Only reason for a 3-star review is the selection. It's actually pretty great. I have worked at several record stores as both a purchaser and trade reviewer and have an extensive collection myself. That being said, this place is overpriced. Get ready to turn in a kidney for a record that should be roughly $7-11 and not $40. The guy who runs the place has a mediocre personality in that he isn't welcoming at all. read more

Vinyl Records - Electronics Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

The prices are astronomical and the owner is a total jackass! He is rude and nasty to customers and staff. No self respecting local would shop here. The shop survives on one off's and tourists alone. read more

The owner treats the records like you're there to ruin his personal collection. If you attempt to examine a used record he leaps from behind the counter and grabs the record. He will play a sample on a turntable but you are not allowed to inspect the vinyl or check for inner sleeves or inserts. (He told me there is nothing to learn about looking at inserts and sleeves). Prices for used records about 4x eBay. read more

Huge selection of almost any and every genre, but prices are high, even for hipster vinyl. If you're prepared to pay, you can find almost anything you'd want to listen to. Unlike many other record stores, Vinyl Records is solely vinyl and does not stock nor sell CDs. Which was a huge disappointment for me. read more

In need of a revisit. This was a second stop for me after passing it on my way to Dressew. I do like my vinyl. I have a RIAA equalized phono preamplifier that's been bridged, and paired another power amp to drive two speakers independently. I also have two turntables that I listen to every now and then. Yes, I am a bit of an audiophile. What I did find were things that not many people would look for. Mantovani, Percy Faith, Bobby Darin, to name a few. I also saw some other vintage "surround stereo" recordings that I tend to like. I'm also on the hunt for some Hugo Winterhalter and Warren Barker and his Orchestra. I'm interested mainly with the music from the 1950's For others, there is AC/DC as well as Carly Rae Jepsen. Carly Rae is a brand new vinyl cutting. Seems like vinyl is making a comeback. There is a huge selection of stuff in here, so I need to come back again to look some more. One caveat. One record I looked at had a crack through it. It's not playable. This is a used record store, so you need to be aware that certain goods may not be up to par. read more

Vinyl Records - Electronics Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

Extremely rude staff interupted a customer he was helped to yell at me to "not touch the tapes behind the rope" and to "read the sign right in front of your face" when I stood well behind the rope to look at the names of the tapes on display. immediately left, lost a good sale. good luck being rude to your customers read more

Very good selection here but he charges too much, you can walk up the block and get the same record at Beat Street for cheaper. Lo ok or call around and get better deals. read more

Record collecting is a world unto itself. People with hobbies - serious indulgers - are going to manifest some quirkiness. David is no exception, he's nice and will chat you up, but often times - he's way too helicopter merchant. It seems almost as if the record store dudes treat the stores like these are their homes and you're coming in to play with their children. I don't like to be rude, but if I'm thumbing through the bins, I don't want conversation, unless I need to ask you a question about where to find something. Now, on to the merchandise... Shame on him. These prices are outrageous. No record seller worth his salt is going to try and sell you a 1980s reissue of a 1950 recording for $60. Granted, Vinyl Records has a large selection and some things you don't see often but to exploit the dynamic in such an egregious manner is deplorable. I can hit dozens of stores anywhere in the world and spend half the price or even order online and still wind up spending less money (including express S&H) than what David charges for records. Seriously, I was almost laughing when I saw these prices, thinking, "Is this guy serious?" There was a record originally released in the 1960s that was later reissued on some knock-off label, and there was $35 price tag on it; flimsy vinyl with NO KIND of weight, not even with the original liner notes. Not to mention, some of these discs were in rough shape. This guy is ripping people off - with a smile no less. Tsk tsk tsk..If you're NOT looking to get reamed, take your dollars up the street to Sikora and Beat Street. read more

Wow. I'm in genuine disbelief. I'm both laughing and in pure shock. I called to see if they had an album. The guy said "sorry no estimates over the phone. Only in person. We can't buy it over the phone" ... I said I'm not selling but the guy kept yelling "bye". I kept trying to say "I'm LOOKING TO BUY an album" but he kept saying bye and hung up. I'm in genuine shock. Did this actually just happen? Holy crap! Wow I'm speechless. I'm completely and utterly blown away.... Edit: 90% of my records came from this shop even though there's cheaper options on Discogs (where I shop if I can't find something at the store). I did this because I wanted to support a local business. I've been a customer for 12 years. Sad to say I will never step foot in there again. I have purchased over 500 records there over the last decade or so and the service hasn't been so great the last couple of years but this? This was on another level. Truly shocked. read more

