I really don't like doing this, but sometimes it has to happen. My experience here was not good. I live in west Philly and as a collector of all things vtg 1950's, I was excited to take a new (to me) 1950's record player to the record shop to inquire about repairs. The person I purchased from told me it needed a new needle. Whether or not that's true I'll never know. The associate who helped me the day I dropped the player off was not the issue. They took a look at it, told me I needed to pay $20 for labor, and said they'd call me when they had a chance to look it over. I told the employee that I'd be willing to pay upwards of $150 to have it working because it was in really great shape cosmetically, and I WAS thrilled to have found it and bought it. It was beautiful..Money was not an issue, because this thing meant something to me. I was very vocal about this when I dropped it off. 2-3 weeks went by and I got a call. The person I spoke to was not the same person I handed the player over to. They told me that it was too complicated to fix and "not worth their time and effort." I Found that comment to be a dismissive, but whatever, they don't want to do it, that's fine, I wasn't mad. I told the person over the phone that I would be by to pick it up. Conversation ended. That week I stopped by the record shop to get it, and the person I spoke to on the phone was there. I know this because he told me he threw it away. The entire time we are having this exchange, he doesn't once look up from whatever it is he was reading or writing or whatever, all I knew in that moment was that a complete stranger was informing me that he had trashed my property, in a " I give zero fucks," kinda way. No eye contact, and no apology. It's like I was bothering him when I asked why they would do something like this after I told them I was coming to pick it up. His response was "that's not how I recall our conversation going." I am a west Philly nanny and had the babes I care for with me, so I calmly closed the door that day, but have felt livid ever since. I really try not to think about it, but its pretty impossible when I'm still waiting for a response to the email I sent them. I'll spare you the details about how painful this feels to have something that's irreplaceable, and gorgeous, just thrown away, especially because they advertize as A RECORD REPAIR SHOP..I really thought they might give a suit about what they do but it defineitly doesn't seem that's way. The careless employee who trashed my record player actually said out loud that I told them I didn't want it. WHAT! Considering he couldn't take one second to look up at me while telling me he trashed my property, doesn't bode well for someone trying to claim they were paying attention to the conversation In the first place. Take accountability! Apologize, or at the very least respond to my message on your website. Really wish I had gotten that dudes name, but I will be looking into that, and will update. I asked them to refund me the $20 and pay me the cost of the player. That's $70 It's not like I'm asking for a lot here, But like I said, they chose to do absolutely nothing other than take my money and destroy my property. I've been chatting w people in my community and it's seems this place has a reputation, and it's not pretty. If you want repairs done, look elsewhere. I sent the email to the record shop like two months ago. I waited and waited and waited before coming here. They literally left me co other choice. read more

BEST RECORD STORE in PHILADELPHIA HANDS DOWN! Not only did I receive excellent service, but the female co-owner was incredibly informed without talking to me like I know nothing about sound systems (which I really don't). A black and white cat hung out in the store (gotta love a record store cat) while she informed me about the system that would work best in my apartment. I went home and tried to put the speakers/turntable together on my own...as mentioned, my brain doesn't work well with technology. Something wasn't right. I called the store to ask for help, and the (female) co-owner CAME OVER TO MY HOUSE (I live 2 blocks from the store) to help me trouble shoot the issue. Turns out, I had not connected the power cable from the speakers to the turn table. (slapping forehead) I nearly hugged her. What a wonderful human being. I CANNOT RECOMMEND THEM ENOUGH. Thank you, Common Beat. You literally rock! read more

I really want to like this place, but the people who work there are beyond rude. On my first visit two months ago, I was greeted by a female employee who didn't even look up from her apathy when I said hello upon entering the shop. I gave her the benefit of the doubt, figuring perhaps she didn't hear me. After browsing for a few minutes, I inquired about a guitar strap for sale. She shrugged in my direction, as if I wasn't even worth farting on. So I left. I went back today, still wanting to like this place. I entered the shop, where the guy at the counter stood alone, seemingly expressing his distaste for soap to his cat. I said, "Hey, how's going?" Crickets. Literally no response. Pissed because this is the second time I received this reception, I approached: "Hi, what's your cat's name?" Dude looks up for a brief second. "Foxy." He then immediately returned to muttering small talk to his feet. So I left. Cliffs notes: Terrible customer service. Subpar vinyl selection. Sorry for your life, Foxy. read more

Nice friendly place with a great love of music an array of things for sale relating to music and the servicing of instruments.

