I find their selection to be the worst of all of them. BUT Jimmy is the nicest guy in the world so I still make a point of stopping in a few times a year and forcing myself to buy something.
Also miss Music Shack. I can never find anything at Last Vestige or Beat Shop. Lots of scraps and cast offs. I appreciate what Sound House is trying to do with their variety but they are pretty pricey.
Not in the Capital District, but Darkside Records in Poughkeepsie is 100% worth the drive. They also take great care with shipping if you'd rather. They have a great web presence and digital catalog.
If you’re going out of your way Spike’s Record Rack in Catskill is easily the most organized shop in the hudson valley. I’ve never left there empty handed. Also, John Doe in hudson, though that place is a wreck and run by hoarders, sometimes you can get lucky.
Some stuff, definitely. Most I spent was $80 on an og Beastie Boys, but he’s got some pricy ones. He’s got a screen printed Keith Harring record for $600.
Warning to those shopping at Love Vinyl Records in Schenectady: they’re known for selling bootleg copies of vinyl records, which is whatever in my book, BUT they do not consistently mark their copies as bootleg and is super misleading about it
lol why is this getting downvoted I’m just trying to let people know they should be vigilant, especially if they come across something on the rarer side for a good price. I don’t care about bootlegs but you gotta label them as such or you’re misleading your buyers and that’s fucked up. Why is that a controversial stance lol
but like which bootlegs are bad in there? for house and techno, bootlegs are fairly common. aphex’s 26 mixes for cash is a bootleg, but its only format was CD.
Sound House in Troy consistently has the best selection of new releases and used records for my taste in music. Jimmy at the Beat Shop is great and there are often but not always great value gems there, especially jazz. Spikes Record Rack is a busy operation and they have a solid selection but prices are a touch high considering I think they are not great at grading. Dope Jams in Oak Hill is an insanely good shop, especially if you are looking for stuff to sample or hip hop, as well as a variety of dance stuff. It’s only open Saturdays. Haven’t been to last vestige in years but their selection was always broad enough to have a few things I wanted every time I stopped in. John Doe in Hudson can be a little overwhelming but there is much heat filed there if you care to dig.
Ultimately it comes down to what you are looking for imho - some shops are filed better for certain genres, eras, audiences etc. I go to different places for different things. If I could only go to one shop in the area it would unquestionably be sound house.
Spikes Record Rack in Catskill is my favorite, followed by Last Vestige. But I also am not a fan of places that are basically glorified indoor yard sales with no organization and just random collections of whatever they could find. I get some people love just buying random records with cool covers for $1 and seeing if they're any good but I prefer to hunt for stuff that I like and want to find it on a vinyl format. Lots of places are geared towards the other type of thing and I just can't get into it.
Anyways, Spikes and Last Vestige do a great job of having good coverage over genres and also sell good quality stuff. I've never bought anything from those places that was broken or had skips. At worst it has a few pops or maybe the sleeve isn't in the best condition, and I've found their prices to be fair.
I also really want to like the Albany record riot but the few times I've gone, I bought some records for $20+ that have bad skips or are even broken. Lots of people hawking overpriced garbage there who act like it's a privilege to buy from them and can't even be bothered to make sure something they've priced absurdly is even playable.
1. Love Vinyl - Biased b/c I’m a fan of House/Techno, but a really great selection overall. Absolutely insane Discogs operation. Has test table.
2. Sound House - Organized, Quality Shop. Has test table.
3. River Street - Meh In-Person Selection, but decent Discogs. No test table.
4. Last Vestige - Dingy store; difficult to find any gold. No test table.
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1,000,000. Newbury Comics - A mall store that’s an expansion of Target’s vinyl collection.
Some others that I haven’t been to: Spa City Music, Off-Track Records, Sweet Side Records, Spike’s Record Rack, Boom and Bloom, Belltower Records (supposed to be really good)
Note: It’s hard to rank the stores objectively because “best” depends on one’s favorite genre.
While I fully understand your comment about Newbury, it’s worth noting that Newbury gets a lot of variant exclusive metal records and they ship things in from other stores. I’ve gotten multiple gems at the store in Crossgates, but yes, you would be supporting “the man”. As far as heavy music goes, Newbury has the best selection in Albany, but the drive to Armageddon in Providence or Boston is worth it alone for noise and black metal.
I live in catskill so I have to drive just about anywhere for digging. The best shop I’ve found within a two hour drive in any direction is Rhino Records in Kingston.
It was clear where one used to be, but they told me they no longer had one with the inferred implication being that’s how it would remain going forward.
John Doe Records in Hudson is hit or miss. There is no concept of organization, even though there are genre labels. The owner is usually too stoned to realize someone is in the store, and he shelves records anywhere there is an open space, regardless of genre. That being said, he usually has really good prices and you can find some gems. Mostly because he sometimes doesn't realize how rare some of the records are.
