What makes a great record store?

AdultSlashChild

What do you guys think makes a great record store? And do you think there are enough of them (or any) in Ireland, especially outside the big smoke

insinkerator

Road Records? Seemed to be a great shop, although i had never actually been there. IMO what makes a record store a good one is the level of intimacy between staff and customers. Like anyone can go out and make sure that they have a large selection of music in their shop but then they;'re staff can be complete asses. Take Zavvi for example.

damselnat

Anything that isn't HMV. Rip off

thebigcheese22

In fairness I got the new Bell X1 album for 11.99 in HMV, thats very good value...

They're also very cheap for games.

Dunno now with Zavvi gone that they'l raise their prices with no competition tho...

AdultSlashChild

I always found HMV great for new releases but the price of alot of their back catalogue stuff is just taking the piss. I saw Wilco - Sky Blue Sky there for €24.99 last week and for €15.99 in another shop in Galway the same day. Crazy:mad:

Creamy Goodness

what makes a good record store?

one's that actually sell records (vinyl) :pac:

ahh no, what makes a good record store is:

good selection - if not there, they'll order it

good staff (don't try and shove the latest cd down your throat when you're trying to order something) example, i wanted to order a biffy clyro CD about 2 years ago in HMV, i got a "who are they, you should try this CD" and was shoved kings of leon into my face.

good music playing in background and not too loud it ****ing sucks when you can't hear yourself think when browsing - and no i'm not a grandad yet i believe less is more when it comes to sound.

it's a lot to ask for especially when ultimately what makes money is the britney's the high school musical soundtrack listening bunch ladygaga's eg. ****e music etc. and people who like that don't really give a ****e about what makes a good record store.

xOxSinéadxOx

I like bpm cos they're really small but they have everything and the people are really nice

Insect Overlord

To add to the points made by Creamy Goodness, I'd suggest good organisation/layout. I like walking into HMV and knowing "The new releases are over there", "The sale section is just ahead" and "The rock/metal section is over here". This is so different to entering Golden Disks and looking for , for example, Metallica under "M" and actually finding Death Magnetic under Trad/Folk, while Beyonce or Westlife CDs are left under every alphabetical secion but "B" and "W" :mad:

Hogzy

In my opinion what makes a great record store is a great selection of records:pac:

Rigsby

Hogzy wrote: »

In my opinion what makes a great record store is a great selection of records

That about sums it up for me, ( with possibly "all round" inserted ), which rules out most shops in Ireland, even Dublin. While back round music and helpful staff ect are a plus, 99.9% of people go in for the choice.

My idea of a "good " record shop ? "Tower Records", Piccadilly, London. We are not even in the same league.

ShawnRaven

Two words, Sound Cellar.

Basically owned and run by a guy who loves and gives a sh*t about the music that he specialises in, as well as running on a strict cash-only basis, which some may find prehistoric but in fairness, there's an ATM around the corner from it if you really need to use your laser card.

Huge selection in the Rock/Metal genre, and in the event it's not there, Tommy will do all he can to get it in.

You can take all the presentation, good looking buildings and nice layout's all you want, but it's no use to you if they don't have what you're looking for, especially if they have staff who are only there to pass the time who don't actually care about their job like some major music chains that i will refuse to mention.

Rigsby

ShawnRaven wrote: »

Two words, Sound Cellar.

Basically owned and run by a guy who loves and gives a sh*t about the music that he specialises in, as well as running on a strict cash-only basis, which some may find prehistoric but in fairness, there's an ATM around the corner from it if you really need to use your laser card.

Huge selection in the Rock/Metal genre, and in the event it's not there, Tommy will do all he can to get it in.

You can take all the presentation, good looking buildings and nice layout's all you want, but it's no use to you if they don't have what you're looking for, especially if they have staff who are only there to pass the time who don't actually care about their job like some major music chains that i will refuse to mention.

Yes Sound Cellar is a good record shop, but is physically too small to offer an all round cosmopolitan choice. As for a shop ordering it in, why not just order it on line

thebigcheese22

I hate Golden Discs!! I dunno how they're still going (are they?!)

