I stopped by here to search for some hard to find LPs. Been searching for a cheaper album by The…read moreSundays, but unfortunately couldn't find any. The staff was helpful, though, and suggested that I check out second-hand stores since the stuff I was looking for is already out of print! Selections here are still pretty good. I was able to find some rare records such as Joy Divison and New Order. Stuff you can't find in America. The record store sells mostly pricey brand new LPs, but CDs are still affordable.

I'm one of those people that loves the streaming aspect of digital media, but also miss perusing…read morestores like Tower Records for music, movies and books. When we stumbled into Fopp in Covent Garden, I was immediately in love. Not only did they have a ton of vinyl, band tees and movies on display, they had an impressive selection of really great books at super reasonable prices. I ended up picking up a copy of A Clockwork Orange and American Psycho on the cheap - something that I've been wanting, but now had no excuse. There are multiple floors to explore. Though it's on the smaller side, it still packs a punch!

So, made the mistake of trying to pop in here to grab a book however time was against me…read more Showed up at about 8 minutes to and was not permitted to enter because 'they had started clearing floors from the top'.YMMV but don't assume you can get in due to their published hours. I can on a Sunday not sure if they are more mellow when there is less God

I live in the US and order from UK bookstores quite a bit. This last time, I decided to try…read moreWaterstones a try since I wanted one of their signed editions. I will never make that mistake again. The book I received had tears and creases to the book jacket. I have included a couple of pictures to show what it looked like straight from the box. In the future, I will stick with Goldsboro Books, Coles, and a couple of others you know how to package and ship a book. Avoid this bookstore chain if you plan on having anything shipped

My husband LOVES to go record shopping when we travel to other countries, and Sound of the Universe…read morewas on the top of his list of London record shops. It also has the advantage of being located down the street from two other record shops, so it's like a three-fer. Anyway, Sounds of the Universe is in the most picturesque lovely building standing tall on a corner with an understated yellow "Records" sign pointing people towards the door. They have a wide selection of records that are really nicely organized, and the shop is really bright and clean. My husband said they were very smart because they had the type of record collection that encourages people who are into one style of music to explore and find additional albums that are related within easy reach.

I know it is a thing here to have a photocopy of the album cover instead of the actual album out;…read morebut I don't like it. Other than that, this shop is average at best. Was underwhelmed by the selection and organization of the shop. Didn't really find anything unique or desirable. The prices also reflect the higher end of the market. There are better deals to be had elsewhere.

We stopped into this record shop because it was down the street from Sister Ray and also Sounds of…read morethe Universe. To be honest, it was the least impressive of the three stores and we didn't buy anything. It wasn't a bad record shop. But it wasn't our particular type of music really, it was pretty small and very honestly it's dwarfed by its two neighbors in terms fo prowess as a go-to vinyl destination. Still, if you're in the area hunting vinyl, it wouldn't hurt to stop just to see what there is to see.

Not a great shop IMO. Better than Sister Ray, but the condition of a lot of the records was…read morehonestly quite disappointing. Lots of bag rash and cloudy LPs described as "VG+"... lol no. Those are junk. I did find a few things, and the staff were fine, but for the top dollar pricing they have on most of their records, you're better off taking a gamble on eBay. They also had very loud EDM playing over the speakers. I had a similar problem with sister ray. You want store music to be pretty neutral, not polarizing. I had to actually put my noise canceling headphones in to browse as the music was giving me anxiety.

Eccentric,and immensely likeable shop. Certainly,the most…read morecomprehensive for 2nd hand classical CDs in London.

From the owner: We buy and sell Classical and Jazz CDs & Records at very competitive prices…read more Our stock is wide-ranging and changes very rapidly - most of our stock is unsorted, making it ideal for browsing. Visit us often to find the latest bargains. We often have rare CDs, foreign labels, rarities etc. We offer competitive prices for CD/LP collections, whether large or small. Transport can be arranged if necessary. Visit us at our new shop at 104 Lower Marsh, 30 seconds from our old shop!