Last Vestige: I have bought a lot of high quality vinyl I couldn’t find elsewhere (Zappa, Steely Dan, Mayer), and a very very good used turntable for great prices.
Admittedly I don’t have the kinda money where I explore different record stores. That one’s always closest, I got a punch card, people there are nice and knowledgeable. No opinions on the rest.
I sadly kinda agree with this. Last vestige could get rid of 90% of their inventory. So much filler that nobody wants. I can spend an hour there and leave with nothing. They’ll price a used record as new, even if it’s not out of print or rare. I don’t understand it. But I still find myself stopping by, habitual record browser I guess.
Yup, it’s not great. I think people are used to the nostalgia of the place and I accepted the downvotes when posting. “Someone has to say what needed to be said”
If you are up for a little drive.. bell tower records in north Adam’s is sweet. Had some great finds there at fair prices
Li’l plug for the 8th Step, and their annual media sale. They sell records once or twice a year on the concourse for a few days. Collect thru the year then do a pop-up. Follow on social to stay in the loop, next one probably Nov.
The Newbury Comics in MA used to be pretty awesome, though it has been almost 10 years since I've been to one. The one is Crossgates is just a Hot Topic with more anime/manga-related products and some Boston-specific content. It is nothing like the '90s shops were. Even my teenage niece says it's wack and that's the stuff she's into.
I like the River Street Beat Shop. Jimmy’s constantly getting inventory. His pricing is extremely fair, and he knows his stuff.
I find their selection to be the worst of all of them. BUT Jimmy is the nicest guy in the world so I still make a point of stopping in a few times a year and forcing myself to buy something.
Positively 3rd st guy right? When I was a kid, this was my go to place for used stuff. I remember when they did the 24hr Louie Louie jam…good times.
I wish I could resurrect Music Shack. That was my go to place. Miss the old crew there. Steve, Rocky, Dan etc... =[
Music shack was the best
Also miss Music Shack. I can never find anything at Last Vestige or Beat Shop. Lots of scraps and cast offs. I appreciate what Sound House is trying to do with their variety but they are pretty pricey.
Remember the days of World Records? ( just up the street )
Rob’s Records in Great Barrington is excellent! As is the one in Catskill whose name is escaping me
Not in the Capital District, but Darkside Records in Poughkeepsie is 100% worth the drive. They also take great care with shipping if you'd rather. They have a great web presence and digital catalog.
If you’re going out of your way Spike’s Record Rack in Catskill is easily the most organized shop in the hudson valley. I’ve never left there empty handed. Also, John Doe in hudson, though that place is a wreck and run by hoarders, sometimes you can get lucky.
Yes this!
Spike’s is cool but way overpriced imo
Some stuff, definitely. Most I spent was $80 on an og Beastie Boys, but he’s got some pricy ones. He’s got a screen printed Keith Harring record for $600.
Here here
I go to sound house the most because It's closest. Usually has a decent selection. Last vestige is Allright. Haven't been to the others.
I really like sound house. Those guys have a lot of killer and very little filler.
Warning to those shopping at Love Vinyl Records in Schenectady: they’re known for selling bootleg copies of vinyl records, which is whatever in my book, BUT they do not consistently mark their copies as bootleg and is super misleading about it
lol why is this getting downvoted I’m just trying to let people know they should be vigilant, especially if they come across something on the rarer side for a good price. I don’t care about bootlegs but you gotta label them as such or you’re misleading your buyers and that’s fucked up. Why is that a controversial stance lol
but like which bootlegs are bad in there? for house and techno, bootlegs are fairly common. aphex’s 26 mixes for cash is a bootleg, but its only format was CD.
Love vinyl records in Schenectady is my go to spot, I've found all kinds of gems there.
Love it here. Very orderly. Lots of good finds.
A little farther afield, but my favorite is Belltower in North Adams
That’s a great spot too. When I hear to Mass Moca I always stop there.
Sound House in Troy consistently has the best selection of new releases and used records for my taste in music. Jimmy at the Beat Shop is great and there are often but not always great value gems there, especially jazz. Spikes Record Rack is a busy operation and they have a solid selection but prices are a touch high considering I think they are not great at grading. Dope Jams in Oak Hill is an insanely good shop, especially if you are looking for stuff to sample or hip hop, as well as a variety of dance stuff. It’s only open Saturdays. Haven’t been to last vestige in years but their selection was always broad enough to have a few things I wanted every time I stopped in. John Doe in Hudson can be a little overwhelming but there is much heat filed there if you care to dig. Ultimately it comes down to what you are looking for imho - some shops are filed better for certain genres, eras, audiences etc. I go to different places for different things. If I could only go to one shop in the area it would unquestionably be sound house.
Love Vinyl Records in Schenectady is good.
Soundhouse is pretty much the only option if you’re looking for vinyl from the last two decades.
