Definitely worth the stop. I came in because they were listed as a Daptone dealer on the record labels website. Unfortunately I didn't find an abnormal amount of Daptone, or any of the Daptone 7" records they're famous for. I was also hoping to find Daptone accessories and didn't see any, like the 45 rpm branded weights. However, it is a good store, I did find a new sealed record and a used record. I could have bought more, but the prices were a little high, and I owned most of the stuff, it didn't go too deep, lot of the basic popular stuff and modern stuff. One thing I saw was a lot of representation of local artists, which I really like and respect when a store helps their local scene. Staff were very friendly, and helpful. I overheard someone getting a recommendation and they were cared for well. Great store for the area, I'd stop in and check them out again if I were nearby. read more

Thinking about 35mm film and vinyl records, digital is certainly convenient, but not necessarily better in spots. And if you look hard enough, there are places that analog luddites are welcome. One such place is the Record Collector in Iowa City, alive and kicking since 1982. They sell "almost as ancient" CDs as well. I stumbled upon Record Collector by accident as I was passing time before the nearby 2022 Homecoming Parade. The place is full of vinyl goodness, and even a few turntables if you need equipment support to play these beauties. Heck, my favorite thing was to just look the various jackets over and reminisce about where I was in life when that record came out. Also enjoyable is listening to whatever they're playing over the loud speaker. Unlike a good used book store, the Record Collector is easy to navigate with well defined and organized racks. The also have website of which all sorts of ordering possibilities await. read more

After a relatively stressful day at U of I Hospital, we needed a fun outlet. THIS IS IT!! Their vinyl collection is enviable and while we are still in the market for a great turntable, we found an amazing selection of CDs to hold us over until we can justify going back for LPs. If my memory serves me right, we walked out with about 9 CDs for less than $60.00 and they were wonderful additions to our library. We will definitely be back to feed our music habit read more

Record Collector - Just some of our stash from the first visit. - Music & DVDs Near Me - Iowa City, Iowa

Great record store. Very friendly staff and they have a great used and new selections. I was very happy with my haul of used and new titles. Had some very rare selections reasonably priced read more

This place is the best, record collector is easily my favorite part about downtown Iowa city. I've usually never walked out of the store empty handed and it is a struggle for me to keep my wallet in my pocket when I go there. I have found so many gems that would have been super hard to find if it wasn't for this place. Online ordering is goated too they do that shit quick af read more

I used to frequent the Record Collector back in the 80's and continued to do so off and on, even after moving from the area. I went in Tuesday and the owner barely looked up, as if I was an inconvenience to him. All this despite the fact my entrance made me his sole customer. Later, a woman came in - I believe the other co-owner - and when I paid for two CDs, I noticed a framed photo of the late previous owner/founder Kirk, on the wall. (I had a lot of excellent conversations with him over the years.) I told the woman it was great to see his portrait hanging. She said, "Uh-huh..." Both acted as if they are the only place on Earth selling used music. read more

Record Collector has been a landmark for me in Iowa City. They always have something playing over the loud speakers that blows my mind that I'm usually turned on by and forced to check out in the future. This past time they were played Led Zepplin which I'm down with too! The owner is fantastic and has a ton of knowledge about classic 60's pop we talked for about a half hour about Procol Harum's first record that he has on analog tape.. (but he is not selling it). The used cd collection here is great, those poor college students selling cds to pay for beer for the weekend is to my benefit always find good stuff here. This past time I picked up the Alex Chilton demo's on LP. If your in Iowa City and dig records this is a must stop! read more

One of my favorite record stores in the US. I spent a lot of money here from 1991 to 2001. Support your local record store today. read more

Back in 1999/2000 during my year at UofI, I spent too much time and too much money at Record Collector. I haven't been there in a while, but it's a great record store that I try to stop at every time I go to Iowa City. Any music fan would find something cool here. read more

Hands down THE BEST record store in Eastern Iowa. Huge vinyl and CD selection specializing in; Rock, Hip Hop, Metal, Punk, Emo, Classic Rock, Hipster Rock, Noise, Experimental, Blues, Soul, and more. Not huge on the classical or country side of things, but you can go to a second hand store for that stuff. Staff can be unique, but are always helpful if you ask for help and don't assume they are all "High Fidelity" types. I have happily spent a small forturne at this store and will happily continue. read more

