I adore this place! It has been my "go to" for music since I went to school at Purdue in the 80's. On my last visit, I scored 2 OOP Prince CD's I had been wanting to purchase but did not want to pay the obscene bidding prices on Ebay. I also found another CD that I didn't even know I wanted, but at their prices I had to own it. This place is a TREASURE TROVE for the old school album hunters and newer CD searchers. I can wait to return to look some more. Rock on JL Records! My your turn tables play forever!! read more

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I have been buying stuff from Jim since he was selling used vinyl at flea markets. Then he had a shop on State Street for years before moving to this location. If you can't find what you're looking for here, then it doesn't exist. If it does, they can order it for you. There is really TOO many CDs here, with CDs piled on top of the racks, and in boxes underneath. It makes it kind of  hard for quick browsing, but if you like to dig dig dig this is the place. Although the selection is daunting, chances are they have what you're looking for. There is also a very nice selection of collectible CDs, boxes, promos, and stuff that you are just not going to find anyplace else. The used CDs are top quality; they don't buy junk like other used CD stores. There is a money back guarantee but I doubt you'll ever need to return anything. The only negative comment I have is that the prices of used CDs may be a little high for some titles. The big boxes are dumping back catalog new CDs for as little at $4.99, but you'll find a used copy here for $9.99. If you think a particular used title is priced too high, just ask. Often the price reflects availability. If it's out of print, the price goes up. If it's been reissued recently, mention that to the staff and the price might go down. They also stock many "import" CDs at ridiculously high prices. With high quality torrent downloads so prevalent, there is no reason to buy these "import" CDs. Selling your used CDs depends on what your selling. They buy used CDs based on quality and availability, and if they think they can sell it. If the title your selling is out of print or rare, you will get more. If the store has 25 Justin Bieber CDs in the rack, they may not even want it. They know what sells and they know their customers, so be prepared to take back home the Britney Spears CDs you listened to in elementary school. The vinyl loft has been greatly expanded, and here is where I think the real bargains lie. The price of used, near mint, and new vinyl is very reasonable. Even hard to find stuff is priced right. No price gouging here. Finally, they also buy and sell used DVDs and video games. I don't normally browse those areas so I can only say that it's available. read more

During a visit we made to the area back in July, we decided to check out some local record stores. It ended up that this was the only one we had time to get to. The two workers we saw were friendly enough upon entering the store and at checkout time, but they didn't try to help us find anything while we were there, didn't try to make any recommendations, or even ask us what we were looking for so they could point us in the right direction. The selection of both cds and vinyl is huge and fairly well organized, but the prices ranged from "decently priced" to "what are they smoking?". Used Collectables label reissue 45s shouldn't be priced at $4.99 to $9 each when the company that made them sells them for between 50 cents and $4 as unplayed new stock on their own website. I bought one CD that my wife wanted, for $18.99, though the same cd could be found still sealed on Discogs for less than 30% of that price, after shipping. Darn that instant gratification (sarcasm... I wanted to make my wife happy and she loves the CD so it was a win for me, as she got to have it right away). I did manage to find one lp upstairs for myself that was a hard to find pressing of that specific lp, and while it cost a little more than I'd have liked, I am glad I found it. So, this place is good in that you will definitely find something for everyone, but it might end up costing you an arm, a leg, and your firstborn child by the end of your shopping trip. I knocked off one star because it was hotter than hades upstairs where the vinyl was. Vinyl doesn't like heat, by the way, and heat rises, so the fan blowing upstairs was just sort of pushing the hot air around. read more

My older Bro is a graduated Purdue senior, which sucks because now it means I won't be able to go here as often. Every time we went to move things out of his apartment we went to JL and bought way too much stuff. I've found things here that go for hundreds of dollars on eBay listed at 15 dollars. I've found my favorite records, found my favorite cassettes, and it always reminds me of the times when he was in college. Every time we're in Lafayette, it's a guaranteed stop. 10/10, amazing for any analog music fan. Also, Make sure to give Boris the spider a salute when you leave! read more

Where do I begin? For starters, I consider JL Records to be the best record store in the Midwest. I'll wait while you contemplate that. The selection of records (vinyl, LP's, EP's, etc) will leave you shaking your head in a good way. Classic rock, country, classical, new releases, they have it all. And if that's not enough, they have any and every CD imaginable (Imports, hard to find, live concerts, box sets, etc). So that's the "music" aspect of it. Quite honestly, you can spend an hour or more looking at the music memorabilia. They also have t-shirts, stickers, you name it. Last but not least, the staff. The atmosphere and their in-store music selections are as wide as their selection of music for sale. They are super knowledgeable, friendly and are all about the music. I won't say "Enjoy your visit to JL" cause I know you will. read more

