This place is fantastic. Very offbeat. Vinyl snobs may not like it. But it's my new favorite vinyl…read morestore in the Lehigh valley. Pretty unorganized, but that is part of the charm honestly. Owner is super friendly and fair. Inventory is excellent; pretty much no "filler." It's all something someone would want. Really good prices. As far as non-vinyl stuff, there is all sorts of eccentric items. It's just a super interesting place. Just take it all in and appreciate that places like this still exist. I will definitely be back soon.

The nicest owner and staff in any record store east of The Mississippi River by far ! Stop in…read moreanytime !

I live 90 mins away, but I have always gone to MSJ when in the Stroudsburg area visiting relatives…read more I started going in the 90s when the store was in a slightly different location on Main Street. It's a great store, with a very nice longtime owner, a helpful and friendly staff, and it has a relaxed atmosphere. MSJ is in a good neighborhood for lunch. They avoid all the mistakes that many other record stores make. I am speaking, of course of snotty, snobby, easily triggered owners/salespeople, or racks of lps too jammed or unpriced "bring to the counter for price"albums, etc. The records here are priced clearly and fairly, in my opinion*. *If you haven't shopped for records in recent years.. the demand for records has gone up drastically in recent years, and prices have gone up accordingly everywhere. You will not find 2008 (or 1974) prices on records in 2025. Especially on original pressings of the big classic rock albums by the top bands still played on the radio. I feel these guys are pretty fair, especially if you compare shopping at a store vs. shopping online, where you have to pay extra for shipping and really have nothing more than a vague hope that the LP will arrive in the stated condition. That aside. and back to the review... The more expensive items have sealed flaps, but you can open and inspect the vinyl at the counter. Less expensive records can be inspected at the rack if you do so carefully (i.e., not accidentally flinging the record across the store or getting yer greasy fingerprints 'em). Note: Record swapping will get you banned, you delinquents ;) - so don't be that person. Also, drinks are a no-no for understandable reasons. MSJ has tons of great vinyl in vg'+ or better condish. Rock is broken down alphabetically in various sections by price: $10 and up, $5, etc. There are boxes underneath these lp racks, but they request you get an employees help to access them. I never have time to crate dig, but I aspire to one day. I pick up a lot of records each visit, with very few exceptions (over 30 yrs) the albums and cds I've purchased have always been in VG+ or better, clean, etc. I have often traded in albums for store credit, and they are reasonable if you bring in decent records in nice condition that are not super common. I can't speak to how well they cover other genres since I mostly concentrate on rock - but there's a good amount of other stuff to peruse. If you go, I hope you find that gem you are looking for!

My son found this place after purchasing his 1st portable record player. He found records to play…read morethat was on his list. The prices are good. The location is great. They have a huge inventory, from vinyl, CD's, movies and books. Everything from old school to new school. They don't miss out on anything. Whatever you're searching for this is the place to find it. So far we've been their three times, and each time my son found what he was searching for. The staff were all very friendly and helpful. I'm sure we will continue to visit often.

Went here for the first time for the Madonna Confessions II pre release. I loved how big the shop…read morewas but honestly the organization of the vinyl was a little confusing. I also couldn't find a lot of what I was looking for. With that being said overall I think their prices were fair and I loved that they had lots of cheap cds and even cassettes in addition to books and movies! From what it appeared it was a family run business which is awesome. A little more organization probably could have helped the event but overall it was super awesome to be a part of! My favorite part of the entire store was the shop dog. Honestly melted my heart. Also bonus points for having an exterior entrance in the mall!

I wish I could give this garage sale of a record shop zero stars. Take a look at the photos to see…read morehow they arrange their CDs. And the vinyl is way overpriced. You're better off going to Goodwill or the Salvation Army to hunt for music. Factory is the worst record shop in New Jersey.

Found this place through googling record stores in the north Jersey area. The parking situation is…read morea bit tough, especially since they share the lot with an auto shop. They have a fairly big space with a big selection of pop and rock vinyls! The prices either matched online or were somewhat cheaper, so you definitely get your money's worth. I always look for a LatinAmerican section, and they did have one, but it wasn't as good as other record stores I have been to. The service was definitely excellent! The manager, or at least who I think was the manager, was very attentive and helped us get a turntable we were pondering about buying or not, and he was great answering questions about it. The decor is a plus! So fun and so many "old" posters and references. Definitely stop by if given the chance!

