Vinyl Record Dude (Scottsdale, AZ)

I have only been to about a half dozen record stores in The Valley, and the bulk of my vinyl purchases have been from Stinkweeds and Zia. That is about to change after a recent visit to Vinyl Record Dude (VRD) in Scottsdale. My wife discovered the store – she discovers most of the interesting things in our lives.

The most essential characteristics in a record store are vibe, selection, and value. VRD checks all those boxes.

Vibe: a record store needs to be somewhere you enjoy spending time crate-digging. My reference point is the Electric Fetus in Minneapolis, which is one of the coolest record stores in the nation (don’t just trust me – Rolling Stone magazine says so). The Fetus is famous for being a favorite shopping spot of Prince, who made his last music purchases there just days before his death. In Phoenix, Stinkweeds has a great vibe (but an average selection), and Zia has a great selection but not the vibe.

VRD has a nice vibe. The store is well laid out and organized by genre. It is well-lit. It is decorated with music memorabilia (they also sell collectible posters, buttons, stickers, shirts, autographs, etc.). In addition to vinyl records and collectables, they also have some used stereo equipment in a listening room (where you can sample the goods). The equipment is not audiophile-quality, but it is decent for someone starting the hobby of record collecting.

The staff is friendly and helpful. Per VRD’s website, they state: “We are a non-judgmental group of record enthusiasts. You won’t find any Barry’s here (ie, Jack Black in High Fidelity). Our staff has worked at various record shops all the way back into the early 80’s. We are always willing to talk music and learn about your favorite artists.” That is an accurate assessment. A bonus was that one of the store clerks was the most attractive woman I have ever witnessed working in a record store (her knowledge as a record collector was equally  impressive). The other clerk on duty used the phrase/word “ubetcha” – a Midwest colloquialism (meaning certainly or absolutely) that was music to my ears. Vibe: A

Selection: When I visited, I had one urgent wish list item: Thelma Houston’s “Any Way You Like It” (1976, on Tamla). Sure enough, they had two used copies (one Spanish and one American edition). I picked up the American edition graded VG+ (the grading was accurate – always a plus, as many stores don’t rate, and if they do, there is typically grade inflation). I browsed the “new” used record section, which was substantial, and was tempted by several titles, but settled on a used copy of Ryan Adams’ Wednesday (2020 on PAX AM). Every few days, VRD posts a video on social media of “new” used records. Wednesday was not graded because it was new, but it had a broken seal. I examined the album and found a scuff. The staff assured me it was cosmetic, but thanks to the aforementioned listening room, I was able to confirm that it was cosmetic and had no impact on the LP’s playability. I am ever on the hunt to fill out my Black Crowes vinyl catalog and found a new/sealed version of Warpaint (2007 on Megaforce/Silver Arrow Records) in the Crowes’ section at a reasonable price. I didn’t dig through every section, but from what I could see, they have a substantial inventory. Under the record racks, there are crates of value (under $3) records – I did not have time to dig through them. Per the store’s website, the “retail store and warehouse combined currently contain over half-a-million records.” Selection: B+

Value – What impressed most about VRD was their pricing – it was fair. New records show slight variation across stores, but used is a crapshoot. Since the vinyl Renaissance, many stores have gouged on used record pricing and shown little regard for discounting lower-quality items. I don’t mind paying top dollar for a record – if it is reasonably priced for the grade and rarity. VRD has fair pricing – within the middle range for what you would see for something on Discogs. My limited experience is that they grade accurately, and the pricing reflects that. Value: A

I am guessing I have been to over a hundred record stores in my life, and most are unimpressive – either bad vibe, poor selection, or overpriced (value) – sometimes all three. Viny Record Dude is impressive with its vibe, selection, and value. I’ll be back!

I got a kick out of this logo the store uses. Vinyl collectors of certain age will recognise this LP hype sticker.