New Castle DE is very fortunate to have a selection of really great record shops (Goodboy Vinyl,…read moreJupiter Records and Squeezebox to name a few) and Rainbow Records is no exception. Here's the breakdown ATMOSPHERE & MISC: 5 out of 5 - Ample parking in the new location. New digs are clean, well lit, easy to get around given the relatively small overall space. Cool posters and wall art. Records are well organized and tidy. Always cool music being played. Restroom is accessible for longer deeper bin diving sessions. When weather is nice, can move some of their selection outdoors which is always nice as well. SELECTION: 4 out of 5 - This is a pretty small to average sized store so dont expect them to have some completely all-encompassing selection of obscure or super rare nitsch stuff like Amoeba or a Tower records or something, there's just only so much space in store and they gotta sell stuff. Fortunately, it's located in a college town so they're clientele is typically hip enough that they're able to stock plenty of high quality stuff. Bread and butter is definitely alt rock, hip hop and used rock and jazz but there's all sorts of goodies if you go looking for a little while (I usually find some great world music every time I go though it's not a large section). I'm guessing most people won't have trouble finding some good deals there, but clearly those looking for ultra rare stuff may be better off looking elsewhere. That being said, if you talk to the staff there and tell them what u want or are looking for, they'll more than happily order you anything that's available online and I've taken them up on this on numerous occasions and they've shipped to my house for a very good rate. COMMUNITY OUTREACH: 5 out of 5 - Being that records have competition these days, it's incumbent on a record store sometimes to need to fill a greater role in the community just to stay around. Rainbow is always organizing events, sales, and live music and Dj shows for all sorts of charitable local events. They're social media is updated every day with the latest releases and the owners like I said are very accessible with requests for records or whatever. They have a great Facebook community and "what's on your turntable group" as well as a Record Club you can sign up for via email that sends out all sorts of cool, rare, new releases and every month for a very fair price. They support and work together with all sorts of other record stores in the community and local artist merch and music is always in stock and easy to find. This is a store you want to support people! CUSTOMER SERVICE: 6 out of 5 - Saving the best for last. Todd and Melissa are simply put some of the nicest, hardest working and accommodating people you'll find anywhere. I've been shopping here for a while and I'm always impressed with the lengths they're willing to go to make the experience of buying records a more enjoyable one. We've all had at least one lousy experience with a snobby, less than helpful record store owner in our life, and while I can't recall very many if any at all in Delaware, Rainbow really does excel at not only being extremely helpful, but making you really feel a part of the family as soon as you step in the door. As I've alluded to above, they'll order anything you're looking for and won't charge anything additional at all really for it. Since COVID hit, theyve worn masks all day I've been there, and provide gloves and hand sanitizer and regularly disinfect they're surfaces. Besides all this, I've also either heard of or personally been involved in some instances of customer service and kindness on behalf of the staff that are really special. I happen to know that on at least one occasion, when the mail was really backed up early on during COVID, Todd drove records to a customer's house about 30 miles out of the way just to get it to them on time. Another time, i was playing a show down the street from rainbow and our guitarist broke a string and didn't have another set and I texted Melissa who was down the street and she showed up with another one within like 10 minutes. This just serves to illustrate the character of the people behind the scenes at this place. As I said above, these are the kind of small business owners it's an absolute honor to have in my community and a joy to support! Theyre everything a small business should be really (familial, accommodating, active in the community). If this was the worst record store in the world, I'd honesty keep coming back because they're such quality people. FINAL VERDICT: 5 out of 5 - The owners of Rainbow Records clearly are driven by a passion for music and strengthening their community however they're able, so if you want to start loving records or love them already, I can't think of anywhere better to recommend stopping into! ***UPDATE*** 30 minutes later: I still love Rainbow Records !!!!!

Rainbow Records is a really nice shop tucked away in a shopping strip mall off Main Street in…read moreNewark. It caters to the audiophiles, both young and old, who still prefer to hear their music on LPs or cassette tape. Vinyl has made a bit of a comeback recently. Here you can spend as little a a buck on a record up to $50 for a new sealed reproduced record. They have a really nice selection for all tastes that range from Blues, Jazz, Rock, Hip Hop and some country. They offer a rewards program and have buy one $5 record get a second free on Thursdays. If your a serious collector or someone trying to locate some long lost LPs from your youth, this is the place for you.

Very nice owner!! Helpful and very knowledgeable about equipment & things you need to get the job…read moredone

Took my money ($180 if I remember correctly) up front for an evaluation. Told me all about the…read moremulti step process. Said 1 month. It's been three months and he keeps blowing me off. I've heard similar from other people.

Best record shop around!! The selection here is top tear, everything is reasonably priced, and the…read morestaff is awesome! Love coming in every week to see what they have!

Good selection of records and the store is not too big. Easy to go through and has a new arrivals…read moresection as well as a brand new album section. Will return.

I think it was really cool, the workers were so kind and it was just a nice place in general, nice…read morefor looking and hanging out.

