Loved this store! They had such a huge inventory of cds, etc and everything was super aesthetically pleasing. The guy who worked there was very cool and helpful. I loved the overall vibe of the store. I found everything that I needed easily, and got some really neat additions to contribute to my boyfriend's cd collection. The prices were also super great. I spent under 15 for two cds that were clear classics: Stevie Nicks & Radiohead. Would love to come back again if I'm in town read more

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One of the great Michigan record stores. A fantastic selection of new and used CDs and vinyl with deep selection on a lot of genres. Right across the street from the MSU campus - FBC is a must visit if you're in East Lansing. read more

click on the web address for FlatBlackCircular here and am directed to Indonesia? but otherwise looks promising

What a hidden gem, nestled along northside Grandriver in East Lansing, between Division and Collingwood. Got to give them a five... one of a handful of vinyl shop around.,you can see, touch, and hear what you buy. Some pretty interesting Vinyl records, great selection of cd's. $ - $$ read more

Flat Black & Circular - Record sclection. - Vinyl Records Near Me - East Lansing, Michigan

Excellent selection & fair prices for used vinyl! Came away with better records than most stores in Detroit. And there were a handful of gems already in my collection that I passed on. read more

Came in from out of town and I was treated to a large well organized selection of what I enjoy and have been looking for. Large punk and hardcore/metal section, very good old blues section, MASSIVE cd selections. The shop is on the second shopping level and there is a nice view of the college and sidewalks below. The owner hosts the store with ever present music of varied tastes and tempo. I struck up conversations with fellow customers and learned that others had come down to visit the store from afar as well. What a treat this experience was. Picked up a EVIL LIVE Misfits album for a fair price in excellent condition, some reprint punk albums and a vintage VG+ Lead Belly blues album. I looked around and found lots of rare stuff I already own. I wished I had all the money to buy all that caught my eye! Fantastic! Great job! Spoke with the owner operator. Great people, welcoming and talkative. Apparently the city is trying to shut down their parking lot to put in a development that would most surly cause a financial burden on this local small business. I even spoke to the Uber driver that took me away, he had fond memories of the FBC and was concerned about the news of future trouble. Listen up people! These are the LOCAL places that need to be able to operate unimpinged by tax hungry government and big development corporations for future generations to enjoy. If you are reading this and you have visited and enjoyed this record shop you owe a debt to the community to speak up and sign the petition's to stop redevelopment of this college town area. YOU The college youth want to make a difference in the world? Here's your chance! Show up to city hall and board meetings and speak your peace! It's your American duty! When I return to Lancing in the future I will most certainly return and enjoy this amazing place again! read more

I love this place, there's a wide variety of records and CDs, other media and the people who work here know what's in here. That's no mean feat. Prices are good, and for the most part it's set up very well for browsing. It's so much more rewarding to browse here than to shop online, and given shipping costs, it's actually cost effective to come here. Lately I've been buying music I used to own but I lost the original record or CD somehow and an i-tunes update took out my virtual copies. I used to find that frustrating but now I revel in the process. read more

Flat Black & Circular - Vinyl Records Near Me - East Lansing, Michigan

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friendly staff, huge selection of used records, well sorted. definitely lives up to their paragon reputation

Not a bad store. I got a lot of cds there whenever my dad takes me. Would recommend to anyone, it's a good store

This place is a record collector's dream, as long as you have time to dig through the rows and rows of vinyl. I prefer shopping primarily for used vinyl, so I was a bit bummed to see new and used mixed in together. There is also an interesting collection of sub-genres I don't normally see broken out at other shops. For instance, shoegazing was its own section (although plenty of dream pop and 4AD material was to be found in the general rock section too). There were also dedicated sections for specific indie labels like Ghostly International. Curious. All of the above said, I had a very worthwhile time here. This place is bursting at the seams with great used vinyl. I could've easily spent $500 or more here, but had to restrain myself a bit. Among the collection is a rather large amount of used 80s-90s vinyl from a local radio station, many of it rare, and most of it priced very well considering there are liner notes often written on the back. I added several long-time wishlist items to my collection here. Overall I found the used prices very reasonable, always equivalent to the median or lower price on Discogs. There were also several new records that had been marked down deeply. The final thing to mention is the wonderfully eclectic selection of music spinning over the loudspeakers. During my visit I enjoyed listening to Xenakis-like noise experiments, classical chamber music, jazz, metal and more. To sum it up... stop here. You will find something you've been looking for, especially if it's your first visit. read more