The Marvelous has definitely gotten a last better since my last review. They stopped carrying comics, and halved the music selection into indie, used, local and vinyl So now you can only find the things that are a little harder to find which is pretty awesome. And they have a knowledgeable staff who are friendly and definitely know their music. But The Marvelous made their spot a lot more unique by making it more interactive. When they bought in the instruments, music accessories, turntables, and then some, they also bought in the people who are capable of repairing them. and they have had some interesting workshops like one for guitar pedal repair. They do offer occasional music lessons courtesy of some of West Phillys finest. But the best thing about the new Marvelous has been the fun shows that it has bought in! read more

The pricing and selection make it hard not to leave with more records than I can carry. The online listing of available records is priceless during these Covid days. I really appreciate their collection of Jazz and Classical records which I've not seen as much of elsewhere. read more

Fantastic place! They help repair new and old turn tables. Wonderful people and customer service. Highly recommend!

Love Common Beat Music. They have a great selection of used records with affordable prices. I plan to get back many more times. Staff was super helpful and friendly. read more

This is a gem and a great asset to the neighborhood. Ask for whatever albums you're looking for: these guys will get it in, whether it's soul, pop, r&b, or really anything. I honestly think that people who report that "the counter people were holier than though and didn't make me feel welcome" vibe either: A: were acting sullen, withdrawn, & did not make any attempt to say hello themselves (gotta say-seems to be a huge affliction in Philly), B: have watched "High Fidelity" too many times & have a preconceived notion of what record stores sound & feel like, Or C: have not stopped into this location on Baltimore, this year, and given it a chance. Part of the record store experience is going there to browse leisurely, listen to music, & learn about new-to-you stuff. A good record store clerk is not interested in judging your music taste. The astute ones will say, "hey, since you seem to like that adult contemporary-ish song you heard on WXPN, maybe you'll also like this CD reissue of Francoise Hardy!" Marvelous sells records, CDs, Cassette tapes, & some musical equipment & record players & accessories. Don't be afraid to have a music adventure! read more

In the interest of full disclosure, I haven't been to The Marvelous in a while, so this review might be in need of an immediate update. I've frequented the Marvelous enough times in the past to notice a change, however, and not for the better. I've always been in awe of their vinyl selection, and that's still the main draw. The loss of comics and a large part of their cd area has made the experience of browsing far less interesting. It's never bad to have just a good vinyl store in an area, it just means that the Marvelous has been downgraded from a great store to a pretty good one. A benefit to the Marvelous is the sheer amount of fliers and ads posted by the entrance- always good if your looking for an event or show to go to. read more

For those that have no idea, as it's not really indicated anywhere and thus those not 'in the know' wouldn't KNOW, this USED to be "Marvelous Records, Comics and Books" located on S. 40th Street. What's doubly confusing is that that storefront still exists and there's no real indication it isn't still operating. I just spent ten minutes googling "Marvelous Records, Comics and Books" trying to figure out how to contact them and *finally* came to the conclusion it was this place. Which was a let down, because I find this place to be operated by megadouchebags. Oh well. *edited - response to ownership's response: Yeah, yeah. Let me elaborate. When I came in, I immediately felt unwelcome. The guy with whom I interacted seemed like he would rather do anything other than sell me records. It was a real let down. I used to shop at your other location like five years ago and it was always so much fun. The whole concept of a record store is outdated, so those of us who still come to one want to enjoy ourselves, not feel like the guy behind the counter thinks we aren't good enough to give him our money. You're not a bank or a McDonald's; there should be some joy in what you do. And for the record, I came back after writing this review - with a friend no less - and got the same chilly reception. read more

