This is a great little record store with lots of really cool, hard to find records. The prices reflect people's renewed interest in vinyl so don't be surprised to pay at least $25 for almost anything you find there. They do have a really extensive collection of super cheap records in their back room, but unfortunately, most of the ones I found of interest were very scratched up, and I passed on purchasing them. read more

The store owner was super helpful in helping me find artists I was interested and even gave me a few $1 samples for free (yes, there is a sale in the back). I've been listening to some of the vinyls I purchased and they're all excellent quality so far. I highly recommend this store if you are in the area searching for some vinyls -- all budget friendly, the store owner eager to support you and pretty much a wide selection! read more

I love this store, there is always good selection of vinyl, with frequent new selections. Very friendly and welcoming.

Cool nostalgic experience, great selection, especially surprised they had tapes. I wanted one to test my boombox, I didn't think I could find one so close to my house. read more

Awesome place. Go there to hang out and find great music! Tons of fun and you are sure to find what you are looking for.

One Bad Apple is One "Bad" Record Store... "Bad" as in AWESOME Don the owner is super nice and extremely knowledgeable. You can tell he's living his dream owning his store. The store is small but packed with a variety of vinyl, CDs, cassette tapes, & 8-tracks in different genres. On my last visit, I was able to purchase some vintage cassette tape holders. Definitely ck out One Bad Apple if you're into records and music memorabilia https://www.instagram.com/one_bad_apple_records_cv/ (buys and sells, & participates in RSD too) read more

One Bad Apple - Inside store - Vinyl Records Near Me - Castro Valley, California

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Great record shop! The space is smaller than I thought it would be but still packed with enough records to spend hours going through. Owner(?) was chill and offered a comfortable environment and good conversation. He didn't even rush me after I realized that the store should've closed 20 mins ago. Reason alone to come back and spend money here. Most of the records are in great condition and priced as so. As somebody who digs for sampling I didn't find the unpriced, no name, discount crates that I'm used to, but they had some great finds nonetheless. They also had tapes, CD, some gear, etc. I recommend stopping by if you're in town. read more

One Bad Apple - Crates and shelves with vinyl records. - Vinyl Records Near Me - Castro Valley, California

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This place is great! Don is so approachable and easy to talk to. Nice selection of vinyl. If they don't have it, just wait a bit... and it will show up! It's definitely the first place I will look when filling the gaps in my collection. read more

A flash back to my past . . . and my parents' past. What a wonderful collection of records of all genres and all eras. I highly recommend it to the "younger generation" who is now re-discovering the sound quality of a "needle" on vinyl in all its quirky beauty. read more

I recently discovered my grandfather's old turntable while clearing out some rooms in my grandparent's house and I decided to take it home and put it to good use. As soon as I got it set up I discovered that it didn't have a needle. I went down a super deep internet wormhole trying to figure out what the heck I needed to order and I could not figure it out for the life of me. I looked up local record shops and this one came up first and had good reviews, so I gave them a call yesterday. A very friendly guy called me back and said that no, they don't sell needles, but if I brought the headpiece in he could help me figure out what to order. So I went in today with the piece and he was so incredibly knowledgeable and helpful! He didn't make me feel dumb and he was very willing to help me figure out what part to order and where to order it from. He just made himself a lifelong customer. I'm going to tell everyone I know to check this place out. Overall great introduction to vinyl and turntables and I can't wait to learn more! read more

Owner is great, hidden gem in the Bay Area. Hope to see this shop continue to grow. Also found this album today sittin in the stacks. read more

One Bad Apple - Vinyl Records Near Me - Castro Valley, California

What a gem of a store this is. I'm sure all the vinyl heads know about this place but if you don't, make a trip to it. I was there looking for a dvd I misplaced and they had it. The Godfather DVD collection and it was in great condition. The whole back part of the store probably a 10 x10 space full of vinyl all 1.99. Not sure what the owners name is, but great vibes, just a nice guy to hangout and talk with. I got the feeling the guy knows his shit. Will definitely be back. read more

Walked in for the first time today after reading other people's experiences. I explained I'm complete novice to vinyl, and was immediately made to feel very welcome, shown all around the shop, and given a lot of tips and advice for use and care. The selection was eclectic and broad, and it was difficult to make myself stop picking up more things up to take home. Many of the records have small notes about physical condition or playback quality to make it more clear what you're getting. And they offered to play a record if I wanted to hear before I purchased. Now I'm sitting and listening to one of my all-time favorite albums and thinking about what I might grab next time I stop by. I'm very happy. read more

Don was awesome! I was searching for a specific record for my brother and he called me when it came in. I'm lucky to have found such a great music store with vinyl records. He also took the time to take care of us when we came in to buy the record. We'll be back! read more