The store is mad cool, and the owner David truly enjoys what he does. Some of the best collection of vinyl in Vancouver. Lots of great electronic, new and top chart stuff. As well as old! Only downside is this place is priced a little higher than lots of other stores. BUT, you find records a lot of other stores simply just dont carry, hence those prices are justified. If you know Urban/other vinyl carrying stores have a top 40 vinyl you want, go there. Itll be cheaper. David acknowledges this. But, if you want the new Tycho, or a limited Herbie Hancock vinyl, or some indie electronic (ratatat, justice) David has it. The selection here of nee vinyl is huge and I have had some great chats with David. He doesn't pressure you into buying at all. Check out his shop and enjoy. Update: further proof David knows what he is doing, enjoying his craft, and running a TRUE vinyl shop. This store is like Davids personal collection of EVERYTHING you can think of aha. Ask him anything and he knows what he is talking about, he will instantly find you any record or artist you may be looking for (if he has it). Why? Because he knows his selection and where it is. If he doesn't have the artist he often knows before going to search for it for you, and may even have other recommendations of similar artists (with or without the one your hunting for in stock). I think David wants people to enjoy the vinyl they're in search for, and to find new music through his shop e.g. Myself. read more

Prices are through the roof... easily double, sometimes even triple what you'd pay at RedCat, Neptoon or Zulu for the exact same records. And the owner is seriously unhinged. Just witnessed him screaming at a customer for not giving the owner his phone number. Customer was trying to calmly talk to him and owner was in a red rage screaming that no customer had EVER refused to give him their phone number before, then the owner launched into a tirade about this customer being responsible for the downfall of humanity. Truly bizarre and unsettling. I'm from out of town and this was my first time in the shop. Would definitely never go back. The other three shops I mentioned are SO much friendlier, with MUCH better prices. No need to go to this shop ever when back in Vancouver. read more

Looks like the owner has been purging many of the negative reviews of his store, including my previous review and update that garnered positive feedback. Here is the bottom line: a) Prices are completely outrageous b) The quality of the available second-hand vinyl is often poor - torn sleeves, scruffed records b) The owner is rude, aloof and obfuscates on why the above points somehow do not apply to him. Please shop at Neptoon, Audiopile, Zulu or Red Cat. For the price of a bus or taxi ride (equivalent cost to a beaten up second-hand record at "Vinyl") you will do so much better. read more

Although I have been frequenting Audiopile and Neptoon records for some time, this was my first time at this shop. I have been scouring the record bins for a couple of elusive Grateful Dead items. Wow, this guy really gets a lot of negative reviews! I think some perspective is warranted. Having dealt with a goodly number of people who work in shops that 'specialize' in previously owned paraphernalia for some time, I have come to know that they do fit the 'normal' mold; they are a breed unto themselves. With this in mind one can forgive their idiosyncrasies and get onto the task at hand, the purchase of a rare item for a price respective of its value. I found my elusive Grateful dead item. He was the only shop in the lower mainland that had this in stock. Consequently, it was not cheap. Sheesh, cut this guy some slack guys! sincerely, Felix read more

I did a price comparison of one record that I saw at several stores around town. Rational Youth - mini LP from 1983. Capitol Records MLP-15012. https://www.discogs.com/Rational-Youth-Rational-Youth/release/304581 There is only one edition of this release. Red Cat Records, Neptoon, Audiopile and Apollo Music each had a copy in stock, in high VG or VG+ condition, and the prices varied between $5 and $7.99. FYI, I picked up my copy at Beat Street for $6. The highest price on Discogs is C$20 for a NM sealed copy. Vinyl Records had a used copy for $34.95 'Nuff said. read more

Pretty much everything wrong with Vancouver record stores. Way overpriced, poorly stocked and organized, and full of insufferable snobs -- especially the store owner. The store's only saving grace is its occasional sales, where boxes of records are piled in the front of the store for customers to pick through, a few bucks a pop. Not exactly the most convenient system, but we've been able to dig out a few gems. Still, if you're looking to shop for vinyl in Vancouver, we recommend looking elsewhere. read more

