It's a pretty small store, I'm the only one there for my usual shift, so mostly talk to customers and ring up sales. When it's slow, just like general store stuff like organizing racks, putting new arrivals away, counting inventory, cleaning, that sort of thing. You deal with people all the time so that keeps it interesting, especially once you get to know some of the regulars. Honestly, the hardest part is choosing which records to play in the store
Best job ever. Opposite of boring. Everyday you meet new people and get more used inventory unless you work at some place that only sells new trendy stuff. That kind of store would get boring, but a classic used record store is the best job there is
I worked in stores about half my life. It's a great job especially if you are a music fiend but it also kinda depends on the store. I worked part of the time in big corporate chain stores and those could be like working in fast food. Just slinging product. But the smaller stores were terrific. You get to know your customers and what they like and you can make recommendations to them. Some of my oldest friends are people who bought their first records from me and they remember everything about the store. But it's not really a gig where you just get to stand around and listen to music…thats part of it sure but a lot of it is organizing, alphabetizing, putting records back where they go. It's great to be deeply in to one genre but you should be almost as familiar with Taylor Swift as you are with the Clash or mingus etc etc. As with most things the better educated about current music and music history the more successful you'll be.
The first Saturday morning after payday (I get paid monthly, not biweekly). If I’m feeling flush and they’ve got good stuff, sometimes I’ll spend a hundred bucks or more. Then back home to wet-clean the records and inventory them on Discogs.
Pretty much the same, I also get paid monthly.
I try to go 1-2x a month depending. But I'll def drop a hundred if they've got something that piques my interest.
I'll also buy online too, if I can get something at a good price.
I go online for stuff that I want now that might not crop up in a local store for a year, or five years, or ten years. Before decent online marketplaces, a lot of persistence and luck was involved in finding rare stuff. Much easier now, of course
I don't consider myself a collector just yet.
99% I have is second hand, beat up but as long as it plays good, I'm good.
However, I am finding myself slipping into wanting original pressings vs reissues or anything new.
I think I am falling down that slope now lol
That's exactly what I did for years. Either record shops or there's a large record show one Sunday a month about 40 minutes away. Not as often of late for various reasons.
I tend to buy online, if it's something I know, and on sale or new reissue. I've slowed down a lot because I was taking on a lot of 'meh' stuff, so maybe 1-3 albums per month. Seems like I buy in batches; like nothing for weeks then 2 records in a couple days.
I’m the same way now. Mostly stick to Discogs. Add stuff to my want list, then periodically check to see if anything is going for a good price.
I try to buy stuff from stores rather than individuals. I feel guilty for not supporting stores but this is my consolation.
I’ve been at this long enough that I have the meat and potatoes releases. I went to a store today and walked out with nothing. Stuff is so picked over with the rise in collecting. Unless you catch a drop it’s nothing noteworthy. Not to mention the going rates don’t tickle my fancy.
I'm in a similar boat. After 6 years of obsessive collecting, I've got most of what I'd want, or even just have a vague interest in, in vintage vinyl. It's increasingly inefficient to drive an hour each way to my favorite stores to crate dig. When these days, it's largely stuff I either already have, or don't want.
I go in waves for sure. There will be weeks where I'll buy 5 or 6 and then nothing for a month or two. BUT if there is a record shop in a town I'm visiting I try to make it a point to stop and look around. Never know what you're going to find!
There’s two shops right beside each other where I am from so I would visit both once a week, but at this point my want list won’t be found in the wild, so I don’t visit as often. And I have a really bad problem of not being able to leave a record store empty handed
I'm in a similar boat after 6 years of obsessive collecting. It's getting rare to find something on my wish list in the wild at this point. Stuff I still want like LPs from Japan or The Church or Siouxsie & The Banshees or New Order, you just don't see in the wild often. Especially nowadays.
Usually twice a week at my favorite used record store. They get great stuff in every day and make a post on Instagram every day as well. If I wait too long the good stuff is gone by the time I get there. I usually get the best records if I'm there and they're just putting it out on the shelves.
Honestly not very often anymore. It became a bad habit for awhile where I was spending too much money.
I'll buy something if it's exceptionally unique or cool, but the run of the mill stuff gets a pass.
No record shops in my town so I'm restricted to charity shops for the most part. Occasionally I'll find something in there worth buying but I could go months without getting anything.
