We visited Amoeba Music yesterday, and the staff there were so welcoming to our doggie Meatball…read more They even gave him some treats. So nice! :) I bookmarked this spot to visit since it was my boyfriend's 1st visit in Berkeley, and I thought this was a cool store to check out. We did have to check in his backpack at the entrance of the store, which is no issue. They have lots of selection of music, and my bf found a vinyl that he has been looking for a long time - The Big Lebowski one. He was so happy! This is definitely a good spot to check out if you're into music and especially if you want to get vinyls and cds. They also have some cool lunch boxes and posters as well plus other interesting items. Parking in Berkeley can be tough though. We drive around for about 18 minutes before we finally found a spot to park.

The customer service here is very poor. The person at the door explained their policy to us in an…read moreirritated manner, as if we were supposed to know that we cannot wait at the counter while the DVDs are being evaluated for pricing. On top of that, I asked an employee where their DVDs are, as not every section is clearly marked, and he pointed below me and said they are right down there as if I was supposed to know that. I was not expecting this kind of horrible customer service. It was my first time here and will definitely be my last.

Whenever I'm in town, I go to Dave's. Whenever I go to Dave's I spend money on his impressive stock.read more

Too notch used record store. Dave plays records that you either remember or had not heard before…read moreand you end up buying. Terribly elaborate selection.Rock to Jazz to Hip Hop and a lot in between. Definitely a dig in the crates store.

Another excellent music store with a huge selection and reasonable prices on a lot of the items…read more Both Rasputin and Ameba (when they both open, check hours) make for a perfect record shopping day in Berkeley. Really happy with the selection here but of course that opinion is bit subjective, its well worth the trip if you are a tourist staying in San Francisco. Easy to get to on the bart, a short walk from the station.

Cool spot near Amoeba, making it easy to check out both stores while you're in the area. They have…read morea decent selection of CDs and vinyl across almost every genre, along with movies downstairs. The basement and main floors are open for browsing, while you'll need to ask the front desk to access the classical section upstairs. Prices are fair at the most part, and it's a great place to revisit occasionally to see what rare or collectible items have come in. There is also plenty of good restaurants and coffee spots nearby too.

My boyfriend and I love music, he has a record player back home in Sac., and drags me to every and…read moreany record store. I love it bc I can also buy some vinyl and enjoy it at his house. He took me here this weekend and it was so fun, the staff was respectful and kind and he ended up buying 3 records and a CD! The CD was a Bob Dylan live CD, and it cost him only $3! Please check them out! You won't regret going! The store is sooooo pretty too!

Quaint yet the selection doesn't feel limited, just enough - the perfect little record shop! I love…read morethat you're able to listen to vinyls on their record player and they even have headphones to use. Records are decently priced, labeled with sticky notes with its genre/vibe, and you can sell your records here too. I stumbled upon Hercules during an afternoon walk as it's tucked within the neighborhood. They are ran by very genuine and kind people!

Great store, great owner! This is the best old school used vinyl shop I know of. A great place to…read morebrowse. I have found many gems there.

ABSOLUTE GEM This is…read morea hidden gem of a record store. It is very close to the corner of San Pablo Avenue and Solano Avenue. It is a carefully curated, discerning selection of wonderful music. The owner, David, is a terrific guy will gladly help you with all of your music needs. He is really knowledgeable. He even sells rock memorabilia, including original 3 day admission tickets to the Woodstock festival in 1969. Check this place out. You won't be disappointed. Easy parking, great neighborhood, and an incredible selection of music.

I've come here now two times after passing by for years but being too busy to stop in. It is…read morecrammed inside. Watch your step, and start browsing. When I came in a few weeks ago I was the only one inside and was looking for Queen - Hot Space. Who I assume to be the shop owner knew he didn't have it, but showed me the Queen section and I walked out with The Game. There was also a flyer at the checkout area advertising a record sale going on at USF, so props for advertising other record finding events. Everything isn't here. It's a local vinyl shop that has so much to look through, and if you're into that then this is the record shop for you. It gives me the thrill of thrifting back in 2007-2016, but for records. I walked out with international vinyls showcasing music from Brazil and Nicaragua last weekend, but finding the Thriller album was icing on the cake. I wasn't really looking for it, but there is a Jackson 5 section showcasing many of the Jackson 5 albums and their individual projects. Service - I had great service the first time I went because no one else was there. The second time I went, the service was still good but being that it was busy, he pointed me to the exact locations I could find what I was looking for if it was there. I feel like he really knows his shop, and that in itself is valuable. There are many, many vinyls. They're organized as well.