My man Greg is a crate digger five star general. He's got more 45's than the Dodge City Museum... and Greg was saying to me recently how legit The Marv really is. I've been going in and out for three years. The guys who run the place seem cool, but you can easily sense that they'd give your grandmother 10 bucks for your grandfather's record collection, before slanging it for thousands. Fine and good. The Marvelous has the best vinyl in West Philly. The stuff is all premo, not crappy junk. They specialize in Soul, Funk, R&B. However, unlike the spots downtown, they also have proper sections in Electronic, New Wave, Surf Rock, and Rockabilly. You gotta love all that. Equally, the Jazz section in the back is humbling. The prices aren't. Like most dedicated record stores, you're not gonna get a 100 dollar Incredible Bongo Band Italian pressing for 50 cents. What you will get is no junk. When people are new at buying records, they pick up crap. For $3-$12, you can guaranteed stuff... that worst case scenario, will hold better than half its value should you go to eBay. The CDs are overpriced, but they do house some Indie Rock and Hip-Hop that you can't get just anywhere. I'm not a comic book head, but there's always people scanning their collection. Lastly, they have the music mags that Borders and B&N are too dumb and too corporate to carry. I love The Marvelous, and no crate-digger ever lets his secrets out easily... but I want places like this to THRIVE. So, all that being said, if I see you grabbing my records there... it's trouble t-roy. kid-ding, sorta. Quite frankly... if I ever marry up in the world, this is the kind of store I'd dream of opening. read more

I went in here when I had 30 minutes to kill before I saw a movie at The Bridge. Its a small shop in the basement. There are a bunch of boxes with vinyl records stacked on either side of the entrance and to the main wall on the left hand side as you walk in. It looked like they had a decent selection of vinyl rock. But since I"m a jazz junkie I headed over to the jazz vinyl section. They had a decent selection albeit limited in size. The prices weren't consistent with the shape of the albums. They had albums that were priced at 12.98 and 14.98 that were not that rare(One album had been recently re released on LP and vinyl) and had a bunch of scratches on them. Craziness. The used/new Rock CD section again looked pretty large, but I was on the hunt for some used jazz CD's. Again, the used jazz CD section is fairly limited in size. But they did have a decent variety of jazz artists/bands. As well they had some albums on rarer/import labels at very reasonable prices. I managed to pick up a Chet Baker live CD released by a Danish label that is really hard to find. Next time I"m in the neighborhood I"ll see if there's any other hidden gems here. read more

First off, one must give it up to anyone who has either the gaul, balls, or lack of good sense to open a shop that sells both comics and music in an age where no one even knows how to read and music's illegally downloaded from the Net. That said..., The Marvelous is pretty decent, if not quite "marvelous". I really appreciate a place that sells comics and their selection is good enough for the non-back issue compulsive buyer. No, you're not going to fill in the missing issues of your Rom: The Space Knight collection, but you will find a good selection of standard Marvel/D.C. fare as well as good independent books. As for the music, if you're an indie rock fan, this may be more to your liking. Jazz wise, they have a ways to go but again, that probably isn't their target audience. A good place to hit up on the way home if you work at Penn and want some reading to do. read more

Successfully serviced my turntable and receiver. Reasonable prices and friendly folks behind the counter. Much appreciated.

This place was a little different from what I'm used to in a record store. A lot of used, older records, which I'm normally fine with, just not what I expected. Also the layout was a little confusing as well. I gave this place 4 stars mainly for the adventure to find this place, considering I had no idea they changed locations and aren't on 40th street anymore. New Address: 4916 Baltimore Ave. Philadelphia, PA 19143 read more

I have been going here since it was The Marvelous. Even though its a new place they have continued amazing service. I bought a turntable and a guitar here and they went above and beyond to accommodate​ those two products. Support this fine business. read more

The Marvelous has quite a good selection of $1 vynil records when you walk through the door. And that's really about the only reason I go there. Living only about four blocks from this store I really wanted to like it. It would be so nice to be within walking distance from an independently owned record store and one which carries a vast array of music that isn't classified as "pop". Unfortunately The Marvelous hasn't got this selection. What is has got is a lot of turntables, and various musical instruments. More often than not I've walked into the store in search of something, only to walk out empty handed. Now I will say to their credit that the staff is very pleasant to deal with and has offered to special order something for me. However, if I know what I want and have the cash in hand to buy it, I can just as easily go to Amazon.com and order it myself. Not only that but the cd will arrive at my own front door. I really hate to be harsh in this review, but hopefully it will encourage The Marvelous to up their cd selection. read more

This place has the best vinyl hip-hop selection I have encountered in Philadelphia. I found so many gems in here, and the prices are way better than at AKA in Old City (which is another great store). I came away with the soundtracks to Belly, Rush Hour, a Roots single, and Tony Touch's the Piece Maker Vol. 1 all for under $17 total. The guy working the Friday night shift also seemed really knowledgeable and was a friendly guy, even informing me and my fellow friend about a show going on at 50th and Beaumont later that night. I will definitely be back to The Marvelous. Highly recommend for all hip-hop heads in the Philly area. read more