I have been in this store about half a dozen times in the past ten years. There is usually a large gap in time between visits. I'm a huge vinyl collector and have hundreds of titles in my personal collection. There is always room for more. I agree with many of the others here when it comes to great selection. You can spend hours in here (like I have) and drop hundreds of dollars (like I have), but that is where the positive feedback ends. I have a huge problem with the owner. I was in there today and was planning to spend a huge amount but the owner's rude and ignorant attitude really turns me off. I understand the safety precautions with COVID-19 but when I feel like I'm being ordered to sign my name and give my email address with no explanation whatsoever because the owner is too busy yapping on his cellphone that is completely unprofessional! I thought this was an invasion of people's privacy as I had never had to sign my life away anywhere else before this. I got into a heated exchange with the owner and said some things maybe I shouldn't have. For that I deeply apologize. I was angry that a business owner would treat a customer like that and yell the way this owner yelled. This isn't the first time. A few years ago I had spent quite a bit of money and was paying for my purchase at the front counter. I asked for a business card and the owner said he didn't have any. I thought this was weird and told him so. Well he responded the same way he responded to today's question so obviously there is a serious case of personality clash here. Apparently I've been banned from entering this store because of my "attitude" today but I don't care. Doesn't bother me in the least. This is the thanks I get for having been a faithful customer over the past ten years. The owner has a duty and responsibility to make each customer feel welcome and to ensure they have a pleasant shopping experience in their store, not by challenging them to a heated argument. You can be sure I will never grace this establishment with my presence ever again! Once again my apologies to the owner if I came across as being difficult or out of control. You made a big mistake by challenging me as your business could have earned a nice profit today. Your negative energy has rubbed me the wrong way and that's it! I wish your business the best for the future. I made sure I read all of the reviews before I posted mine. Most of them are negative. I feel better knowing that I'm not the only person who has felt this way about their experiences in this store. I've rambled on long enough. Time to wrap. read more

Selection is decent but the prices have been drastically raised over the years for used vinyl. The "bargain" bins at the front of the shop are NOT a bargain. This store has basically taken advantage of the tourist traffic in the gastown area & the vinyl boom of the last few years. The owner is very nice to talk to but extremely pretentious & very aware of how he's ripping off his clientele. As a hardcore record collector this shop is an extreme let down now. It's a shame because it used to be one of the best shops in western Canada. One quick example: when I was speaking to the owner he straight up said how he can get people to pay $20 or more for a copy of Fleetwood Mac Rumours - one of the easiest records to get with at most a $5-$8 value for a basic playable used copy. What he would sell you for $20 wouldn't be good enough for a dollar bin. Check out Audiophile or Red Cat Records before you get taken advantage of. PS just because you have the largest selection of world music in Vancouver doesn't make your shop any better or give you any right to over charge customers. It's quality - not quantity, don't be a crook. read more

By far one of the largest selection of vinyl but prices are super high. I don't have a problem paying a lot for something elusive and in good condition. Unfortunately the used albums are in rough shape and most are double or triple the price of Red Cat or Audiopile. I doubt I will be back. read more

An awesome selection of quality vinyl at decent prices. Most of my favourite music comes on vinyl - that's the way it was meant to be heard - so I can see I'll be coming here a lot. Also, the guy was nice about letting me bring my dog into the store, on a leash, of course, when he saw me standing near the doorway as I was waiting for my husband to source out some Floyd and Beatles. They have some newer records, hip-hop and pop, don't ask me to name it. I also saw lots of Boney M, Billy Joel, Bruce Springsteen, Bee Gees, and musicals and TV soundtracks... There's a big selection of genres beyond my dorky taste. Hey, I won't judge your music. So happy I finally got my old turntable fixed! read more

Theres not a lot that you cant find in any of the other record stores on these shelves, unless youre talking about prices. They have ridiculous prices on every selection, meaning youre not coming here to impulse buy that beat up, hardly playing copy of Exhile on Main St for $20. They also stock an assortment of vinyl turntables that will play music fast, slow, backwards... just about any which way you want them to in high fidelity. Plus they sound much better than anything you can find at London Drugs. if you really must have a certain something that no one else seems to, or youre looking for some sweet DJ swag, then give this place a look. Otherwise... I must mention that their turntable selection allows you to preview any record you find in private, which is unique (and very appreciated) to some of the other stores in the city. read more

