The selection of vinyl is just off the charts huge and diverse. All the records are in great shape, so there's no disappointments when that rare disc you finally found turned out to be unlistenable. The prices are slightly on the high side of fair, but that's Ann Arbor for you. The staff was incredibly knowledgeable and very helpful. No snobbish attitude here. read more

Has its good and bad points. The good: Lots of records. Good condition. Good turnover. Good classic rock and jazz sections. New arrivals in the front. Good listening station. The bad: The employees. Somewhat helpful. They play weird annoying music often, as if playing something horrible with screeching noises and microphone feedback, and without a beat, melody, or key means they have refined taste. When they are playing more mainstream music they are constantly whistling along with it, and badly, which is really annoying. Overall condescending. Not much space to move. Prices are very high for pretty normal, not rare stuff, but you can still find a few things priced ok. No budging on prices. No volume discount, or loyalty card. Worth checking out, but there are lots of better places. Good records, bad price, bad experience. read more

You can spend hours looking at records here. The staff is very friendly and willing to help. Not only did I purchase an album, I also found movies for my son at a great price. Great variety of Vinyl, Tapes, CD, DVD and BR. read more

This record shop was my favorite stop of the day in downtown Ann Arbor. I went to all three record shops in Ann Arbor in one day along with many other shops and this one was my favorite! It is a quite big store and the prices were pleasantly low on the records I found. Although I believe there is more jazz records than any other genre there are records for almost everyone. I had a friend with me who basically only listens to hip hop and he did not find much but I bought five records from all different genres. It is well organized and the staff helped us find the sections or artists we were looking for. read more

Tons of vinyl. Tons. Good prices for the most part. I've spent many an afternoon in this place searching for just the right LP to add to the collection. The staff is always helpful and somehow knows exactly where to find that rare ask that you have. You can dig in bins for hours and still have more to go. CD's too. Stop in and I challenge you to spend less than 15 minutes in here, if you like music. If you don't, go away. read more

Hands down, the best used record store in Ann Arbor. Underground Sound, another great store in A2, has the edge on new vinyl, but if you love to spend an hour or two flipping through the stacks looking for gems, this is the place to go. Great selection, good prices (they also give a fair price if you bring things in), the folks who work there are cool, and they almost never play something terrible in the store. Vinyl junkies -- this is where you belong. read more

I've been here many times over the years, in the day of digital music it's nice to see you can still buy quality vinyl, and CD's. They have a huge selection of both Vinyl and CDs, everything I've ever bought here has been in exceptional good condition. you can even listen before you buy on the private listening area. I suggest you take a few lps up before you listen because you might have to wait a little bit before it's freed up. This store may not be for everyone but it's a gem in my eyes. read more

REALLY NOT HAPPY! I called to ask if they buy used cd's and was told that they do buy almost anything, except Big Band era and something else that I don't remember and didn't have. I gave the guy the overview of what I had and he said they usually paid $1 - $2/each. So I load up almost 200 cd's and drive the 20 miles to Ann Arbor, call them have them meet me to unload them and buy the time I found a place to park and got back to the store, someone (an older guy - maybe the owner?) look through the boxes briefly and said they had everything already and wasn't interested. What a waste of my time and money! They need to get their act together! read more

Any place that lets you play their records is alright with me. However, for the life of me, I can't figure out why reissues should ever cost more than $5 - ANY PLACE! The staff are helpful and knowledgable. I dig it... read more

I love this place. Stacks and stacks of vinyl from every genre. Take some time to poke through all racks. There's also LP's in pull out drawers under the top stacks, and more LP's near the floor. This is a vinyl wonderland! read more

I came across 2 great finds at Encore. First, I found a classic "Oscar Peterson Plays the Cole Porter Songbook." It was in perfect condition and around $7 (!). I also found this beginner's piano book "written" (probably just endorsed) by Oscar Peterson. It is a cute little thing. The jazz and blues selection is really phenomenal. And the employees have this "Hi Fidelity" vibe to them. read more