Awful layout, really small, unfriendly staff and terrible layout.

ShawnRaven

Rigsby wrote: »

Yes Sound Cellar is a good record shop, but is physically too small to offer an all round cosmopolitan choice.

I agree, that's why I mentioned specialist shop.

As for a shop ordering it in, why not just order it on line

Without being smart, but believe it or not, not all of us have credit cards. I don't, nor do I have any intention of it.

I also know a couple of guys who are real old school when it comes to buying CD's. They never were able to beat the feeling of going into a shop, conversing with the guy selling it to them while they were taking for it, putting it into the bag etc. Something they don't get with online sellers.

Sounds archaic, but in a way it's also nice to know there are still some places you can get that feeling. And sometimes that can actually be worth the extra two euro. And let's face it, by the time 2012 comes around, you won't even be able to get a minimum bus fare or a can of Coke in Dublin for said two euro that you'd save by ordering the album online.

ShawnRaven

thebigcheese22 wrote: »

I hate Golden Discs!! I dunno how they're still going (are they?!)

Yep. A few shops closed down a couple of years back, but they're still in Stillorgan, Santry, Henry St, Stephens Green and Pavilions Swords to name a few.

Awful layout, really small, unfriendly staff and terrible layout.

True, however you can get the occasional bargain there, my better half got the 4 Lethal Weapon movie box set for a tenner. Their music selection is rubbish, but you'll usually get surprised in their DVD section if you're looking to boost your collection without breaking the bank.

Fanny Cradock

ShawnRaven wrote: »

Yep. A few shops closed down a couple of years back, but they're still in Stillorgan, Santry, Henry St, Stephens Green and Pavilions Swords to name a few.

Are they not in trouble?


Anyway, HMV is just fine for the price on some releases.

ShawnRaven

Fanny Cradock wrote: »

Are they not in trouble?

Not too sure, the news is to depressing to watch, read or listen to these days, so i don't bother quite frankly.

If they do go under, i'll actually miss them. Probably because i remember when they were pretty much the only place in Dublin to get stuff (other than Abbey Discs before they went techno-techno) before Virgin and HMV opened up.

Thats probably just nostalgia talking though.

mike65

Slightly suprised that record shops in the trad sense even still exist. These days when I buy I just go online - infinite choice.

Virgin back in the early 90s was great but so was Soundwaves here in Waterford, in fact the city had a few decent shops that stocked pretty obscure and back catalogue stuff.

Rigsby

ShawnRaven wrote: »

Without being smart, but believe it or not, not all of us have credit cards. I don't, nor do I have any intention of it.

I also know a couple of guys who are real old school when it comes to buying CD's. They never were able to beat the feeling of going into a shop, conversing with the guy selling it to them while they were taking for it, putting it into the bag etc. Something they don't get with online sellers.

The credit card is your call, but IMO you are missing out on a lot of choice and bargains by not having one.


I fall into the category of the "old school" guy. I was a teenager during the hey day of vinyl. Believe me, there is nothing I like more than spending an afternoon ( impossible in Dublin,because stores too small and not enough of them) browsing in a bricks and mortar store. I agree with all the sentiments expressed above. However, as I am a big jazz and blues fan, I find it impossible to get what I want here. If I went on a w/e break to London, I'd spend most of it in record shops. As I cant go to London every time I want a cd, I've no choice but to buy on line. While I miss the bricks and mortar stores, I dont miss the frustration I used to feel when trying to find a certain album in Dublin stores.

Thank goodness for the Internet I say.

Rigsby

mike65 wrote: »

Slightly suprised that record shops in the trad sense even still exist. These days when I buy I just go online - infinite choice.

I agree, and to be fair most shops cant compete with the internet. However, in my above post I am talking about the lack of choice in Dublin before :eek: the internet.

mike65

Ah, well any market where Golden Disks could have been considered the market leader was clearly lacking something.

