“New and second-hand records, good vibes and stuff”. More info coming soon!
Tag: 2nd Hand Vinyl
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All Night Flight
All Night Flight Records is located just off the main market place in Stockport which is now home to some new bars, eateries and some really interesting little shops emerging as Stockport tries to reinvent itself from a poorly planned 1970s town centre struggling to compete with what I’ll politely call “changing shopping habits” into an alternative retail, food & drink and cultural destination. All Night Flight joins SK1 Records as one of the most imaginative and intriguing record shopping destinations in the North and compliments SK1 very well.
Both shops are taking advantage of being off the beaten track but easily reached from the city centre by offering something a bit special and a bit more considered and curated than your average Record Shop. The layout of the shop is kind of austere, wooden crates propped up on breeze blocks and minimalist decor. This isn’t a place for wading through bins full of cheap stock, and if you’re looking for the usual classic rock & pop look elsewhere (you’re well catered for!) but the shop excels in the more experimental, electronic and global side of things. The stock is a mix of 2nd hand spanning the more interesting end of Post Punk, Jazz, Electronics, Dance and some newer hand-picked selections from ANF’s choice of DiY labels and artists.
The nearest comparison I can make is the stuff you could find in Rare & Racy in Sheffield (before the wrecking ball saw it off). It’s not long before my pulse is racing and I spy an LP which has long been on my wants list (Camino Del Sol by Antena on Les Disques du Crépuscule if you must know) which main man Tom fetches down for me and kindly recommends another gem of a similar vintage. There’s a listening deck too, which is always welcome so you can needle drop things of interest. The shop hosts live events too so keep an eye their social media and sign up for the newsletter. So if you’re a bit jaded by the usual stuff on offer in Manchester record shops, I’m saying head to Stockport where inspiration awaits!
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SK1 Records
This is an excellent little shop combined with a Cafe and is well worth your attention. Take a 10 min train ride from relatively booming Manchester to Stockport you’ll see evidence all around of how big towns and cities around the country are struggling to cope with the huge change in retail shopping habits shifting online and economic woes in general. If you’re a Record Shopper like me, you’ll regularly be in places like this – passing boarded up shops, charity shops, vape shops, betting shops while dodging mobility scooters and discarded sleeping bags.
SK1 is situated on Little Underbank which should really be a thriving, vibrant street – it’s got lovely buildings and visually is not unlike the cobbled side streets in York or Chester except large stretches of it are shuttered up and barren. There are signs of life however – businesses are springing up again – things are in transition there is a concerted effort going on to revive and reinvent and SK1 is exactly what the town needs. I’ve only had a very short trip to SK1, between train connections, but I was suitably impressed. It’s a bright, airy and friendly place which also incorporates a Cafe up on a mezzanine level (so it very much feels like a proper Record Shop rather than a Cafe with some records in it). Run by DJ Joe McBride the shop specialises in Electronic, Dance, Soundtracks, Dub, Soul funk and all esoteric points in between – there’s some Rock and Indie stuff as well but it’s great to find a shop with a different focus and a refreshing change from all the classic rock staples you see everywhere.
The prices are very reasonable, lots of interesting stuff to look at and this is a place where you’ll find something a bit unexpected and special – picked up some cool stuff on this short visit and I will definitely be back for a proper dig as I didn’t scratch the surface of what they’ve got.