This place is iconic within the East Lansing area, and for good reason. They have a FANTASTIC selection of vintage and new vinyl, and - unlike other stores - these albums are meticulously alphabetized, so as you surf through the bins, you rarely (if ever) have to wonder whether an album is actually in their inventory or simply misfiled. Their pricing is also EXTREMELY fair; especially for a locally-owned shop. Just yesterday, I scored an absolutely pristine copy of Joe Jackson's "Night & Day" for $2, and THE cleanest copy of Chicago's (double-LP) "CTA" I have EVER found on the used market for $10. But beyond that - and WAY more important - is that the owners possess unparalleled knowledge of music in general and their inventory of recorded music; both of which they're happy to share, if you simply ask. I'm pretty much a music fanatic myself, and I got into a debate with my son awhile back regarding whether I knew more about certain genres than the owners of FBC do. His response (and I quote): "There literally is a ZERO PERCENT chance that you know more than they do about ANYTHING related to recorded music." Unfortunately (or perhaps fortunately), I think he's right. The FBC guys are basically the record shop guys from "High Fidelity" - without the snark, attitude, or snobbery. Do yourself a favor when you're in the East Lansing area, and stop by. Even if you're not a vinyl person, it's a blast to just see all of their offerings, listen to their playlist (which is mind-blowingly broad in scope), and chat them up. My ONLY concern regarding FBC is that they continue to thrive long into the future, as I simply can't imagine East Lansing without them. read more

Great local place. Great selection! The guys who run this place are nothing short of amazing and helpful. read more

This is the first record store I ever went to. My brother was going to MSU and I still remember him showing it to me; he knew I loved music and vinyl. It was magical! Just seeing the rows, and rows of records and cds! As a teenager I didn't know places like this existed, it had such a huge impact on my music education, my drive and love of listening to music! Having access to music is so powerful and I am so grateful, having access to music means so much to me! Thank you so much FBC! Years later I still come back to shop here. Their selection is astounding, FBC is an essential part of the community that I'm always glad to visit. read more

I have been coming to this store for over twenty-five years. Even when I lived an hour and a half north of them, i'd make a point to save up and come down to splurge. Now in my forties, I live in the same town, so I can stop by more often! I love to dig through their constant catalog of new and used. The staff are fast, knowledgeable and always friendly to me. Highly recommend! read more

Been coming here for 20+ years and it is still consistently awesome. For a lot of stuff they operate on their own market with prices frozen in time at a fraction of what something could sell for on discogs. Their used vinyl selection is both extremely broad and exacting in terms of condition. Anything that isn't VG+ or so will usually not be put in the main bins. Which means you can find some amazing and highly playable starter copies of everything from rock staples like Led Zep, Zappa and Dylan to Krautrock and Coltrane in the bargain bins for a buck or two. People complaining about price are likely comparing new album costs to amazon, because as far as used prices are concerned, nearly everything used I look at is below average online prices and generally in very nice shape. Oh: the shelves by the checkout on bins outside the store are full of free records. Obviously don't just haul them all away, but taking a couple if you buy something is what they're there for. There is a lot of bad stuff, but we've found some nice copies of some great rock albums and some very clean copies of country albums in there. Things that other shops would slap $5+ on easily and sell. FBC is an EL institution and my favorite shop in the US. Some of that may be due to how long I've been going there, but of the many many many shops I've been in, I've never found a place that consistently matches their quality and prices. It's just a great and timeless place. read more

