ILX Lists The Best Record Shops In The Australia Thread

missing link (flinders lane melbourne) is good for imports and punk stuff and they have lots of punk vinyl. overpriced.

au go go (off little bourke st melbourne) has a general range of local and overseas rock/indie/punk and a fair bit (although significantly dwindling thanks to ebay) of secondhand vinyl. overpriced. used to heaps better but is a shadow of its former self.

cd discounts (cnr bourke and william) has a crap range but it's cheap and i get all my $10 gems there. same goes for dragonfly discs in elizabeth street, although it has a rather excellent range of new CDs all under $15 (this is aussie dollars people)

polyester in fitzroy is ok but it is overpriced (sensing a theme here?). heartland i haven't been to in years but was always overpriced .

i don't visit any others. the Dixons chain can be good for some secondhand bargains and the occasional nice surprise. Vicious Sloth has some ace collectibles but makes the overpricing of the other stores seem tame.

just go to synaesthesia on block lane. there's nothing better.

adelaide:

b sharp on rundle street has improved of late (lots of old disco 12s, arthur russell bootlegs etc.): definitely a shining light at the moment. whether it will fall soon, who knows.

big star on rundle street is the old classic and they do indeed have lots of good stock, this is about the only place to find good folk records. their store in magill can have puzzling amounts of good 2nd-hand records (and then a 6-month drought where all new stock is crap), the norwood store is a bit bland but they've always got all the byrds/gene clark cds (a good thing.) haven't been to their other three stores for such a long time.

record library on twin st has its dry spells but i just got fleetwood mac's 'pious bird of good omen' there cheap so it can't be all bad eh?

porthole in port adelaide is worth it for good 2nd-hand (not too expensive) and the stoned, glazed demeanour of the staff. ALL the staff.

nostalgic sounds in unley has its moments: a lot of bobbie gentry moments actually! and a great pile of old 78s that looks fantastic. and all the records are shelved so you just have to scroll through the spines.

i still think one of the best record stores i've been to in aus is egg records in newtown, sydney ...

Egg, Newtown

Reefer Records, Crown St, Darlinghurst

Red Eye, Sydney (but it'll cost ya)

*jb hifi!!
*missing link
*cd discounts (and i thank jim once again for pointing this one out)

meh: central station = ok for dance/hip hop/rnb vinyl but you would have to be desperate to buy the monstrously overpriced cds there - jim says the other shops in melbourne are expensive but none of them have a patch on central station. they do have some interesting promos and stuff tho. i waited until their 20% off sale to get some of those, and the new discount price was just other shops' normal expensive.

destroy: rhythm & soul. dickhead pretty boys at the counter and in the window, crap selection, worst kind of snobbish boring shop. i ordered a todd edwards cd there and 1st they got me the wrong one, and then they just never got back to me. lame.

Jim underrates Dixons (Chapel St). It's great for dance and hiphop bargains. Not ultra-bargains but there's a lot of good stuff, or at least there was until I bought it all.

Nobody's mentioned Collector's Corner/Second Spin on Swanston so I will. Good stuff and not overpriced!

So Music, King St, Newtown
- for techno, world and experimental. Then you go further down the road to get your second hand rock records from Egg on Erskineville Rd. Check out their wonderful montages!

Reefer in Darlinghurst have a web page:

http://www.reeferrecords.com/reefer_800x600.htm

They also release their own records on associated label Ear Pimp.

Reefer has a fine selection of secondhand disco, techno and electro.

So does Spank Records, which fortunately is just nearby:

http://www.spankrecords.com.au/STOCK/vinyl.asp

They have the best selection of second hand disco, techno and electro in Sydney by a million miles.

There may be other places I haven't heard about, but these two together do me very nicely on my limited budget for electro, techno, house and disco.

It's called Slap records.

I always check JB Hi-Fi first for new CDs because if they have something in stock they will be the cheapest, and I'm often surprised by what they do have.

Gaslight has quite a good selection of electronic stuff, no vinyl though.

I agree with minna about Rhythm & Soul, sadly because I used to shop there all the time, but lately they've been disappointing me. The last straw was when I asked if they had the last Blaze album and the person behind the counter said "what kind of music is it?"--and they're supposed to be house specialists!

Sydney: I was very impressed last time I was there with a record shop downstairs in Oxford St--I think it's called Reachin, does that sound right? It seemed to have a better microhouse selection than anywhere in Melbourne.

Others - Rocking Horse in the City is pretty good but lacks the warmth of Butterbeats.

Canberra - Landspeed and to a lesser extent Impact (both in civic) are where its at.

1. A large place in the main mall which had musical instruments as well. There was a large basement with second-hand stuff - loads of cheap CDs. Can't remember any vinyl. When I was there the Sex Pistols were playing in Brisbane - I think this was 96 - and I walked into this shop and Rotten and Jones were in there!! Also Skin from Skunk Anansie was with them - they were supporting I think.

2. A big place with tons of used vinyl laid out in a massive room. I think you had to go up some stairs to get there. There were T-shirts and stuff around the walls. Also lots of used CDs - they were marked with the price in thick felt tip on the jewel case, which was a bit odd!

3. A new CDs only shop with a yellow shop front. Bargain prices

this must either be jb hifi or the brisbane equivalent

i have come down to $5. $10 if its a new release or something i go "omygawd" at.

Last week I picked up Horsepower Productions' "In Fine Style" there for $5 and the second Output Comp (Channel 2) for $10. Insane!

What the fuck! I don't suppose they have any more copies?

Another place in the city is Ashwoods Records. has mush of the same stuff as revibe, only with highr prices...located opposite The Queen Victoria Building in George Street.

this thread revive is a month too late for me to help Donut Bitch!

Heading to Sydney in a few weeks and wanted to check out some used record stores if possible. Some of the ones upthread appear to be gone or internet only (i.e. Spank and Reefer). Any updated 2011 recommendations for used vinyl?

Thanks!