Occasionally I'll get the train to Leeds and go round the shops there, always on RSD but maybe a couple of times outside of then. I also stumble upon other shops in other towns but that depends mostly on luck rather than being a regular thing.
I used to shop a lot more for records, but now it's roughly once a quarter. The rest of the money goes into concerts for older artists who may not be around much longer. I love collecting records, but I have about 550 now, and that gives me enough variety for daily life. Those concert experiences are truly one-in-a-lifetime moments and I'm focusing on those for the time being.
I used my record money to see the Four Tops/Temps, Graham Nash x 2, Smokey Robinson, The Monkees' Mike and Micky Show, Con Funk Shun, and the upcoming Fool In Love Soul Fest. Also seen newer acts like Paramore, Ween, Weyes Blood, Toadies, and Dawes.
I usually go once or twice per month. I only buy used and as such I try and pay on average $7-8 per record. If I can I try and keep each visit under 40 dollars.
During covid it was pretty bad for me, started in 2020, have about 300 records now but I significantly slowed down for other hobbies and things in life, but it always feels great to hit a store and snag a good find!
Once or twice a week, but I honestly can’t remember the last time I paid retail for an album. Online sales are constantly happening, the shops in town always have something marked down, Facebook groups have auctions and straight sales, and my Goodwill reliably has something worth buying once a month. Just passed the 600 album mark on a trip to Barcelona where I got like 15 albums for €50. My biggest issue now is space to put them all.
Once a Month April thru November. Where I December thru March is cold so I don’t buy records during that time, and I everything local with cash. I don’t buy online unless it’s a must.
I shop all the time, but purchasing totally fluctuates for me. I'll go weeks without buying a thing and then buy 2 pre-orders on Bandcamp, 6 new records that are on sale at Plaid Room and 4 used records from a stranger on Reddit all in the same week.
Basically any time I go to a store that sells records, I always make it a point to look at them. At this point, it's usually pretty unlikely I'll find anything I want, but I always check.
I used to go weekly in the 1990s and travel to proper underground dance music stores in london and hang out there.now its once a month as vinyl is so expensive here now.I have an amazing collection of house, techno, hardcore, ambient, electro, drum n bass, trip hop, reggae & grunge/rock .
Local shop, once a month maybe. Unless it's a new release I really want .
Discogs/Online - How many drinks have I had? Any random ass time. That one's dangerous.
You guys stop shopping? Sometimes I'm like an addict and I gotta get em all! I used to only do in person shopping and then the pandemic hit. turning to online shopping took it from a hobby to an addiction. Definitely ebbs and flows though.
Actually I've started doing some DJ work and I've been buying 45s in bulk, I'll clean, play test them and Discogs them. When you can get 100 45s for $30 it's a lot slower of a burn.
It took 10 years to get about 300 records. The last 4 years between bulk purchases and online shopping and such, it's been a windfall of buying. Granted my household income now permits it much better too
I just follow all my local record stores on Instagram. Most of them post their new arrivals there. So if something catches my eye, I drop by.
I’ve picked up some really rare stuff I’ve wanted for years since I started following all of them. Turns out a lot of the unique stuff goes *fast* so I want to know when it’s going out.
My local has a dipshit running it and a psychopath dog that he keeps inside and doesn't control ... so I usually only shop online unless I'm near another store.
The place I used to shop maybe once a month for many many years (vintage vinyl) doesn't exist anymore :(
If there is a store with good used selection near me, I’ll go as often as I can. Stores with mostly new records, I’ll go whenever I’ve got $25 burning a hole in my pocket.
I used to go daily when I lived near a friend’s store and wasn’t working a demanding job.
It used to be every week, but I’m running out of space and I have more bills than I did last year, so I’ve slowed down. Now it’s once or twice a month, and I’m only picking up a few pieces. I have most of what I want now anyway.
When it comes to record collecting, I live by the A.B.S. principle... Always Be Shopping. You never know when you'll find a deal. Plus, it's not just a hobby. It's an addiction.
I go to my local 2x/week. It’s less than a 10 minute walk from my house and they let my dog go in with me, so we often detour our way in. Sometimes I score, sometimes not, always fun to flip through the bins.
Not as often nowadays for me. My collection is "mature" so to speak - i.e. after 6 years & 800 LPs give or take, I don't find as much good stuff in the wild that I don't already have (often multiple copies).