Record stores can be an intimidating place for a girl, especially one that has never successfully…read moreput on a record without dropping the needle or getting sweaty fingerprints all over everything. I am a music lover but grew up slightly too late in the last century to cultivate a record collection and am unfortunately a child of the comparatively uncool and prehistoric CD generation. Nevertheless, as a Hip Hop fan, vinyl and record stores hold a fascination and I often try to sneak in to them without being detected, sniffed out and mortified like the bumbling nerd in High Fidelity. However, I don't have to worry about this at Wyld Pytch because last time I went there I was actually invited inside. I was standing outside for a stalkerishly long time debating whether the Fela Kuti t-shirt in the window would fit me or not, when, out of nowhere, owner Digger Elias (yeah that's right) turned up behind me and said "like my shop? Come in!" So I did. They specialise in R&B, Funk, soul and of course Hip Hop, the staff are all DJs and there is a friendly atmosphere of camaraderie and shared love of music rather than the pretentious posturing often witnessed in record shops as the workers argue out the pros and cons of the most recent remix of a remixed remix. They also sell (a few) CDs and do a worldwide mail order service, however the best thing to me about the shop is the t-shirt collection, some of the best adorned with the faces of greats like Gil Scott Heron, Fela Kuti and Richard Pryor.

Don't walk too fast, you just might miss it. I think the bulk of Wyld Pytch's business is on-line,…read morebut a visit to their small store is essential if you love hip hop or if you are a DJ. Wyld Pytch specializes in Hip Hop, House, Breakbeats and much more. Their selection of t-shirts is impressive- they were having a big sale when we were there, plus they will cut you addl deals if you buy multiples... This is the type of place where regulars, staff and newbies can wax poetic on all topics from old school hip hop to Bansky. This place is a must for stocking up on your old head hip hop cred :)

Discretely tucked away at the entrance of Camberwell New Road (Camberwell Green entrance), there…read morehides a little treat for record geeks. When you first see the faded blue and yellow sign that simply says "CDs", you could almost be forgiven for mistaking the second-hand record store Rat Records with the cheapo discount stores that stock multiple variations on 80's hits compilations, or "Songs That Your Nan Used To Sing"; but, as you will find out, one shouldn't be so dismissive. Having known Camberwell for quite sometime now, Rat Records has become a little perk every time I visit. Although the décor doesn't really dispel the myth of the faded sign, and perhaps you could say it is a little "cosy" at best; if you are willing to invest some time rummaging through the broad selection of honestly priced vinyls, you will soon find something that will turn these "quirks" into "nice little character traits". In true audiophile fashion, albums are neatly filed under handy sub-genre based headings, such as; "UK Psychedelia", "US Indie", "Hip-Hop", "Classic Rock", "Jazz", and so on. However, despite the sign's invitation, Rat Record's selection of CD albums is somewhat limited. I think it's also worth a mention that, if you're like me and like to "try before you buy", be sure to have £10 to pay the deposit to borrow the headphones. Barring these factors, Rat Records makes for an excellent little store; you may also want to try your luck selling them some of your own old records, as thet always seem interested to see what you've got.

Awesome place. I knew as soon as I walked in that this place rocked. You better love vinyl. Even if…read moreyou don't have a turntable though, there is a great selection of used CD's. My only gripe about Rat Records is the size. It could take up a shop at least twice the size. The guys behind the counter are super cool. The prices are great. I knew when I walked in and saw the B-52s, Michelle Shocked, The Who and The Jam straight away that this place was the real deal. I left my CD collection back in the States. I will re-build it with the help of Rat Records. You guys rock.

Visiting from out of town, the set up to this place is unique, only cds on the floor and all the…read morevinyl is behind the counter. I also walked in a minute from closing time at 6pm, and thought I might buy a shirt, but was rudely told that they were closed. Will spend my money elsewhere like Reckless Records who are open until 7pm. Cheers!

Sister Ray is a super cool record store (and conveniently down the street from a few other great…read morerecord stores). My vinyl crazed husband spent some good time in here. So first, this is a two-story store with vinyl downstairs and CDs upstairs. The downstairs is IMPRESSIVELY organized, which just tickled my fancy because I love it when things are organized. All of the sleeves are empty - the records are kept behind the counter downstairs. And even when you walk up with a stack of records, the organization is so good that they can easily locate all of the albums you wish you wish to purchase in a flash. The staff was great and friendly and they really knew their music too. The young man helping us had a deep discussion with my husband about some artists I don't know. It was a really good stop. And bonus points for the cool vintage cassettes painted on the stairwell.

International entertainment agency, used them for my birthday party, recommend their jazz, belly…read moredancing and violin/piano reception!