We visited Amoeba Music yesterday, and the staff there were so welcoming to our doggie Meatball…read more They even gave him some treats. So nice! :) I bookmarked this spot to visit since it was my boyfriend's 1st visit in Berkeley, and I thought this was a cool store to check out. We did have to check in his backpack at the entrance of the store, which is no issue. They have lots of selection of music, and my bf found a vinyl that he has been looking for a long time - The Big Lebowski one. He was so happy! This is definitely a good spot to check out if you're into music and especially if you want to get vinyls and cds. They also have some cool lunch boxes and posters as well plus other interesting items. Parking in Berkeley can be tough though. We drive around for about 18 minutes before we finally found a spot to park.

The customer service here is very poor. The person at the door explained their policy to us in an…read moreirritated manner, as if we were supposed to know that we cannot wait at the counter while the DVDs are being evaluated for pricing. On top of that, I asked an employee where their DVDs are, as not every section is clearly marked, and he pointed below me and said they are right down there as if I was supposed to know that. I was not expecting this kind of horrible customer service. It was my first time here and will definitely be my last.

Another excellent music store with a huge selection and reasonable prices on a lot of the items…read more Both Rasputin and Ameba (when they both open, check hours) make for a perfect record shopping day in Berkeley. Really happy with the selection here but of course that opinion is bit subjective, its well worth the trip if you are a tourist staying in San Francisco. Easy to get to on the bart, a short walk from the station.

Cool spot near Amoeba, making it easy to check out both stores while you're in the area. They have…read morea decent selection of CDs and vinyl across almost every genre, along with movies downstairs. The basement and main floors are open for browsing, while you'll need to ask the front desk to access the classical section upstairs. Prices are fair at the most part, and it's a great place to revisit occasionally to see what rare or collectible items have come in. There is also plenty of good restaurants and coffee spots nearby too.

I've come here now two times after passing by for years but being too busy to stop in. It is…read morecrammed inside. Watch your step, and start browsing. When I came in a few weeks ago I was the only one inside and was looking for Queen - Hot Space. Who I assume to be the shop owner knew he didn't have it, but showed me the Queen section and I walked out with The Game. There was also a flyer at the checkout area advertising a record sale going on at USF, so props for advertising other record finding events. Everything isn't here. It's a local vinyl shop that has so much to look through, and if you're into that then this is the record shop for you. It gives me the thrill of thrifting back in 2007-2016, but for records. I walked out with international vinyls showcasing music from Brazil and Nicaragua last weekend, but finding the Thriller album was icing on the cake. I wasn't really looking for it, but there is a Jackson 5 section showcasing many of the Jackson 5 albums and their individual projects. Service - I had great service the first time I went because no one else was there. The second time I went, the service was still good but being that it was busy, he pointed me to the exact locations I could find what I was looking for if it was there. I feel like he really knows his shop, and that in itself is valuable. There are many, many vinyls. They're organized as well.

Groove Yard is a gem. Rick is one of those rare shop owners who makes you feel immediately welcome,…read moreand he truly knows his collection. There's always an amazing variety of vinyl to dig through, and the prices are great. Highly recommend this local record store.

The way brick and mortar bookstores are dwindling these are becoming unicorns…read more I have to admit that the last few books I bought were all online - one because it was independently published and no bookstore carried it - but the other two I didn't even bother looking after that first hunt. We need to support these bookstores. Let them know what you want and they might hear you for next time. I liked the cards and other items they had in stock too. Its great to pick up before you make a decision. Right now I have a few books in my 'to read pile' and once those are finished I will come back here for some more. Great to have this in the neighborhood.

A really good bookstore in Downtown Berkeley!!…read more I came in here looking for a calendar, and ended up browsing through the books. It's a classic old school style bookstore, with very friendly people working here. I didn't spend as much time in here that I wanted to, definitely have to come here again!!

Small record store located behind other stores. You pretty much have to know it's their to find it…read more If you follow the garden path behind the flower stand you'll find it. They have a decent selection of all genres of music on different media including 45's and LPs. There are even sales! The lady working there seemed friendly and helpful. I would definitely go again when in the area.

Steve was wonderful-he took his days off to go through my step-father's vinyl record collection and…read morequoted me a very fair amount. He was kind and very respectful. I would send anyone his way who is looking for some gems.

I finally got a chance to stop by and so glad I did! I bought many BT21 items and BTS photo cards…read more The two employees were very friendly and helpful! After my transaction we just chatted for a few mins. I told her I would come back and bring my sister and I mean it! Thank you for your hospitality and see you soon! Everyone please give them a visit!

We came into KPOP Nation right before the TWICE concert looking for a lightstick. It was a last…read moreminute stop, and they did not have the exact version we were originally looking for, so we were ready to walk out without buying anything. Then we were helped by one of the employees, and everything changed. She was incredibly kind, understanding, and patient. She genuinely wanted to help us and made the experience feel welcoming rather than rushed or transactional. Because of her attitude and customer service, we decided we wanted to support the store anyway. To top it all off, she told us ahead of time that the lightstick needed batteries and then gave them to us. That honesty and generosity completely caught us off guard in the best way possible. Thanks to her, we were prepared and stress free going into the concert. Experiences like this are why local shops matter. We will definitely come back whenever we are in the area. Thank you so much.

A beautiful little hole in the wall, my friend told me about this place and we decided to go on a…read moreSaturday afternoon. It was great. They had a band playing music in the back people shopping. They had so many different things for us to see. It's definitely a mom and pop kind of vibe. The service was great. The gentleman behind the counter gave us all the information we needed and was super friendly. The pricing was very good and fair. They had a variety selection of so much to choose from. The shop seems like a labor of love, please stop by and support small businesses!

One of best local shops for rare vinyl. Knowledgeable & helpful staff. Also very supportive of the…read morelocal folk music scene.

I had some classical records to donate. I emailed the owner and we agreed that she would come and…read morepick them up from my home. She came at the agreed time and took the records. Very smooth transaction.

Not open for browsing. Sign on door says you can do curbside pick up, but of what? No idea what you…read morehave and the website doesn't list or show what's available. Rather pay extra for the big name shops since customer service isn't a priority here.

We were referred to Lark in the morning by another music shop. We had an old autoharp we needed…read moretuned and possibly repaired. Thorn the manager put us in touch with Steve. We brought the autoharp and a guitar in for repair. Steve examined both carefully. He explained what he discovered and what work he would do. He was friendly and very informative. We left the autoharp and guitar with him to repair. The price he quoted us seemed reasonable and fair.

I called to get some information about a drum skin for a homemade drum. I got great advice that…read moresolved the problem!

I ve had great experience with MLA in the past. Graham of MLA in the East Bay would bring items…read moreout to my home and put them in my system to evaluate. Then if I I chose to I could buy or return without any obligation on my part BTW, I've done business with both stores and found their sales & service to be excellent.

Found as I walking by. Went in, it's a very nice shop! I was not looking for anything in particular…read moreand just browsed around. Employees were nice and let me look and spend some time in the shop. Can't speak to price or anything didn't inquire about anything.