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Tasty Records
Like most smaller towns, Altrincham has seen record shops come and go. Older readers will recall it had a Virgin Records in the town centre, a branch of Omega Records, Double Four and several others. More recently, Beatnik, Honey Bee and Soda have come and gone all too quickly – all victims not of the desire for Records and music in Alty, but what we might call “complex trading conditions” in a town which is constantly held up as an exemplar of how a failing town centre can be revived . No doubt it’s become a Food & Drink hotspot but that’s presented it’s own challenges for independent retailers. But like all good towns, Altrincham must have a Record Shop, it’s the law! Out of the demise of Soda, a new venture Tasty Records has now fetched up in what used to be an old antiques shop. Gone are the comics, trading cards and other ephemera that Soda sold – it’s strictly vinyl now. It’s a small place but main man Ben has done a good job of laying out the shop so it’s easy to work your away around a very substantial amount of Vinyl. There are some new and reissued items and the shop takes part in Record Store Day but the vast majority is second hand so there’s plenty of pre-loved tunes for digging into. The main racks are the classic rock, pop and soul sections you’d expect and there’s a Indie/Alternative enclave and a bit of dance/electronic stuff and of course there’s a bargain area for those who like to root out the cut price classics. The shop is just across the road from the thriving Market area and in a great little spot so hopefully it should do well and the place was buzzing on my visit and plenty of stuff to go at so if you’re planning to get yer Foodie Fix in Altrincham you can fill yer Vinyl boots here too.
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High Street Books and Records
Don’t let the shop sign fool you…this fine little bookshop also has an absolute gem of a Record Shop in it’s basement. Down the white stone steps you’ll find a wall full of music related books, and beyond that a well stock room full of Vinyl and CD. Most of the stock is second hand but they stock a few more recent pressings too. Classic rock and pop takes up a few racks but most genres are covered and there’s plenty of Indie, Punk, Prog, Jazz and Soul and eyes down for the Dance stuff and loads of 7″ singles at super affordable prices. They also have a big bargain section for those of you who like to dig for cheap and cheerful bargains.
All the stock is labelled helpfully with a description of the condition and a bit of info about each record which is great especially if you fancy taking a punt on something. There’s also a listening post – rejoice! The prices are very reasonable too, they don’t max everything up to Discogs asking price like so many shops these days. There’s a steady stream of new stock coming in all the time so I try and make a regular trip here and I’ve never left without clutching some goodies.
This is a lovely little shop, it’s bright and airy and the stuff dreams are made of (I’m not the only one who dreams about buying records right?). New Mills is a nice little Peak District town with lovely countryside around it and easily reached, having not one but two Railway stations (New Mills Central is nearest but you can also get there from New Mills Newtown in a brisk 10 min walk away).
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Music for the Soul
If you’ve exhausted your regular haunts it’s time to look further afield. Urmston (birthplace Herman’s Hermits Peter Noone no less) is easily reached from Manchester by train and just down the road from the station you’ll find two shops in one. ‘Music for the Soul’ also incorporates ‘Dave’s Rare CDs’. Vinyl may be the hip choice these days but I’ve had more than one dealer tell me that CD sales are still brisk, and long out of print releases still fetch a premium.
It’s quite a small shop but inside is bright and airy and contains a well organised, decent selection of Vinyl and CD of all genres, and some bargain finds in the lower crates too. The owner is a soul aficionado so you’ll find some Soul and Funk goodies, and I also noted on my visit some very tasty and collectable Punk 45s. The owner told me everything is play tested too so you can buy with confidence.
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Convoy Records
Tucked away in Lady Hayes Craft centre in Frodsham, Convoy isn’t the easiest Record Shop to reach but well worth the visit. There’s lots of interesting stuff at the Lady Hayes Centre and it’s in a nice location so you can make a bit of a day of it – you might even spot Tiswas/Spit The Dog legend Bob Carolgees who runs a shop there selling posh scented candles.
When you enter Convoy, even though it’s part of an antiques centre in a somewhat remote location you will find yourself in a fully fledged proper Record Shop as good as any you’ll find in a major city. Inside you’ll find well stocked racks full of very reasonably priced Vinyl on LP and 7″ and a good selection of CDs and main man Rupert behind the counter. There’s a broad range of stuff here, leaning mainly on the classic/collectable end of Rock and Pop but with most other genres covered and this being a second hand shop you never know what might turn up but Convoy can be relied upon to turn up good stuff – I’ve never left here empty handed that’s for sure. There’s also music memorabilia, posters, badges and related bits and bobs. A tip for any visitors – most shops put their less desirable stock in crates on the floor – not here..you will need to get down on your knees and go under the racks as there is there is some good stuff down there too.
