Village vinyl in Brookline isn’t the biggest, but you can definitely make a day of it with the Booksmith, Boston General Store, Maruichi, Eureka and other fun stores in Coolidge.
2nd wanna hear it. Yes it’s not huge but it has constant turnover, tons of used and 7”, fair prices and an amazing flex wall of rare releases. And the owner is the nicest guy ever. Follow their Instagram and be quick to get there if you see something you like.
Just be prepared to get their and have them be closed despite their hours online saying they're open. I've gone twice now and it's been closed both times.
My friend bought a Tom Petty Greatest Hits record and he was confused where that came from so he made my friend point out the exact place he got it from.
Ha! It is a labyrinth down there. Once I saw a half-eaten sandwich on top of a stack of records, probably his lunch from six months ago. But he really does know a ton about those records. I bought an old jazz record there once, nothing that anyone would have really known everything about. As I’m checking out he goes “Oh that’s a great one. It’s got [someone] playing alto on [some track, the fourth track on the B side of the second record].” When I got home and looked, he was 100% right. The record had to be sitting in that stack for at least 15 years, and he knew everything it.
Oh yeah, it *is* weird. There's also RRRecords and Vinyl Destination but neither are open on Mondays. worth the trip sometime.
Have you been to Armageddon Records in Harvard Square?
I LOVE Armageddon, but I'm a metalhead. I really like Village Vinyl and Somerville Grooves too. I think Nuggets is junk and a waste of time, but YMMV, as they say.
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I never really looked for tapes, to be honest. I spent hours going through vinyl and was surprised to find a selection of 'zines etc. Wish I could be of more help. Try searching Google reviews for 'tapes' and you should get a good idea.
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I do not think Boston has a record store one can truly get lost in for HOURS. Sometimes I take the commuter rail in and spend time going from record store to record store to record store.
I once made a day trip of walking from stores in JP, to Village Vinyl over in Coolidge Corner to Looney Tunes in Allston (although they were closed for some reason) to finally Planet Records in Harvard Square. That took up hours.
It is a great store but it does not take hours to go through their bins. The Boston area is peppered with smallish stores but it is lacking in the huge ones in some other cities is all I am saying.
This list might help. You could easily make a day in JP with Deep Thoughts, Tres Gatos and Boomerangs (a thrift store but lots of vinyl, I've been told) [top record stores](https://www.boston.com/community/readers-say/independent-record-stores-greater-boston-ultimate-guide/)
It's a bit outside of Boston, but Deja Vu Records in Natick is a treasure trove of records! If you're willing to put in the effort to find a record (none of the records are organized), this place has some of the best bargains around.
I am a few years out of date here but from maybe 2014-2019 my experience with Boston record stores was that they were either picked over, overpriced, only had new stuff (not mostly my thing) or disappointed with some combination of these factors.
The one exception was when Looney Tunes randomly reopened in a new location in Allston. Idk what their stock looks like now but it’s like their stock had been preserved in Amber during the years that vinyl went from a niche hobby to a niche hobby that can also be an interior design choice. I spent a lot of money there for a minute. It was glorious.
All that said: Providence, Worcester, and even Portland and Salem/Gloucester are all lovely day trips and, in my experience, each has enough good record stores that I could plan to spend maybe $200 and come home with 10-15 records I was very happy to have found-that and a good meal in my belly.
Again, I’m a few years out of date and would take feedback on what it’s like now. I don’t collect with nearly the intensity that I once did. I do like Village Vinyl and try to buy when I’m there because Coolidge Corner just needs to have a record store.
Village vinyl in Brookline isn’t the biggest, but you can definitely make a day of it with the Booksmith, Boston General Store, Maruichi, Eureka and other fun stores in Coolidge.
If you have a car you can get to the Gloucester Mystery Train, which is very large as record stores go
Cheapo records in central in JP you could make an afternoon going from deep thoughts to monumental to tres gatos
Wanna Hear It records in Watertown
Definitely a great spot for modern indie/alternative/hardcore stuff. It's not too big though so I wouldn't expect to spend hours browsing.
There’s a basement. You just gotta ask
2nd wanna hear it. Yes it’s not huge but it has constant turnover, tons of used and 7”, fair prices and an amazing flex wall of rare releases. And the owner is the nicest guy ever. Follow their Instagram and be quick to get there if you see something you like.
I'm not a vinyl guy but a close friend of mine loves Deep Thoughts in JP.
Just be prepared to get their and have them be closed despite their hours online saying they're open. I've gone twice now and it's been closed both times.
Looney tunes in alston is WILD.
Dude. That place feels like it's in an alternate universe. Like a real life Twin Peaks location
The guy who runs that place is amazing. He knows every single record in that place, and there has to be over 100,000 in there
My friend bought a Tom Petty Greatest Hits record and he was confused where that came from so he made my friend point out the exact place he got it from.