FBC started when vinyl was king, the Pioneer Supertuner was the way to listen to cassettes in your car and 8-tracks were on their way out. Today, they have a great mix of vinyl and CDs and the range of music is astounding. I estimate about half of my record collection came from FBC. If you want to get educated about what went on in music before and what's going on right now, spend some time here. read more

Fantastic "hole in the wall" type place with every nook and cranny filled with some sort of curiosity or oddity. People here are complaining of the prices but I don't know what they're talking about. Most DVD's are in the $5.00 range, everything else seems reasonable too. But the main reason I give them 5 stars is their fairness when buying. Surprised I don't see more people talking about this. When I need some cash, I go thru my CD's, vinyl and DVD's and walk in there, set them down, give them time to look at them while I browse, then come back and they have piles of what they want according to price. Take it or leave it. Granted, they have an overflowing inventory and aren't going to shell out for things they have duplicates of, or know won't sell. So you can take back what you feel is priced too low and unload what is priced right. I always feel their offers are very fair and usually walk out with some cash in my hand. Often times I even give them old stuff I no longer want. read more

My review will be more partial to my pockets than the availability of the items I was searching for. Nestled in Spartanville this place was easy to spot on the road but interesting to get to after parking. It's easier to access from the main front door than the rear. The setup was neat, organized and enough room to move around. They offered more than just your dusty wax. The decor was great. There were series of new shows on DVD, new and old movies on DVD, cassette tapes and CD's I liked the feel. It was like a super garage sale find room. The staff on hand were classic alternative and cool. No pressure but very welcoming. They knew their stuff too. Very knowledgeable about what I knew and they were ready to help me explore something new. I'm new to vinyl more infantile in my search and know whats good and bad. This place made me feel comfortable and not like an amateur in a connoisseurs house. I didn't find the two Adderley zodiac digs (Cannonball and Nat) but I found a rare newly pressed Dilla and something new for my ear. The used records were quality and clean. My only issue is that I found no basement bargain prices. I must say the quality was great but everything was at least $5. There may have been a few $2 or $3 finds but I believe they take advantage of their niche and the wealth of college campus demographic. I'll be back but I know I'll have to spend at least $30 to leave happy. read more

FBC is the best record store you'll find outside of a major city. The selection is top notch and John, the manager, knows everything about everything. The prices are on-par with any other store you'll find. I mostly buy new vinyl there (mostly reissues and compilations) and when I want something, there's a very good chance they will have it. And if they don't have it, they'll get it for you. And if they can't get it, it means its out-of-print and you'll have to hit up eBay to overpay for it. They keep all the CDs behind the desk, which is weird if you're a CD buyer. But who buys CDs anymore, anyway? read more

I don't know to what extent I can give an objective review of this place, this is where I began going to when I realized there was more to listen to out there than the nasally whining of Billy Corgan. I bought some great CD's here, I got my first record player here, and I found some amazing records as well (Modern Lovers first LP on Bezerkley, Joy Division's "Unknown Pleasures"). It's not the biggest record store I've been in, but it is by far my favorite. They fill their space up with some great music and cut out a lot of the filler, and the prices are fairly reasonable (I can really appreciate it now, after living in NY for three years). The guys that work there are helpful, friendly and not even remotely condescending. I haven't been back to East Lansing in about 4 years now, but when I do return I hope to God FBC will still be there. read more

An almost perfect record store. Great selection, prices are good to great. Staff is friendly and the amount of well curated 45s alone is swoon-worthy. However, my caveat - they have this horrible, unjustifiable habit of putting price stickers directly on the album covers. Most of the time, big whoop- but every once in a while said stickers don't come off cleanly. Now I have a goopy mess on a record I paid good money for. It's irritating to say the least. So I'll keep going back for all of the obvious reasons, but the fifth star remains absent until they fix the picture sleeve on my New Pornographers 7". I hate to be a stickler, but they're so close to perfect... read more

Can't say much beyond the punk and hardcore selection. Selection from those genres is great. Contemporary and eras gone fully stocked. Every time I go in there is something new I want. Guys behind the counter know what they're talking about and will order whatever you need. Good selection of amps, turntables, speakers and record cases in the back as well. A+ shop. read more

