big chainstores vs. small record stores

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do you buy your records in big chainstores (tower, hmv, virgin...) or in smaller record stores?

― joan vich (joan vich), Tuesday, 17 September 2002 08:03 (twenty-three years ago)

i usually go to the big chainstores in search of the mid-priced reissues and bargain bins, but then nothing can beat a chat with the guy at the counter in my local shop, listening to bits of the new releases whilst sharing a beer.
oh wait, maybe you buy your records on internet mail orders...

― joan vich (joan vich), Tuesday, 17 September 2002 08:05 (twenty-three years ago)

Some of the independent stores around here i go to, because they're cheaper and you have to look through less crap than Sam Goody/Borders. Most of them also flag local artists, which is nice if you don't really keep up on the local music scene much. Otherwise it's internet music stores for me, which is easiest if not always very cost effective.

― lyra (lyra), Tuesday, 17 September 2002 08:12 (twenty-three years ago)

I hate chatting to people behind the counter in shops!

Anyway it depends. If I just get 'the urge' to get a CD, or if I want back-catalogue mainstream stuff I'll pop into a chainstore. For just-released CDs I'll get them from a place like Fopp or Mr CD unless I REALLY REALLY WANT THEM RIGHT NOW in which case wherever's nearest. Independent stores are good for browsing and finding the things you didn't know you were interested in.

Second-hand shops are a different thing entirely.

― Tom (Groke), Tuesday, 17 September 2002 08:22 (twenty-three years ago)

I hate chatting to people behind the counter in shops!

you don't know the guy at my local store :-)

― joan vich (joan vich), Tuesday, 17 September 2002 08:37 (twenty-three years ago)

small record stores tend to have better prices and better selection.

― James Blount (James Blount), Tuesday, 17 September 2002 08:41 (twenty-three years ago)

christ alive james you cant be talking about wuxtry, they dont even have the clipse lp!

― simon trife (simon_tr), Tuesday, 17 September 2002 09:07 (twenty-three years ago)

Independant record stores have more "personality", for what its worth. It's also more music geeky, thus good. Also, chain stores don't have upstairs sections for hip-hop and drum and bass, where you can go to the counter and ask for fictitious records incessantly ("You got the new Spaghetti Tong Collective joint? Dropped on Soapy Titwank recordings?")

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Tuesday, 17 September 2002 09:13 (twenty-three years ago)

uh oh, someones got some ideas for high fidelity two!!! be sure to end the scene with the crowdpleaser of the clerk producing the thought-to-be fictitous record from behind the counter, much to the wacky surprise of the store patron!!

― simon trife (simon_tr), Tuesday, 17 September 2002 09:19 (twenty-three years ago)

Please don't compare me to Nick Hornby, or I'll kill myself.

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Tuesday, 17 September 2002 09:20 (twenty-three years ago)

you got your own damn self into it with this soapy titwank business

― simon trife (simon_tr), Tuesday, 17 September 2002 09:24 (twenty-three years ago)

E - I hesitated on the 'better selection' angle because of my experience at Wuxtry where the working theory was "they can special order it". Athens sucks for hip-hop and to a lesser extent anything electronic (although feel free to blame me for Wuxtry's Tigerbeat selection) - I have no idea how you survive - but I do find things I want easier at Low Yo Yo than at Best Buy or FYE (Gordon Lamb shoutout right there). Where the hell do you buy hip-hop? (Atlanta?)

― James Blount (James Blount), Tuesday, 17 September 2002 09:24 (twenty-three years ago)

and also by LIKING INDEPENDENT RECORD STORES ugh

― simon trife (simon_tr), Tuesday, 17 September 2002 09:25 (twenty-three years ago)

james i have gotten twelve inches and stuff in atl before but mostly i buy used cds at wherehouse music! schoolkids is really the only smaller store here to even consider and theyre on a def jux lick too much anyways, their vinyl is cheaper than wuxtrys fuckin eight dollar twelve "s though!!

― simon trife (simon_tr), Tuesday, 17 September 2002 09:29 (twenty-three years ago)

But INDEPENDENT RECORD STORES are better for buying El-P and Blackalicious and the like.

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Tuesday, 17 September 2002 09:31 (twenty-three years ago)

low yo yo is ok i guess if you pretend black people stopped making music in 1978, whenever i want to buy ew rock music i go there for cheap kraftwerk and electric prunes reissues

― simon trife (simon_tr), Tuesday, 17 September 2002 09:31 (twenty-three years ago)

With Low Yo Yo it's almost like you have to pretend black people never made music at all. When Roni Size came to town they put all there 'electronic' into a box and wrote 'techno' on it. Lots of C+C Music Factory. I sell my used cds to wherehouse music! (they'll buy almost anything).