Great selection, but at a premium. With this in mind, they have almost everything you could be looking for. Could be a bit better organized. The owner guy was nice and made you feel welcome. The couches at the front are handy. read more

I can't believe the prices here! Everything , I mean everything is WAY overpriced! Way better record stores in Vancouver- check out Zulu, Neptune or redcat. Compare for yourself! read more

This place is pretty good. Staff are friendly and selecrion is HUGE and coasts through all genres and decades. Prices can be a bit higher than Id prefer (a very used Beatles white album for 25$? While the new sealed is 30$? I dunno about that...) but at the same time prices are cheap and fair for a lot, too. Just poke around but dont come with a stingy wallet and use your head. I could spend hours in here treasure hunting for albums old and new. read more

After, an exhaustive search of shops in the Toronto area and online the only place in Canada to have my record was Vinyl Records in Vancouver. While, I paid a premium for the very limited edition copy it was competitive with the going rate for those coming from Europe. U.S copies if, found were even more expensive. David Jones was great to deal with and patient, as I had unexpected glitch in ordering from my side. Communication was prompt and delivery was much faster than expected. A happy customer. read more

Let me tell you about my visit here. I found a very cool rare vinyl in the store. I gently asked the manager if there would be a turntable to listen to it to check the quality (like there is in most of the vinyl shops across the world). Here is the answer of the manager : "Do you have a phone" "There is something called youtube where you type the name and you can listen to whatever" "If you dont know how to i will show you". If you're looking for classic passive agressivité, you found your place read more

Shocking prices. Lots of inventory because there are lots of items in completely unacceptable condition. I can't imagine going there again.

Definitely one of the best record shops I've been to. The owner is very friendly and helpful. Some vinyls are a bit pricey though. read more

Vinyl Records - Definitely one of the best record shops I've been to. The owner is very friendly and helpful but select vinyls are kind of pricey. - Electronics Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

What a selection and wish I had more time to crate dig today, will definitely return on my next trip to Vancouver. Be ready to pay for what you are getting, which works for me. read more

Great store. A bit of a mess, but that feels like part of the experience - I don't know if I'd want a meticulously organized record supermarket. There's lots of good stuff in there and knowledgeable and helpful staff. Several times I've taken a record to the counter only for him to help me dig up a better version (not necessarily more expensive either), or something else that I might be interested in. My only problem is my brain going blank when I go in there and forgetting what I might want because there's so much choice. Prices are a little steep but you've got Rdio and Spotify for cheap, this is for the audio treats. :) read more

I don't know why anyone would want to pay 45 dollars for a twenty dollar record. Really, the reviews aren't exaggerating when they mention the absurdly priced selection. Nothing...literally nothing...that I wanted was reasonably priced. Or even just slightly innappropriately priced. Flat. Out. Ludicrous. The selection? It's pretty good. As if to say: Look at all the great stuff you'll never be able to afford. Go to Red Cat, Zulu, Audiopile, the bloody flea market...anything is better than this crap. The staff at those places at least say 'hello' when you walk in the door. Minor update in response to the owner: David, if you want people like me to look past your unfair prices (rationalize all you want, but this is exactly the kind of thing yelp is made for), try to lend the bare minimum of bedside manner to your customers in the store when they are actually in the store, and not taking issue with something in the store on a reviews site. A passive aggressive response isn't worth any extra points in my book. I might have pointed out that I've been a customer for a couple of years, but I wouldn't have guessed you might assume the clientele is so pompously ignorant of your bargain bin selections. Pass. Second update: And hey! My courier friend was apparently in here thinking he was in the right place for a package. When he realized he wasn't and asked for help with directions, the owner told him that "he wasn't a f@#$ing phone book" and proceeded to push him out the door! What a treat! read more

I've been visiting this store every once in a while for the last seven or so years and I usually manage to come home with some shiny new (or new to me) vinyl, including several rare Beatles finds. Dave has always been knowledgeable, helpful and definitely passionate about vinyl. You can tell he puts a lot of time and energy into researching, organizing and posting records to the store website. Thousands (upon thousands) of records are meticulously organized, categorized into sub-genres (any genre you can think of) or individual artists. If you can't find what you're looking for, Dave (or his other staff) can point you in the right direction, but its just as easy (and fun) to get lost browsing through the endless selection. If you like to browse, be sure to leave yourself lots of time, as there is lots to see. Prices for brand new vinyl about par with websites like Amazon if you factor in shipping costs - and you don't have to wait 4-6 weeks for delivery and you get to support a local business. Rare collectibles cost me equal to what I would have paid on eBay. And there are even bins for the bargain hunters ranging from about $2-$10. My reason for rating this store at four stars and not five is the massive volume of vinyls as they make the store look cluttered take up so much space that the aisles are quite small which makes it a bit difficult to get around if there are a few people browsing in the same section. Overall, my experiences have been fantastic and I am certain I will continue to be a regular customer for many years to come. read more