One Bad Apple - Vinyl Records Near Me - Castro Valley, California

Had nothing to do today so i walked into One Bad Apple and i had a good time, Don recommended some albums to me and even played one for me to see if i liked it. He also showed me some other music i'm going to check out later. One huge plus about this record store is that they sell cleaning kits and brushes which i have found most small shops don't. Keep up the great work Don! thanks for keeping vinyl alive! read more

I came in here looking for some records for The Cure and although I didn't find the exact record I was looking for, I was super happy and satisfied with what I found. First off, all the records were very well organized and CLEAN. Like you're not gonna feel like you need to wash your hands immediately after leaving the store from flipping through a bunch of dusty old records. The owner was very friendly, helpful, and obviously passionate about what he does. Although they didn't have The Cure in stock that day, he did put in the extra effort to look for other records I might be interested in. As a result, I walked out with New Order's Western Works LP and after coming home and putting it on the turntable, I've never been happier. Sound and content, it was absolutely perfect. As if service couldn't get any better, the owner's gonna honor my request and restock the store with more of The Cure. I'm guaranteed a returning customer after hearing that. read more

Passed by today and met Don. Really cool guy. Shop is nicely organized and he's very easy to work with. I was able to sell an old vinyl collection. As the Terminator would say "I'll Be Baaaakkkk" read more

I've been walking past this store for so long and today I finally stopped by. I was looking for some Prince LPs and was pleasantly surprised by the selection there. The owner Don, was so amazing. We got to talking about music for a bit and I felt like I could stay there forever just talking with him...I could have easily spent hours there, spending all my money! If I didn't have somewhere to be I would have. I fully intend to go back very soon to buy more LPs. This place is awesome read more

A diamond in the rough with great selection of records, reasonably priced (some are total steals), and owner Don is so helpful and totally cool. -WC buddy read more

Had to feed my new favorite obessesion. This place is a big upgrade. . I believe it used to an an mma shop? Regardlesa of size, this place packs a punch. Well organized and they even offered me a crate to sit on. Broke the bank a little on rumors but it sounds so clean, also scored a much overlooked protocol harum album. I might be back to browse, definately wanna check out other spots as this one is small and they seem to have what they have but I like that it is in cv. The guys were real nice. Also kudos on the hippie beads. read more

One Bad Apple - Record fairy spent a little over $60 for the albums pictured. - Vinyl Records Near Me - Castro Valley, California

As a collector there are three main requirements I look for in a record store: 1. Selection. I wanna see a wide variety but also find some gems you wouldn't normally think of. 2. Passionate staff. It's reassuring knowing the employees care about music as much if not more than you do and are willing and able to help you remember that one song by that one artist. 3. Sense of community. This might be the most important factor for me. Going into a local shop where the owner knows you by name, knows who your favorite artist is, and asks how your sick dog is doing, makes you feel like you're on the set of Cheers. That's what the vinyl community is all about. The good news is, these types of stores exist and One Bad Apple is one of them. read more

Simply.amazing! High quality tapes & LPs We are lucky to have such an aficionado share his expertise w us. Go here now read more

My "other favorite record store." Honestly, Don is the greatest. Super helpful, easy going, friendly and reasonable!! I've bought a lot of records here, maybe a hundred, and if ever something is wrong with the record or I accidentally buy a record I already have, Don is quick to say, "bring it on in, we'll work something out." and he does! Now, don't get me wrong, Don sells quality records, cleaning what he has before putting it out, he has a wide variety of metal, punk, rock, blues, jazz, rap (not my thing, but for those of you who like it...he's got it. It's a small place and easy to miss--but it's there! across from Pete's Hardware and a few doors down from the Donut Shop, you'll find it! Looking for something from the 70s, the 80s, the 90s? One Bad Apple has it. Don is terrific! read more

I was searching on Yelp for record store near me and I came across this place so I decided to go last week with my sister, I was in heaven lol this is now one of my favorite record store. Great service too! read more

Listen up East Bay! I'm letting out a secret. Here's a place to get those great vinyl records at great prices. It's a hidden treasure. Mom and pop store- you remember those? Cool old 45s anything your looking for and if you can't find it, they'll get it. Cool artsy owner molded some records into art objects that are now sold in higher end stores. Guess what? You can still get the stuff at his place at the low price. Check it out. read more

One Bad Apple - Great place with great deals. Even has jam sessions. Words out East Bay! Best record shop around. - Vinyl Records Near Me - Castro Valley, California

After reading the great reviews online I finally got the time to swing over to this awesome local business this eve. Found some great gems to add to my budding vinyl collection & Don was awesome. He gave me some great pointers on ways to tweak my turntable for the best performance. Even when conversation strayed from shoptalk, Don was just a genuine guy to shoot the bull about anything and everything with. Swing by his joint-have fun digging and taking your own trips down memory lane, and support a cool local business. ~Hurricane~ read more