This is the "other" great used record store in town. You may be intimidated by the huge piles of unlabeled discs on their counters, but take heart: as a percentage of their stock, these are small potatoes. (And you can get them to price things on the spot if you find something in the uncategorized piles.) They have a wide variety of CDs, a good stock of LPs and even a fairly good selection of used DVDs. The only new music they sell is from their small collection of local artist discs, which you can easily miss as they're situated below the gigantic piles of new inventory. read more

I've been shopping at Encore for about eight years now. My first trip to Ann Arbor, at age fourteen, was specifically to raid this mythical collection of amazing, cheap punk vinyl. That first day, I spent upwards of five hours flipping through the expansive stock of indie LPs and combing through box after box of mostly no-name 7"s. In the end, I spent a few months' savings. Throughout the remainder of my high school and undergrad years, I made countless return trips to Encore and never left empty handed. Now that I live in Ann Arbor, I'm slightly less impressed than I was years ago. Surely part of it has to do with overexposure--I can head over between classes and inspect the rows of newly-purchased LPs any day of the week, and so material I'm interested in buying is less likely to accumulate. A lot of it has to do with my tastes seemingly falling out of favor amongst Ann Arborites, thus lessening circulation. I mean, really, who here listens to hardcore anymore? I can't fault Encore for either of those things. And, of course, the selection for other genres is expansive as always. What I can fault it for is a significant rise in prices over the last few years. I used to spend $70 and walk out with ten LPs; now I'm lucky if I can get six. Trade-in is also much less lucrative than it used to be, even when it comes to store credit. Some of the newer employees (one in particular) also exhibit an air of record store snobbery that I always found sort of charming in the nice, older guys who work there, but am seriously put off by in the new folks. Encore has fallen from grace, to an extent. It's still the best store for used records in Ann Arbor, and possibly in Michigan; it will still get my business, though it's unlikely I'll ever drop significant money there like I did in the past, and I'm more likely now than ever to walk out without spending a dime. read more

Great for second hand vinyl and CDs. I stopped off in Ann Arbor on a road trip and picked up a bunch of classic CDs for the road - Bob Dylan, CSNY, Santana etc - for less than $10 each. read more

this place is what dreams are made of. you know that scene in beauty in the beast where the beast surprises belle with a shitload of books? this is that place. but with music. and multiplied by a thousand. i think i was in tears, a little. not only is this place brilliantly organized, especially for the amount of stuff in there, it's literal floor-to-ceiling shelves of beautiful merchandise. for some reason i'm very in love with the floor plan, and how a lot of it snakes into this hidden nook. i'm usually really particular about my space but when i was there i felt so at home among the other people browsing the shelves. i could spend all day here. the prices are very reasonable for the stuff that is there. i've bought cheaper cds for sure, but the collection here is unmatched. they have the hard-to-find and "best" albums by any given artist. sometimes i skip my local store and take the 45 minute drive to encore and check there first. i love this place. i'm uncertain for its future (heard some rumors about retirement) but i want this place in ann arbor forever. read more

They have a great selection of childrens literature and spoken word ablums. Great for putting some humor in your deejay sessions. Plus they have some great old big band jazz albums. read more

There is a huge collection of records here, especially of jazz records, which are reasonably priced, for people who remember having records they loved when they were younger, there is a good chance they will find the record here. This is a great record shop. read more

One of the best used record stores I've been to. Great selection of some very obscure stuff.

Prices are high. Staff is always rude. Place feels unorganized. The other record stores in Ann Arbor are much better.