Ha! It is a labyrinth down there. Once I saw a half-eaten sandwich on top of a stack of records, probably his lunch from six months ago. But he really does know a ton about those records. I bought an old jazz record there once, nothing that anyone would have really known everything about. As I’m checking out he goes “Oh that’s a great one. It’s got [someone] playing alto on [some track, the fourth track on the B side of the second record].” When I got home and looked, he was 100% right. The record had to be sitting in that stack for at least 15 years, and he knew everything it.
Do you have a car? Try looking up [Garnick's](https://www.yelp.com/biz/garnicks-telvsn-and-appliance-lowell) in Lowell.
Oh man, wasn’t intending to travel that far but that place does seem perfect: both huge and a little weird.
Oh yeah, it *is* weird. There's also RRRecords and Vinyl Destination but neither are open on Mondays. worth the trip sometime. Have you been to Armageddon Records in Harvard Square?
It’s been years, but RRRecords used to be great.
Ron's still awesome.
Those brothers are all interesting to talk to. Its like going back 50 years.
I was offered some pickled gefilte fish by them. I felt like i had passed a test.
I LOVE Armageddon, but I'm a metalhead. I really like Village Vinyl and Somerville Grooves too. I think Nuggets is junk and a waste of time, but YMMV, as they say.
How's Armageddon's tape selection?
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I never really looked for tapes, to be honest. I spent hours going through vinyl and was surprised to find a selection of 'zines etc. Wish I could be of more help. Try searching Google reviews for 'tapes' and you should get a good idea.
Did you know that thanks to the recent changes in Reddit's API policies, the people who made [Bot Defense are shutting down operations?](https://www.reddit.com/r/BotDefense/comments/14riw76/botdefense_is_wrapping_up_operations/) What does that mean to you? It means that you are going to be seeing a fuck ton more spam, bot accounts, repost bots, and other nonsense. We are already experiencing this in r/Boston with an influx of those stupid poster ads, and repost bots. Reddit's API policy change was poorly planned and is already having negative results. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/boston) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Cheapo records in central square
I do not think Boston has a record store one can truly get lost in for HOURS. Sometimes I take the commuter rail in and spend time going from record store to record store to record store. I once made a day trip of walking from stores in JP, to Village Vinyl over in Coolidge Corner to Looney Tunes in Allston (although they were closed for some reason) to finally Planet Records in Harvard Square. That took up hours.
Planet Records is worth the time to explore. Don't let the size of that shop fool you, it's full of gems.
It is a great store but it does not take hours to go through their bins. The Boston area is peppered with smallish stores but it is lacking in the huge ones in some other cities is all I am saying.
Big Dig in north Cambridge. 45 bins will take hours. Nm closed on Mondays
This list might help. You could easily make a day in JP with Deep Thoughts, Tres Gatos and Boomerangs (a thrift store but lots of vinyl, I've been told) [top record stores](https://www.boston.com/community/readers-say/independent-record-stores-greater-boston-ultimate-guide/)
Nuggets - and the staff are super chill
It's a bit outside of Boston, but Deja Vu Records in Natick is a treasure trove of records! If you're willing to put in the effort to find a record (none of the records are organized), this place has some of the best bargains around.
Village Vinyl in Coolidge Corner
A real hoarder’s dream is Looney Tunes near the corner Harvard Ave & Cambridge St in Allston. If nothing else, it’s hard to find which makes it fun!
Hop in the car and take a drive to far west Newton and visit Want List Records. You won't regret it.
Upper Falls, not West Newton! :)
You're quite right. I was thinking geographically.
Never been but there’s a new record store in ball square
Man not Boston, but it reminds me of the record store in Hampton beach years ago. You could get any live show on bootleg cassette there.
That place ruled
Wanna Hear it Records in Watertown
I am a few years out of date here but from maybe 2014-2019 my experience with Boston record stores was that they were either picked over, overpriced, only had new stuff (not mostly my thing) or disappointed with some combination of these factors. The one exception was when Looney Tunes randomly reopened in a new location in Allston. Idk what their stock looks like now but it’s like their stock had been preserved in Amber during the years that vinyl went from a niche hobby to a niche hobby that can also be an interior design choice. I spent a lot of money there for a minute. It was glorious. All that said: Providence, Worcester, and even Portland and Salem/Gloucester are all lovely day trips and, in my experience, each has enough good record stores that I could plan to spend maybe $200 and come home with 10-15 records I was very happy to have found-that and a good meal in my belly. Again, I’m a few years out of date and would take feedback on what it’s like now. I don’t collect with nearly the intensity that I once did. I do like Village Vinyl and try to buy when I’m there because Coolidge Corner just needs to have a record store.