Los Angeles might be a top 3 city in the country to buy records. It’s a bit of a different experience – big, messy, and full of music. Every neighborhood has its own thing going on—Silver Lake has the cool indie shops, Highland Park’s got the deep crates and niche spots, and Hollywood has the big names like Amoeba. You can hit five stores in a day and never see the same kind of selection twice.
What makes it fun is the energy and the massive scale of the city. Most shops aren’t just stores—they’re hangout spots. You’ll find DJs spinning, people grabbing drinks, and random live sets happening in the corner. There’s a mix of history and hype here that makes digging in L.A. feel like you’re part of something.
If we had a day (or even just an afternoon), here’s how we’d spend it—crates, coffee, and maybe a beer somewhere in between.
Best Record Stores In Los Angeles
Shops Listed: 9
Average price range: Bargain bins: $1–3 (true $1 digs still pop up) • Common used LPs: $10–25 • New releases / premium reissues: $28–45 • Rarities / wall pressings: $60–200+
Note: These bands are typical, not rules. LA’s scene churns fast—touring DJs, estate buys, and studio clean-outs mean constant new arrivals. Prices skew a bit higher around Hollywood/Silver Lake/Echo Park; the Valley, South Bay, and Long Beach are often friendlier. Early visits on weekends snag the best pulls.
Permanent Records Roadhouse
Address: 1906 Cypress Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90065
Hours: 12pm-12am wed-sun
Type: Hybrid bar/venue/record shop
Genres: Rock, psych, punk, metal, private press, oddball U.S. originals=
Average Price Range: Used $8–30 • New $22–40 • Rarities $50–200+
Specialty / Go For: Killer used curation, staff-pick walls, night-digging with a beer
What to expect: A dig-friendly shop wrapped in a venue—flip through private-press weirdness, then catch a set. Late energy, knowledgeable crew, and a knack for records you won’t see at the bigger box spots.
Amoeba Music
Address: 6200 Hollywood Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90028
Hours: 11am-8pm mon-thurs, 11am-9pm fri-sun
Type: Mega independent flagship
Genres: Everything—rock, hip-hop, jazz, soul, electronic, soundtracks, world, 45s
Average Price Range: Bargain $1–5 • Common used $8–25 • New $22–40 • Rarities/wall $50–250+
Specialty / Go For: Sheer scale, constant new arrivals, in-store performances, deep sub-genres
What to expect: Warehouse vibes and rows that don’t quit. It’s organized, busy, and constantly turning stock—so you can hit the new-arrivals twice in one visit and see different stuff. Great for filling holes in a collection and stumbling into a grail on the wall.
Record Surplus
Address: 12436 Santa Monica Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90025
Hours: 11:30am-7pm daily
Type: Big-box indie with a legendary bargain room
Genres: Rock, jazz, soul, classical, soundtracks, 12″ singles, 45s
Average Price Range: Bargain $1–5 • Common used $6–15 • New $20–35 • Rarities $30–120+
Specialty / Go For: The Bargain Room. Also super clear labeling and huge category breadth.
What to expect: Comfortable aisles, lots of bins, and an easy place to spend hours. You can do a cheap haul from the back room or cherry-pick clean used along the main floor.
Rockaway Records
Address: 2395 Glendale Blvd Suite F, Los Angeles, CA 90039
Hours: 10am-4:30pm mon-fri
Type: Legacy collectible shop
Genres: Classic rock, Beatles, punk, alternative, memorabilia
Average Price Range: Used $10–30 • New $22–40 • Rarities/wall $50–500+
Specialty / Go For: High-grade collectibles, signed pieces, first presses in top condition
What to expect: Part record store, part museum wall. Prices match condition and rarity; if you’re chasing a specific press or era, staff can usually point you in the right direction.
Gimme Gimme Records
Address: 5810 N Figueroa St, Los Angeles, CA 90042
Hours: 12pm-7pm mon-sat, 12pm-6pm sun
Type: Deep-curation neighborhood shop
Genres: Jazz, soul, international, rock, folk, avant/experimental
Average Price Range: Used $8–25 • New $22–40 • Rarities $40–150+
Specialty / Go For: Fresh, well-conditioned used arrivals; tasteful deep cuts across genres
What to expect: Tight edit, fast turnover. It’s the kind of place where the “New Arrivals” bin is the main event—show up early and you’ll see why locals swear by it.
