Great store. I went for the vinyl but they got much more. Great prices and really good inventory. I'll be back.

This is a funky old store with an good selection of new and used LPs, lots of boots, I didn't look too long at the CDs. They lived up to their name for my visit, since I found three very rare albums at a reasonable price. I also enjoyed talking with the long-time owner, who wears jazz shirts like I do! read more

Great selection and prices. James, the owner, has an encyclopedic knowledge of music and movies. Just ask him for advice!

Everything from the prices to the selection of records and cd's was incredible. I do recommend. Everyone in the store is very nice and they check everything to make sure it isn't damaged read more

1st trip: As a DJ I have a pretty good idea of what value, selection, and organization of a good record store should be. My expectations are high, and I'm always looking for VALUE. This store has all of that and more! Love the organization - it makes it easier and more efficient to find what I'm looking for. Saving time also adds value - the prices here? Very reasonable and their bargain CDs are a superb value. Found some popular artist albums (got 5 artists I'm looking to complete their individual album collections. Found all 5 artists albums that included discs I were missing - even a Grateful Dead double live in the "6 albums for $5" bin! Nice! Found a new Hendrix release "Valleys Of Neptune" in perfect new like condition for $5, a "Warner Archives" Tower Of Power 2 disc set (35 songs) for $10 - try doing that on iTunes! Love this place and will visit EVERY-TIME I'm in this area! 2nd trip: found some new offerings in the "6 for $5" bin (12) to be exact, a new Santana I've never seen ($4) and a Mott The Hoople double CD greatest hits that perfectly represents their 4 album output - no more looking for those other two albums which have been impossible to find used. Again, great selection, fair pricing and really good finds! Worth a stop every time I visit the area!!! Wish I could rate it 6 stars!!! read more

See all

I brought in a collection of CDs and DVDs to sell and left them overnight so the store could evaluate them and give me a price. I never received a call back. When I returned the next day to follow up, I was shocked when the person (Jimmy) claimed I had dropped off some empty CD cases--which is absolutely not true. All the cases were full when I handed them over. To make things worse, the DVDs I included were not returned. When I asked about them, Jimmy threw $5 on the ground and told me to pick it up. I refused, as I found this behavior extremely disrespectful. Jimmy was incredibly rude throughout the interaction. This place is dishonest and unprofessional. Do not trust him with your items--go somewhere else if you want to be treated fairly. read more

Awesome. Grabbed the new Winger CD for a tasty price. My bro was looking for some import CDs from China, and they had em

Best used records and cds in Northern California. A store where staff and customers are endlessly discussing music, the great concerts, artists and recordings they've seen and heard. read more

I had a great time in this store. I was looking for vinyl, but CD's categorized.! I found 8 albums I've been looking for to fill in the never ending collection. Had a good conversation about Bireli, definitely fun to talk about music after the last two years. I would definitely recommend this place to anyone who loves vinyl read more

Great prices. Rare finds. Crate digger's paradise... no wait never mind... don't go... just stay home... shop online... that's what all the real heads do. read more

The Positive: There's a large variety of music and the prices are relatively low. Some of the vinyl and CDs in certain areas of the store are alphabetized. If you're willing to dig through a bunch of random boxes, and get your hands dirty, you may discover some rare gems. The Negative: The store is filthy. When you walk in you immediately see dirty carpet with bits of debris all over the floor. This place hasn't seen a vacuum in a long time. There's also an odor of bacteria, it smells musty, similar to a dirty locker room. It's also very messy and disorganized, with boxes of various media scattered and stacked throughout the store. The owner seems tired and disgruntled, taking openly about political and societal views with the regulars. This place could use a deep cleaning, some detailed organization, and a breath of fresh air! read more

Came in. The cashier was super nice and I found exactly what I was looking for at a decent price.

Just how do you stay in business . It's less than 2 weeks away from Christmas and you're closing normal hours at 4:30 on Saturday and you're not open on Sunday and Monday at all . How do you stay open ? I can't believe that you do business like this because during these holidays is when people make the most money and I'm going to order something from Amazon because I can get it here before you people open up on Tuesday and that's what you're driving your business . Good luck with that read more

Good selection of decently priced vinyl. Wish I could've spent more time browsing, but the owner couldn't quit yammering on about politics with the customers, so I left. read more

$1.99 Cassette Tapes!!!! Some great stuff only worthy enough for a Boner. I nearly jizz my shorts at the collection of tapes. I bought some Beach Boys, Stryper and like 8 other things. They've also got original New Wave buttons for dirt cheap. One more thing.. Clearance CD's are $1.00, make sure there spider free before taking home. read more

Esoteric Records Cd's & Dvd's - STRYPER tape I recently bought for $1.99 - Music & DVDs Near Me - Sacramento, California

Finally had a chance to out this place. Perfect place for a Gen X spinner like me who prefers to mix with vinyls than compressed MP3s. Throwing away my CDJs and going back to my SL12s was the most gratifying thing i did, like driving a manual 911 over PDK. read more