Is there a reason not to love this place?? Great shop and fantastic people. I really love what is…read morebeing done in this shop. Great vibes. Found a few cool albums that had to come home with me. I will definitely be back.

Jam is a record store inside of an antique store. The selection is a well curated variety of…read morevintage music from rock to Motown. The records are in good shape and the price is right! Plus they take credit cards which is sometimes rare for record and antique shops. Jenny the owner is a total seeetheart and will help you find what you're looking for!

JAM has a nice selection of records to choose from. I was able to find a number of great records…read morethat were on my wish list. Very reasonable prices. They also had some really cool music posters. They have new stuff every time I stop by. Definitely drop by if you are a music lover. Great little hidden gem! Tip: located inside Bellefonte Vintage

This is hands down the BEST managed and operated store that sells used vinyl records and vintage…read moreaudio equipment. Most record stores I've been to barely acknowledge your existence when you walk in the door. Not here, the owner Max, ensures he greets everyone who comes inside. If he is busy with a customer when you come in, he'll be sure to greet you at the first opportunity. I first visited here a week ago and bought three records, all of which were fairly priced. The one record I purchased, a Jazz album, Max could not let me take it homewithout cleaning it first. His wife who rang us up was equally as friendly. My mind was made up that I was going to buy a turntable from him as I was in the market for one. Today I stopped by and Max was happy to help me in finding the right turntable for me. Super nice and helpful, he walked me through what he had and I walked out of the store with an amazing Kenwood. His shop is super clean and welcoming. Although the record selection isn't huge, he has plenty to find perhaps that missing one for your collection. So no matter if your are looking to have equipment serviced, purchase vintage equipment, or add some vinyl to your collection, look no further than here!

My girlfriend and I recently visited Turning Point Record Shop in Manheim and had an unexpected…read moreinteraction that left us disappointed, irritated and honestly shocked. I expected better. Another couple was in the store discussing the sale of a large reggae record collection. During the conversation, the owner himself was suggesting other stores and avenues that might be interested in a collection of that size. Because the conversation was already centered around possible buyers and options, my girlfriend mentioned another local shop that may have interest as well. The response was unexpectedly hostile. Rather than simply saying he preferred that competitors not be discussed in the store, the owner became confrontational and made the situation uncomfortable for everyone involved. She was tearing up outside, I was shook.. as lady stepped out with us to make sure we were okay. The reaction felt especially strange given that he had already been discussing alternative places himself. "That's unethical." The thing is, we're not business owners--we're regular customers. When a conversation already includes multiple stores and outside options, most people aren't going to think it's wrong to mention another place that might be worth checking out. A simple "I disagree" would have been enough. Instead, it turned into a hostile interaction that left her upset. Afterward, I spoke with one of the individuals involved, and they expressed how uncomfortable the interaction had even made them. They were even reconsidering whether they wanted to move forward with their pending deal as a result of how the situation was handled. There is nothing wrong with setting boundaries in your business, but professionalism and respect toward customers should come first. A calm conversation would have gone much further than the response we witnessed. Hopefully this was just a bad day, but based on what we experienced, the interaction left a negative impression on us and others who were present.

The only problem with Record Connection is there is too much to see! That's not a bad thing either…read more :) I have browsed through "record" stores all over and this has all of them beat, hands down. Massive selection, very good quality and about the only organized 45 collection I have seen for a long time. I live in MD and they're about 2.5 hours away, but it's worth the trip. I'll be going back as soon as my wallet allows.

Great store for any thing vinyl looking for 1st greatful dead album in 1967. They didn't have…read morethat one but we're helpful

If you love getting lowballed come here. Meaning if you bring something worth value and are okay…read morewith losing money come here. I stopped coming here when I saw them legitimately offer someone 2$ for a game that they went ahead and resold for 250$. They are liars, don't tell me it's business, I know business and selling mystery boxes filled with your leftover trash is not how you run business. Do not come here ever. Genuinely disgusting business ethic.

Good selection. I really like this store. Lots of old games and systems, Pokemon cards, DVD's,…read morerecords, etc. They even had a few comic books. Prices are pretty reasonable and you can possibly get lower prices if you're buying more items. Service is good but it can get busy at times and usually only one or two people working.

If I am not going to read something anymore, why should I keep it? Furthermore, I can support a…read moresmall business and a Farmers Market that I love. Today, I wanted to buy back one of the many comic books I have given to them, in this case. Dumbing of Age: Just Put Down The Ukulele And We Can Let The Healing Begin (Book 7). Mrs. Donna refused the $8, and furthered the spirit of the Holidays and Small Business Saturday (which is today).

Love this place. I'm glad that they are still at the New Castle Farmer's Market. I had see. That…read moretheir previous location closed but you can still find them a little ways down the hall. Good people and always really kind.

Incredible place. Fulfilled a life long dream and the owner made everything so easy and the…read morefinished product was better than I could have ever imagined. Highly recommend

From the owner: Join us at our inspirational Downtown Newark space, and create something to be proud of!read more