Freakbeat Records
Address: 13616 Ventura Blvd, Sherman Oaks, CA 91423
Hours: 12pm-6pm daily
Type: Valley staple
Genres: Rock, pop, punk, indie, soundtracks, 45s
Average Price Range: Bargain $1–3 • Used $8–20 • New $20–35
Specialty / Go For: 45s, staff recommendations, solid pricing on clean used
What to expect: Classic record-store feel—friendly staff, bins that reward patience, and a steady stream of reasonably priced titles (plus fun RSD energy when it hits).
The Record Parlour
Address: 6408 Selma Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90028
Hours: 10:30am-11:30pm daily
Type: Vintage gear + vinyl destination
Genres: Classic rock, soul, funk, disco, soundtrack, audiophile staples
Average Price Range: Used $8–25 • New $22–35 • Collectibles $40–200+
Specialty / Go For: Restored hi-fi gear, bulk/collection drops, vintage ephemera
What to expect: Nostalgia central—walls of vintage, racks of clean used, and the occasional equipment rabbit hole. Great spot if you’re outfitting a listening room and the crates.
The Last Bookstore
Address: 453 S Spring St Ground Floor, Los Angeles, CA 90013
Hours: 11am-8pm daily
Type: Iconic DTLA bookstore with a real vinyl section
Genres: Rock, indie, jazz, soundtracks, staff-picked oddities
Average Price Range: Used $8–20 • New $20–35
Specialty / Go For: Browsing experience—books + records, gifts, and easy wins
What to expect: It’s a destination for a reason. The vinyl corner is well-curated and cross-pollinated with film/art; perfect if you’re with non-vinyl friends but still want a quality flip.
Record Safari
Address: 3222 Los Feliz Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90039
Hours: 10am-7pm daily
Type: Warehouse-scale indie destination
Genres: Rock, jazz, soul, funk, hip-hop, soundtracks, 12″ DJ cuts, 45s, imports
Average Price Range: $1–3 bargain bins • $8–25 common used • $28–45 new/premium reissues • $40–150+ rarities/wall pieces
Specialty / Go For: Massive used hauls from private collections, deep soundtrack & 12″ sections, constant new-arrivals, fair grading/pricing, occasional festival/Coachella-adjacent curation vibes.
What to expect: Big, bright floor with long, well-labeled runs and a legit dig-for-hours pace. Dollar and $3 bins for quick wins; the wall leans collectible rock/jazz/soundtracks. Staff know their matrices and will point you to cleaner copies if they have them. Parking on nearby streets fills up—earlier is easier, weekends get busy. Bring a real tote; you’ll probably leave with a stack.
Tips for Vinyl Hunters in Los Angeles
- Cluster your day. Do Hollywood (Amoeba → Record Parlour) → Eastside (Permanent Roadhouse → Gimme Gimme → Wombleton) → Valley/West (Freakbeat/Atomic → Record Surplus). Less zig-zag, more digging.
- Car is king, but meters bite. Street parking rules change by block—watch street-sweeping and 1-hour limits. Keep quarters or use the app.
- Heat = warp. Don’t leave vinyl in the car. Flat, shaded, and out quickly—summer trunks are press-molders.
- Follow IG for drops. LA shops post new-arrivals before they hit the floor; timing a visit right can be the difference between “scored” and “missed it by 10 minutes.”
- Soundtracks live here. Burbank/Hollywood shops over-index on OSTs and composer catalogs—flip those bins even if you’re not “a soundtrack person.”
- Cash helps at the margins. Cards are fine, but $5s/$10s grease bargain-bin stacks and small, tax-odd totals.
- Record fairs hit often. Pasadena City College Flea, Long Beach Record Show, and pop-ups are worth planning around if you’re in town on a weekend.
LA rewards pacing. Pick a corridor, leave buffer for parking/traffic, and let the bins set the tempo. Between the mega-shops and the Eastside boutiques, you’ll walk out with something you actually want to spin.
Turn that score into gear! Found something wild? Enter our Build of the Month contest and turn your latest pickup into real prizes. Quick upload, short story, rotating themes (grails, shop shout-outs, setup glow-ups). Free to enter—and yes, we actually ship good gear to winners.