― James Blount (James Blount), Tuesday, 17 September 2002 09:42 (twenty-three years ago)

yeah my roommate sold a bunch of kitaro there yesterday and got like fifty bucks, the great thing about wherehouse is you can get now thats what i call music and booty bass mixes for like three bucks a pop

low yo yo doesnt entirely ignore black people though, i mean they did create FREE JAZZ THE BEST FUCKIN MUSIC EVER MADE BESIDES NOISY POST PUNK ugh

― simon trife (simon_tr), Tuesday, 17 September 2002 09:51 (twenty-three years ago)

i buy em from the cats protection league & shops like that that are run by old ladies. i hate going into other types of shops.

― unknown or illegal user (doorag), Tuesday, 17 September 2002 10:21 (twenty-three years ago)

ok i'm shittin ya, i like 2nd hand record shops (some of em)

― unknown or illegal user (doorag), Tuesday, 17 September 2002 10:22 (twenty-three years ago)

A mixture of both. Freebird Records and Road Records in Dublin are good independent stores, that I often use, and would often stock stuff that is difficult to find in the likes of HMV and Tower. But I use the big chain-stores a lot, too. In the town where I live, there are 2 record stores. There is golden discs, which is a chain store, but one which only stocks popular cd's, so I wouldn't be able to buy 90% of cd's I want there. Then there's this independent one which opened a few weeks ago called Raygun Records. I dropped in just before it opened, and the owner was saying that they were opening here because everyone is getting frustrated at Golden Discs, so I was pleased to hear that I wouldn't have to travel in to Dublin every time I want a cd. My joy was cut short when it opened. It is the worst record shop ever. I was there for ten minutes, and I looked through EVERY CD IN THE SHOP.

"small record stores tend to have better prices and better selection."

This should be the motivation for people to open an independent record store. Why did they bother opening a record store that didn't have any cd's in it? Mainstream music followers are going to continue going to Golden Discs, and the music heads are going to continue going into town to get their albums, 'cos you couldn't rely on this place to have ANYTHING. Pah!

― weasel diesel (K1l14n), Tuesday, 17 September 2002 11:20 (twenty-three years ago)

3 words :
manchester...
vinyl...
exchange.

still the very best in the whole wide world.

― piscesboy, Tuesday, 17 September 2002 11:29 (twenty-three years ago)

Won't somebody explain the appeal of the fucking Vinyl Exchange.

― Graham (graham), Tuesday, 17 September 2002 11:41 (twenty-three years ago)

I think it's something to do with the fucking.

― the pinefox, Tuesday, 17 September 2002 11:50 (twenty-three years ago)

Why did they bother opening a
record store that didn't have any cd's in it?

maybe they didn't have the money to buy more records from the start?
try giving them a few more weeks and see what they do.

― joan vich (joan vich), Tuesday, 17 September 2002 11:53 (twenty-three years ago)

I like the Big Independants best (Amoeba, Plan 9).

― Mark (MarkR), Tuesday, 17 September 2002 11:56 (twenty-three years ago)

"try giving them a few more weeks and see what they do."

Hmmm...ok, but I won't be holding my breath. I ordered "Twin Infinitives" from them a few weeks ago, and they still haven't gotten back to me about it, too. Imbeciles...

― weasel diesel (K1l14n), Tuesday, 17 September 2002 12:05 (twenty-three years ago)

no shop in BXL has a copy of the clipse LP grrrr

― Jeff W, Tuesday, 17 September 2002 12:16 (twenty-three years ago)

I ordered "Twin Infinitives" from them a few weeks ago, and they still haven't gotten back to me about it, too.

They're doing you a favor, there ;-)

― Mark (MarkR), Tuesday, 17 September 2002 12:36 (twenty-three years ago)

A bit of both, usually. I used to do a lot of shopping at the HMV downtown, until the Sam's hit the skids and HMV boosted up their pricing. Now I figure if I'm not going to get a deal at HMV I'll get all the new RAWK stuff at the smaller mini-chain (CD Replay) just down the block from me. (The staff there are cooler too.) For non-major-label releases I tend to go to the indies, like Soundscapes or Rotate This...and of course, there's always a lot of used shopping, especially now that I'm buying more LPs.

― Sean Carruthers (SeanC), Tuesday, 17 September 2002 12:39 (twenty-three years ago)

I have been doing a fair amount of online ordering over the past three years (or however long I've had a PC). A store in my area has just started carrying a better selection of Latin music (including lots of stuff I would never find at Tower) at better prices than what I can get by ordering online, so I will probably be going there a lot. Also, it can be an advantage to talk to a sales clerk in a situation like this, where it's still very new to me (except that he was pushing stuff on me that isn't quite what I'm looking for). Otherwise, I generally find that the independent stores are considerably cheaper than Tower. (We lost our HMV, and the other chains around here aren't really worth talking about, e.g., Strawberries.)

Arabic music still means ordering online, but I don't expect to buy much of it in the near future.