*Important!* Rupert doesn’t take Credit or Debit cards and there is no cash machine on site so remember to stock up on paper money before visit as it’s highly likely you will be spending – and you are best to call ahead to check he’s open as hours can vary.
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Discgotech
Discgotech sells Comic Books and Movie related collectibles, Star Wars figures and the like but you may be interested to learn they also sell 2nd hand Vinyl, ranging from Indie to Reggae and especially Punk.
They also offer a CD/DVD repair service so if, like me, you believed it when Tomorrow’s World on the BBC promised the new fangled CD would still work even if you spread peanut butter and toasted them, or had them rattling around in a car glove box for several years – maybe they can rescue a much loved old silver disc for you! They are also handily located near to the venue for the monthly Stockport Book and Record Fair
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The Musical Box
Review coming soon!
Read about the Musical Box here:
http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/whats-on/music/ahead-record-store-day-jade-3320692
and watch a documentary about it!
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Skeleton Records
Skeleton Records has a long history, opened by John Weaver in 1971 – and described as a patchouli scented Head shop that specialised in rare imports , underground press and hippy paraphernalia. The name of the shop was apparently taken from a Syd Barrett song – If It’s in You (“Skeleton Kissed a Steel Rail”).
Known locally as Skelly’s, the shop has changed locations a few times but is now to be found just of off the main drag on Oxton Road. Climb the stairs and you’ll find two rooms crammed full of Vinyl, CDs and DVDs. In the main space you’ll find the more collectible stuff – a good mix from Classic Rock, Indie, to Jazz, Soul and Funk and plenty of music from Skeleton’s Psychedelic and Prog roots. It’s a mix of 2nd hand stuff, new releases and reissues. The other room is dedicated to the more bargain basement end – shedloads of it – either because it’s a bit ‘well loved’ or in a genre that isn’t so collectible – so this is a place to really get stuck in and get digging. Well worth a ferry across the Mersey.
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Dig Vinyl
OK I should declare an interest – Dig is owned by some very good friends of ours – but if it was no good I’d tell you *and* them so take my word for it!
For a city that is steeped in musical history, and relies on music-related tourism for a large chunk of its local economy Liverpool is surprisingly short on places to actually buy records. Probe are still on the scene, there’s a large and thriving HMV at Liverpool One, but Hairy Records on Bold Street was the last dedicated second hand shop and that closed in 2014. That same year Dig Vinyl started up operations, keen to maintain a place for Liverpudlians and visitors to the city to buy and sell the black plastic stuff and this is now the HQ of Liverpool crate diggers!
Dig are located on the independent shopping mecca that is Bold Street, in the basement of Soho’s – a long-established clothing shop (so you can stock up on Levi’s and plaid shirts while you’re in!). Downstairs you’ll find Dig Vinyl. It’s not a massive space but they’re gradually expanding into the basement and acquiring more stock. You’ll find most genres covered – Classic Rock, Soul, Funk, Jazz, Reggae, Psych, Indie, Punk, Prog and of course plenty of records by the ‘Hey Jude’ hitmakers from this fair city – Dig also pride themselves on stocking dance music too so you’ll find Drum & Bass, Techno, Jungle, Hip Hop, Dubstep etc (which a lot of 2nd hand shops don’t bother with) and also a section of bargain bin stuff from £1. Dig are primarily a 2nd hand shop although they get the odd reissue in, and some releases by local bands too.
There are listening posts too! Hallelujah! (our great bugbear is that so many shops don’t provide one or encourage you to have a listen). They make great efforts to keep the stock fresh so you’ll want to be a regular visitor and follow them on Facebook or Twitter to keep updated on their latest finds.