My son is now a senior at Purdue, and I just love visiting JL Records with him when my wife and I visit. Yesterday we hit the store, and since he has been getting me back into vinyl, I picked up two great pieces, the 1974 classic Deep Purple album Burn on translucent purple vinyl, and Stryper's 2020 Even The Devil Believes, which has such great cover art, and this is what makes JL one of the best record stores anywhere. They have everything from every genre and every era of music. There's the new stuff to the rare finds. Their prices are fair, and the layout of the store has just the vibe that record hunters love. It sprawls from one end of a long floor to another, with a sunken area a few steps down and a great area a flight above. And when the young man who rang up my purchases saw Burn and started talking about how much he liked the Coverdale era of Deep Purple and the earlier, bluesy days of Whitesnake, I was pleased to be talking with a clerk who actually knows and appreciates music. I hope JL never goes out of business, so all you music lovers out there, give them a visit. You will be blown away! read more

JL Records - Music & DVDs Near Me - West Lafayette, Indiana

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A very large space stuffed with rows upon rows of CDs, both new and used. Hidden away in the back and up a set of stairs is an area filled with used records as well. Everything is mostly mixed together in a generic pop/rock section, but there are also sections for jazz, children's, soundtracks, blues, hip-hop etc. One thing I noticed very quickly is that this place skews very expensive. I spot checked several artists whose releases are easy to find for $1-2 most places but here most were at least $9.99. I did come across a ton of great stuff, but I attribute this mostly to it being in a small town and very overpriced. I did manage to find a single rare record that was priced fairly ($30 but goes for more online) which I was happy to pick up. I did attempt to offer a lower more reasonable price on another record I had wanted (it goes for an average of $4 on Discogs in VG+ condition but was marked $30 here). Instead of a polite decline, I got a long angry rant from the curmudgeonly owner. read more

Huge selection and well organized!! Nice owners. A great availability of rare soundtrack scores.

This place is anachronistic in both good and bad ways. Good, in that you can physically browse through CDs and records and possibly stumble onto something you didn't know you needed. Bad, in that all CDs are encased in long-box style anti-theft cases making it a pain to browse. In addition, there are horizontal stacks of these CD cases lying on top of the racks obscuring the artist name dividers. Prices are anachronistic in the sense that they reflect a pre-internet world. Not being competitive on price is fine if you offer a great shopping experience. For me, the experience did not offset the pricing. read more

This place is HUGE. The vinyl section is a smaller area of the store, but that does not mean that they don't have lots of vinyl here, because they have a LOT. A smaller area in a store with the square footage of this place is still pretty large! Filled a handful of holes in mine and my wife's collection here, and the owner was a pretty nice guy who prides himself on quality of the product he sells. You could really spend a ton of time here. We hung out for a while and just scratched the surface I think. It's a big 'ol store jam packed with music and media. Definitely worth a stop here if you are in the area. read more

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The biggest and best amount of CDs I've seen in my life. EVERY artist has a card so there's none of that annoying flipping through the letter M type stuff. I've been going here for over twenty years. It's almost a two hour drive but soooo worth it They also have an enormous movie selection and I've found some gems there as well. Vinyl is upstairs and it's a large collection but nothing compares to the mammoth amount of CDs. This is a destination type spot. Well worth your drive. read more

LOVEEEE this record store! Used to spend HOURSSSSS here and at Von's Record and Books!

Been in vinyl shops from Boston to Albuquerque and Minneapolis to New Orleans and each one always has its own flavor. JL's is just about as red hot as they come here in the good 'ol midwest. Miss it at your 33 1/3 rpm peril! read more

JL Records - Got my Squib Cakes direct! - Music & DVDs Near Me - West Lafayette, Indiana

Awesome selection of all media. Worth seeing the memorabilia on the wall. Staff is friendly and helpful. A must stop when visiting West Lafayette. Great inventory of new and used vinyl. read more

I used to not care about this place in regards to getting music since we have the other store near campus, but lately they've been having vast improvements. For one thing, I really liked that they've recently expanded their vinyl section to twice the size, making room to more goodies and so I don't have to sit on the floor going through the boxes. Their selection for older stuff is really great, I even found a sealed new original pressing of New Order's Brotherhood, straight from 1986, for $13. Gosh, if that isn't a good find I don't know what is. Their TV/Movie selection is HUGE, but I don't think gets updated that much, at least not as much as the music section. They have a nice selection of soundtracks and old games too. The store itself is wonderful, full of musical memorabilia. Even if you're not there to buy anything in particular you'd enjoy your time just looking at all the things being hung on the wall. I've sold my used CDs here too. It's hit or miss. Sometimes I feel like getting too little and sometimes it's just right, it all depends on your collection I guess read more

Sorry mother fuckers! Very poor customer service and don't accept a exchange or return your money when they sell you defective items I will never step foot in the dive again! read more

It's hard to find a good music store like this anymore. Calling it just a music store though would be a lie. Before I started getting all my music online if I wanted something I couldn't find elsewhere I knew I could find it here. Tons and tons of CDs with a huge selection of vinyl as well. They have a large selection of movies as well. DVDs, blu ray, VHS, and tv box sets. A big reason I come here is I collect older video games. They have a large selection of uses games and consoles. Anything from original Nintendo to Xbox 360. Good prices and a vast selection are why every time I am in the area I stop by for a look. read more

