oh, and a used laserdisc section. good luck with that one, record breakers. i went here for a free show on a saturday afternoon and was pleasantly surprised by the free hot dogs. they were shockingly good. my friend ate 4 of them. i think they have free shows/hot dogs the first saturday of every month. if you're hungry and in the area, go for it. read more

The Selection here is fantastic with reasonable prices. The staff is super cool and helpful. The vibe of the venue/bar/record store is enticing and I could spend a while just exploring the place. They will order anything for you if they don't carry it. read more

This place can best be described as a dinosaur. Remember the times before the internet when record stores sold t-shirts, incense, and Bob Marley tapestries? That is exactly what you can expect here only I don't see why you'd want to trek down to State and Cermak to buy any of it. The music selection was unimpressive and the used CDs are a bit pricey. Again, I ask how dare they expect me to pay $8 to relive my youth with an old ska CD when I can just go steal it online? At least this Record Breakers doesn't sell Skrewdriver albums anymore. In summary this place is useless. Poor selection, shitty prices, inconvenient location, and it smells like a 14 year old self proclaimed Wiccan's bedroom. I give it a year before it goes under. read more

Overpriced and inconvienently located. That's pretty much Record Breakers in a nutshell. They have some interesting albums, a lot of imports and I can usually find something I want. The problem is that the cds are $15 and up. Also, the vinyl selection is pretty lacking. The main thing I end up buying here are tickets to shows downstairs. read more

If you sample records to make music (particularly hip hop/lo-fi), this place has gold. I've bought records blind (ie didn't listen to them and judged by cover) and found some nice tunes. I went again today and walked out with a bunch of dope records, all from the bargain aisle. I'm not looking for new records, so if that's you, I can't comment. But if you're a record sampler and you love the record hunt, this place is a candy store. I took one star away because they don't have a record player (aside from their house player, which they kindly let me use, FYI) to play records. I think they should so customers wouldn't have to bother anyone else, let alone use the house player. Overall, it's a gem and I'll be coming back again and again. The vibe is dope. And they have a restaurant downstairs with good lunch specials and good food. read more

Large selection, the space is huge as it's upstairs from Reggies, but mostly beat up used classic rock LPs. Small selection of overpriced rock/punk reissues. Pop, rock, jazz, mainly basic stuff that you can find everywhere around town. If you're looking for Foghat or Molly Hatchet, Record Breakers has them in spades. Reggies books some great shows, but i'll usually skip the record store as I usually leave empty handed. read more

So many vinyl!! Very personal store I loved the vibe. There were shirts and amazing posters too

I grew up 10min away from the old location which was so much better! It was a bigger space and more selection. Everything is really tight, and very hot inside, i just wanted to get the hell out of there. read more

The selection isn't really that great. The prices are nothing to brag about. I love Reggie's Rock Club which always brings me into Record Breakers but the only thing I ever end up buying is a ticket to an upcoming show. Still not leaving empty handed but I wouldn't suggest this place to anyone looking for an album. read more

It's really too bad that this is my first yelp review. Hate starting on such a negative. I think this might be the worst record store on the planet. Reminds me of the crappy "alternative" (read: bong store) shops in small town Indiana. Insanely high prices. Looks super picked over, like you took those little cheap cd bins on the floor at places like Reckless and made a whole store out of it. Tried to sell records here once, thinking "Hey this place looks like they take anything and with these prices they must pay at least a little bread for used stuff." WRONG. I was offered $17 for like 20 records. About half were probably worth a dollar, but the remaining ten were better than any of the crap ton of crap they had, and certainly would have sold, even at their high prices. Never again. Also, went to a few shows downstairs. Always a ghost town. Always feel bad for the bands. read more

It's amazing that the place only just moved from its suburban location three years ago. It looks like it's been there for over 40 years, growing like mold. Upstairs from Reggie's Rock Club, it has an abundance of t-shirts, posters and other rock 'n' roll paraphernalia that, along with its generous space and slightly musty, weedy smell, gives it a classic record store vibe. For this I award it an extra point, because although there is a ton of space, it's not used wisely, using out-of-date clunky hard plastic cases that are difficult to browse through. The three times I've been there, I'd spend nearly an hour searching through, and did not find a single item worth buying. The selection is bad and the prices are high. But it's a perfect place to escape a bad opening band. I wish all concert venues had one of these! Hopefully they'll hire a new buyer worth their salt who can prune and shape up their sorry inventory. read more

The food is decent and the bands that play are alright. Sometimes they'll get really good bands in the tavern section of the complex. THe venue side can get pretty good too. If you're looking for a different kind of experience on the south side of chicago then I'd say check it out. Granted, the selection of anything inside the actualy store is limited; however, its like that for a reason. The "projects" as David has pointed out are going to hell. It wouldn't really be beneficial for the owner to cater to the community. It's there because once gentrification clears out the federal housing the community will change. Talk about race all you want, the community just can't itself together. read more

Needs more diversity in the music collection. Lacks a good Jazz collection and R&B.... Say no more!