We asked. You commented, emailed, and tweeted, and we’ve tallied up the votes; now it’s time to congratulate the winners! We’re featuring your TOP FIVE record stores this week, one per day, as we impatiently await Record Store Day, Saturday, April 16th, 2011.
We celebrate the stores that make Record Store Day possible and the vinyl enthusiasts—namely you, dear readers—who love them. It’s been great reading your opinions! Count down to Record Store Day with us as we pay tribute to the record stores that make our lives richer every day.
We’re starting off the week with my own personal favorite, New Jersey’s Princeton Record Exchange, or Prex, to those in the know. This nationally-recognized gem is tucked away on a side street in historic Princeton’s beautiful downtown, just blocks away from the illustrious university. It is conveniently located about an hour from both New York City and Philadelphia.
I nodded vehemently when I read reader Smay1001’s comment, “Every record is washed and comes w/a white inner sleeve if the original is in bad shape and a plastic outer sleeve.” Another reader summed it up, “Best vinyl selection, best staff, best prices. Always a stop for me when I visit home (Philadelphia). One of the things I miss most about the east coast.”
Not only do The Vinyl District’s readers love Prex, but it’s been given the distinction of being in Rolling Stone’s Top 25 Record Stores, GQ’s Top Twenty Record Stores, and The Wall Street Journal’s “best music stores in America.” It’s also been featured in The New York Times, Philadelphia Magazine, and Billboard, and recently was called the nation’s best college town record store by Phil Gallo in USA Today.
Prex describes how “from humble beginnings, Princeton Record Exchange has grown to be one of the largest independent music stores in the country”:
“After graduating from college in 1975, Barry, the owner, traveled to flea markets and college towns buying, selling, and trading records. He slept in his van and set up shop on street corners, college book stores (Princeton’s was one), or wherever he could find a space. Eventually tiring of life on the road, in 1980 he established our first store in Princeton, NJ. The throng of customers and massive amount of merchandise soon overwhelmed the small space, so, in 1985, we moved to our present location on S. Tulane St. with five times the retail area. Even so, we are usually packed to the rafters with music and movies.”
Today, no longer sleeping in a van (down by the river?), but now the owner of one of the greatest record stores in America, Barry Weisfeld had these kind words to say when notified of Prex’s most recent accolade:
“We are honored to be voted in the Top Five by The Vinyl District’s growing number of music crazy fans. The mission of Princeton Record Exchange is to recycle music as well as new Vinyl into the hands of music lovers who can appreciate them all over again. We are always looking to buy Vinyl, CD and DVD collections to enhance our in-store selection.
Record Store Day 2010, we had something like 200 people waiting @ 10am when we opened due to all the limited edition Vinyl available one day only and expect it to be crazier this coming Saturday for Record Store Day 2011!
We want to say thanks to record collectors that visit us from all over the world and that have supported us and allowed us to serve LP collectors since 1980.”
Prex includes in its inventory:
- 30,000 Rock Used LPs
- 5,000 Jazz LPs as well as Bebop Records
- 5,000 Classical LPs, including over 100 audiophile LPs, many opera records, opera LPs (recitals), 20th Century Records, Baroque Music, Renaissance Music, Chamber Music, rare records and more
- 2,000 Alternative Records
- 2,000 Oldies Used LPs, Soul LPs, Funk LPs, R&B LPs
- Indie Music & independent records
- Broadway Show Records & Soundtrack Records
- Blues Records
- World Music Records & International Records
- Country Western Records
- Folk Records
- Personalities Used LPs, Male & Female Vocal Used LPs
- Hundreds of Audiophile Records, Avant Garde Records, Beach Music Used LPs, Beatles Records, Bluegrass Records, Comedy Records, Electronic Records, Electronica Records, Gospel Records, Gothic Records, Groove Records, Heavy Metal Records, Import Records, Indie Records, Latin Records, Motown Records, Psychedelic Records, Rare Records, Reggae Records, Techno Used LPs and much, much more!
- Over 20,000 used LPs from $1.00 to $1.99
Will you be shopping at Princeton Record Exchange on Record Store Day? We think you should! Here’s all the info you’ll need:
Princeton Record Exchange
20 Tulane Street
Princeton, New Jersey
10am – 9pm Mon – Sat
11am – 6pm Sun
(609) 921-0881
info@prex.com