This was a pretty good record store and I'm glad I stopped in. There is a ton of variety and they stock plenty of new releases. I didn't see much in the way of indie pop, but then again I don't even see lots of that at Reckless in Chicago. I had to restrain from buying a lot more here, but I held back. I picked up two Mountain Goats cds I had yet to buy and a Schrasj cd for .50 cents! They have a good 7" collection and lots of great LPs to look through. They also have a plethora of collectible records so if you're one of those types, beware of spending a ton here! read more

I love this place. Great staff and music selection is fantastic. It's got a little bit of something for everyone from new releases to the LP selection. And while all of that is great what I like the most about them is their great selection of cds from local bands. read more

A fun place to go for music, specifically vinyl. I like the staff, the prices are usually fair. My only complaint is that I can never find enough vinyl when I go there. They seem to sell quicker than they can buy. read more

Another of my favorite record stores...I always find rad used CDs here. Lots of local too!

Good record store. Not necessary great, but the only one in Iowa city. I'm a big dollar bin guy, and it's pretty minimal here. It's fine, and definitely better than nothing, but not nearly as good as zzz records in Des Moines or weird harolds in Burlington. read more

I stopped in for Record Store Day ´16. Picked up a half dozen albums. Clean little store. Polite, attentive staff. Nice selection of vinyl and CDs. Lots of decor that graphically tells the system, poseurs, hipsters, and flippers to get fcking bent. Loved that!!! Definitely worth checking out. read more

I agree with Matthew. This is the best record store in Eastern IA. They have an incredibly diverse and eclectic collection. If they don't have what you're looking for, they will try to order it. Kirk is very cool and will usually talk music with you. This is a very laid back place. You'd have to look hard (or far away) to find another place like it. read more

Small, cozy and fiercely independent, The Record Collector has been an Iowa City institution for over 30 years, albeit at various addresses. A reviewer mentioned how "the vibe" of the store had changed over the years and that's definitely true. But perhaps adaptability is the reason they've become the last man standing for the town's music geeks, that and some solid economics in a world where music is increasingly seen as a disposable commodity. In other words, they have a good grasp of what titles will move and they're priced accordingly. You'll receive a fair cash value for your used stock, but they're clearly priced for retail mark up. Owner Kirk is a great resource and the most reliable face behind the counter. There's less attitude from the staff like the 80's and less cliquey than the 90's store-so much of the "charm" and personality have been smoothed down, for better or worse. What remains is an appreciative little neighborhood record store, a musical oasis for any sensitive U of I student and a reminder of a simpler time for us old enough to know better. Sure, there are bigger and better record stores across America, but you'll always find at least one nice gem right here. read more

Easily one of my favorite record stores in the Midwest. The new stock is your typical independent record store affair, but I've always been super impressed by the used stock. I've found so many great records in the racks, at fair prices, that I was never able to find in bigger cities. read more

The Record Collector is the best place to look for collectible used/new vinyl and CDs. I started going there as a college student in the early 80's and continued to be a regular customer until I moved away from Iowa City in 2004. I shopped there regularly for more than 20 years and I miss going there. I went at least monthly - sometimes weekly. Kirk, the owner is a great guy and extremely knowledgeable and very helpful. I highly recommend this place! read more

Great record store. Friendly staff and a large selection of new vinyl that are priced to sell.

I've been to this store a few times now and it's definitely one worth visiting if you get the chance. While the vinyl selection is limited the prices are not bad. More in the collector pricing end for some stuff and average for new vinyl. They also have a huge used CD section and some reasonably priced 7"s. I've seen on other reviews that the staff are snooty but that's never been my experience and that includes the owner, everyone I've dealt with have been nice. read more