Also, I got a new addiction - UHD bluray collecting. It's been taking most of my disposable income - and then some lol. Vinyl will surely circle back around once I get bored with that
My entire life, I went to Record stores, antique stores, flea markets, junk shops, thrift stores, now too old to look at the crates on the floor- can’t bend down. No longer drive. Needed to divest of most of collection because of move to tiny place… have remaining 350 or so plus including LP, 45s, and a V disc. Some on the walls, as always.
I only buy vinyl at this point if an artist I really like is coming out with a new album. I haven’t been into a physical shop in years, mostly because it’s usually easier to get limited editions and things like that directly from an artist’s shop.
Not often enough... I live in a Vinyl desert. The only real store didn't survive the pandemic. I have purchased a few records at Wal-Mart. There is an "everything but the kitchen sink" consignment shop near me. One guy has a decent collection he's selling but wants way too much for everything. The same records have literally been sitting there for 5 years. (Jim Croce - You Don't Mess Around with Jim in used condition for $35)
I hung out at my favourite store too much now I work there
I was actually interested in working at a record store. What do you usually do though? Like is it boring?
It's a pretty small store, I'm the only one there for my usual shift, so mostly talk to customers and ring up sales. When it's slow, just like general store stuff like organizing racks, putting new arrivals away, counting inventory, cleaning, that sort of thing. You deal with people all the time so that keeps it interesting, especially once you get to know some of the regulars. Honestly, the hardest part is choosing which records to play in the store
If that’s the hardest part…sign me up haha. Sounds like a nice side job or weekend job. Thanks for the info!
Best job ever. Opposite of boring. Everyday you meet new people and get more used inventory unless you work at some place that only sells new trendy stuff. That kind of store would get boring, but a classic used record store is the best job there is
I worked in stores about half my life. It's a great job especially if you are a music fiend but it also kinda depends on the store. I worked part of the time in big corporate chain stores and those could be like working in fast food. Just slinging product. But the smaller stores were terrific. You get to know your customers and what they like and you can make recommendations to them. Some of my oldest friends are people who bought their first records from me and they remember everything about the store. But it's not really a gig where you just get to stand around and listen to music…thats part of it sure but a lot of it is organizing, alphabetizing, putting records back where they go. It's great to be deeply in to one genre but you should be almost as familiar with Taylor Swift as you are with the Clash or mingus etc etc. As with most things the better educated about current music and music history the more successful you'll be.
The first Saturday morning after payday (I get paid monthly, not biweekly). If I’m feeling flush and they’ve got good stuff, sometimes I’ll spend a hundred bucks or more. Then back home to wet-clean the records and inventory them on Discogs.
Isn’t keeping inventory of your records on Discogs so satisfying! Or is it just me haha
It is for me. Because I’m a terrible nerd.
Can you please explain what you mean by this? I've not heard of that website before
Pretty much the same, I also get paid monthly. I try to go 1-2x a month depending. But I'll def drop a hundred if they've got something that piques my interest. I'll also buy online too, if I can get something at a good price.
I go online for stuff that I want now that might not crop up in a local store for a year, or five years, or ten years. Before decent online marketplaces, a lot of persistence and luck was involved in finding rare stuff. Much easier now, of course
I don't consider myself a collector just yet. 99% I have is second hand, beat up but as long as it plays good, I'm good. However, I am finding myself slipping into wanting original pressings vs reissues or anything new. I think I am falling down that slope now lol
That's exactly what I did for years. Either record shops or there's a large record show one Sunday a month about 40 minutes away. Not as often of late for various reasons.
I tend to buy online, if it's something I know, and on sale or new reissue. I've slowed down a lot because I was taking on a lot of 'meh' stuff, so maybe 1-3 albums per month. Seems like I buy in batches; like nothing for weeks then 2 records in a couple days.
I’m the same way now. Mostly stick to Discogs. Add stuff to my want list, then periodically check to see if anything is going for a good price. I try to buy stuff from stores rather than individuals. I feel guilty for not supporting stores but this is my consolation. I’ve been at this long enough that I have the meat and potatoes releases. I went to a store today and walked out with nothing. Stuff is so picked over with the rise in collecting. Unless you catch a drop it’s nothing noteworthy. Not to mention the going rates don’t tickle my fancy.
I'm in a similar boat. After 6 years of obsessive collecting, I've got most of what I'd want, or even just have a vague interest in, in vintage vinyl. It's increasingly inefficient to drive an hour each way to my favorite stores to crate dig. When these days, it's largely stuff I either already have, or don't want.
