The nicest owner and staff in any record store east of The Mississippi River by far ! Stop in…read moreanytime !

I live 90 mins away, but I have always gone to MSJ when in the Stroudsburg area visiting relatives…read more I started going in the 90s when the store was in a slightly different location on Main Street. It's a great store, with a very nice longtime owner, a helpful and friendly staff, and it has a relaxed atmosphere. MSJ is in a good neighborhood for lunch. They avoid all the mistakes that many other record stores make. I am speaking, of course of snotty, snobby, easily triggered owners/salespeople, or racks of lps too jammed or unpriced "bring to the counter for price"albums, etc. The records here are priced clearly and fairly, in my opinion*. *If you haven't shopped for records in recent years.. the demand for records has gone up drastically in recent years, and prices have gone up accordingly everywhere. You will not find 2008 (or 1974) prices on records in 2025. Especially on original pressings of the big classic rock albums by the top bands still played on the radio. I feel these guys are pretty fair, especially if you compare shopping at a store vs. shopping online, where you have to pay extra for shipping and really have nothing more than a vague hope that the LP will arrive in the stated condition. That aside. and back to the review... The more expensive items have sealed flaps, but you can open and inspect the vinyl at the counter. Less expensive records can be inspected at the rack if you do so carefully (i.e., not accidentally flinging the record across the store or getting yer greasy fingerprints 'em). Note: Record swapping will get you banned, you delinquents ;) - so don't be that person. Also, drinks are a no-no for understandable reasons. MSJ has tons of great vinyl in vg'+ or better condish. Rock is broken down alphabetically in various sections by price: $10 and up, $5, etc. There are boxes underneath these lp racks, but they request you get an employees help to access them. I never have time to crate dig, but I aspire to one day. I pick up a lot of records each visit, with very few exceptions (over 30 yrs) the albums and cds I've purchased have always been in VG+ or better, clean, etc. I have often traded in albums for store credit, and they are reasonable if you bring in decent records in nice condition that are not super common. I can't speak to how well they cover other genres since I mostly concentrate on rock - but there's a good amount of other stuff to peruse. If you go, I hope you find that gem you are looking for!

I popped in Saturday March 11th for a look see. I had heard about them from a family member that…read morepasses through there every day. I generally go to The Record Exchange in Princeton, NJ or Double Decker Records in Allentown, PA for the selection and pricing. This store is tiny by those standards, but they had some titles that would normally be snatched up in a busier store. For that I was grateful. The owner is eager, but I fear that he might be stretching himself a bit thin carrying a couple of arcade machines, some stereo equipment, a listening station that takes up about 25% of his capacity, books, T-Shirts and cassettes. I wouldn't mess with half of that stuff if I were him. There were alot of records I could never get through because they were literally on the floor and my back doesn't care for that. The guitars and arcade machines have to go. Not enough space. He was having a dollar sale on several boxes of records, but many of them were too banged up to consider. I'd call it a day on 80% of them in his shoes. It's a decent space, but it's definitely out of the way for most folks. Belvidere is farm country, but they are on the main drag with a liquor store, a coffee shop, a CBD store and a bodega all within close proximity. Parking was decent. The prices were a little high, but I can forgive some of that due to his store size and relatively small selection. I found maybe 10 records I wanted at their price points and I got out of there for $120. Try doing that at those other stores I mentioned. One really cool thing is that the actual price tags peel right off the LP jackets without the need for Goo Gone or worrying about ripping the covers. Almost all of them were already in plastic sleeves which really classed up the joint. Keeps the fingerprints off the good ones. Most of actual vinyl I looked at was in fairly good shape. I found a smattering of $5-$7 records to buy so that was good. I would say there were another 5-7 records I would have bought if their prices were maybe $5 cheaper. A used record, unless it's very rare and or in extremely high demand, should never exceed $20 in my opinion. At that point you may as well buy a new one. I got the impression this guy was a rookie retailer, but he was extremely accommodating and even offered coffee to the folks shopping. Not a particularly good idea with the likelihood of one handed spillage high, but it spoke to his humanity. I was impressed. Their logo is very cool and I would have bought a jersey from them, but they didn't have my size. In summation, if you are around Central NJ, give this guy some love. He could use it. I'll definitely be back for sure.

From the owner: Boutique Record store featuring all types of physical media,hand built one of a kind guitars,…read morearcade machines, turntables and record stands and displays.Vintage and new concert and band tees. Listening lounge. Musician owned and operated!