The number of FYE's I've seen is something, considering I'm finding them far away. The store is…read morelaid out nicely, with departments in their section and easy to locate. There were quite a number of CDs and DVDs I found, which came to my surprise a bit. It was well-stocked and had plenty of selection to choose from. Also, what really stood out was how clean the store was, with nothing lying around, and the floor was clean. Had one employee walk in and ask if we needed any help, which deserves an additional star. No signs of it closing yet, which makes it entertaining.

This store you can Explore the latest in pop-culture and entertainment merchandise. They have…read moreExclusive Music. Funko, Marvel, Star Wars. Collectibles, Toys, Gifts. Used CDs, DVDs & Games. Something for everyone. Pricing is a little high, but they have a nice selection. Customer service is a plus.

Great store. Owner a very nice guy. He has everything your looking for.This place is so cool!read more

Awesome record shop, the owner is so nice and they have a great selection!! Would highly recommendread more

In recent years, I've been increasingly warming up to Hackettstown; I like to do my "walking…read moremeditation" perambulations in Union Cemetery (which I definitely have to review at some point in the future; it's beautiful, peaceful and historic), and I've really, really liked some of the town's restaurants (although I'm beginning to think I'm a virtual Angel of Death when it comes to restaurants I like-- there's the memory of an Italian restaurant in Fairfield that closed after I wrote an enthusiastic review on Yelp, and "Home Made" on Hackettstown's Main St., which, regrettably, seems to have closed not long after I wrote a laudatory review). Although, I have to say-- It's an odd town; sorta spooky after dark (I keep thinking of vampires emerging from the surrounding buildings as the sun sets; the vibe reminds me of "Midnight Mess" in the old E.C. comics of the 1950s, or the modern-day "Midnight Mass" on Netflix...both of which I heartily recommend, by the way, especially if you like vampire stories. But again, I digress...). Parking can be tough (I nearly got clipped trying to pull out of a tight parking spot back out onto the street), you'd better have a pocketful of quarters for the parking meters (you don't have to pay after 6pm; the vampires will take care of it for you after that), and the town has some very "unique" shops and restaurants. One store specializes in "jerky." One store specializes in pickles. I noticed what appear to be several Bodegas (I walked into one that was selling religious items, bobble-head dolls, Lotto tickets, and also had 2 old-fashioned slot machines-- I'm not sure if they were for sale or to be used for gambling purposes). Another shop features only soup (along with signs from a guy indicating that if he's elected Sheriff, he'll personally arrest Governor Phil Murphy; at first, I thought the store was playing into the whole Seinfeld "Soup Nazi" thing, but...sadly...I think they're serious). And then there's Sound Effects Records. I became aware of it over the summer. My old friend and I had gotten together on a Tuesday and were looking for a restaurant to eat at when we inadvertently stumbled upon it. At that time, it was closed. (Another odd thing about this town-- everything, and I do mean EVERYTHING!!!-- seems to shut down and close on Tuesdays.) We had parked, put numerous quarters into the parking meter (vampires are quiescent during the daylight), and noticed a seemingly abandoned "mini mall" off to the side. There weren't many stores in the mall, and those that existed were closed (the mall has 2 floors, and the bottom floor was even ghostlier and more deserted than the upper "shopping" area), but I was intrigued by Sound Effects. I resolved to return at some point in the near future. Yesterday, we returned. Thankfully, it was open. According to the gentleman manning the front desk, the place has been in operation for over 30 years, but it has been at various locations in the town. As its name suggests, it specializes in records and CDs. My friend is into records, and I'm into CDs, and it has a lot of both. About half of the CDs are at prices you'd expect; the other half are on sale ($5 a CD for the most part). A lot of fluff (for example, numerous Billy Joel CDs; I remember when radio station WFMU held a marathon fundraiser to drum up money-- one DJ threatened that if they didn't make their hourly goal, he'd play "Piano Man" until they did, and... sure enough...he was as good as his word). But there's good stuff here too. The Cramps. The Pretty Things. Johnny Thunders and the Heartbreakers. Even some Moby Grape. What I ended up buying was pretty conventional, but of great quality. A Moody Blues Cd. An early Rolling Stones CD. Rush. Early Pink Floyd. Tangerine Dream. Sugar Loaf. (Sugar Loaf!?! Of "Green Eyed Lady" fame? Well...yeah. I don't know if their other songs are any good...I suspect they aren't...but for $5, it isn't going to break the bank, and my pleasure in music these days is exploring genres and artists from the past that are unknown or unfamiliar to me...Afropop, as one example...and maybe discovering some gold threads amidst the dross.) A CD of 10 Schubert symphonies for $3. How can you go wrong? I'd love it if they sold more DVDs, or "spoken word" CDs (The Great Courses, Noam Chomsky, Alan Watts, old-time radio, the "Dark Fantasy" dramatizations of Lovecraft stories, etc.) There were 2 bins containing some conventional DVDs (I ended up buying "Misery" with James Caan and Kathy Bates; I'm not the biggest Stephen King fan, but I liked the book). All in all, this is a really good store, with fairly priced items, and a better, more diverse selection than "Spin Me Round" in PA, or "Sound Exchange" in Somerville (although, let me hasten to add, I like both of those stores). They're friendly people, and willing to search for items that they don't have (I told the proprietor I'm going to return with a list of the Moby Grape CDs that I don't have).

