Hampton Roads Virginia or All of Virginia

Nice a fellow VB person here! I tend to go to Vinyl Daze more because that's a bit closer to where I am in the city. I pop between AFK and Vinyl Daze. Plus I did buy my first record there so I owe them a lot.

Vinyl daze is a close second. I would go there more often but I think the owner is a bit cocky. I feel like I'm walking into Championship Vinyl depending on who is working.
 
Vinyl daze is a close second. I would go there more often but I think the owner is a bit cocky. I feel like I'm walking into Championship Vinyl depending on who is working.

Yeah I can see how Martin can seem that way. He's been cool with me ever since I went in 6+ years ago. Back when it was just Vinyl Daze and not Sound too. There was a barber shop next door to him at the time. I feel home there that's why I go. I love going there for Record Store Day. He offers a nice buffet breakfast at Eurasia. I have won concert tickets via that breakfast and gotten some for being first few in line this year for Record Store Day. There was a batch of records he just bought from a collection last year when I went and I got first dibs. He's always apologetic when he didn't get the thing in that I was looking for. I owe that shop so much for being my go to for music. I love chatting it up with Bennett too. He provides music for the breakfast and always does a good job. That's just my take on it haha. It's good to know I have bumped into a fellow VB person. Do you participate in Record Store Day?
 
Yeah I can see how Martin can seem that way. He's been cool with me ever since I went in 6+ years ago. Back when it was just Vinyl Daze and not Sound too. There was a barber shop next door to him at the time. I feel home there that's why I go. I love going there for Record Store Day. He offers a nice buffet breakfast at Eurasia. I have won concert tickets via that breakfast and gotten some for being first few in line this year for Record Store Day. There was a batch of records he just bought from a collection last year when I went and I got first dibs. He's always apologetic when he didn't get the thing in that I was looking for. I owe that shop so much for being my go to for music. I love chatting it up with Bennett too. He provides music for the breakfast and always does a good job. That's just my take on it haha. It's good to know I have bumped into a fellow VB person. Do you participate in Record Store Day?

Ill definitely go back there. Don't want to condemn the guy.

I try to get to RSD but vinyl has gotten so popular you have to wait in line just to miss out on what you wanted. The purpose was to help local record stores but i do that all year :). I missed this last one because i was on vacation. Still got the Townes Van Zandt I wanted but not the Dylan.

How about you? Is Vinyl daze the only store you hit? My wife and I split up for black Friday RSD and i hit Birdland and she went to AFK.
 
Ill definitely go back there. Don't want to condemn the guy.

I try to get to RSD but vinyl has gotten so popular you have to wait in line just to miss out on what you wanted. The purpose was to help local record stores but i do that all year :). I missed this last one because i was on vacation. Still got the Townes Van Zandt I wanted but not the Dylan.

How about you? Is Vinyl daze the only store you hit? My wife and I split up for black Friday RSD and i hit Birdland and she went to AFK.

I head to V.D. about once a month. It's when I can afford to splurge. They are my go to, but I do hit up AFK every now and then. I work sorta close to them so I can swing by after work. I have been to Birdland once and I didn't have that big of an impression. I should go back there to look sometime. I do order online via Bullmoose, but I have a rule. If I order online, I MUST head on over and purchase from V.D.

I have gotten everything I wanted all but three times for Record Store Day. The things I missed out on were not the must have items so I went with one of my alternates. There is one that's a sort of grail, but back then I wasn't as dedicated to it as I am now. I am one of those crazies that gets up at 3 am and am in line by 4. I have been in the top 10 group consistently by doing this haha.
 
No Birdland isn't great, but they are close to me and carry a decent selection of new stuff. Their used section is only a little better than The Book Exchange. I do respect how long they have been doing it though, even when almost no one was buying vinyl anymore.

And they had a great selection for RSd and short lines, so i got all i wanted and impulse bought a couple of others.
 
Yeah... I am with you. I live sorta near the courthouse so closest for me is V.D. What were some of the ones that got away? Also were you at the Tool show? You headed to any shows this year?
 
CD Cellar in Falls Church is the best.
Mobius Records in Fairfax is cool and good as is Crooked Beat, but they're more geared towards newer and nicer records and their selection is pretty well curated.
I like CD Cellar because they take literally everything. As a result they have TONS (quite literally) of vinyl, so it's fun to pop in and just dig and dig and dig.
 
CD Cellar in Falls Church is the best.
Mobius Records in Fairfax is cool and good as is Crooked Beat, but they're more geared towards newer and nicer records and their selection is pretty well curated.
I like CD Cellar because they take literally everything. As a result they have TONS (quite literally) of vinyl, so it's fun to pop in and just dig and dig and dig.

Love CD Cellar! I worked next door to that place for years.

also got a soft spot for Mobius as a new-record shop.

If you’re out in the direction of Herndon, check out Right On Records. Great little (tiny) shop run by a young guy who worked for years at RTX in Fairfax. I’ve had really good experiences with used records there, in terms of selection and grading.
 
Oh hey, sup Hampton Roads thread, sorry for checking in 7 months late.

I guess I'm team AFK although I dunno if this is just a trend of the record industry in general but last time I was there I was pretty surprised at how much prices seem to have gone up. Stuff I would've expected to be $25 - $27 was now over $30. In the past, most of their stuff was usually a little cheaper than Vinyl Daze but now, I'm not so sure.

Otherwise I kind of wish there were more stores down here. There's like, three in Virginia Beach, and Skinnies in Norfolk, and uh, that's it. I'm old enough to remember Unicorn Records in Churchland and Volume in Greenbrier. RIP my youth

Oh and I guess in the pre-plague times I'd try and make it up to Richmond on occasion, but even they are starting to lose stores with Steady Sounds and umm... that one on the Southside whose name I forget that closing last year. But they still have more stores in a much smaller location than Hampton Roads. Deep Groove, despite being a literal hole in the wall, is probably my current fav.

Edit: also I wish the Outer Banks had a record store. It kind of blows my mind that it doesn’t, at least not in the Nags Head/Kitty Hawk area. It’d be a great stop for a summer day trip!
 
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I go to AFK if I’m up near work, which isn’t much since I’m 90% work from home. My go to has always been Vinyl Daze. Though when this is all over I plan on expanding out some more. It’s just easier because I live closer to Vinyl Daze.

I totally agree that the Outer Banks needs a good shop. I went to American Oldies records in Newport News. They are focused on used records and some new CDs. I liked their selection and I liked the vibe of the place.
 
There was a great little store on the Eastern Shore I went to about two years ago, up in Onancock. I seriously doubt it's still there anymore but man it'd be cool if it was. Maybe the guy has gotten by with online sales or something... next time I go up that way I need to take a peek.

I believe I went to American Oldies once a while ago and wasn't too impressed. Definitely had Birdland vibes to it, with a lot of overpriced stuff that was one step above Goodwill fare. Maybe I'll check it out again some time but I definitely don't have high expectations of it.
 
Yeah I liked it and what I was going to grab was decently priced I checked Discogs. I liked the feel of the place mostly.

I really need to check out Skinnies it’s on my list to go.
 
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