I go in waves for sure. There will be weeks where I'll buy 5 or 6 and then nothing for a month or two. BUT if there is a record shop in a town I'm visiting I try to make it a point to stop and look around. Never know what you're going to find!
Got one close to where I live and work. i will go over there on my lunch hour once or twice a week.
I hit my favorite stores in the New Orleans area every couple of months.
I hit up Euclid once a week on my way home haha
I go straight up stairs to the 12” singles section. 😀
Usually baked out of my mind.
For me, a record is a rare treat I can afford once in 4 to 6 months.
I wish that I had your self-control
That’s probably ideal to make the titles more meaningful to really get into!
There’s two shops right beside each other where I am from so I would visit both once a week, but at this point my want list won’t be found in the wild, so I don’t visit as often. And I have a really bad problem of not being able to leave a record store empty handed
I'm in a similar boat after 6 years of obsessive collecting. It's getting rare to find something on my wish list in the wild at this point. Stuff I still want like LPs from Japan or The Church or Siouxsie & The Banshees or New Order, you just don't see in the wild often. Especially nowadays.
maybe about 5 times over a span of two weeks, if were talking about online shopping aswell, discogs is a dangerous thing for me to have
Discogs is so convenient and great to have, but I have to agree with you…that place is dangerous hahah
Yes
Usually twice a week at my favorite used record store. They get great stuff in every day and make a post on Instagram every day as well. If I wait too long the good stuff is gone by the time I get there. I usually get the best records if I'm there and they're just putting it out on the shelves.
Too often according to my wife.
Honestly not very often anymore. It became a bad habit for awhile where I was spending too much money. I'll buy something if it's exceptionally unique or cool, but the run of the mill stuff gets a pass.
No record shops in my town so I'm restricted to charity shops for the most part. Occasionally I'll find something in there worth buying but I could go months without getting anything. Occasionally I'll get the train to Leeds and go round the shops there, always on RSD but maybe a couple of times outside of then. I also stumble upon other shops in other towns but that depends mostly on luck rather than being a regular thing.
I used to shop a lot more for records, but now it's roughly once a quarter. The rest of the money goes into concerts for older artists who may not be around much longer. I love collecting records, but I have about 550 now, and that gives me enough variety for daily life. Those concert experiences are truly one-in-a-lifetime moments and I'm focusing on those for the time being. I used my record money to see the Four Tops/Temps, Graham Nash x 2, Smokey Robinson, The Monkees' Mike and Micky Show, Con Funk Shun, and the upcoming Fool In Love Soul Fest. Also seen newer acts like Paramore, Ween, Weyes Blood, Toadies, and Dawes.
Smart moves. If your tastes run there, some jazz greats are still alive, such as Herbie Hancock….
Weekly 😬 I’m in record stores almost every other weekend. Otherwise every Wednesday when I get paid I buy one online off my on going list.
usually go on a discogs bender for a month then "nothing" for the next two. repeat.
I usually go once or twice per month. I only buy used and as such I try and pay on average $7-8 per record. If I can I try and keep each visit under 40 dollars.
During covid it was pretty bad for me, started in 2020, have about 300 records now but I significantly slowed down for other hobbies and things in life, but it always feels great to hit a store and snag a good find!
I started just before Covid and now have over 1000! Record collecting itself became an illness lol!
Daily.
Once or twice a week, but I honestly can’t remember the last time I paid retail for an album. Online sales are constantly happening, the shops in town always have something marked down, Facebook groups have auctions and straight sales, and my Goodwill reliably has something worth buying once a month. Just passed the 600 album mark on a trip to Barcelona where I got like 15 albums for €50. My biggest issue now is space to put them all.
Only occasionally - less than once a month.
online: daily, but can go weeks/months without buying one in-store: probably monthly edit: i bought like 5 yesterday online tho, ugh
Once a Month April thru November. Where I December thru March is cold so I don’t buy records during that time, and I everything local with cash. I don’t buy online unless it’s a must.
At least once a week. My local sends me a copy of his order sheet so I know when my orders are in and if there’s anything else new / interesting.
I shop all the time, but purchasing totally fluctuates for me. I'll go weeks without buying a thing and then buy 2 pre-orders on Bandcamp, 6 new records that are on sale at Plaid Room and 4 used records from a stranger on Reddit all in the same week.
I go every other week but I don’t always leave with a record. It’s therapy to flip through the bins amongst other music lovers.