Hackettstown nj has much to offer and one of its hidden gems is the Sound Effects music store…read more Whether you're looking for something new or something obscure the knowledgeable staff can point you in the right musical direction. CD'S are plentiful new and used and if you are searching for vinyl, you have come to the right place. You cannot go wrong at Sound Effects. Located across the street from Berk's furniture store in the mini mall waiting to be discovered by you.

What an awesome little find in Jim Thorpe, PA!…read more If you're a music lover, this place is definitely worth a visit. Soundcheck Records has an impressive selection of CDs and, believe it or not, cassettes for those who appreciate a little nostalgia. Their new vinyl inventory is outstanding, with plenty of albums spanning a variety of genres and artists. When I stopped in, the used vinyl section was a bit limited because many of the records had sold quickly--which is usually a good sign. One look at the prices and it's easy to understand why. Their pricing is fair and collector-friendly, making it hard to leave empty-handed. Beyond the music, they also carry concert T-shirts, mugs, and other music-related merchandise. I was also happy to find a nice selection of discounted Record Store Day vinyl releases, which is always a treat for collectors. What really sets this shop apart are the owners. They're incredibly friendly, knowledgeable, and genuinely passionate about music. If they don't have what you're looking for in stock, they're happy to special order it and even have it shipped directly to you. Jim Thorpe is full of unique shops, and Soundcheck Records is one of the best. If you're in the area, do yourself a favor and stop in--you never know what musical treasure you might discover.

I drove over one hundred miles to Soundcheck this morning for Record Store Day, and I wouldn't have…read moredone that if their customer service wasn't so great. I want to say, I don't collect records, I collect CDs, this was actually my first record purchase ever so I was nervous and desperate to get it. So I was grateful that when I called the Tuesday before that they informed me of the single copy of the record I wanted that they would have in stock (King James Version, Harvey Danger!). The day of I was late but lucky, as nobody had taken it yet, and when you were in line they had someone who would help find records for you. Yelp is insisting I say something about value, so I will say that this had an extremely fair price. This was a limited run collectors item and I know for a fact that they priced it well within the usual range for it sold throughout the states, even though they are a very small business is a very small town in the middle of PA. Not saying I expect small businesses to price gouge a little, but for this record and on this big record store day, I did expect to pay a premium and I got a very fair price. So these are honest people as well as helpful. Thank you!

Really cool store with a great selection. It has isles of movies, lots of great cult & horror. It's…read morefull of stuff you won't typically see unless you go to a boutique shop While you will find some things priced very well, others not so much. It's not uncommon to see a movie that are widely available and still in print be double the price. Do your research before buying

An essential mecca for film fans . This place is enormous and stocked full of all kinds of movies…read more... From the classics to brand new releases and rare off the wall cult classics. The employees are very knowledgeable of films and the customer service is exceptional. Can't find it? Just ask. And it's probably there. The catalogue of selection is incredible. Theres a bit 2 get 2 free used DVDs every day they're open.

Great FYE. Bigger than many other FYE chains that I've been to. Staff was nice and the place was…read moreclean, organized, and spacious

This store in the Palmer mall sucks, these people are so lazy they won't help you find…read morenothing.where did they find them in the welfare line? It's sad because it used to be a great store!