My nephew helped me find this on our way home from the Amish market. I had a spark of feeling to go…read morefind a record from a local store in PA so I quickly had him pull up on Apple Maps a record store that was close by while we were on a highway three places came up the first two seemed like they would've been extremely disappointing based on reviews and how they appear to be from photos, however, my nephew quickly found this place, which was #3. The second he read off to me about the photos and the reviews. I said OK let's switch the GPS to go to this location. To say "I'm glad I went" would be an understatement. When we first arrived, I quickly realize it's a small town that it's located in but a warming aesthetic, standing from the outside looking in you can just tell it's nothing but treasures awaiting to be found. From the warm greeting from Tom himself, down to him taking notice to the people that walk in and placing a track on the player they may like or even if they ask for certain artists record, he will go and run and put that on for them which I thought was extremely caring, but it also let me know how much he cares about the people who come in, what he do, and how his store is ran. He was kind enough to recommend places for my husband and I to visit in London for our honeymoon. I really enjoyed mingling with other people who share alike interests in this shop. Tom has created a great community place to meet new people and perhaps make new friendships. I adore all he has in his shop its the black hole of records or doom scroll of records lol. I drive 1hr and 7 mins from Maryland just to come to this store; Rock and Roll Graveyard is a great 36min spot from me but this one I fell in love with. Thank you Tom!

Awesome selection…read more This guy is really nice with great customer service skills. He has provided me with countless gems. Value is immeasurable. Here are some more recent finds:

I had always thought the name "2nd & Charles" referred to some downtown street corner of a big city…read morelike Boston. As it turned out, the name actually comes from "second-hand" (as in buybacks and trade-ins), and the first name of its founder, Charles Anderson. The chain has 40 locations across 18 states and is owned by its parent company, Book-A-Million, which was founded by Charles father, Clyde. It's bitter sweet that it moved from the now-dismantled Harrisburg East Mall to its current location. The business survived, but I like the old setting better, where it was part of a shopping mall and you could just stroll into the store during a general window-shopping trip. The new location is standalone, right across from the county courthouse (are the prisons still there?), where Toys "R" Us used to be. It has to be a dedicated trip. The new store is much larger, however. It has all kinds of books, including rare titles and collectibles. There are also gifts, CDs, musical instruments, and even LEGO bricks sold by weight. Heck, they even buy back old LEGO sets! Jumping on the "blind box" bandwagon, they now sell "Mystery Boxes" as well. It's a fantastic spot to treasure-hunt and/or sell items from your weekend clean-outs. It's great to see a unique business like this continue to thrive.

Besides Bass Pro Shops, congratulations to 2nd & Charles for being the only retail store to survive…read morethe Harrisburg Mall. A huge store located in the former Toys R Us, with a tremendous selection of kids' books, records, and toys across all categories. There's even a free Mother's Day card creation event this Saturday for children. Plenty of staff around to answer questions. I need to bring in my husband's barely used hardcover books for reselling. Living in this digital age, it's great to see 2nd & Charles thriving. If you want new or get a great value with slightly used books, try the 2nd & Charles bookstore for a curated book experience. Earn points on every purchase.

Awesome and well organized selection of vinyl! What a beautiful town for such a great record shop…read more Super nice folks. Definitely worth the trip!

Awesomeness! Great value, selection for days & amazing service from WICKET…read more Here's a few amazing finds:

PROS: this place is the only record stores in the town. Their selection is amazing, their lounge is…read moregreat, and the prices are good CONS: the guy at the counter was grouchy and very introverted when we came in OVERALL: I don't think the hospitality was good but if you're just looking for a record than this is the spot to come to

My son bought 4 cassettes from Sweet Repeat Records. I tried to look through the vinyl records but…read morethe store smelled of cigarettes and the smoke smell was so strong that I had to go outside and wait until my son was through shopping. I'm normally one who wants to flip through all the records in hopes to find that album I have been searching for but this wasn't the place for me.

I've been collecting comic books for 50 years. I stopped by Comix Connection while on a trip. I'm…read moreso glad I did! The store was clean and neat and welcoming. They had a terrific selection of new comics and back issues, and their prices were reasonable. Nicky was friendly and helpful. I would definitely shop here again in the future.

This is a brightly-lit, well-stocked, and fun place to visit. The staff is friendly, they remember…read moreyou and your interests, and point out titles and upcoming events they think you might be interested in. I love the fact they carry toys, games, and books across many genres so there's weird and unusual items to browse and buy. They have frequent events and sales, plus they move items out through a clearance bin that always has something interesting. What I love most about the place is how outgoing it is. Customers talking fandom with the staff, sharing experiences and opinions (sometimes they have a "NO SPOILERS" sign up when a big movie comes out) makes this more than a shop. It's like a community center for the region's nerd herd.

