177 Fog Lane, Burnage, Manchester M20 6FJ
Opening Hours:0930-1730 Mon-Sat except 0930-1300 Wednesdays
Telephone: 0161 445 8697
Far from the bustling City Centre, hop on a train from Piccadilly Station and head for Burnage the birthplace of Oasis. Just around the corner from the Station you will find the legendary shop once the regular haunt of the brothers Gallagher of this parish and famously immortalised in the lyrics to ‘Shakermaker’
“Mister Sifter sold me songs
when I was just sixteen
Now he stops at traffic lights
but only when they’re green”
Well, Mr Sifter is still there ready to sell you songs too. Apparently Oasis fans from as far away as Japan and the US like to call in to have their photo taken in the shop, if you do please ask nicely and preferably buy something as well.
As the name suggests this is a shop where you need to…Sift. You’ll find all kinds of music new and secondhand, and there are some real gems there amongst the racks, especially if you are looking for some forgotten classics of 70s and 80s pop and rock. Sifters have plenty of Vinyl records, but also CDs and even good old cassette tapes. The prices are very reasonable indeed, and this is one of those places off the beaten track where you may just find something unexpected. It is lovely to find a real live Record Shop in such an unlikely suburban setting and Sifters is a wonderful bit of Mancunian cultural heritage. Get yourself over to Burnage, follow in the footsteps of Noel and Liam and get sifting!
Charlie Davidson says
A treasure trove of rare (and cheap) Krautrock and prog between ’86-’88. Still kicking myself for knocking back “Paradieswarts Duul” at £2.49. A rightly legendary shop, and one which has, albeit indirectly, had a huge influence on my subsequent career as a professional musician. Long live Mr Sifter!
librathene says
pete has been in the game a long time, but still doesn’t know that foreign issue lps (ie ones that don’t turn up in the record collectors guide) might be worth something. Which is why you get “paradieswartsduul”, complete sets of original seeds, elevators, watchband, love, doors lps for under £3. Trust me he’s been in the game for years but wouldn’t have a clue who amon duul are!
urbanosprey says
I doubt whether Pete could give a hoot about Amon Duul and if he let a rare Amon Duul LP go out the door at a bargain price twenty-five years ago, he probably isn’t going to be losing any sleep.
Pete has always seemed totally uninterested in record-collecting and all the anal retentive sillyness that goes with it. He is far more interested in football and can normally be found discussing Man United with anyone within earshot. Paradoxically, it is Pete’s lack of interest in record collecting that makes Sifters such a great shop.
Ian says
What a great shop. If you are prepared to browse, you will pick up a bargain. I got an old Trojan 45 and some old punk singles.
Psychedelic Tony says
This guy understands how to run a business. Keep people coming back because they once got an a real rarity from the racks for the usual “£2.25 mint” sticker price. Once you are in there you pretty much have to buy something. Or at least I do. Anyway to last as long as he has in the game he’s definitely doing something right.
Prentiss says
The man is a legend. I been there when I was at uni and the bloke is grand. Helpful, friendly and bought many a LP there during my 3 years at Manchester Uni.
As Dylan Thomas said about Swansea, Manchester is MY “Ugly, lovely town”. Sweet.
Live Forever Mr Sifter
James says
Sifter’s is quite simply – one of the finest record shops in the North.
Melissa says
I absolutely love this shop bought my first oasis album from here! Mr Sifter is soo lovely! Its really nice to be able to shop in a record shop where my hero bought his records from when he was young! and its only round the corner from me!
Matty Boy says
I love Sifters !!! A real record shop with sensibly priced stock. Sadly, that is a rarity now, second hand records are just commodities to a lot of people. I have been priced out of just about all the other record shops around (if you live in Manchester for example, you know which ones I am talking about ). I’m not prepared ( or I never was) to pay eye- watering prices for records. Stuff that !!!! The dearest record I found here was a (quite) rare Chuck Jackson album on Tamla Motown for £15. I have seen it for 3 times that price elsewhere. Came away with a bundle of great albums(£2 each) and a few 12 inchers (£1 to £2 each) for less than £15 !!! Now that’s what I call a little money well spent !!! Long may Sifters live !!! Get your backsides down to Burnage and have a rummage, people !!! !