Months ago Don took a phone call from me and was very helpful about a turntable question I had. His personality was so cool over the phone that I knew we would have to stop in and check out his shop. I finally made it over with my Mom (who knows and is serious about her music) to One Bad Apple today and Don is FANTASTIC!!! Friendly, knowledgeable, funny and willing to get into the records and help a customer find what they are looking for :) Don was SO helpful with my Mom who has difficulty reading the album covers to find what she wants. We got a turntable for my Mom, speakers and several albums for a great price! We got home and my Mom started playing her music immediately! THANK YOU DON for being so nice and on top of your business!!! We will return! *Hi DD! read more

Blinds down to make sure none of the records got any sense of damage. One of the best selections I have seen within that amount of space in a long time. The dude behind the counter had the record store guy look which really added to the ambiance as well as his knowledgeable love for music. Everything was pristine, there was no junk records, only gold. New arrival section was mixed to perfection. Prices where on point especially for a small mom and pop record shop and overhead of keeping a business afloat in the Bay Area was truly impressed with the pricing. Grabbed an Explosions in the Sky record, Jelly Roll Morton and Count Basie. All records where in grad A condition with all the books and sleeves beautifully intact. Think I found my new favorite local joint. read more

After reading about this store on Yelp, I thought I would drop by. The store is small but laid out extremely well with a good selection of very clean older vinyl and "some" new........ I only say that because I prefer a shop like this to a store that is primarily pushing NEW vinyl at rediculous prices (you know who you are!)....only knock is parking is a little difficult! Will definitely go back. read more

We've been hard up for good record stores since coming to the Bay Area little over a year ago -- luckily we were in the area and stopped by One Bad Apple. They had a great selection, actual stuff from the 60s-present that I'd want to really listen to! I snagged a couple records, including some marked in their section for weird/offbeat things, which are always my favorite sections to thumb through in these kind of places. Next time we're in the area I'll definitely be in again. The man behind the counter was very nice and welcoming. Thanks for having a rad store, guys! read more

Do you love vinyl? Find yourself reminiscing about the first record you ever owned? Secretly wishing that High Fidelity was your life? Well look no further, you have found your new Mecca. One Bad Apple is a record collectors dream. Amazing collection of rock, pop and oldies. The uber friendly and Super knowledgeable music nerd couple who recently opened this shop are awesome! Kinda like those people you want to be your new best friends. So excited to make an afternoon on thumbin' through vinyl a regular weekend activity. Just one more bit of awesome as I settle in to my suburban life after 20 years of city living. Thank you for making the transition Little bit easier One Bad Apple. read more

Great hidden gem in Castro Valley. Don was friendly and helpful in finding vinyl I was interested in. He went a step further and contacted his friend to see if they carried others he did not have. Thank you Don! I'll be back! read more

Small shop, but great selection. Owner is very helpful and knowledgeable. Just a really comfortable experience all around.

Great selection and super friendly staff. I suggest starting in the new arrivals bin first. I'll be coming back here for sure.

Great little record store! Fantastic selection and friendly owner. Could easily have spent hours there. Also some drool-worthy vintage equipment and random cool stuff!! read more

BEST record shop!!!! I look forward to going in. Great way to spend some free time on a Saturday, browsing and chatting with the owner, Don. Great selection - I ALWAYS leave with something. Nice to be able to hang and listen to whatever he has on. He'll even play whatever you prefer. Bottom line: Great selection, great prices, great service. read more

Once again, I cannot begin to express how pleased I am with Don and the business he is running. It is always a memorable experience. If you're looking for an awesome record store -- you've got to come on in! Music never dies! -- Until we do; I guess. read more

Stopped in today to check out some vinyls with my boyfriend we were looking for a certain Presley record and struck GOLD with One Bad Apple! We left with 3 vinyls all at amazing prices and the man who owns the shop ( didn't get his name he was so cool! ) was so helpful and nice!!! We were so close to just buying the album off of amazon or something ( because that's what everyone does now a days ) but so glad we didn't! Shop totally has a old school vibe to it which We loved! Could spend hours in there!!! Clean, cute and great ownership !!! Defiantly coming back!!!! read more

If you're reading this, you NEED to go visit Don at One Bad Apple. Don is one of the friendliest record store owners I've ever met. He is very welcoming, has great knowledge about records (especially rock), and most of all he's a genuine person. As a person who has gone crate digging all around the Bay Area, I've probably had the best experience shopping at his store. I found some great records, all of which were VG+, and even his records in the dollar bin were awesome (a lot in really good shape too). I'm glad we now have a great record store in Castro Valley with a great record store owner. Keep these stores alive and GO GIVE ONE BAD APPLE A VISIT! And thank you Don for being an awesome guy! read more

Great selection of records! And very good prices! Store is neat and the atmosphere is very cool and laid back!