Can't say much beyond the punk and hardcore selection. Selection from those genres is great. Contemporary and eras gone fully stocked. Every time I go in there is something new I want. Haven't caught the name of the dude working in there but he's very kind and willing to order stuff. Def stop by if you're into punk. read more

Last visit ~ 1/2013 Number of visits ~ 4 In my opinion, this is one of the best (if not the best) shops in downtown East Lansing. The music selection is very expansive and you can easily spend a long time just browsing through all of the choices. My favorite part is they have a dedicated metal section, as this is my favorite genre of music. If you're looking for used records/cds, this is the place to go. read more

What an awesome used record store this is. C., her brother, and I stopped by while we were in town for Thanksgiving -- do you detect a theme to this string of reviews? -- and we all left loaded down with LPs, CDs, and such. I found a High Strung -- Williamsburg by way of Michigan -- CD, as well as stuff by Weasel Walter and Railroad Jerk for cheap. And C. and Neil also found music to their liking. There's only one CD player that's a listening station. Another patron hogged it for most of the time we were there, but when she was done, I could check out a Katherine Whalen disc (post-Zippers and -Jazz Squad) and decide I didn't need it. Someone had spilled a cup of soft serve on top, and it appeared to have been there awhile. Extra bonus: The little mall area in which the shop is located -- upstairs -- sports a public restroom that accessible without entering any of the shops or offices. If you're walking around downtown and need to use the facilities, it's easy in, easy out. I'll be back. read more

Flat, Black & Circular is a great place for vintage vinyl, the like of which you are only going to find in a hip, urban location or a college town (like East Lansing is). My husband and father, both music enthusiasts and fans of non-mainstream artists, make periodic pilgrimages to FB&C to stock up on used records. I like to tag along just to see who gets the bigger stack of albums, and to look for new offerings (FB&C does stock some new releases). This place is a gem. Consider where you will park. This is important. If you are going to walk out with a big box of albums, you may not want to walk too far. We usually use the parking garage just a block away. Go one block west on Grand River, then turn right on the side street. There is not a lot of parking in this area because it is right across the street from campus. read more

I haven't been here in years. They had a good selection back in the day. I couldn't stand how "cooler than thou" the workers were. It's a record store job, get over it. Rarely did I get a good price on a trade in and he would never give me more credit than cash which seems stupid. Why not keep the cash in hand? But.......without old school die-hards like this shop, we would be under the corporate grip. Rock on FBC. read more

This place is great if you want to feel pretentious, discover new music (that you have to gamble on), or find that perfect cd or record. I like to do all of those things, so I usually stop in if I'm in the area, despite most of my music coming from torrents these days. The used bins contain some real older gems at a price so cheap I'm actually willing to spend money on them. The downside? Yeah, it's pricier than Best Buy. And, I once tried to buy an Of Montreal cd but it actually contained an Of Montreal ep. They let me trade it in, however, which was neat since I'd already ripped the ep. Thanks FBC! read more

Ok so we're kinda lame in the sense that we only have 2 record stores in this whole feckin' town. Wait, we're kinda lame regardless. Either way I find that repulsive. I digress... Flat, Black and Circular (or FBC to the locals) is an actual record store which means they sell vinyl. They also have a pretty decent selection of DVDs, VHS, CDs, and even a laserdisc or two if you haven't joined the year 2000 yet. I spend an exorbitant amount of time and money DITC (diggin' in the crates for you non-vinyl addicts) at FBC. They have a pretty decent selection of electronica, Whenever I walk into FBC I feel like I'm in the real live version of Amazon.com. As soon as I hit the door, one of the managers tracks me down and hands me a stack of "my recommendations" It's great that they know their music and pay attention to what their customers buy. Almost like a breathing web browser cookie, but without all the added spyware creepiness. Prices are a little on the expensive side for new vinyl, but I tend to buy imports, so I'm biased. They have a good selection of used music too for very decent prices, so on a good day I come out of FBC having dropped $120 but my turntables and ears are happy campers. Until the next week, that is. read more