This is by far the best record store in Ann Arbor. I have pulled so many great albums in this store, both new and used. Has a pretty good stock rotation and a wonderful staff. You may find yourself digging through horizontal mountains of records for hours on end. Which is exactly why I love this place. You will also find a large used cd selection, a local band area and even some cassettes. They also have a listening station which is fantastic. Long live Encore!! read more

I have been a customer of this store since the beginning. the owner, Peter Dale, is a great guy. His previous store, Liberty Music shop, was a wonderful classical music store. The staff is always courteous and knowledgeable. They seem to know if an item is in stock, or not, which is an amazing feat due to the huge inventory. If you like rock, jazz,classical, opera, techno, etc they will have it. Heck, if you like music of the Maori they probably have it. This store isn't some poseur hangout; its the real deal. I love this place; i hope its always there. read more

THEE place to buy records in ann arbor. you could spend a month+ diggin through the goldmine. the new section is curated perfectly. they seem to be the only record store in ann arbor dedicated to really cataloging local music, as well. it's just perfect and somehow manages to be cheap too. spend all yr money here. read more

This is an odd store. It's bursting with vinyl. Problem is the only good spots are the new arrivals which tend to change twice a week (which is good). I've found many treasures, all in great shape and at a fair price. Other then that the majority of the store is your standard radio friendly vinyl selections. Which is fine but after a year or so of collecting,it's worn out. They are not picky about the type of music they stack their shelves with. Only the condition of the records. Which is always good. It's worth repeated quick visits. As amazing stuff comes through their. Jazz and Blues selections is exceptional read more

My favorite place to kill some time. I really could spend hours in here, it's got anything your heart desires. and more! i tend to go adventurous and try to choose a record i have never heard before and everyone working there is so helpful, i love hearing their suggestions! i have never been steered wrong. THE BEST variation of used records in ann arbor. read more

Love this place after 25 years in Ann Arbor. I always find something awesome at this store. Great staff.

This place has a great collection and the owner is great! I would recommend Encore to any music lover in a heartbeat.

This is the best used media store in Michigan and is situated in the student downtown area of Ann Arbor near U-Michigan. I started shopping there in the 1970s when it was Liberty Records, searching for rare vinyl classical recordings. Today, I mostly sell classical CDs and I still shop, although my tastes, developed over 40 years of collecting, are arcane and particular and rarely sated by stores. Still, I look forward to trips to Encore Recordings to view their huge inventory of CDs, LPs, books, scores and other good stuff. I don't imagine the day I'm above ground when Encore Recordings won't be part of my regular routine. read more

First off: this is the review of a fairly devoted record digger. I probably have emphysema from inhaling the dust from forgotten record sleeves. If you're just casually strolling by Encore for a few CDs, this review may not be for you. I write this as a displaced UM alum, subjected to the harsh and cold hands of the "world" and the murkey swamp that is big-city record digging. I've been through some of the "best" record stores in NY and DC, but I won't stutter when I say this: Encore beats em all. Believe it or not, I haven't gone stupid with dementia. Big city record stores aren't all they're cracked up to be. They might have great selection....if you're lucky. More likely than not, they've been picked dry, since after all, the world's greatest DJs and record collectors don't exactly go to suburbia to satisfy their record needs. And when the selection is good, and you've found that treasured loft-jazz session, your eyes start to tear up a bit when you see the price tag. Overpriced, plain and simple. These places are full of record store owners who know that wide-eyed small town hopefuls and long-standing techno DJs come to their store with wads of cash in tow in search of that perfect piece of plastic...and they make you pay for it. Don't get me wrong, I'm more than aware that sometimes, a record might actually be worth $100. These places will make you pay $200 for that same record. But this is about praising Encore, not dissing on the other guys, right? There's plenty to love about Encore. It has the perfect balance of selection and price. I ALWAYS found something I wanted in Encore, even if it wasn't the rarest record I've ever seen (though they still get pretty good stuff). And it was priced accordingly. Most records are $5-$15. I've never paid more than $40 for the pretty rare stuff. The staff knows their stuff, but they don't kill your wallet because of it. I used to spend 3-4 hrs at a time digging through their jazz section (to this day one of the best I've ever seen), Latin section, rock section, etc. And if you're looking for something in particular...just ask. They're all good people. Such good people, that they don't do something that I've seen a lot of other record stores do: sell shady vinyl. If the condition of the record is unplayable, there's a good chance they won't bother to sell it at all. Compare this to some places in Chicago I've been to, where they have original presses of Pharoah Sanders records that have been scratched to hell and back, so you look at the $8 price tag and think that g-d himself is giving you a very pleasurable reach-around. I went out of my way to write this review because I appreciated Encore too late. Now I'm shuffling through record stores that either have nothing worth looking at, or have records so expensive that you need to pay to take a look at it. On the rare occasion that I do stop by Ann Arbor these days, my friends in the area know what's up: give me a few hours to spend at Encore. If you're a lover of a vinyl and a transient in the area (perhaps a student), I'd suggest you spend those extra few hours with Encore before you're gone. read more