Slightly hard to find RECORD/CD Shop....but when ya do....you'll be completely and happily satisfied you did!!! The place is filled with wall to wall cd's and an upstairs oasis for the vinyl addict who has come to feed his/her/their musical habit(s)!!! Firist time there this past Friday(July 9th) and very much injoyed our visit. Everything is in alphabetical order...so thumbing thru the digs is quite easy. The rock/pop/soul section is what is mostly available, but the jazz section is not too shabby either!!! For the 45 lover in the house, J L has a rather good selection of 7 inches-pic sleeves too that are very reasonablly priced too. One can spend some time just looking thru this section! Having quite esoteric tastes, we came out with a variety of 33/13rds inc the 4 album set of the live KRAFTWERK release, 'Maximum-Mimimum' That was a find!!! Also picked up some stuff by Lou Donaldson Khan Jamal Mark-Almond Jackie Mclean Hudson-Ford and a few other goodies. All were priced fairly and in good shape- 99 cents for the Hudson-Ford and Mark-Almond discs. The Kraftwerk set was sealed @ 59.95. We live here in Indianapolis and to find a great record store like this would be almost impossible. read more

This is my " go to " place for all things music!! Love this place so much, been going there since the mid-80's. I know Jim fairly well and recommend​it very highly! read more

First time visitor yesterday and I must say, I will not buy my music anywhere else! The staff is friendly, very familiar with their selection and the no frills decor and display of CDs and records makes it clear that these people care about music! Love it. read more

Excellent selection of rock and country records. Very decently priced. Would come again.

Such a neat place. I usually shop here whenever I need a new record for my collection. I usually don't go in with a specific record in mind... I just let my mind wander through their vast collection of music. Obviously the prices are going to be cheaper on Amazon, but that's not the point (and it's usually only by a couple bucks). This is a LOCAL music store. You don't see many of those nowadays. And you can tell this place has history. It's like walking into a time capsule of a distant past. A time where a pandemic wasn't destroying our businesses, where people weren't rioting on the streets and wreaking stores. Just listening to music and sharing their love for their favorite artists and records. This place definitely sucks you into that world. When you approach their vinyl area, there are signs that recommend specific turntables and other products. These guys are passionate about their business. They are also a participant of the famous Record Store Day... just to give you another incentive to shop with these guys. Even if you aren't an audiophile like myself and not a music geek, you will still be fascinated by all of the stuff they have. read more

It is a bit of a walk from the Purdue campus, but it is worth it to find a vast (and I mean VAST) array of affordable CD's and records of whatever your ears desire. I usually stop by here and lose myself in digging for unique finds. Also, admire the wall decors and display when you go because you'll see a timeline of the evolution of the radio with real examples, plus many more! read more

The place to go for music - they have everything. Lots of vinyl too. The staff is polite, knowledgeable about what they have and music in general, and will talk to you at length if you keep asking questions. read more

I have been frequenting JL for more than 25 years. Not a year goes by that I don't take the hour long drive to West Lafayette to visit the store. That being said, this store is not nearly as great as it once was. Everything is overpriced, for one. I don't just mean new releases, which I honestly don't mind paying a few extra bucks for to keep a mom and pop shop going. Nevermind the fact that the CD section is nearly impossible to shop---there hasn't been a good clearing out in that place in forever. CDs are on top on the racks, and it's just a sloppy presentation. Once you do find that awesome used CD you've been waiting for, the price is completely ridiculous!!! $30 for used, old hair metal bands that I can buy for $4 on Ebay. Guess who gets my money? Duh! Bootlegs are ridiculously priced, as well---and yes, he has bootlegs. There are literally thousands of my dollars that have stayed in my pocket because of his idiotic price points. It's as though he's pricing stuff higher that he once cared about, because somehow that must mean it's more valuable. It's not. And I honestly think he's more concerned with selling porn out of the back room than he is music anymore. It's so sad---this institution that I came to know and love as a kid, where I could always count on for finding great new music, as well as deeper catalog titles, has become nothing more than a shell of itself. The place is organized like a hoarder, not like a guy who really cares if you know what he has or not. My days of going into JL and dropping a hundred bucks on music there is over. What local record stores there are left at least try to participate in Record Store Day in March, and this dude has no ambition to deliver the goods. Where are the bands, promotions, etc.? This store has been on its last leg for years now. This store isn't the same store anymore, so that notion doesn't sadden me the way it once would have. read more

Great selection and very willing to order the cd you want. But they cater to music snobs and yuppies. And if you aren't a regular don't expect them to help you find anything. They also don't accept returns on unopened brand new items. And the store is not very clean. read more

This store is one of the best record stores I have ever visited. Not only does this store have one of the largest selections around, but the staff is wonderful and the records are all cared for. Each one is clean and ready to go when you purchase it. I am likely going to be a regular with this store. Outstanding business. read more