Back in my Spartan Hay Days I used to spend hours in the Campus Town Mall! Does anyone remember the crazy hippie shop with the mystical woman with the dread locks, how about the pet store Heavy Petting (man my parents freaked when they saw that on their credit card bill), what about the business that you could buy all your lecture notes (not that I would EVER).....ahh, all defunct now....EXCEPT FBC-as the cool kids called it. They used to have plastic bins chock full of FREE records, cds, cassettes, posters, samples, demos...hey, I was a broke college kid-I dug it. Inside the guys who ran the shop were true music aficinados........little Einsteins of musical history and obscure genres. You could find a NKOTB record for the simpletons but you could also find rare vinyl treasures. This was THE place for vinyl....but they also have a bevy of cds as well....used mostly, some new....plus, they would buy your music so you can afford a keg stand later on that eve. I loved that you could listen before you buy.... This was not the place for bootlegs....all the deadheads knew, inFlight was the place for that...I think they even had a lawsuit to prove it! This place is a MSU gem and institution...generations upon generations adore FBC! read more

Providing a remarkable selection of CDs, records, 'zines, and general paraphernalia, Flat Black & Circular is the undisputed premier music store of East Lansing. The selection of records and CDs is immense, and I often stumble upon rare and elusive discs every time I return. Prices are usually fair, but some products are rather pricey. It's hard to complain, though, because FB&C has so much to offer. This place is fun to peruse, scour, or simply glance. Introduce a friend to Flat Black & Circular and help them stay awesome. read more

A local institution, and East Lansing's only remaining independently-owned record store. They stock a little bit of everything, so you're guaranteed to find something that you'll want to buy. They'll never be able to compete with the likes of Best Buy on prices, but can't be beaten when it comes to service. Shop F.B.C. today! read more

lovely and eclectic selection of all types of music! i don't have a record player anymore but I still love coming in here for their wiiide variety of used CDs, I've found a lot of wonderful obscure little world music and reggae things I never thought I would be able to pick up at a physical store, let alone around here. plus they have some great used DVDs and Bluray all sorts of stuff, for instance I picked up some old cult horror flicks and a couple of concert movies! and to top it off the guys there love and know lots about music! : ) ... lovely people who care about their customers and are passionate about what they do. i've been going here my whole life and i'll support these folks as long as I live here! If y'all ever read this thank you so much for everything : ) read more

When I was in high school, we used to go here to get all of our alternative, ska and punk rock CDs. When I went to college at MSU, my taste in music had changed immensely, but FBC still had everything I needed, from jazz to indie to hip hop to motown. read more

FBC (as known by East Lansingers) is one of the most complete and amazing place to buy rare and popular records, cds, dvds, etc. They also have plenty of back issues of music related magazines, which is great for uber nerds that rave about collecting. This place is just an experience. You must go. read more

Although a bit on the small side, FBC is a great store. They don't have everything, but they have something for everyone. The staff is great, and very helpful. I have not been in the store a single time when they weren't playing great music; music I liked. It is one of the few record stores in Michigan with a very good international section; especially African and Reggae. Visit this place, it will not be a waste of time. read more

A true institution in East Lansing. It's been around for over 20 years--I'm not sure how old it really is. Best place in the whole tri-county area to buy and sell used cds and dvds. They also have a great selection of the real vinyl for all the die-hards out there. The staff is brilliant. They know just about everything there is to know about music. They also have a good selection of cds from local bands. read more

A staple from my youth, FBC excels at offering a wide selection of music. I stopped in the day after Christmas and was pleasantly pleased to pick and choose from an assortment of Quantic Soul Orchestra discs. My local Chicago record store isn't even familiar with QSO, let alone stocking it. read more

A blast from the past--snagged a DVD of the 1933 King Kong film to show to my architecture high school group on the bus home. For only $5. Fantastic! read more

I've been shopping here for many years and it's always a treat to return! I'm an avid collector of records; it's always a thrill to see what I can find at FBC. read more