I was recently back in Philly for work event so I decided to hit up one of the few shops I've yet to visit. I was only able to swing by because they have late hours, til' 9pm so that's a plus. I was greeted upon entry. The shop and inventory is relatively small, but organized well. I knew they had thousands listed on their discogs page too, but they are in a separate warehouse. I found one record in the shop and I asked the guy at the counter about a two records I was interested in on discogs. He told me to purchase on discogs what I wanted and they'd be delivered to shop next day. He told that's what they do for anyone who is interested in discogs inventory, want to save on shipping, and still check out shop. So, if you do plan on going to this shop plan ahead and let them know. They'll have your records packed and ready for you at the counter. I was very happy with overall service. The prices were fair, and condition was solid on onesa looked at with the exception of a few. The shop also carries cassettes, dvds, vhs, and I wanna say some CDs. There's also a listening station too. read more

NEVER EVER BUY FROM B.W.S ordered CD from beautiful world syndicate 1/11/25, they mailed out CD 3 days later , got it about a week later. the artist was in town for me to get it signed - but B.W.S. sold it on Discogs SIGNED already -- so no need for me to pick it up the last day Augustin Hadelich was in town. 5 days Later AFTER he left town I picked up CD which B.W.S advertised with a Picture, nonetheless, signed...yet they mailed a CD was NOT SIGNED ! I called the store, they literally said "nothing we can do from this end." They SOLD the CD online from there, mailed it from there. NEVER EVER BUY from B.W.S. They are frauds when it comes to selling anything online ! read more

Great people. Mediocre vinyl selection. I am Guessing that the great vinyl gets stashed away for Discogs and the like. Still, it's fun to rummage through the bins, even though there wasn't much nuggets. read more

Beautiful World Syndicate - New Arrivals. Sort of - Music & DVDs Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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99% based online through their Discogs sales page now. If you do a store walk-in there are less than 100 records actually out and available to purchase on the spot, but they have an inventory of literally 100,000+ items on Discogs. Regardless of where you buy, the staff you interact with are surly and obnoxious, and not in that cool punk kind of way. read more

Best selection of cassettes in philadelphia ran by cool and helpful people. They sell some turn tables and gear that I don't usually see elsewhere along side vhs tapes, records & cds ranging in genre and vibe. Call them if you're looking for something specific even if you don't see it in store. The world would surely be less beautiful without it. read more

My favorite local record store! Everyone there is super-helpful and knowledgeable, and they have 100,000+ items on their Discogs. If you order there, just pick "local pickup" and there's no shipping fee! read more

The boyfriend and I go to BWS every time we're in Philly. It's our thing. This is a great used record shop. It also has some interesting magazines and books (quality over quantity - there are more records here). Beautiful World syndicate is one floor (there's a set of stairs, but upstairs is for employees only). The listening station is by the front of the shop by the store window. You'll find rarities at good/fair prices here. There are a good number of stacks to rifle through even though it's a relatively small shop. The store is nested in a densely packed neighborhood, so you'll need to find street parking if you're using wheels to get here. It's a doable walk from the Tasker Morris Station, too. If you come here, plan to stay here a while. There is so much to check out, but you should also allot some time to listen to your records to check sound quality before purchasing anything. I love Beautiful World Syndicate! read more

Beautiful World Syndicate - Music & DVDs Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Pro: A small record store with a "listen before you buy" option as you have the ability to dig through the crates in search of rare finds and hidden gems?!? This is right up my alley! BWS has a few recent releases and "old dusties" to look through...give them a try and see what you find. I pulled a few rare reggae and funk records for the collection. Also, they have some limited merchandise too. I can actually say without exaggeration that I went there and "bought the T-shirt"! Con: Like with most used record shops, it's tough to find 2 copies of any given item. For anyone that DJs using vinyl, best of luck! Bottom Line: I dig there today, and I shall dig there again tomorrow! But don't take my word for it; visit BWS at your earliest convenience! read more

This review pertains only to the mail order/ online experience through Discogs/PhiladelphiaMusic, not a visit to BWS, the physical store. After clarifying that the used items that I saw on the Discogs site can't be pulled to be placed on hold at the store, I decided to go ahead & give them my business. A week later I have the Kronos Quartet's & Asha Bhosle's CD of R. D. Burman's Bollywood music. The disc was rated "very good plus," but it's pretty "near mint" to me. Another disc of Celtic folk songs still had the wrapper on it. Both of these for just $10. Pleased with the conditions of the items, ordering from the Discogs site was easy, & the order was packaged well for shipping. I will order from here again. read more