If you're on the hunt for something specific and willing to pay any price (really, ANY price) I guess this is your go to. Prices are extremely high compared to other local shops. $10 is about as cheap as it gets for a record in a sleeve that's falling apart. Selection is huge but poorly kept. I also witnessed a customer looking to exchange a damaged record they had just purchased and they were treated to a lecture instead. Wouldn't return, but as noted the selection is vast. read more

They have a huge selection of records, of basically every musical style. The store looks nice, Gastown-y on the outside, thousands of records inside. It's not as well organized as it looks at first glance, but it's definitely more organized than the average record store. The bad part is that the prices are also above average, and the owner doesn't feel very friendly. Bottom line, it's a place to go if you really want something that you can't find anywhere else and you're willing to pay a bit more for it, or if you like searching bargain bins for some forgotten gem. read more

I've increased my rating to 3 stars because the owner, David, took the time to reply to my (admittedly overly negative) review, which at the very least shows some concern for his business and is worth the extra star, imo. read more

David Love Jones is a great character, friendly guy and excellent source for record store culture here in Vancouver! We love you Dave! Shine on you crazy diamond! read more

They got a decent Michael Jackson box, but the prices were sky high to the eye.

Absolutely, stacked with a collection of the hardest to find records. One step into this store and you feel like you have been transported back in time. Enough dance beats, rare groove, and classic rock to make me drool! read more

I thought maybe i would try to give this shop and its owner david another shot since some time had passed since my original review and i hoped that things might have improved. unfortunately, nothing has changed. the prices are offensive. the collectable stuff is priced at least 2-3 times the going rate online and in the real world and are mostly scratched up and in the vg to vg- range.. utterly common records that go for a dollar or less he has priced at about $18-$30. i brought in a stack of desireable records for trade/sale to try and mitigate the crazy prices but he tried to lowball me. without giving away too much detail one of the records i offered him was a perfectly mint copy of an in-demand psych record that regularly sells at local stores such as zulu and dandelion for about $50 within hours of days of being put on display. based on David's pricing, he would have had it at $75-$100. when he offered me $5 in trade for it, i simply walked out in disgust while he made some utterly snarky and gratuitous comments towards me that i won't bother repeating.. the fact is a number of people have reported very similar experiences with david and his responses to them are vey telling. he advances a number of perposterous and outright bogus excuses in those replies ("it's not the united states", "i have the only record stoe in downtown vancouver", "i am a vancouver instituion", "we have a website""we grade carefully" etc. etc.). in one of the responses he even has the audacity to say all the manhattan record shops have moved to harlem...uhhh wrong, the best stores in manhattan like a-1, fat beats, good records, academy etc are in the east village and have been for about 10 years now. in other words, david is full of shit. but the worst part of david's whole routine is that he blames others for these negative encounters and reviews. he repeatedly whines for respect for himself and his operation but the fact is respect is earned. also he proclaims that he is a reasonable person but that has yet to be seen. does a reasonable person hound yelpers to adjust their reviews so that they don;t cast such a negative light on him and his business practices. don't waste your time or energy with this spot, you will walk away dissapointed and bitter unless youa re so rich that money doesn;t even matter to you or you are completely clueless. read more

Hours upon hours I have spent in the isles of this vinyl adorned shop. From floor to ceiling there are stacks upon stacks of uniquely categorized old tracks. When I stumbled upon Crazy Horse "Loose" in perfect condition I pretty much died and went straight to heaven. The shop owner is passionate and has a great array of knowledge and suggestions. There are even a few bargain bins with hidden treasures just waiting to be discovered. Rainy day? Grab a coffee and spend the afternoon grazing the boxes at this shop, discover an old friend, and wait while the smile slowly creeps up and refuses to go away. read more

Very nice selection of pretty much anything you could want. The staff was very knowledgeable and friendly. Could have spent hours in there.