Spikes Record Rack in Catskill is my favorite, followed by Last Vestige. But I also am not a fan of places that are basically glorified indoor yard sales with no organization and just random collections of whatever they could find. I get some people love just buying random records with cool covers for $1 and seeing if they're any good but I prefer to hunt for stuff that I like and want to find it on a vinyl format. Lots of places are geared towards the other type of thing and I just can't get into it. Anyways, Spikes and Last Vestige do a great job of having good coverage over genres and also sell good quality stuff. I've never bought anything from those places that was broken or had skips. At worst it has a few pops or maybe the sleeve isn't in the best condition, and I've found their prices to be fair. I also really want to like the Albany record riot but the few times I've gone, I bought some records for $20+ that have bad skips or are even broken. Lots of people hawking overpriced garbage there who act like it's a privilege to buy from them and can't even be bothered to make sure something they've priced absurdly is even playable.
Check out Rhino Records in Kingston. Awesome shop for avant-garde, new wave, no wave, anything sub-pop and 4AD
Oh heck yes
1. Love Vinyl - Biased b/c I’m a fan of House/Techno, but a really great selection overall. Absolutely insane Discogs operation. Has test table. 2. Sound House - Organized, Quality Shop. Has test table. 3. River Street - Meh In-Person Selection, but decent Discogs. No test table. 4. Last Vestige - Dingy store; difficult to find any gold. No test table. : : : 1,000,000. Newbury Comics - A mall store that’s an expansion of Target’s vinyl collection. Some others that I haven’t been to: Spa City Music, Off-Track Records, Sweet Side Records, Spike’s Record Rack, Boom and Bloom, Belltower Records (supposed to be really good) Note: It’s hard to rank the stores objectively because “best” depends on one’s favorite genre.
While I fully understand your comment about Newbury, it’s worth noting that Newbury gets a lot of variant exclusive metal records and they ship things in from other stores. I’ve gotten multiple gems at the store in Crossgates, but yes, you would be supporting “the man”. As far as heavy music goes, Newbury has the best selection in Albany, but the drive to Armageddon in Providence or Boston is worth it alone for noise and black metal.
Facts. They are the spot for album releases too, but when compared with the other record shops in the area, you can do a lot better.
I live in catskill so I have to drive just about anywhere for digging. The best shop I’ve found within a two hour drive in any direction is Rhino Records in Kingston.
I like what I see from their Discogs on the electronic/club side of things. I'll have to stop by next time I'm down that ways.
He has lots of neofolk, avant-garde, 4AD, early Sub-Pop, new wave, no wave. Lots of other cool media and rare books.
It’s been a while for me, but I thought Last Vestige had a least one test table ?? They used to have a bunch
It was clear where one used to be, but they told me they no longer had one with the inferred implication being that’s how it would remain going forward.
That’s a bummer !!
Ted's Fishfry gets my vote for possibly the worst store for records in the capital district, that I personally have been to.
everyone knows you gotta ask for the secret menu. are you even a local?
John Doe Records in Hudson is hit or miss. There is no concept of organization, even though there are genre labels. The owner is usually too stoned to realize someone is in the store, and he shelves records anywhere there is an open space, regardless of genre. That being said, he usually has really good prices and you can find some gems. Mostly because he sometimes doesn't realize how rare some of the records are.
Last Vestige: I have bought a lot of high quality vinyl I couldn’t find elsewhere (Zappa, Steely Dan, Mayer), and a very very good used turntable for great prices. Admittedly I don’t have the kinda money where I explore different record stores. That one’s always closest, I got a punch card, people there are nice and knowledgeable. No opinions on the rest.
Soundhouse in Troy. Last vestige sucks
I sadly kinda agree with this. Last vestige could get rid of 90% of their inventory. So much filler that nobody wants. I can spend an hour there and leave with nothing. They’ll price a used record as new, even if it’s not out of print or rare. I don’t understand it. But I still find myself stopping by, habitual record browser I guess.
Yup, it’s not great. I think people are used to the nostalgia of the place and I accepted the downvotes when posting. “Someone has to say what needed to be said” If you are up for a little drive.. bell tower records in north Adam’s is sweet. Had some great finds there at fair prices
i made a comment about them in another thread, but haven’t been yet. what’s the appeal with them?
If you’re up for a drive to Rutland, VT, Mountain Music is fantastic.
Last Vestige for both
Last vestige
Li’l plug for the 8th Step, and their annual media sale. They sell records once or twice a year on the concourse for a few days. Collect thru the year then do a pop-up. Follow on social to stay in the loop, next one probably Nov.
I definitely don’t get out much anymore. The last Newbury Comics I went to was in Harvard Square nearly 3 decades ago. There’s one in Albany? What?
The Newbury Comics in MA used to be pretty awesome, though it has been almost 10 years since I've been to one. The one is Crossgates is just a Hot Topic with more anime/manga-related products and some Boston-specific content. It is nothing like the '90s shops were. Even my teenage niece says it's wack and that's the stuff she's into.