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Hyde & Seek Records
With thanks to Record Shop City reader Mike (who also provides the pictures) writes: “This lovely couple (Dave and Margaret) have been going since 1983 in Hyde buying and selling records at great prices. There’s a big collection of 50p albums and a good selection of £1 and £2.50 items and then some dearer stuff. Always friendly to help and chat about music, a great gem of a record shop….”
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Vinyl Revival
Just around the corner from Oldham Street you’ll find Vinyl Revival. They’ve been here since 1997 and sell a mixture of new and secondhand records on CD and Vinyl, plus DVDs. They sell all sorts of stuff but they also specialise in Manchester music from the 1960s to present day – so you’ll find plenty of Smiths, Happy Mondays, New Order etc and a well stocked Factory Records collection so you can fill those gaps in your Stockholm Monsters or Crispy Ambulance collection.They also do a fine line in Manchester music related reproduction posters, T-shirts and other memorabilia and if you’re visiting Manchester just to do the record shops and soak up some of the music heritage this is the place to get a souvenir of your trip. They also stock a wide range of music on 2nd hand and reissue vinyl – plenty of Punk, Reggae, Soul, Rock, Hip Hop, Electro, House, 50s, 60s and more besides.
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Reel Around The Fountain Records
This shop, of course, takes it’s name of course from an old Smiths tune. Mozzer grew up on Kings Road, a short cycle ride of Stretford Mall where this shop is located, and the song references a fountain – stocked with live fish – that once graced the mall in the 1970s. Stretford Mall (formerly Stretford Arndale) is a bit of a relic 1970s town planning. It is now far too big for the town it was built to serve, and is dwarfed by the Trafford Centre enormo-mall just a couple of miles away, so inevitably you’ll encounter empty shop units, a proliferation of Nail Bars and the dreaded BrightHouse. Nevertheless, fans of 70s urban architecture will probably find something to admire – and the place is still the heart of the local community. Reel Around The Fountain had modest beginnings with a few crates of Vinyl in the rather forlorn indoor market area – but soon became an oasis of wonderment in the Mall and a Vinyl destination for those in the know. The owners of the Mall have now lopped off the Market area in order to downsize the site so RATF how now relocated to a very smart, spacious and bright new shop on the upper level, just opposite Tesco in the main shopping area.
At the counter you’ll find the legend that is Nigel, and a very friendly and knowledgeable fella he is too. Inside you’ll find most genres covered – Classic Rock, Jazz, Indie, Punk, Reggae, Folk, Soul etc as well as some bargain racks, CDs and other memorabilia. There are some new reissues but mostly it’s secondhand goodies. You’ll also find sections devoted to Morrissey/Smiths and Manchester music. There are some mega rarities too – keep an eye on the shop Facebook page as Nigel has a habit of turning up some jaw-dropping finds. There’s also a big sofa so you can have a sit down after a well earned rest browsing through the racks. From humble beginnings this is now one of the biggest Record Shops in the north so you really don’t want to miss this one. If you’re heading into the suburbs to visit King Bee on your Manchester record shopping spree, it’s a short bus or tram ride to Stretford so don’t miss RATF off your itinerary.
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Vinyl Resting Place
If you’re on a Northern Quarter Vinyl pilgrimage you’ll doubtless pass the iconic Afflecks Palace, epicentre of Manchester alternative culture for decades. This was the former Affleck & Brown department store re-purposed in the early 80s as an indoor marketplace of vintage clothes, head shops, vintage memorabilia, posters, skateboards and places to get yourself tattooed, pierced and your quiff blow-dried. There are also places to buy music and up on the 3rd floor you’ll find the cheekily named, Vinyl Resting Place.
