Best Record Stores in Minneapolis, Minnesota
Do you ever listen to old vinyl records? It’s so fun and relaxing. Today we’re sharing our picks for Best Record Stores in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Best Record Stores in Minneapolis, Minnesota
Do you ever listen to old vinyl records? It’s so fun and relaxing. We have a huge collection of old-timey records: 33s, 45s and 78s. We are always looking for more! That’s one of the fun things about record collecting: always searching for treasures!
Today we’re sharing our picks for Best Record Stores in Minneapolis, Minnesota. As lifelong residents (and collectors), these are our Top 3 picks for finding your next vinyl record…
Cheapo Records
Location:
Cheapo Records, Minneapolis, Minnesota (Note: they have several locations throughout the Twin Cities, but this one is our favorite)
The Good:
Billing themselves as “The Last Authentic Record Store”, Cheapo is a treasure for music lovers. They have a huge selection of new and used vinyl (mostly 33s but a few 45s), CDs and some cassettes. Film buffs will want to check them out as well. They have a massive selection of new and used DVDs and Blu-rays.
The Bad:
It’s not necessarily a “bad thing”, but they do have a ton of bric-a-brac, t-shirts, stickers and posters. If you’re into that kinda stuff, then it’s totally cool. We’re focused on records when we go to a record store, so we tend to not focus on Bob Marley posters or Nirvana t-shirts. But no hate if that’s what you’re looking for! Hehe.
The Vibe:
Definitely the least pretentious of our picks. You won’t feel shamed for buying that old Aqua CD (the one with “Barbie Girl”). You won’t be judged by your taste. They just wanna sell stuff and stay in business. Unless you ask for help, staff will leave you alone, too. Which is kinda nice.
Vintage Music Company
Location:
Vintage Music Company, Minneapolis, Minnesota
The Good:
Our favorite record store in the world. At least of the many, many, many we’ve been to. This is a specialty shop: meaning, they specialize in only one thing: selling 78 RPM records. If you’re new to collecting, then you might be disappointed. There’s no “normal” records (the ones that play at 33 1/3 speed and can be purchased at Target with Taylor Swift’s picture on the cover). There’s no vinyl here. Only shellac. These records were made around 1900 through the late 1940s. There are millions of 78s here, making this one of the most unique record stores in the world. There are also vintage radios, record players and antique phonographs.
The Bad:
If you don’t know what you’re looking for, you’ll be overwhelmed. It’s also very, very crowded and if you are not careful you could easily knock over a stack of priceless records, shattering one-of-a-kind copies and costing yourself some big money. Like I said, if you’re looking for anything made after about 1950, this place ain’t for you. If you’re a serious record collector, bring your money. It adds up quick. Also realize the neighborhood is a bit rough at night, but Vintage Music is only open during the day, so you’ll be fine. There’s a free parking lot beside the shop, but you’ll definitely not want to leave any valuables in your vehicle. You’ll also want to make sure you lock your car.
The Vibe:
Like walking back in time. It smells old. Looks old. Feels old. There will be old music playing loudly. Everything is old. Analog. Vintage.
Hymie’s Vintage Records
Location:
Hymie’s Vintage Records, Minneapolis, Minnesota
The Good:
Well, honestly, this place used to be awesome. We hadn’t been here for about five years and the last time we were here it was filled with tons of cheap, weird, obscure vinyl. It was easy to find bizarre records from the 1950s and 1960s. They had tons of cool stuff, and it was cheap. Which leads us to…
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The Bad:
There’s new owners and it’s much more curated. They got rid of most of the weird/cheap stuff and now carry a lot more stuff that probably sells well. Maybe we just don’t like stuff that sells well. Hehe. It’s also, oddly, the most pretentious store and (if you have an experience like ours) you will be judged by the records you purchase. We were. That was after we got yelled at for asking what the price of a record was because the price tag sticker was written so sloppily we couldn’t read it. Neither could they.
The Vibe:
Oof. As customers we like when our business is appreciated and our last visit sure didn’t feel that way. I’d LOVE to keep an open mind and will be back again to give them another try. In my opinion, ANY record store is a good record store…and this one still has a few treasures lurking around its corners, you’ll just have to dig way harder than in previous incarnations of Hymie’s. If you’re not clearly a hipster, you probably won’t feel very welcome here. Maybe the owner was just having a bad day, and you’ll have a different experience than we did.
Conclusion
So there you have it, our top 3 record stores in the Twin Cities. What are your thoughts? Do you have a favorite? Drop us an email or let us know in the comments.
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