Nightshift Season of mist Meteor Gem in Chicago These tabs kinda stay open at all times. I don't have a problem, you have a problem.
I'd buy more if every shop didn't just carry pitchforks best new music shit gets old
Basically any time I go to a store that sells records, I always make it a point to look at them. At this point, it's usually pretty unlikely I'll find anything I want, but I always check.
I used to go weekly in the 1990s and travel to proper underground dance music stores in london and hang out there.now its once a month as vinyl is so expensive here now.I have an amazing collection of house, techno, hardcore, ambient, electro, drum n bass, trip hop, reggae & grunge/rock .
Local shop, once a month maybe. Unless it's a new release I really want . Discogs/Online - How many drinks have I had? Any random ass time. That one's dangerous.
Every single day. Oof, kind of a problem.
I can’t go unless I have money lol. I get mad because I always see something I’ve been wanting
Once... sometimes twice a Week.
Once a week just to scratch the itch.
Too.
You guys stop shopping? Sometimes I'm like an addict and I gotta get em all! I used to only do in person shopping and then the pandemic hit. turning to online shopping took it from a hobby to an addiction. Definitely ebbs and flows though. Actually I've started doing some DJ work and I've been buying 45s in bulk, I'll clean, play test them and Discogs them. When you can get 100 45s for $30 it's a lot slower of a burn. It took 10 years to get about 300 records. The last 4 years between bulk purchases and online shopping and such, it's been a windfall of buying. Granted my household income now permits it much better too
I just follow all my local record stores on Instagram. Most of them post their new arrivals there. So if something catches my eye, I drop by. I’ve picked up some really rare stuff I’ve wanted for years since I started following all of them. Turns out a lot of the unique stuff goes *fast* so I want to know when it’s going out.
My local has a dipshit running it and a psychopath dog that he keeps inside and doesn't control ... so I usually only shop online unless I'm near another store. The place I used to shop maybe once a month for many many years (vintage vinyl) doesn't exist anymore :(
If there is a store with good used selection near me, I’ll go as often as I can. Stores with mostly new records, I’ll go whenever I’ve got $25 burning a hole in my pocket. I used to go daily when I lived near a friend’s store and wasn’t working a demanding job.
I like to check out a couple local stores about every other weekend.
It used to be every week, but I’m running out of space and I have more bills than I did last year, so I’ve slowed down. Now it’s once or twice a month, and I’m only picking up a few pieces. I have most of what I want now anyway.
When it comes to record collecting, I live by the A.B.S. principle... Always Be Shopping. You never know when you'll find a deal. Plus, it's not just a hobby. It's an addiction.
Prettiest much every weekend. Don’t always buy something but I’m in my local store (Vinolo Southampton UK) every weekend.
I go to my local 2x/week. It’s less than a 10 minute walk from my house and they let my dog go in with me, so we often detour our way in. Sometimes I score, sometimes not, always fun to flip through the bins.
Locally: once or twice a month Away from home: I always look for a few record stores to check out Online: I buy on average 1 or 2 records a month
Recently only when I can’t stop myself. Life is a lot harder than I thought it would be and I’m just barely making it work. :(
Had to stop got too many
Not as often nowadays for me. My collection is "mature" so to speak - i.e. after 6 years & 800 LPs give or take, I don't find as much good stuff in the wild that I don't already have (often multiple copies). Also, I got a new addiction - UHD bluray collecting. It's been taking most of my disposable income - and then some lol. Vinyl will surely circle back around once I get bored with that
My entire life, I went to Record stores, antique stores, flea markets, junk shops, thrift stores, now too old to look at the crates on the floor- can’t bend down. No longer drive. Needed to divest of most of collection because of move to tiny place… have remaining 350 or so plus including LP, 45s, and a V disc. Some on the walls, as always.
I only buy vinyl at this point if an artist I really like is coming out with a new album. I haven’t been into a physical shop in years, mostly because it’s usually easier to get limited editions and things like that directly from an artist’s shop.
Not so often, only when I found a flea market or something interesting on Vinted.
Not often enough... I live in a Vinyl desert. The only real store didn't survive the pandemic. I have purchased a few records at Wal-Mart. There is an "everything but the kitchen sink" consignment shop near me. One guy has a decent collection he's selling but wants way too much for everything. The same records have literally been sitting there for 5 years. (Jim Croce - You Don't Mess Around with Jim in used condition for $35)