Record shops in Hamilton

[rousseau]

I've caught the vinyl bug. Toronto has some really terrific record shops, and even in Stratford where I live now there are two little independent places with great selections of vinyl that I frequent.

Further to the discussions about the rise and fall of Sunrise Records in Jackson Square, can anyone provide a list of good record shops in Hamilton? I love browsing and just generally love the atmosphere in these places.


(The rise here: http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/show...7#post7249877; the fall here: http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/show...19#post7687419)

[SteelTown]

http://www.drdisc.ca/

[Hawrylyshyn]

I'd also recomend http://www.cheapiesrecords.ca/ and http://recordstoreday.com/Venue/5801 in Dundas

[interr0bangr]

There is not a single decent record shop in Hamilton in my opinion.

Your best bet would be Cheapies or Dr. Disc, but be prepared for a pretty terrible selection (unless you're just looking for mainstream/pop albums) and absurd prices.

There's also Revolution Records (mainstream/pop), Stardust (oldies) on Ottawa St and Record On Wheels (mostly Jazz) in Dundas.

I still buy all my records in Toronto or online.

[rousseau]

Huh. I was just a young kid when I started going to Cheapies when it opened. I'm amazed it lasted through the lean years of the late 1990s and early 2000s when downloading took off. Good for them.

Prices for new vinyl aren't cheap, that's for sure. Even used stuff can be $10 or more, save for classical.

Pro tip: Baby boomer high school music teachers have been and are continuing to retire in droves, and they're liquidating their record collections. If you're into classical music (or just getting into it, like I am) you can find all kinds of amazing used stuff for $5 or less.

I always thought Dr. Disc was a half decent shop, but it's disappointing to learn that there aren't many "labour of love" shops in Hamilton with good selections.

[matt602]

If you're into punk or metal stuff, Hammer City Records on James North at Robert (around back and downstairs) is a great stop. It's not a big place by any means but I like to give them a shout out cause they're awesome and they've been around for a decade now.

[rousseau]

Nice. Now that's what I'm talking about.

[Berklon]

There's an "antiques" store on Ottawa St. N. called Antique Avenue (I think that's it) that has a lot of vinyl in the basement.

I only browsed really quick just out of curiosity a couple months ago, but from what I can see most of it is used and there's a huge variation on condition - some great condition, some good, and some simply horrible. They also have some new vinyl. Might be worth checking out.

[matt602]

Where Heads Meet on Ottawa near Cannon also has some vinyls. If they don't have them out, just ask the guy who owns the store. I'm not sure what the collection is like or the genre, probably oldies.

[davidcappi]

If you are ever in Toronto, I'd recommend checking out Sonic Boom on Spadina between Queen and Dundas. I've always enjoyed going there. Huge selection of all different kinds of records and gifts.

http://sonicboommusic.com/