The shop was previously squeezed into a very small space which, fab as it was, required some delicate manouvering to get past fellow customers. Thankfully VRP has expanded twice and is now just across the floor in a huge space with it’s own front door and much more room to browse the expanded and impressive range of records. Make no mistake, this is now a fully fledged Record Shop to rival any in the City Centre. You’ll find the main man Alistair at the controls here and his shop reflects his eclectic tastes and lack of musical snobbery so you never know what will turn up, but he’ll happily guide you through the vast range of stuff. This is a real diggers paradise, it’s almost all 2nd hand stuff Al has sourced rather than reissues. There is plenty of classic rock of course but also plenty of Indie, Dance, Hip Hop, Soul, Funk, Folk, Prog, Reggae, Soundtracks and loads of bargain finds for those of you who like to go deep into the crates. There’s a very good CD selection too as well as books. The prices are reasonable too and I don’t think I’ve left the shop without clutching some new finds.
Alistair is right on our wavelength when he says: “It’s a huge passion of mine and undoubtedly many others and I want to prolong that satisfaction of browsing through racks, finding inevitably a pile of records that people don’t know they want yet, and keep them coming back for more of ‘that’ fix!..I’ve stuff for the keen beginner or the seasoned connoisseur and there’s some bargain boxes too. Come and pop in for a chat and a dig, I’d like to think that I am approachable without any of that usual record shop pretense.”
Well, you heard the man! Get yerself up there and have a dig and tell him we sent you!
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X-Records
A bit futher afield, but well worth a visit is X-Records of Bolton, Lancashire. You can get to Bolton by train in about 15-20 minutes so you could easily do a quick detour during your Manchester record-shopping frenzy. The USP of this shop is its massive stock of back catalogue. There is a database on their website of 67,000 of the items they have. The other half you’ll have to come to the shop to look for yourself. I’m not joking! At one time X-Records was spread over three sites, a Dance shop, a Vinyl shop and a CD Shop which are now all crammed into one place so you almost get three shops for the price of one. They carry a mix of new and second hand stuff and they have pretty much all genres of music spread over two levels, packed from floor to ceiling. Upstairs is given over to DVDs and CDs including Dance and Hard Rock/Metal which is one of their specialisms. X-Records also like to promote local bands and club nights, and local bands can flog their music and merchandise here.
The collection of stuff is vast and if you are looking for a long deleted release they may well have it, probably best bring some kind of knee pads to get down to the lower shelves. They also do a fine line in Rock Memorabilia, particularly the band Kiss. If you need a Kiss Baseball Bat, a Kiss Beach Towel, some Kiss Branded Coffee and a Kiss Flask to drink it from then this is the place. They have probably one of the biggest collections of music DVDs I’ve seen anywhere.
Downstairs in the basement there are Indie, Pop, Folk, Punk and 60s CDs and this is also home to the Vinyl Selection, a lot of which is at crazy bargain prices. As with the upstairs bit you will find lots of long-deleted obscure and rare records down here and plenty of crates to rifle through.
X-Records is well worth a diversion to Bolton and is one of those magical shops that frequently turns up something unexpected.
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Vinyl Exchange
Nah can’t shift ’em mate”…”I’ll give you 15 quid for that lot”….”got any New Wave of British Heavy Metal?”….aha we must be in Vinyl Exchange, right there in the glittering Northern Quarter and probably the biggest second hand record shop in the North West. Open since 1988 Vinyl Exchange has a massive stock of pretty much every genre of music, spread over two floors. Upstairs you’ll find racks upon racks of CDs, indexed on cards for easy browsing, and down in the basement is the Vinyl department plus loads of DVDs. They have a particularly large collection of Experimental/underground music, Electronica, Dance and Indie so not your typical second hand junk.
They have stacks of serious collectors items here, rare promos, loads of deleted and out of print records, music books and memorabilia. The rare stuff is priced fairly, and you’ll also find plenty of cheap bargain bins to rifle through too so hardcore collectors and bargain hunters alike will find hours of fun here.