My son found this place after purchasing his 1st portable record player. He found records to play…read morethat was on his list. The prices are good. The location is great. They have a huge inventory, from vinyl, CD's, movies and books. Everything from old school to new school. They don't miss out on anything. Whatever you're searching for this is the place to find it. So far we've been their three times, and each time my son found what he was searching for. The staff were all very friendly and helpful. I'm sure we will continue to visit often.

I discovered this record store through the Whatnot app and so far I've made several purchases from…read morethem. They ship SUPER fast and the packaging is always great. From shopping around their prices are extremely fair. I wish I had the chance to visit this store in person.

Awesome place the woman in there is amazing and they have a great selection of CDs cassettes and…read moremore

I love this store! I used to go when I was a kid, then I moved and came back and resumed my…read morepatronage. Mary, the owner, is very friendly and knowledgeable about music. The staff is welcoming and always happy to talk about some tunes. They do new record listening parties and events throughout the year; I checked out the one they did for Green Day's new album and that was a lot of fun. Prices are fair (or at least standard for nowadays), and they have a large selection of both vinyl records and CDs. Highly recommended.

The number of FYE's I've seen is something, considering I'm finding them far away. The store is…read morelaid out nicely, with departments in their section and easy to locate. There were quite a number of CDs and DVDs I found, which came to my surprise a bit. It was well-stocked and had plenty of selection to choose from. Also, what really stood out was how clean the store was, with nothing lying around, and the floor was clean. Had one employee walk in and ask if we needed any help, which deserves an additional star. No signs of it closing yet, which makes it entertaining.

This store you can Explore the latest in pop-culture and entertainment merchandise. They have…read moreExclusive Music. Funko, Marvel, Star Wars. Collectibles, Toys, Gifts. Used CDs, DVDs & Games. Something for everyone. Pricing is a little high, but they have a nice selection. Customer service is a plus.

I drove over one hundred miles to Soundcheck this morning for Record Store Day, and I wouldn't have…read moredone that if their customer service wasn't so great. I want to say, I don't collect records, I collect CDs, this was actually my first record purchase ever so I was nervous and desperate to get it. So I was grateful that when I called the Tuesday before that they informed me of the single copy of the record I wanted that they would have in stock (King James Version, Harvey Danger!). The day of I was late but lucky, as nobody had taken it yet, and when you were in line they had someone who would help find records for you. Yelp is insisting I say something about value, so I will say that this had an extremely fair price. This was a limited run collectors item and I know for a fact that they priced it well within the usual range for it sold throughout the states, even though they are a very small business is a very small town in the middle of PA. Not saying I expect small businesses to price gouge a little, but for this record and on this big record store day, I did expect to pay a premium and I got a very fair price. So these are honest people as well as helpful. Thank you!

Nice curated selection of new and gently used vinyl, records are appropriately priced. Popular…read morereleases like Taylor Swift available, as well as new rock releases and classic rock. Staff is very knowledgeable!