Wife and I have been visiting this gem of a store. This is not like an estate sale where you just rummage through at random in a corner somewhere. Everything laid out logically. It takes more than luck to find the album you want. That effort needed has been made, and made well. You know it's rows and rows of bins filled with happy times ahead, when you be spinning a record and filling your world with magical sounds. And in terms of discount, it's wonderful. It allows you to appreciate music with an ease on your budget. It offers great quality vinyls at reasonable price range. Example: we recently picked up a vinyl album for 25 bucks, but we know it could've been 40 or up out there in the open market. Then there are super clean CDs as if brand new. Again, from A thru Z, all these talented, marvelous sounds waiting to jump in the air at your place. So do yourself a favor. Get a couple of records home. It'll be still satisfying, many years down the road. This is a great place to start. In fact, hard to find better. read more

Following years of despondency brought on by the closure of Dimple Records, I finally decided to see what else Sacramento had to offer its record collectors. Esoteric did not let me down. This is a small store (with a suitably quirky clientele) but they have an excellent, well-organized selection and very fair prices. I am mainly in the market for jazz CDs, and among their wares I found a plethora of titles from ECM, Concord, Blue Note, etc. I look forward to many return visits. read more

I shop about 2 times a month or more here and I am never disappointed. Fair prices, pleasant and knowledgeable owner. Most importantly always something interesting that I need for my collection. read more

Waited at the counter for several minutes to by an LP. Staff remained in the back. Not good vibes here. Skip this place.

Despite growing up in Sac, I had never been to or even heard of this store until recently (apparently it's the oldest record store still operating in Sac). It's a small store with an eclectic mix of new/used records and used CDs, plus used DVDs/Blu-rays. The prices were all very reasonable, most of the new LPs were priced in the $20-$30 range, which is a good deal considering how most record stores price their inventory these days. They also had a discount $1 CD section (or 6 for $5), and I was able to find some good stuff that I'd been looking for. It's not the most glamorous store, but if you're willing to spend some time digging around you will most likely find something you want at a good price. read more

I saw a few things I liked but didn't purchase as I was in a rush. Seems to slant towards 70's and 80's which is fine by me. I'd stop by again if I had some time to spare. read more

Huge selection of cds! Some are not easily found elsewhere. Lots of records and some dvds.. although we went there for cds! Will definitely be back the next time we are in the area!! read more

My lovely neighborhood record shop. I adore it so. The owner, Jim, may not seem friendly at first, but he's a hell of guy and very helpful. He's got some interesting stories on occasion, too. I've scored many cool records/tapes/CDs here and I'm into a lot of music including reggae / dancehall, post punk, "classic" rock, 80's British electronica, various world music and more. To get the most out of this store, check the new arrival sections weekly! read more

Esoteric records is the great place to find classic vinyl, I found it next to Turntables Unlimited, where I also shop.Dimple records was okay,but this place is a better source for good vinyl. The owner and friends sometimes educate me on classic records and the bands that made historic music. I'm greatful that this store is here and appreciate the knowledge and Hopefully they will be open soon. Davld Martin Carmichael,Ca. read more

This store is old and nasty. They buy stuff low And sell high. All trash and I gave away better. This is why all these places close up. Better to find better deals and stuff you need on amazon and eBay. read more

Esoteric Records was the FIRST independent record store that I went to as a high school kid (circa 1976) that was ALWAYS consistent with a far reaching (esoteric) selection that the other independents never, EVER had and still don't have. Sure you could get the latest Rolling Stones or Earth, Wind & Fire but you could also pick up the latest Residents album or a rare Robert 'Pete' Williams album. Rick DaPrado and then later Denis Tomassetti were/are always knowledgeable and helpful and turned me onto everything from Sun Ra and John Coltrane to pre-WWII blues artists to the then "new" bands that were playing this crazy rock and roll the media was calling Punk Rock. Esoterics (especially Rick) musical minds were like a parachute, they functioned well because they were open and as a previous post said, they did it all without any pretensions what-so-ever! Every teenager who is a musician and into music should be half as lucky as I was to get a good start in a musical education like I received hanging out (and later working at) Esoteric Records. Whenever I'm in Sacramento I always try to stop in and I am NEVER disappointed by the selection or the prices (and I have local access to both bay area Amoeba Records, that REALLY says something). I really don't think that the better part of Sacramento has even begun realize what they have here in Esoteric Records. read more

this place is a rad diamond in the rough in the sacto area. don't bother coming here if you are looking for the new Kanye or Gucci Mane CD. This is a small store that packs a lot of unique and cool stuff in a dense location. This place has a great selection of used records (my main interest), CDs, VHS, DVDs, cassettes, and other stuff. Prices are very reasonable, and since the store is so small it seems like they constantly rotate things out of their shelves into the dollar bins or piles in front of the store. There are always heaps of cheap records and other things whenever I come here. I only found out about the store about 6 months ago and I've been 4 times, each time leaving happily with a fair stack of records. Seems like they have had new stuff each time (wish I could say the same for The Beat). There's a CD listening station and none for vinyl, though I've brought my own portable turntable and the staff are fine with me using it. very rad store, definitely better than the beat and dimple by a longshot. if this store was in S.F. you can bet the prices would be 3x higher and the cool records you find would be snatched long before your arrival. good thing for you its in a rundown sprawled out part of Sac waiting for you to score. read more