encore has one of the greatest vinyl selections around. the employees are amazing and there's new stuff everyday.

Encore is the quintessential home-town store. If every town were to have a used record store, this is the one that you'd want to shop at. Amazing selection. Great prices. A great store to get lost in for a few hours. read more

I went here last summer and am hoping to go back on my next visit to Ann Arbor. Incredible quantity and just about every genre as far as I could tell. The best part was that every record I purchased was in mint or near mint, very clean, and sounded great. Pay 'em a visit, you won't regret it. read more

Great shop with a great collection. Totally random point, but I like how they price things to round up to the even dollar when tax is applied. I always make it a point to stop here on my trips to Ann Arbor. read more

Best place to go for used records. Prices are fair and condition is always excellent. Has an amazing jazz section but there's not a genre untouched. read more

Used CDs / Vinyl. Takes a while to browse, but the selection is huge / worth the trouble. They make the total price with sales tax a round dollar amount. read more

Visiting this store was a great experience for us. I called to find out about selling my old collection of 70's and 80's music. They were very patient with my questions and knowlegeable about what would or wouldn't sell. I brought in my records and was pleasantly surprised at what they could use. My husband found a couple CD's he couldn't live without and added those to his collection. We will be shopping here again! read more

I love and miss you Encore records...one of the best record stores in the U.S. Seriously. I can't wait to record shop here soon. I've always found anything that I've ever wanted and more.................. It's worth coming from out of state to come here if you love vinyl...I mean it. I bought Moodymann-Shade of Jae for 4 bucks. A Planet E 7 inch(Steam) for a few bucks, the K-Alexi-Shelbi-All for Lee-Sah for a few bucks, some Will Oldham cds for like 6 bucks, 5 or 6 Motown 45's for like 2 bucks each, 99 cent disco records, shit like that. I always find good shit. Plus you gotta grab all the Ghostly records when you're there, all the Fred Thomas shit, etc. Plus tons of used records/cds up the ass, from old country to old Jazz to dub to hip-hop to techno to house to fricking whatever. Even though we lost Recordtime, Sam's Jams, Damon's(for vinyl), Buy-Rite, Neptune records, Funhouse, Desirable Discs, Schoolkids, Dubplate pressure, Kaboodles, etc., thankfully we still have places like Encore records. As Detroit Threads, Melodies and Submerge control the Eastside(for me), Encore monopolizes the West. Fuck mp3's and Ipod's. :) read more

Rude and arrogant - I am not an audiophile so I can't atest to the collection. However, being a small business owner myself, I can tell you that they are in business in spite of themselves. I went in for the first time last week with my boyfriend who had gift cards to redeem. The two gifts cards were refused ($62 worth) because the 'system' had been changed. The men working there indicated they had posted signs in the windows to alert customers to this change. Seems like a pretty low tech way of dealing with your customers so that you can change over your system. The customer is not responsible for happening to glance at the storefront, notice there is something written on a piece of paper, then going to read it. If you want to be more high tech you hire an IT company to allow crossover. This is an attitude toward the customers of shrugging your shoulders and saying 'it's a bummer to be you'. My biggest complaint is that neither person working there was the least bit interested in correcting the situation. They simply talked over us and didn't want to hear a word. They didn't even bother to offer to split the difference which would have been a pretty inexpensive way to keep a customer. Maybe they know music, but they don't know basic business practices nor how to treat people with even a modicom of respect. We will never return. I would not even give a one star rating if I could avoid it. read more