What a great little shop! Tucked away in a corner off of Downtown Mechanicsburg's main drag, they…read morehave a wide selection of country, pop, and oldies that I loved. I walked out with a Simon and Garfunkel and a live Baez! The records are reasonably priced, my total being 25$ for three records and a few CDs. They also have CD's, but I would check the inside of the cases before purchasing! The John Mayer CD I thought I was buying actually had an anatomy and physiology lecture disk in it, which is definitely on me for not checking before I purchased. The shop also hosts local musicians throughout the week, which is a beautiful testament to the rich community in this area of PA.

Prices are good since the records are in good shape, the records are mostly 60s-80s, but there are…read moredefinitely some that I'm not used to seeing other places in the area. I didn't get through everything but the owner said he has newer stuff and a bunch of stuff of less interest in the back which I'm curious about. My brother picked up Roxy Music 'Country Life' and 'For Your Pleasure' for $9 a piece and I grabbed Little Feat and Ultravox albums. They all look all look and sound great. There's actually a lot in there for it appearing to be really small. It's also neatly arranged by genre. I'd like to do some looking in the R&B and soul sections. I'd like to get back one of these days but my schedule makes it difficult, too bad he's not open on Monday.

Love this place. Shop here all the time. It has grown over the years and im glad to be able to…read moresupport it when i can

I purchased a stereo set from Retro Addicts last month. The owners are not only nice and personable…read morebut knowledgeable about vintage stereo equipment and maintenance. He talked through each pieces' performance and maintenance to make sure my set up met my needs and would last. I enjoyed my conversations with them and my time there. I will definitely be back often to purchase records and have any maintenance done if necessary. High recommend their store! At least worth a visit.

For physical-media collectors, this is Central PA's best-kept secret. Really unique space jammed…read morewith CDs/vinyl, videogames, and DVDs/Blu-rays. On my first visit, I brought two boxes of (mostly boutique-label) DVDs/Blu-rays, and got a trade/cash offer that makes 2nd & Charles and FYE look like bigger chiselers than they already are. Substantial movie selection, split up by genre (Blu-rays have their own section), with a fairly even variety of used discs and rare/OOP titles in original shrink-wrap. Overstock movies have their own sections, with a "colored dot" bulk discount (good way to pick up some mainstream titles). I browsed for a little over an hour, but could've stayed even longer. The trade credit more than covered the stack of movies I picked up. And they even let me take along some cardboard boxes for an upcoming move. Will definitely be back.

I drove over one hundred miles to Soundcheck this morning for Record Store Day, and I wouldn't have…read moredone that if their customer service wasn't so great. I want to say, I don't collect records, I collect CDs, this was actually my first record purchase ever so I was nervous and desperate to get it. So I was grateful that when I called the Tuesday before that they informed me of the single copy of the record I wanted that they would have in stock (King James Version, Harvey Danger!). The day of I was late but lucky, as nobody had taken it yet, and when you were in line they had someone who would help find records for you. Yelp is insisting I say something about value, so I will say that this had an extremely fair price. This was a limited run collectors item and I know for a fact that they priced it well within the usual range for it sold throughout the states, even though they are a very small business is a very small town in the middle of PA. Not saying I expect small businesses to price gouge a little, but for this record and on this big record store day, I did expect to pay a premium and I got a very fair price. So these are honest people as well as helpful. Thank you!

What an awesome little find in Jim Thorpe, PA!…read more If you're a music lover, this place is definitely worth a visit. Soundcheck Records has an impressive selection of CDs and, believe it or not, cassettes for those who appreciate a little nostalgia. Their new vinyl inventory is outstanding, with plenty of albums spanning a variety of genres and artists. When I stopped in, the used vinyl section was a bit limited because many of the records had sold quickly--which is usually a good sign. One look at the prices and it's easy to understand why. Their pricing is fair and collector-friendly, making it hard to leave empty-handed. Beyond the music, they also carry concert T-shirts, mugs, and other music-related merchandise. I was also happy to find a nice selection of discounted Record Store Day vinyl releases, which is always a treat for collectors. What really sets this shop apart are the owners. They're incredibly friendly, knowledgeable, and genuinely passionate about music. If they don't have what you're looking for in stock, they're happy to special order it and even have it shipped directly to you. Jim Thorpe is full of unique shops, and Soundcheck Records is one of the best. If you're in the area, do yourself a favor and stop in--you never know what musical treasure you might discover.

This bookstore is a hidden gem. You could spend the day in there. There are a multitude of books…read moreto choose from, you will find what you are looking for, and maybe some things were didn't know you were looking for. Prices are great, customer service is just as great. There's a small off-street free parking lot behind the bookstore (enter from the alley off E. King St.).

While my book hunting days are largely over, on a recent trip I stopped back here as the York…read moreEmporium's old owner has retired, the shop has moved, and it's now under a new name. Street parking is available, and it is an easy walk even from around the corner. One of the noticeable things is the new location's building is in much better condition. There are almost certainly less books for sale now, but it's also less crowded, and everything is much more organized. Books are located on both levels of the shop, and they have one of the larger used selections you'll find at an independent shop. Other media for sale also include various movies and comic books. If you like independent used bookshops, this is worth a stop.