ShawnRaven

Rigsby wrote: »

The credit card is your call, but IMO you are missing out on a lot of choice and bargains by not having one.

The problem is, i'd be on ebay or itunes every day downloading rarities to beat the band and my credit would go through the roof, trust me, it's safer for me this way.

I fall into the category of the "old school" guy. I was a teenager during the hey day of vinyl. Believe me, there is nothing I like more than spending an afternoon ( impossible in Dublin,because stores too small and not enough of them) browsing in a bricks and mortar store. I agree with all the sentiments expressed above. However, as I am a big jazz and blues fan, I find it impossible to get what I want here. If I went on a w/e break to London, I'd spend most of it in record shops. As I cant go to London every time I want a cd, I've no choice but to buy on line. While I miss the bricks and mortar stores, I dont miss the frustration I used to feel when trying to find a certain album in Dublin stores.

Thank goodness for the Internet I say.

I completely understand this, which is why i'm thankful for Soundcellar because i'm more into rock and metal, but the internet is definitely handy, like Japan only releases and whatnot. I don't know about blues albums, but because the economy is so out of whack in Japan, Rock albums tend to have more tracks on the Japanese releases to use as a selling point over there.

Rigsby

mike65 wrote: »

Ah, well any market where Golden Disks could have been considered the market leader was clearly lacking something.

Agree 100%. Back in medieval times before "Virgin" ect Golden Disks was about all the choice you had. Maybe a couple of hundred albums if you were lucky, and half of them were c&w. :rolleyes:

ShawnRaven

mike65 wrote: »

Ah, well any market where Golden Disks could have been considered the market leader was clearly lacking something.

The way it was in the mid to late 80s, was that CD players weren't all that affordable at the time, CD's weren't far off either. Hell, Vinyl cost it's pretty penny (literally!) and you'd literally clutch it the second you got it because you were worried that your clumsy mate would accidently drop it or worse, get his grubby fingerprints on it.

When music wasn't as affordable as it would become years down the track, obviously the demand was a lot smaller. Golden Discs had a few small shops around the country, then Virgin and HMV came in from the UK and completely decimated them.

The market was lacking something alright, Paying customers! When that turned around, Golden Discs were pretty much forced into a 247365 sale shop for much of the 90s, because they couldn't compete with their competitions selection.

ShawnRaven

Rigsby wrote: »

Agree 100%. Back in medieval times before "Virgin" ect Golden Disks was about all the choice you had. Maybe a couple of hundred albums if you were lucky, and half of them were c&w. :rolleyes:

Or worse... Irish!! Golden Discs biggest competition on North Earl St was Dolphin Discs down the road...

Oh yes, another covers album by Daniel O'Donnell! F*cking RUN out and buy that one!

Rigsby

ShawnRaven wrote: »

I completely understand this, which is why i'm thankful for Soundcellar because i'm more into rock and metal,

You are lucky in the music you happen to be interested in. My main point is that non specialist record stores should have a decent selection of all types of music. In Dublin they dont and never have IMO.

ShawnRaven

Rigsby wrote: »

You are lucky in the music you happen to be interested in. My main point is that non specialist record stores should have a decent selection of all types of music. In Dublin they dont and never have IMO.

Didn't there used to be a specialist section for Jazz/Blues beside Virgin Megastore on Aston Quay which had the entrance beside the downstairs counter and a seperate main door around early to mid 90s after the stereo/headphone section closed down?

mike65

Anyone know Plugd in Cork?

Nolanger

insinkerator wrote: »

Road Records? Seemed to be a great shop, although i had never actually been there.

It's too late now because they're closing down.

Rigsby

ShawnRaven wrote: »

Didn't there used to be a specialist section for Jazz/Blues beside Virgin Megastore on Aston Quay which had the entrance beside the downstairs counter and a seperate main door around early to mid 90s after the stereo/headphone section closed down?

That is correct, but the selection was pathetic. :rolleyes:

ShawnRaven

mike65 wrote: »

Anyone know Plugd in Cork?