Note: closes at 6:00pm during the week, which is too bad because I didn't have nearly enough time to go through the stacks. Good amount of used vinyl at reasonable prices. Even more boxes of $1-type records that I didn't have a chance to hit but are probably full of goodness. Also lots of used CDs. Kind of on a gritty street (I blame the Wal-Mart across the street) but don't let that keep you away because it is worth the trip. read more

The owner who answered the phone was very helpful and honest. They have some items with very good prices for used LPs and 45s. The Beatles 45 was more expensive and the owner just gave me a discount when I bought some records. read more

Their CD collection is unbeatable, and I love the small, intimate and low-key vibe of this place. The all-around best used CD store I have been to in as long as I can recall, and definitely my favorite music store in Sacramento. Their $1 CDs in the sleeve are fantastic--I found The Eagles Greatest Hits '71-'75 stashed away, for a buck. read more

Old School used music shop. We are a couple old rock n rollers from back in the day with strong ties to the Tower organization. Owner KNOWS HIS MUSIC which we greatly admire and appreciate. been really helpful in finding some items we have been looking for on vinyl. Like my husband says after leaving, these are our people! read more

This place is great find being in the area for only a couple of months. Items are not overpriced and it has ton of budget vinyl records. I lived in New York and A1 was my favorite record store due to prices and the quality. A1 is way bigger than Esoteric but this place has great selections. I have only been here in Sacramento for about 2 months and visited this place maybe 10 times. This is my kind of store. It will not disappointment you. read more

Great place and great prices! The owner is very nice and knowledgeable. Found a few really great records and cassets in great condition.

Esoteric is a tiny, cramped store in a run-down strip mall across the street from a monstrous Wal-Mart. And that's the only bad thing I can say about it. Everything else is good. While some independent used record and CD stores flaunt their hipness while offering the same old stuff (The Beat, I'm talking to YOU) Esoteric quietly stocks their shelves with obscure treasures and classics. I've found George Jones, Buck Owens, Wanda Jackson, Hawkshaw Hawkins, Neko Case, Jim Reeves, Junior Brown...okay, you may not know or care for these artists, but this is my kind of music - and Esoteric has it. They happily ordered a Flying Burrito Brothers CD for me after Virgin, Tower and Dimple all said they couldn't get it. I've been satisfied with the prices, happy with the service and thrilled with the selection I've found at Esoteric. I don't visit as often as I'd like because I no longer work in the neighborhood, but a special trip may be in order. I'm getting a hankerin' for some Loretta Lynn, and I know just the place to find it... read more

What a used record store should be, cramped, dusty, and filled with other travelers looking for that VG++ copy of whaterver. A tribute to their selection that I found a few CD's and records that I didn't know existed. The owner/operator walked up as I was browsing, said "You like jazz?" I said yes, and he then pointed me to the rare stuff. Well done, sir. It reminds me of a stripped down version of one of my favorite record stores, Recycled Records in Reno. read more

One of the only true places you can do some good crate digging and find some gems! He doesn't believe in the new world of eBay and Discogs so you will find Japanese imports, promo's and more. read more

This store has been around for years...hell I use to shop at it when it was on Broadway many years ago. It's still a great place to find a great clean vinyl records for a fair price. I walked away with a nice little stack last week. Owner is still cool and very knowledgeable on the inventory. It's in a nice clean strip mall on fulton avenue. ..very nice. I will be going back for sure on a regular basis. I love the record hunt! read more

Rating this store was tough initially because it is really unlike any of the other shops I've been to in the Sacramento/foothills area. It is small, seems out of place in its neighborhood and is decorated with various transient folks (not that they can't be vinyl lovers too-I'm just sayin'). So, I didn't know what to expect but...the place was cool! I was really suprised by the number of albums/singles that jumped out at me that I have never seen anywhere else. I'm not talking the Beatles butcher/baby album here, but I did find a whole lot of promotional copies, imports, and out of print stuff that I was excited to pick up at a very reasonable price. The fact that all that great stuff was there made the enviroment of the shop seem somehow strangely appropriate. Esoteric is kind of what I envision an old school record store to be like. Thumbs up from me. read more

This was my first trip to Esoteric. I stopped here as part of a larger single-day trip visiting all of the (open) Sacramento record stores in search of country vinyl. After the disappointment of The Beat's grossly over-priced (but great) selection, it was refreshing to find a similarly great selection but with prices for the rest of us. The staff were polite and went out of their way to answer my questions. Definitely the highlight of my trip. read more