What can I say? I freggin' love this bunch! Totally responsive staff - love doing business with them. They've got an AMAZING selection with super duper good pricing - like one of the best out there. Great sense of humor I might add, as well. If you're ever in Philadelphia, stop in - and if you're not, hit them up on discogs ... https://www.discogs.com/seller/philadelphiamusic/profile read more

While I still have yet to officially check out their store front, I do know these guys have a damn good selection of CDs, albums, and even some DVDs. If you've ever been to an R5 show at the First Unitarian Church then you may very well be aware of the huge bins of CDs and records that they sell in the back. This is the store that provides these bins and they always seem to offer such an uncanny selection inside them. Wasn't there another record store that was associated with R5 not too long ago? Oh Yeah, SPACEBOY! and we all know how good those guys were. so who knows, it might just be a beautiful world after all. More too come when I finally hit up the official store front... read more

My biggest gripe about record stores in Philadelphia has always been the selection. I mean, let's face it: anyone who frequents actual stores selling RECORDS is used to clutter, dust, dirt, cramped spaces and everything that goes along with "the search"...heck, a lot of record collectors really enjoy the process of digging to find a gem. What's great about Beautiful World Syndicate, particularly their South Philly location, is that in terms of vinyl they have a SLEW of music. And for someone like me who collections 12" pop/dance/rock singles from the 80's and 90's, their constant influx of incredibly cheap but-in-good-condition choices keeps me coming back for more. However what BWS specializes in is punk rock, with some jazz and R&B. If you're a casual pop rock fan, you're not going to have a big score at a store like BWS. The CD selection is miniscule and very selective; don't expect to bring in your old pop/rock CD's and trade them in for store credit, because they won't want them. Also, besides things being sorted into genres, everything is a completely disorganized mess. You will literally have to crawl under tables and through dust and dirt in order to go through boxes on the floor and stacks of records to find what's lurking. What's good about this is that often times even THEY don't know what's laying around. I bought a special DJ promo pre-release vinyl of the album "Erotic" by Madonna for $3; I knew I was getting a huge deal but didn't know HOW huge until I got home and found it selling online for $100 and higher... The bottom line is this: if you are a genuine lover of vinyl and you have the time and patience (and non-fear of filth) to invest in searching for records - or if you are a fan of punk music and want that new 7" or 12" that just came out - BWS is the place to go. read more

I think that BWS is a good record store and worth a visit, for sure. Some thoughts: - the selection of used vinyl is very good, nigh overwhelming. If you were going through each bin carefully, you could easily spend all day in here. And you will find great stuff hidden amongst multitude of records. - the condition of the records is very hit or miss. I usually shop at Main St. Music in Manayunk, and they have an extraordinarily high standard for the vinyl they sell. At BWS, you really have to check the vinyl before you buy it. I bought 6 or 7 records here and didn't really look at the condition (my fault), and about half were in very rough condition--lots of skips, pops, and hiss. The worst part of this is that the price did not reflect their condition. I think some were as high as $8, when other stores would have probably (if they didn't trash these) move them for next to nothing. - the staff was nice enough if you asked for help. Overall, I would make the trip here again for a day of browsing, but I would check the quality of the records carefully before buying. Cool spot. read more

I need to update my review now that I've been to a few other record stores in Philly. None of them come close to having the selection that BWS has. And although the prices here are still a little steeper than I'd like, they are far more reasonable than those of AKA Music and Philadelphia Record Exchange. Every time I enter this store (at least once a week), I have to put down at least five records before I check out. They always have something that excites me. And excuse me, Aaron L., "Record King" (please): I would appreciate not being referred to as "the lady". My name is right there. Secondly, I was merely referring to the selection of Princeton Record Exchange, not what they pay you for your records. I've never actually tried to sell anything there, so I wouldn't know. I have, however, tried to sell records to BWS and they barely took any of them, but I didn't factor that into my review. Granted, I bought a big lot and was trying to get rid of a fair amount of absolute crap, but there were some decent records in there... the guy didn't really take the time to weed through them. Aaaanyway, I'm rating these stores based on what they sell, not what they buy. Thanks. Moreover, the Princeton Record Exchange has a SHITLOAD of awesome records for $2 or less. BWS has barely any records for this price that are worth looking through. This store is great for gems, but when you find the gems (and I guarantee you'll find at least one while you're there), expect to pay a pretty penny for them. I'm giving this five stars because it's the best record store I've yet been to in Philly, but the lack of cheap records really takes away from what could be a mecca for record-collectors. read more

