What Stores did you buy your vinyl, CD's from...

[Ken]

growing up? I think this topic was done once before, but I can't find any trace of it.

The stores I shopped at were:

A & B Sound - Easily, this was my favorite store to buy from. They were a locally owned chain. They opened their first store in downtown Vancouver in 1959. Sadly they went bankrupt in late 2008. All of my family and friends shopped there. Not only did they have the best prices on vinyl and CD's but also on TV's, stereo equipment and car audio. I bought many albums and CD's there over the years, I really miss that place!

The Hudson's Bay - It was in the mall that was within walking distance of the home I grew up in.I was there so much I got to know the lady who worked in the record department. I bought various 45's there like:
You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet - Bachman Turner Overdrive
One of These Nights - Eagles
Island Girl - Elton John
The Bitch is Back - Elton John
Silly Love Songs - Sir Paul
Jive Talkin' - Bee Gees
Christine Sixteen - KISS as well as:

The Cars debut album
A New World Record - ELO
Don't Shoot Me.... - Elton John
Captain Fantastic - Elton John
Yesterday and Today, Hollywood Bowl, Abbey Road and the Rock "N" Roll Music compilation - Beatles
Double Platinum - KISS
Alive! - KISS

Sears - I seem to recall buying only one album from them Linda Ronstadt's "Hasten Down The Wind" since I thought their prices for LP's was kind of expensive, however I did buy several 45's from them:
Let's Go" by The Cars "Shine a Little Love" by ELO and "Blow Away" by George Harrison to name a few.


Kelly's Stereo Mart - another chain of stores that were long gone years ago. I remember everytime I would shop or browse at the location closest to me it was raining! lol! I remember buying the 45 of "Hot Blooded" by Foreigner from them.


Peaches Records and Tapes. I seem to recall there being one location not far from where I lived and my parents would drive me there. It wasn't far from the Sears store my Mom and Dad shopped at.I remember buying the cassette of The Doors Greatest Hits
there during one visit and the first time I went there I bought the 45's of "Beth" by KISS and "Hotel California" by The Eagles.


A & A Records - Yet another Canadian chain that went under quite awhile back. There was a store located in the mall close to my house. I remember buying the 45 of "Don't Stop" by Fleetwood Mac
as well as KISS Alive 2 and I think Love Gun was bought there as well plus The Beatles White album. Later on in the late 70's /early 80's A&A moved out and a "Sam The Record Man" moved into the space.

Sam The Record Man - Another chain that closed a few years back.I remember buying The Doors debut album on vinyl there as well as the CD of Stevie Ray Vaughan's " In Step" shortly after he passed away.

[Jughead]

We had a Sam The Record Man downtown years ago, and I always remember being fascinated by the entire place. I hate that the store closed its locations.

Until recently, I used to buy music at Music World, but they too closed up.

I guess my only options these days are Walmart and Zellers.

[Ken]

Dec 9, 2009 8:16:56 GMT -5 Jughead said:

We had a Sam The Record Man downtown years ago, and I always remember being fascinated by the entire place. I hate that the store closed its locations.

Until recently, I used to buy music at Music World, but they too closed up.

I guess my only options these days are Walmart and Zellers.

Hi Jug,

The Sam's downtown Vancouver location was HUGE! back when we were in high school a buddy of mine and I would go there quite often to browse and shop. it had three floors of vinyl and CD's.


There were a few Music World stores here , but I believe they are gone as well.


All that's left is HMV, Best Buy, Future Shop and as you mentioned, Wal mart and Zellers

[Dawn]

A lot of the records I bought when I was a kid came from Nichols, a department store similar to Wal-Mart or Target. They were known for having a great selection, especially with 45s. I still remember the big display they had, with the 45s organized according to their position on the chart for the week. That's where my copy of Band on the Run came from back in the day, and many others.

There were a couple of other department stores I'd buy records from occasionally - Grant's (remember them? Definitely a blast from the past there!), Town and Country, Roses, K-Mart and later Zayre's.

I started buying a lot of stuff at Musicland after they opened in the late '70s, and that was where I did the majority of my record buying as a teen and young adult. In fact, the first check I ever wrote was to that store. I remember asking them to special order a copy of the Yesterday and Today LP that they were out of stock of. (Yikes, that makes me feel old!)

There was also Record Corner, but while their prices were a little cheaper than Musicland, the selection wasn't as good.

There were a couple of new/used places, but I don't remember shopping at them much until I was about 17 or so. One of them had thousands of 45s, randomly sorted in boxes that originally held shipments of Pop Tarts. I spent many an hour looking through those 45s, and found some great gems there.

[Ken]

Dec 9, 2009 12:23:30 GMT -5 Dawn said:

A lot of the records I bought when I was a kid came from Nichols, a department store similar to Wal-Mart or Target. They were known for having a great selection, especially with 45s. I still remember the big display they had, with the 45s organized according to their position on the chart for the week. That's where my copy of Band on the Run came from back in the day, and many others.

There were a couple of other department stores I'd buy records from occasionally - Grant's (remember them? Definitely a blast from the past there!), Town and Country, Roses, K-Mart and later Zayre's.

I started buying a lot of stuff at Musicland after they opened in the late '70s, and that was where I did the majority of my record buying as a teen and young adult. In fact, the first check I ever wrote was to that store. I remember asking them to special order a copy of the Yesterday and Today LP that they were out of stock of. (Yikes, that makes me feel old!)

There was also Record Corner, but while their prices were a little cheaper than Musicland, the selection wasn't as good.

There were a couple of new/used places, but I don't remember shopping at them much until I was about 17 or so. One of them had thousands of 45s, randomly sorted in boxes that originally held shipments of Pop Tarts. I spent many an hour looking through those 45s, and found some great gems there.

Hi Dawn,

I shopped quite a bit at the Musicland located in the Bellis Fair Mall in Bellingham, Washington in the late 80's / early 90's. At that time my family and I would take trips down there to shop.

[Railyn]

Many chain places that are gone:

National Record Mart
Record Bar
Record Town
We Three Records
Sam Goody
Camelot (I REALLY miss them)
Licorice Pizza
Coconuts

And the ones that merged:

Listening Booth became
Wall To Wall Sound And Video became
The Wall became
FYE


And the department stores now gone:

Grants
Ames
Zayre
Hill's
Grand Way
Gee Bee
Murphy's Mart
Nichols
Britts


And many stores don't carry music anymore, or barely bother:

Boscov's had a great record department once
K-Mart still has a flimsy selection - might as well not bother
**my mind is mush - I thought of a few more, but they're gone**

I miss the locals the most:

TLM Records - they kept CD inserts in photo albums. You chose what you wanted, and they'd dig it out of the back. Records were in huge boxes. You'd tell them what you wanted, and they'd look, and call you when they found it

Mugsy's Records - he's just vanished. He had great stuff, and could get you just about anything. I got most of my Colgem's Monkees releases there, including the hardest to find ones. I once dropped $150 in there without even blinking. I remember Brenda and I feverishly digging out pricing guides trying to justify the purchase. I thought Nelson might be cheesed at me for spending that much, but he said it was fine.

The Flystrip - moved locations a number of times, and then just abruptly closed. They repaired CD's, and I miss that.

I don't bother much with Target or Walmart. Their selections continue to get less and less. And FYE is just overpriced.