Passed by it many a time, never went into it.
Looks too much like techno-techno for my liking

Twee.

I'd love to live near, or even work, in a place like Empire Records (the film) Dream!

ShawnRaven

Twee. wrote: »

I'd love to live near, or even work, in a place like Empire Records (the film) Dream!

Pffft, c'mooon, you want High Fidelity!

Twee.

ShawnRaven wrote: »

Pffft, c'mooon, you want High Fidelity!

I didn't even think of that one! Now I'm confused :rolleyes:

John

Empire > High Fidelity

Tower Records on Wicklow St. is a great store when it comes to stocking a bit of everything (and usually a good selection when it comes to everything) and then the likes of Road Records, Sound Cellar, City Discs, Spin Dizzy, etc. fill in the gaps. I spend a lot of time record shopping online and in shops and between the two modes of shopping I feel I've got everything covered.

As for what makes a good record store, yes it is good selection but also consistant pricing (HMV seem to roll a dice to determine prices). I don't mind paying more than online in small shops because:
a) I have the album in my hands
b) it hasn't been damaged in the post
c) it can be cheaper when factoring in postage costs for vinyl
d) the folks who work in a lot of the small stores are lovely people
e) it's good for the economy

Road is great because they always make time for you, they can get what you want and generally are competitively priced. They tend to focus on new releases rather than an extensive catalogue which is perfect for me. Plus they give me chocolate while I'm browsing.

On the other hand, HMV and Zavvi are not record stores. They are DVD shops that also sell music and games. The selection is laughable (10 copies of the same album at €24.99 is not a good selection) and aside from those bulk buy offers, I don't think they're cheap enough on anything but chart material to make me want to shop there. Plus asking for information is a serious no-no as the kids employed in them know nothing (they are the slightly cooler friends of the kids who work in Woodies and Homebase). I'm not expecting them to be familiar with the back catalogue of Jandek or Throbbing Gristle but when they have to ask someone else about popular music, I worry!

paddyb125

Organization is key, most of the time HMV are pretty good for it but Zhivago are useless!

thebigcheese22

By Zivago you mean Zavvi? Use the past tense dude!

Also speaking of fukced record stores, Golden Discs are dying!!!

paddyb125

thebigcheese22 wrote: »

By Zivago you mean Zavvi? Use the past tense dude!

No I mean Zhivago

John

thebigcheese22 wrote: »

By Zivago you mean Zavvi? Use the past tense dude!

Zhivago is the big independent music shop in Galway.

thebigcheese22

John wrote: »

Zhivago is the big independent music shop in Galway.

*Goes back into cave for being an ignorant Corkonian*

ShawnRaven

John wrote: »

Zhivago is the big independent music shop in Galway.

They had one in Waterford too until a couple of years ago when it closed down, It used to be upstairs from the book centre.

Scubadevils

Concerto, Amsterdam. That for me is a great record store. They cover a huge range of genres and tend to carry labels I can normally only find online. They have a great 2nd hand section for both CD's and vinyl and I love how the various sections are split into different rooms all around the building... to include creaky wooden floors, steep staircase to the basement and racks upon racks of CD and vinyl. Any of the staff I have spoken to are generally very helpful and into their music. I can spend hours in that shop, absolutely love it.

For anyone ever in Amsterdam, be sure to drop in :pac:

www.concerto.nl

DazMarz

There's a Virgin Megastore on the Champs Elysees that is absolutely amazing... Pricey, but if you're looking for anything, and I mean anything, they should have it.

And a lot of people have slammed Golden Discs... I agree on most charges except for one hero of a bloke who worked in the Bray, Co. Wicklow branch. He was such a nice guy. I think his name was Peter and he had a moustache. He was a bit older than most staff there and was really friendly and helpful. I remember I tried to order stuff from there once, from another gaman, and he said ''Oh, no. It's out of print.'' Chanced my arm ordering it from Peter a few days later... three days after I had the CD in my hands. He was a legend. Dunno if he's still working there, but he was such a revelation when compared to most of the staff.