I sallied forth into South Philly for another Sunday adventure after reading Arthur A's review of this place's sister store in West Philly. I was struck first by the utilitarian look of the place. Its basically a store with painted walls and a absolute buttload of boxes with records in it. Once you take a minute to look around you realize that the new used and new arrivals are up front. Although its a little irritating because they have boxes of records underneath tables laden/groaning with boxes of records. So sometimes you have to maneuver around standing and sitting people. Still there weren't too many people there so it wasn't a big issue. As noted previously, their used CD/CD collection is pretty limited. I did notice a few gems in there. It looked like someone sold off some collections of various artists,so you might be able to pick up some deals. The used CD's were all 7 bucks, which isn't bad for used CD's. So I came here to have a vinyl experience. Boy did I ever. It took me over 1/2hr just to get to the M section in used jazz. There were albums I'd never seen before either as a record or CD. I came away pretty impressed with their depth/breadth of jazz. The organization is pretty loose. They file by alphabet, but its a loose file as there were B's in the G's, G's in the J's, etc etc. I attribute some of that to sneaky people like myself burying records in the wrong place so the lazy shopper won't find them before they come back with enough money to buy them. Prices were fairly reasonable for the most part, ranging from mostly 5-8 bucks to 12-20 depending on the record. I did wonder at the pricing for a few albums where it was 6 bucks and up for albums that were pretty scratched. My only peeve was that the boxes of records were on narrow tables and they had boxes jutting out from underneath the tables. This made it extremely awkward to get to the records in the back of the table. In contrast, places like Tequila Sunrise and LITT have better shelving and organization. I'll definitely be back again. Though I'm gonna have to do what I do when I play poker and only carry a set amount of money. Otherwise I could spend an absolute fortune there. read more

It isn't always such a beautiful world and in the case of this particular record shop, with a particular ironic title, has reminded me about how evil this world is. I came here about three months ago when I was desperate to make a buck by selling old records, dvds, tapes, and cds. What I ended up getting from the sales clerk was horrible offers, especially when another guy told me he got a great haggle selling his collection. As I left with a mesley forty-something dollars selling a total of four dvds, ten cds, and five record, I felt ROBBED! Especially when I came to a different store where I sold less stuff and walked out with more money. I can understand that record stores are having trouble already with sales themselves and are reluctant to buy material, worried it won't really sell. But it's a risk we all have to take. I guess my risk was wasting time trying to get a good dollar off a guy who should be in a Coen Brothers movie. I can only say I did happen to find some good stuff to buy but be warned, unless you know the dudes personally, you're wasting your time and money trying to trade or sell. read more

As a vinyl junkie and Philadelphia resident I've been to almost, if not all the record stores in the city and I have to say by far Beautiful World Syndicate is my favorite. They have a super large collection of vinyl with fair prices. I've been able to pick up hard to find records and not break the bank and as a college student that's something that is really essential in a record store. The staff is extremely helpful and the records are very well organized, although as I frequent the shop more and more I'd highly encourage you to check out the new arrivals section on the right just as you walk in. These records aren't organized by genre or artist but some of the best records I've found in this store were in that section. They also have turntables available for you to listen to the records before you buy, which you don't always see and is very much appreciated. If you're a lover of vinyl and anywhere near Philly be warned - you will want to come back all the time! read more

They wrote a negative review online because of a misunderstanding over an order and refused to delete it. Very petty people, avoid at all costs! read more

The most ignorant, unhelpful staff I have ever encountered in my 20 years of collecting vinyl. Acted as if I was almost a bother.

One of my new favorite record stores. Good foundation of incense blends perfectly with the aroma of dusty, musty record jackets and the system is bumping out excellent tunes. Very deep new arrivals bin greets you as you walk in, though not sure how often it's refreshed. Wall records are immaculately curated, but they know what they've got and you won't necessarily be finding a bargain, but it is a sign of what is to come, namely excellently curated bins. Made some awesome pickups: Kim Fowley, Metallica, Alan Vega... and ended up having to pass on more than I purchased given that I don't want to lug more than 15 records on the plane! Will have to make a dedicated trip back when the weather is nicer and I bring a record bag! read more