I started getting into Vinyl records recently and was looking for an easy way to get into it. I started looking here because I wanted to support local businesses around the area. Unfortunately, when I bought a turntable from the owner here, I found out the player had some minor issues and I needed a better player to suit my needs. When I asked the owner for a refund, he told me they don't do refunds but would buy it back from me for $40. (I paid $110 for it). I told him I'd accept that and he told me he'd call me back in a week telling me he'd take it as long as it worked. A week later I returned and he told me he wouldn't take it because the player had completely stopped working entirely. I was surprised with this response and decided I'd take the player home to test it out again. To my astonishment, it worked fine and played records as it had before with no issues. The fact that the owner of this business lied to me about the state of the player and had the idea that he could give me back a working player that was "broken" without any form of a refund is just bad business and a rip-off. I'll gladly take my business to Amazon and The Needle Doctor for my Vinyl needs from this point forward. Would not do business with again or recommend to anyone else. Very poor service. read more

Very good music selection. I enjoy coming here despite the fact that a girl that works here has been very rude to me the last few times I've visited. read more

One of the best record stores in eastern Iowa. It's one of the very few places where you can buy new and used records at good prices, and their selection is pretty good. Good for finding new records you would otherwise have to buy online. Cool record store day releases and atmosphere. Only minor complaint is the ten dollar credit card limit, but it is very easy to hit that mark. read more

This is a really great, medium sized used shop. I was very impressed with the attention to variety. The LPs were organized by genres, which is pretty common, but they took the time and were stocked in depth enough to separate out RnB and Folk, and they had brit Folk in a sub section. Not only was that wonderful, but they have a pretty decent selection of brit folk to boot. The classic rock and RnB was pretty impressive, with original copies of hard to keep in stock lps like Pink Floyd on Tower, John Lee Hooker on Chess, and a lot of others. They have the required Led Zep lps both reissues and original pressings, and they were priced decent. The only nosebleed pricing I ran into was on some real obscure blues and rock stuff that you would not expect to see in a used record shop after 1980, and you can reasonably guess they will not see come in too often. They had a small selection of 45s, and there was a concentration of recent indy and punk stuff. The CD section was decent, but the action - like almost everywhere these days - was in the vinyl. There was a small rack of cassettes but they state no guarantee on them, which is reasonable - and they were fairly cheap. I think there were some 8 tracks on the back wall behind the counter along with some high demand lps they displayed. All in all, this is a really solid used place, and one of the best I've seen in Iowa and the midwest. They don't take Amex, which kind of stinks. read more

I have been to dozens of record stores around the world and Record Collector remains one of my favorites. Ive spent hundreds of dollars there and never had a complaint. The RC is not about being a music snob or buying records for the 'coolness' of it, or whatever. The owner and few employees are simple music lovers with varied and eclectic tastes; enough to suit anyone walking in the door looking for RnR, jazz, R&B, hip-hop, metal (of all types), smaller label releases, old psyche records, and lots of local music. Their prices are reasonable to CHEAP and the employees NEVER discourage anyone from buying a record, CD or DVD. If you're there to sell your used Poco CDs, sorry, you'll get low-balled. Stores like this are struggling to keep music tangible and exciting, not Amazon. I do not work for the RC and I pay the same prices as everybody else who shops there. read more

Really the only option in Iowa city for vinyl, but not an awful place to go to. For New LPs they really are not overpriced compared to the giants like Electric Fetus when it comes to Indy music. The only problem I have with the store is that it appears to sell out of the good music and not get rid of the less popular stuff. The pricing is reasonable, the staff is exceptionally friendly and when I asked about a artist they had not heard of before (Chvrches) they offered to Pre order the LP. read more

The staff here is pleasant. There's one guy who even gave me 5% off because of my "rad taste" when explicitly i have been told about the stringent no discount on bulk buys but this guy did it anyways so kudos to him. He was also very friendly, knew what he was talking about and even mentioned music to look into. Who would have thought, a music store actually promoting intelligent discussion. The remainder of the staff is your typical zombie "i go to college and this pays a fraction of my going-out money" personnel. They also all have sheep taste. The records themselves range from the best in the state. It's no New York City or even close by Chicago but there are some genuine surprises here. I have bought some of my favorite records here, too. Although I mostly buy online because record stores in Iowa are not good for their varied taste (again, dad-rock or flavor of the month p4k crap) these guys pull some credibility. It is small tho. 7/10 read more

Great local store that will do whatever they can to get you what you want. Pretty good prices on new releases, and lots of used albums.