Groove Yard is a gem. Rick is one of those rare shop owners who makes you feel immediately welcome,…read moreand he truly knows his collection. There's always an amazing variety of vinyl to dig through, and the prices are great. Highly recommend this local record store.

I've always found the staff here to be friendly and helpful. Prices are very reasonable too.read more

They have a diverse selection across genres, and what I love most of all is that if you can't find…read morea new release, they will order it for you! I love their fun chalkboard of new releases and recommendations of new arrivals as well. They have an excellent section of new and used record players and audio equipment near their listening station. The staff is always friendly and helpful, not uppity or acting bored and unhappy to be there like some other record shops you might be unlucky to go into. Oh, and they're dog friendly! Tip: follow their IG if you want to call dibs on new arrivals and a chance to win tickets to local shows.

The way brick and mortar bookstores are dwindling these are becoming unicorns…read more I have to admit that the last few books I bought were all online - one because it was independently published and no bookstore carried it - but the other two I didn't even bother looking after that first hunt. We need to support these bookstores. Let them know what you want and they might hear you for next time. I liked the cards and other items they had in stock too. Its great to pick up before you make a decision. Right now I have a few books in my 'to read pile' and once those are finished I will come back here for some more. Great to have this in the neighborhood.

A really good bookstore in Downtown Berkeley!!…read more I came in here looking for a calendar, and ended up browsing through the books. It's a classic old school style bookstore, with very friendly people working here. I didn't spend as much time in here that I wanted to, definitely have to come here again!!

A lot of my experiences here had been extremely positive but after today, I can confidently say,…read moreI'll be shopping for my records elsewhere. I placed an online order and got no contact, I'll own that partly was my fault because I guess I didn't enter my email? But I didn't receive an order text either. So, I decided to head in since I was around there to ask... One of the newer associates was very nice and helpful as much as she could be, but the other, Cam I believe her name was, was rude for absolutely no reason at all, unrelated to my issue but I heard Cam straight up lie to a customer on the phone while I was waiting for help telling the person that she couldn't help because it was a "big" store and it was SO busy she couldn't offer them the assistance they were asking for. It was me and one other person in the store browsing...she had time and I was being very patient. She just didn't want to be bothered. I guess their preorders are separately handled and sent over from a warehouse - which I didn't know, and my order wasn't ready. I found the vinyl I ordered on the wall and asked a simple question of if I could just purchase that one and they could cancel the order I placed for pick up since I don't live in the area. Instead of a customer-first answer (I would have even accepted a kind "I'm sorry, it's against our policy, we can't do that") I was met with attitude and blatant annoyance by Cam. It was as if I was being scolded rather than kindly informed of their process. Good thing there's lots of other really cool record shops around these days. If you're looking for a cool indie record store go somewhere else - peace out 1234 Go.

I wish I could give this place 0 stars and I'm not wrong according to the other reviews. I thought…read moreit was just me. So I will not go into the whole incident. I will just say. Whoever answered the phone today is the most rude, disrespectful, uneducated, unhappy personal I have talked to in a long time, especially for me trying to put money in your pocket. #boycott #cancell 1234GO is right!!! GO THE HELL AWAY FROM THE BAY AREA!!!

If I could give this place 10 stars I totally would. Mark went above and beyond for me with my…read morecustom vinyl request. Not only was it fast, easy, and super friendly but my record sounds great!! I highly recommend anyone that wants a custom vinyl to come here!! We will for sure be back!!

From the owner: 16kHz is the bay areas best vinyl record pressing manufacturer. We offer 12",10",7" pressing and…read morecustom printing. With decades of experience you can trust that your records are going to look and sound amazing. We create top quality products so bands and labels can give collectors what they're looking for. High quality pieces to add to their collections.