Very small record store and not much of a selection. Also pretty pricey. The staff was a bit stand-offish to be quite honest. They were not very personable and when I asked at checkout if I could use card, the guy said "I don't know" and had to ask someone else and they were laughing together about him not knowing. How do you not know this? Can't even use the fact that he was new as an excuse because he definitely seemed as comfortable as an old friend when talking to his co-workers. Not to mention, the layout of the store was confusing. I wasn't sure where I was and was NOT allowed to go. They have an upstairs for the bathroom, but there was also a back door that was wide open that led to a huge room with many records. Since it was open, I went in. But apparently I wasn't allowed up there, but nobody said anything until I literally asked "Uhh, is this room for customers" and one of the workers was like "Oh, no, you can't be up here." Ok cool, but when were you gonna tell me? Anyway. I felt the staff were unprofessional and kinda walkin around like they would at their own home. They were super casual, which I usually don't mind, but when a customer's around, don't act like we don't exist and be able to answer questions. Weird vibe overall. read more

The best vinyl record store in philadelphia. Hands down. No bs, just friendly staff and people who know their wax. Prices are very fair, you'll find collectors pieces here, but you'll also find some bargains as you dig. read more

To the BWS in West Philly - Thanks for throwing out SO MUCH STUFF all the time, that I don't even have to shop there! I would feel foolish to give you all of my old 45 gems, just to think that they might go out with the evening trash. Seriously, how do you guys get any business? read more

Found some great old school Latin vinyl. Not a large section for Latin but got lucky with some key finds. Nice and hefty Jazz and Punk sections. The place is bit dusty but I guess if your afraid of some dust while digging for vinyl you shouldn't be looking and should just stick to eBay, Amazon or Discogs. The prices are reasonable. Nice artwork in the process on the back wall. read more

I'm from Michigan, and I love shopping in the Detroit area, but I also love Philadelphia's record stores for similar reasons. BWS is a great little shop and the one I've found most loaded. I'm not a hardcore "NM" record buyer. With BWS, that's good. They know how to grade records, so they have nice stuff at prices that nice stuff obliges, but they don't shy away from "EX" or "EX+" level platters. I like this, because it means I can find decent copies of records I want at reasonable prices (Pet Sounds, $3...). If you find something cool (e.g., I found a bunch of 70s Bowie here last visit) at prices that seem too low, don't forget to look at the vinyl itself... just so you know what you're paying for. Dudes here are cool record store type dudes. Not sure how helpful they are, but seriously, if you want "help," maybe a used vinyl shop is not where you should be. read more

Ok, so, I heard about this place from my neighbor and had to check it out. And judging by all the reviews, I had high hopes for this place being "the best record store in Philly", and it was in my top 5. Lots (and when I say lots, I mean it) of used records, more than one person can look through in one day. Left with The Doors "13", Led Zeppelin "Physical Graffiti" (it wasn't complete, but I didn't care for $2 and a nice piece of wall art) and a Univox test press, all for $15 well spent. Totally going to return quite soon. read more

Probably my favorite spot in Philly to dig. I really like the randomness of their "New Arrivals" section. There are many rare jems to be found in there. Their staff is ultra chill and just let you do your thing.Their prices are also very fair. Not that I want this place to get any more crowded, but I would recommend checking this place out. read more

The soul/jazz selection is disappointing and not easy to navigate. Does not meet expectations. I did find a couple good records but not as much as I would have liked to. read more

Great record store, I was goin insane trying to find "Life of Leisure" from Washed Out and they had it, very happy about that. And they take credit cards! -AM read more

This is a great record store specializing in vinyl with a solid new arrivals section. I picked up and OOP Will Oldham release for 3 bucks. It's not hard to go and accumulate a stack quickly. This place isn't wheelchair accessible but my mission is to write about why or why not a place isn't wheelchair accessible because often times inaccessibility can be easily negotiated. So all you wheelchair users out there shouldn't write off all these places so quickly. The place has two big steps going up to the store. I am partially ambulatory, so the way I and others should approach this situation is to ask for help and use a shoulder to steady yourself and go up the two steps. The staff here is kind and helpful. They saw me outside looking in and immediately came to the door to ask if I needed help. Once you are in there is a level with all the new arrival records. You could spend a day here. But if you want more you can check out the next level in the back which is one step up surrounded by records that you can steady yourself with. Up here you'll find the main stock filed alphabetically and all the bargain boxes. If you are non-ambulatory I'm sure the staff won't have a problem with piggy-backing you up. They are really nice and even ask if you're hunting for something specific to save you from having to go up to the next level. Overall accessibility is not only about easy access but also about the way you're treated. Though BWS hasn't perfected the former they have a good grip on the latter. read more