― DeRayMi, Tuesday, 17 September 2002 13:19 (twenty-three years ago)

I don't spend as much time browsing in record stores as I used to, since I already know what I want and simply can't afford to get it.

― DeRayMi, Tuesday, 17 September 2002 13:24 (twenty-three years ago)

Small stores naturally.

Fopp! Fopp! Fopp! Fopp! Fopp!Fopp! Fopp! Fopp! Fopp! Fopp! (in england). Amoeba on Sunset, Sonic Boom in Seattle and maybe Music Exchange in London. Online shopping can be great fun, I go here for odd vinyl ...

http://www.jackdiamond.com/

― kinski (kinski), Tuesday, 17 September 2002 13:32 (twenty-three years ago)

having the mad need to look thu every cd/record in a crappy shop where you would never do the same in a good shop = the most perverse dud thing ever

― bob zemko (bob), Tuesday, 17 September 2002 14:02 (twenty-three years ago)

Bit of both, if I have a choice I head down to Soundscapes ro She Said Boom or whatever used cd store I see, but often end up at supper massive HMV cause its near work and sells DVDs.

― Mr Noodles (Mr Noodles), Tuesday, 17 September 2002 14:08 (twenty-three years ago)

Hmm you "buy" things, is this with this "money" I haf heard people talk of?

My money goes on port and I hear new music from nicking Toms cds (ok ok James Bond themes anyway) and the RADIO in the morning my deres WOT A STATE we are in eh?

Although, the Vinyl Exchange! RAR!

― Sarah (starry), Tuesday, 17 September 2002 14:16 (twenty-three years ago)

you can get recs on small specialised rec shops that you just can't get anywhere else and that's a fact.

I do go to the big stores when there's a sale...a bargain is always found.

― Julio Desouza (jdesouza), Tuesday, 17 September 2002 16:12 (twenty-three years ago)

Small.
Independent.
Egotistical.
Blowhards.

...and swap-meets!

― christoff (christoff), Tuesday, 17 September 2002 17:14 (twenty-three years ago)

More often than not the crap I'm looking for will sooner pop up in a "special interst" shop than a big mega-chain, but even when looking for widely-available stuff, I'd sooner buy it in a small, "mom & pop" place so as to give them the business. Virgin/Tower/HMV etc. don't need any more money from me.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Tuesday, 17 September 2002 17:33 (twenty-three years ago)

But the indie record shops I've been in never have anything I'm after (I mean proper indie stuff), but Virgin and HMV do. What's the point of them again?

― Graham (graham), Tuesday, 17 September 2002 19:25 (twenty-three years ago)

rough trade in ladbroke grove has an inide pop section Graham!

I don't like Virgin much. HMV is okay, but expensive. Tower is okayish. I get alot of back catalogue CDs from a second hand shop (not the music exchange).

― jel -- (jel), Tuesday, 17 September 2002 19:36 (twenty-three years ago)

I'll usually go into a big shop and brose their sale section to see if I can get anything cheap. But usually its mom and pop 2nd hand shops and the web. Have any of you New Englanders stepped into a Newbury Comics lately-S-U-C-K-S and they are expensive! I can get 4 discs mail order including postage and still pay less than what 3 costs there

― brg30 (brg30), Tuesday, 17 September 2002 20:16 (twenty-three years ago)

Won't somebody explain the appeal of the fucking Vinyl Exchange.

I think it has something to do with Manc's irrational sense of civic pride. ;-P

― Chewshabadoo (Chewshabadoo), Tuesday, 17 September 2002 20:48 (twenty-three years ago)

ok let's name n'shame idiotic rec shop ppl; utter fool #1: that bald geezer in bongo's

(obv if you don't live in london i couldn't care less abt yr poxy rural experiences)

― bob zemko (bob), Tuesday, 17 September 2002 20:53 (twenty-three years ago)

#2 that 30-something guy with the floppy indie hair with the sub jazz-fm know-all voice at ruff trade. you only see him every now and then

― bob zemko (bob), Tuesday, 17 September 2002 20:54 (twenty-three years ago)

#3 far from idiotic but I ph34r those 2 demented-looking goblin twins at THESE

also search that blonde irish-looking chick at selectadisc that i haven't seen in a while. rowr!

destroy that vaguely retarded hamburglaresque 14-yr old kid who also works there

― bob zemko (bob), Tuesday, 17 September 2002 20:58 (twenty-three years ago)

oh bob that's really cruel!

― jel -- (jel), Wednesday, 18 September 2002 07:48 (twenty-three years ago)

hamburglaresque = grebtest word of all time

― mark s (mark s), Wednesday, 18 September 2002 08:02 (twenty-three years ago)

**also search that blonde irish-looking chick at selectadisc that i haven't seen in a while. rowr!**

She was there a couple of weeks ago! Yes definitely k-rowr!

― Dr. C (Dr. C), Wednesday, 18 September 2002 10:08 (twenty-three years ago)

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