My favorite music store in Philadelphia. Great service and a friendly warm atmosphere. I brought my 1964 Westinghouse turntable in there and they had it rocking with a new needle and cartridge in no time. I've also purchased many vinyl albums there. Great all around service great selection and great place to hang out. Glad to have a store like this around the corner. Thanks, D.Wallace read more

For some reason, the slackers who put ratings on Yelp (especially the tiresome, overly entitled, trustafarian, "Elite" Yelpers) can't manage to swing 5 stars for the Marvelous. They seem to have no idea how rare such places are in most cities. To find a basement shop with: great indy vinyl, old "muscle stereo" receivers (big, heavy, well-made Marantzes, Sonys and such), turntables, used effects pedals, guitar strings, CDs, and more -- at great prices... It's awesome. If you don't give the Marvelous 5 stars, you are jaded and should simply dig a large hole, fall in and pull the the dirt back over you. A must check regularly kind of place. read more

What a great place. I've been struggling to get my turntable fixed for more than a year and the Marvelous finally helped me out. I've been to a dozen different shops who couldn't even find the appropriate needle for my machine. Most told me I needed to buy a new cartridge, but they couldn't get the cartridge I needed. I took my turntable into the Marvelous and was gone in 20 minutes, with a new needle installed (no cartridge necessary) and a handful of awesome records. Highly recommended. read more

A great place to hang out and shuffle through rack of old vinyl on a rainy (or sunny) afternoon, The Marvelous is a business run by people who are more into things like graphic novels, comic books and great, rare music than, say, making a lot of money. To start with, I lived about a block from the store for almost six months until I even realized it was there, in the same shopping strip as Smokey Joe's and a Qdoba burrito joint. But if you're into this sort of thing, or even if you're just curious about it, The Marvelous provides a very cool atmosphere, where the music is always great and the used CD rack always has something you've been meaning to check out. Save the independent record stores! read more

Whenever I go I always find something. I've never left empty handed. The owner Brian is very helpful and friendly. I've been going for almost two years now and love to go visit. I had to get a new stylus needle for my record player, Brian ordered it and got it in for me within two days. read more

Awesome place for used music--CDs and vinyl! The selection of $1 used CDs outside the shop drew me in, as I found one outside that was on my music wishlist for quite some time. When I walked in, I was greeted by the friendly sales associate whose name I did not catch who pointed me in the direction of more $1 used CDs as well as the rest of the individually priced used CD selection. Much to my delight, I found a few more CDs I had been hoping to find for quite some time and the sales guy shared in my enthusiasm for Weird Al (always makes my day when I meet fellow Al fans)! I can't wait to come back! read more

I went here for a show last night, not the most unique venue I have ever been in but was definitely unusual. As a venue its pretty cramped and the layout was weird. The staff was friendly and the bands were good. Overall a good place. read more

Nice mixture of novelty and music. Great eclectic feel and a good place to find rare records. The employees at the time I lived in Philly were great. Friendly, funny, knew music well (either had a band or were DJs also). read more

They have a nice selection of various music, both new and used, on vinyl and CD. Staff is somewhat helpful and knowledgeable. Not too bad a place to find some hidden gems, if you look hard enough. read more

Fixed my Omnichord quickly, solidly, and at a reasonable rate. Good service and communication. Has helped me out a couple times having things I've needed - mic cables, drumsticks, etc. Great place to have in the neighborhood. read more

For those of us who know that new records come out on Tuesdays, and who have, since childhood, eagerly awaited those release days to run to our local record stores, The Marvelous should be a place of refuge. In an age in which iTunes, inSound, etc., threaten to destroy the viability of small, independently owned record shops and the communities of listeners/browsers/snobs that they sustain, The Marvelous has a sacred duty: stock your new releases the day they come out! Unfortunately, this is a duty they have almost never, in my experience, honored. We don't want to pre-order CDs on Amazon or download albums online. We just want to hear our music when it drops. Help us, The Marvelous. Help us help you. read more

its really chill and relaxed. it has hard to find music and really cool mixes and things you probably never heard of but should try. the employees were nice as well read more