Why 4 and not 5? Well, not for any fault of BWS, it's just that I'm not a vinyl junkie. I wish I were - I wish I had the space for records, crates of them - I would use them as my furniture and use spare ones as dishes. I would bathe in vinyl records, cut my hair with them, and floss my teeth with them. ....but alas, I can only hunt for used cds and dvds, and even THAT is an imposition on the spacial limitations of my tiny apartment. That being clear, I DO INDEED love Beautiful World Syndicate. The prices are right, the atmosphere is welcoming, and the employees are awesome and are always playing great music that keeps me in the store far longer than I ever plan. It's like being transported into High Fidelity, minus Jack Black. No one there is that uppity. I DO wish there was a bigger used cd/dvd collection, but they DO have the whole collection of every season of the Golden Girls on dvd. Now that's saying something. ....SOMETHING GODDAMNED AWESOME. read more

one of two of my favorite record stores in the city! i have been collecting records for only about four years, but some of my best records have come from this place! I love digging through their stacks of new arrivals (that's where all the best records are, since they're new, maybe they haven't had chance to get picked over yet). Today I found Ahmad Jamal, The Smiths, & Talking Heads (among a ton of others that I already had but were of a very high calibur). There are also boxes and boxes of records on the floor underneath the main records that are organized. Sometimes checking these have yielded some good finds too! The back of the store has all the organized stuff by genre and alphabetical order that aren't new arrivals. They recently did some rearranging and it is a LOT easier to see what's going on back here, now. They have lots of new releases, as well. Folk, World, Hip Hop, Jazz sections, too. The prices are probably the best in the city, too. Other record stores may have a good selection, but I laugh in their face once I see the price tag (I love when I find a really awesome record that I bought at Beautiful World for cheap somewhere else where it costs triple the cost....YEAH RIGHT). If you're looking for something specific, come here often, because one day could make the difference between a successful search and an unfruitful one! All in all, SOLID place. read more

This is, bar none, the best record store in Philadelphia. It has a great selection of all kinds (indie, old punk, jazz, blues, ect.) and just plain weird albums. There is a constant stream of new records,and the prices are insane. Most of the records cost five dollars, which is proving kind of fatal as I can walk to the store very easily from my house. However, for you CD fans, be warned that this is mostly a vinyl store, although they do have a good smaller collection of CDs. SUPER RECOMMENDED. read more

They have a small selection of mostly cheap records, others are very over priced Staff are seen dumb and off putting and unwelcoming, seem like they are too busy when actually doing nothing. Bad vibes Poor layout, not stocked well They have a lot of records at the end of first floor they could use as store space but you cannot go back there Also there are hundreds if not thousands of records upstairs you can not look at while there are a bunch of people doing something up there Will not return read more

Best used record store in south philly and one of the best in the whole city. Go here and have a chat with whoever's working. It's a really chill place, promise. Like the others said, make sure you check out the contents of whatever you're buying because used records are...USED. read more

There are aspects of your shop that i LOVE. There are other things I don't. Yes, I'm being vague.

Stoney, unhelpful staff. But maybe I don't fit the profile? I am older, clean shaven. Worse, I wore a polyfill coat and said"hello" when I entered! I'm not into vinyl, which removes the one reason I might ever go there again. I did buy a few used cd's (at good prices! That's why not 1 star), but out of a very short selection. The real reason I was there was to buy an obscure CD compilation I saw listed with the online part of the business. Since it was going to be a gift, I wanted to eyeball it first (the advantage of an actual store...). But the counterperson insisted that it had been sold, informing me that the internet is a 24hr. business, and advised me to buy things when I see them. I asked her to double check, maybe with the guys right there in the back who appear to be running the online sales? No dice. Of course, later I saw that the item I was looking for is still listed by the shop for sale on Discogs. I always try to do business with local, actual stores where possible. But "Beautiful World..." won't be one of them. read more

The cashier/only employee wasn't very friendly and did not greet me when I entered, nor did they say anything when I left. My experience was very awkward, as there were just a bunch of old dudes standing around and going through the records. I could hardly look at anything because they were just kind of hogging everything. The cashier also gave money out of the register to this other man who was probably an employee, but this is quite unprofessional to do so in front of customers even if it's owed by these two???? I feel like you have to be a midlife crisis wannabe hipster to like this place. read more

This is it! This is how record stores should be run! Dirty, Dusty, practically no cds, listening stations on the fritz, piles and piles of stuff in every possible condition. Anyone who thinks that this place is pricey needs to do time in LA or NYC, because BWS prices are to die for. If you actually love the music you're looking for and finding that special record even if its obvious that bongwater has been spilled all over the cover than this is your store. If you are more concerned with plastic bags and torn corners than you need to move out of your mom's basement. read more

Cool little shop. Acquired a good copy of Kraftwerk's "The Man-Machine" for $10. Painless to search through its stacks.