If you are one of those people who isn’t particularly happy to run a sort of pseudo mail-order business from your bedroom flogging your old records on Ebay, save yerself the price of a load of jiffy bags and take your unwanted tunes down here, they’ll help them find a good home. You’ll need ID if you want cash and bear in mind you’ll get a much better deal if you want to do a part-exchange (hence the name). Be warned, they’ll only take what they can re-sell so be prepared to have a very critical expert eye cast over your collection. If you’re lucky the ‘want’ pile will be bigger than the ‘take it down to Oxfam’ pile. The staff know their stuff so if they can’t shift it, its probably worth nowt. Suffice to say if it’s a CD copy of “Be Here Now” you’re probably better off making a novelty coaster out of it instead.
There is one heavily used listening post for the vinyl heads downstairs, generally unless quiet its not meant to be used for checking out your “bargain”finds. The staff will also play stuff for you if you ask nicely.
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Vinyl Planet
Opened in 2015 Vinyl Planet is located just off the main drag of Macclesfield, handily next door to a guitar shop. The town itself is steeped in pop mythology itself being the one time home of Ian Curtis and other members of Joy Division & New Order, bluesman John Mayall, the semi-legendary britpoppers Marion and…er…The Macc Lads. So it’s only right and proper that Macc has haunt for vinyl diggers and tourists on the trail of Macc music heritage.
Main man Neil knows a thing or two about rock, and indeed roll having been a founder member and guitarist of Manchester band Puressence, and a provider of guitars, amps and brews to Manchester musicians for many years. He’s now turned his hand to the business of buying and selling vinyl and as you can see from the pics he’s amassed a bunch of goodies right there. It’s a relatively small shop but there’s a surprising amount of stock packed into the crates and racks so plenty to go at. It’s a good range of stuff from classic rock to metal, jazz, funk, indie and beyond – all killer, no filler and it’s reasonably priced too. I filled a nice carrier bag full and found a few things on my wants list on my list visit – in fact I’m overdue a return trip. See you soon Neil! -
Save Records
*** Stop Press ** – Sadly Save Records has now closed it’s stall on Bury Market. A real shame as this was a little gem of a shop. Best wishes and Good luck Maxine!
Save are still trading online, and looks like they’re popping up at Record Fairs so you can follow them on Facebook and shop online here:
https://www.discogs.com/user/Save-Records
Save Records has been on Bury Market since the mid 70s apparently and before that in Rochdale as far back as 1968. Nestling amid the hustle and bustle of Bury’s famous and massive market, this is a small but delightful shop with a surprisingly large stock of vinyl and CD crammed into that small space. There is plenty of good stuff racked up and lots more in crates on the floor and it’s well worth getting stuck in for a proper dig as this is the kind of shop that throws up nice little surprises. I’ve visited a few times and never left empty handed. The prices are very reasonable, the staff are friendly and welcoming, what more do you want?
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Static Records
Given it’s musical heritage it’s only right and proper that Wigan has its own proper record shop
Recordshopcity reader John was the first to bring this place to our attention –
“Went there for the first time today, a return visit guaranteed. Collectables, cheaps, mid-budget, all genres, mostly vinyl. Owner Paul very helpful and knowledgeable, he may even draw your portrait for you. Definitely worth checking out, apparently opened six months ago after a ten year hiatus”I paid the place a long overdue visit today and sure enough Wigan can boast to having one of the best record shops in the region. The shop was busy and buzzing when I went in on a very rainy afternoon, sadly the main man Paul wasn’t on duty that day but I found Static to be bright, inviting and carrying a good range of records of most genres – not just your usual classic rock vinyl – there is also lots of Dance, Soul, Indie, Prog, Metal, Jazz and a selection of instrumental/esoteric music. There are box sets, CDs, Books and other music related bits and bobs too. Below the main racks there are bargain bins on the floor for those who like to get low down and dirty among the cheap stuff. Most of the stock is 2nd hand although there are some reissues and a few new pieces – Static are also connected with the utterly cool and wonderful Static Caravan record label so you’ll be able to pick up some of their releases too. I was very pleased to take away a lovely limited Seahawks picture disc – the records go in a brown paper bag too which is a nice touch!