In recent years, I've been increasingly warming up to Hackettstown; I like to do my "walking…read moremeditation" perambulations in Union Cemetery (which I definitely have to review at some point in the future; it's beautiful, peaceful and historic), and I've really, really liked some of the town's restaurants (although I'm beginning to think I'm a virtual Angel of Death when it comes to restaurants I like-- there's the memory of an Italian restaurant in Fairfield that closed after I wrote an enthusiastic review on Yelp, and "Home Made" on Hackettstown's Main St., which, regrettably, seems to have closed not long after I wrote a laudatory review). Although, I have to say-- It's an odd town; sorta spooky after dark (I keep thinking of vampires emerging from the surrounding buildings as the sun sets; the vibe reminds me of "Midnight Mess" in the old E.C. comics of the 1950s, or the modern-day "Midnight Mass" on Netflix...both of which I heartily recommend, by the way, especially if you like vampire stories. But again, I digress...). Parking can be tough (I nearly got clipped trying to pull out of a tight parking spot back out onto the street), you'd better have a pocketful of quarters for the parking meters (you don't have to pay after 6pm; the vampires will take care of it for you after that), and the town has some very "unique" shops and restaurants. One store specializes in "jerky." One store specializes in pickles. I noticed what appear to be several Bodegas (I walked into one that was selling religious items, bobble-head dolls, Lotto tickets, and also had 2 old-fashioned slot machines-- I'm not sure if they were for sale or to be used for gambling purposes). Another shop features only soup (along with signs from a guy indicating that if he's elected Sheriff, he'll personally arrest Governor Phil Murphy; at first, I thought the store was playing into the whole Seinfeld "Soup Nazi" thing, but...sadly...I think they're serious). And then there's Sound Effects Records. I became aware of it over the summer. My old friend and I had gotten together on a Tuesday and were looking for a restaurant to eat at when we inadvertently stumbled upon it. At that time, it was closed. (Another odd thing about this town-- everything, and I do mean EVERYTHING!!!-- seems to shut down and close on Tuesdays.) We had parked, put numerous quarters into the parking meter (vampires are quiescent during the daylight), and noticed a seemingly abandoned "mini mall" off to the side. There weren't many stores in the mall, and those that existed were closed (the mall has 2 floors, and the bottom floor was even ghostlier and more deserted than the upper "shopping" area), but I was intrigued by Sound Effects. I resolved to return at some point in the near future. Yesterday, we returned. Thankfully, it was open. According to the gentleman manning the front desk, the place has been in operation for over 30 years, but it has been at various locations in the town. As its name suggests, it specializes in records and CDs. My friend is into records, and I'm into CDs, and it has a lot of both. About half of the CDs are at prices you'd expect; the other half are on sale ($5 a CD for the most part). A lot of fluff (for example, numerous Billy Joel CDs; I remember when radio station WFMU held a marathon fundraiser to drum up money-- one DJ threatened that if they didn't make their hourly goal, he'd play "Piano Man" until they did, and... sure enough...he was as good as his word). But there's good stuff here too. The Cramps. The Pretty Things. Johnny Thunders and the Heartbreakers. Even some Moby Grape. What I ended up buying was pretty conventional, but of great quality. A Moody Blues Cd. An early Rolling Stones CD. Rush. Early Pink Floyd. Tangerine Dream. Sugar Loaf. (Sugar Loaf!?! Of "Green Eyed Lady" fame? Well...yeah. I don't know if their other songs are any good...I suspect they aren't...but for $5, it isn't going to break the bank, and my pleasure in music these days is exploring genres and artists from the past that are unknown or unfamiliar to me...Afropop, as one example...and maybe discovering some gold threads amidst the dross.) A CD of 10 Schubert symphonies for $3. How can you go wrong? I'd love it if they sold more DVDs, or "spoken word" CDs (The Great Courses, Noam Chomsky, Alan Watts, old-time radio, the "Dark Fantasy" dramatizations of Lovecraft stories, etc.) There were 2 bins containing some conventional DVDs (I ended up buying "Misery" with James Caan and Kathy Bates; I'm not the biggest Stephen King fan, but I liked the book). All in all, this is a really good store, with fairly priced items, and a better, more diverse selection than "Spin Me Round" in PA, or "Sound Exchange" in Somerville (although, let me hasten to add, I like both of those stores). They're friendly people, and willing to search for items that they don't have (I told the proprietor I'm going to return with a list of the Moby Grape CDs that I don't have).

Hackettstown nj has much to offer and one of its hidden gems is the Sound Effects music store…read more Whether you're looking for something new or something obscure the knowledgeable staff can point you in the right musical direction. CD'S are plentiful new and used and if you are searching for vinyl, you have come to the right place. You cannot go wrong at Sound Effects. Located across the street from Berk's furniture store in the mini mall waiting to be discovered by you.

Great store. Owner a very nice guy. He has everything your looking for.This place is so cool!read more

Awesome record shop, the owner is so nice and they have a great selection!! Would highly recommendread more

Used book shop featuring over 100,000 titles located in the West End Plaza, Brodheadsville, PA. If…read moreyou are a book worm, this store is perfect for you. You can get nice books in good condition for $5 or even cheaper. Service is always with a smile and willing to help you find any book you're looking for.

It's always a pleasure and a great find @ Pierce's Bookshop. I can get overwhelmed by the variety…read moreand knowing most books are under $5. Extremely worth it if you're a book worm. Even just to browse stop on by the owners are so welcoming!!!

Pros: very big building filled to the brim with interesting items…read more Cons: openly selling nazi memorabilia Pros: Lots of helpful people milling around, cute displays Cons: Openly hostile booth owner being openly homophobic and mean Pros: Found some cute items Cons: most items were deeply overpriced. And, as I've seen other reviews mentioning this as a con, DEEPLY overpriced. This obviously isn't a place where locals go because I can't imagine paying these prices even once. I will not be coming back unless there is an effort to not deliberately antagonize patrons who appear different.

Lots and lots of space and vendors here. I only had an hour to spend here but could've spent way…read morelonger if I had the time. Unfortunately didn't find much for my taste/collections, but I'm sure most people could find a ton of stuff here. I did make a purchase of prints of jackie kennedy drawings.