Do you like CD's? Music? Records? Books about CD's, music and records? If you answered yes to any…read moreof these questions you probably like musical CD's about records too. The Vintage Record Shop on Parramatta Road is a small and interesting shop with a large range of second hand CD's, Vinyl and books on the subject. The interior is possessed of dim lighting and a welcoming vibe, as though it's a shop which wants your patronage. There are piles and shelves full of stock for perusing, either for interest or purchase, though I'm sure they'd prefer purchase, but sometimes it's nice, just to look at the artefacts of history and their colourful shiny cases. There's often some intriguing finds made here, perhaps not as intriguing as finding a dinosaur fossil in the desert when you were sure that there were no dinosaurs at Kernel sand tunes, but still intriguing all the same, and much more likely. So whether you're an archaeologist who likes music, or a musician arcs his oligist (That intentionally made no sense. I apologise whole heartedly.) then there is some quality time lying just around the corner for you, should you wander into the Vintage Record.

I've always been meaning to go to this store on Parramatta road, as I pass by on the bus and today…read morewas the day I decided to get off and check it out alongside the bass shop next door. The store's great, got a great feel to the place when you step in, and has a good selection of funk and jazz records along with alot of other genres too, including an Australian section. The $1 and $5 bins had some goodies in there too, which I always like to dig through, A Quincy Jones album, 'the dude' and George Duke's and Stanley Clarke's, 'the Clarke/Duke project' were my gems of the day. There were also some cool turntables about the place, old memorabilia on sale and the best thing ever was the boombox that could play vinyl! Unfortunately the record player didn't work and it wasn't on sale, but that's still the coolest thing that I saw that week! The owner Phil, who also served me was real nice, definitely a big plus in my books. When you go to a store and the owner's are actually kind and friendly people, that makes me want to go back to the place and support local!

I like music from really old guys like JS Bach, Brahms, Ludwig Van B, and the Rolling Stones…read more Nowadays CDs are so cheap, but the range is not so great. Until you get to Fish Fine Music. It has the most fantastic range of classical music and the most helpful people. An added advantage is that its in the QVB - an Icon. and no, I have no idea why its called Fish Fine Music.

From the owner: We are practically the last store in Australia that specialises in CDs, DVDs and vinyl of classical…read moremusic, opera, ballet and jazz. We order from all over the world and carry in excess of 50,000 titles all day, every day.

Being a bit of a collector, I used to buy many CDs from Red Eye, but I used to hate myself every…read moretime as I knew that everything I bought was overpriced, now a decade later, I buy everything for its true value on the internet, so I just call into Red Eye occasionally to look at the new releases so I can see what is out there. Red Eye's range is nothing like it once was and I honestly don't know how a shop like this stays in business anymore as all the current CDs can be found cheaper in other shops and the collectables can be found cheaper on the internet. Oh well maybe there are a few people without a phone connection and they have no other option.

A record store just like you used to love…read more It's racks and racks of CDs and vinyl, with posters all over the walls, and staff who know all the bits of music trivia you don't (but with none of the attitude). Especially good, unsurprisingly, with Australian music. I was able to pick up a couple of albums I couldn't find elsewhere here. And they were happy to search their database for the one I couldn't (turns out it doesn't exist, so fair enough). They've got a mailing list that comprehensively details every new release they add each week. Real music lives here.

Now this is a bar that I could really spend a decent amount of time at, if only because it is one…read moreof those unique places. Basically it is a bar that also doubles as a recordshop, or is it a record shop that happens to have a liquor license. I'm actually not sure which, but it does have a pretty cool vibe about it. It is also a basement bar, and these basement bars tend to have a life all of their own. Yep, this is certainly one that is going to be at the top of my list. Oh, you can also take your beers into the record shop while browsing.

Stopped in for a few cocktails on a Friday with some friends. The theme of the bar is music and…read morethey stay true to form. I loved all the records and the music blasting once we got underground. This bar is tiny, and it was definitely full upon our arrival, luckily, we were able to snag a table after a couple of minutes. I was quickly able to grab a drink, a gin and soda for 9 bucks, not too bad for the price and make my way through the lounge. My friend ordered a margarita which was quite small, didn't taste very good and was 19 dollars. Overall, I enjoyed my time here, I felt the drinks were decently priced, aside from the margarita, the staff was friendly, and the vibe was cool.

Just received my first record from these guys. Record came quickly, and was inserted into a high…read morequality outer sleeve. Little things like this prove to me that the business cares about their customers and repeat business. Will be back

I'm not into Metal as a genre and I was fully aware before going in that it was mainly Metal music…read moregenre store but I would have thought that it would have a lot more used vinyl. Also too something has to be done about the smell. I was there on or around the 20th of May and it smelt like the toilet had burst and I had to leave pretty quickly due to that. Such a shame.

Walking into this video store felt like stepping into a different era in the best possible way. No…read moreendless scrolling, no algorithms guessing what you might like, just shelves lined with stories waiting to be discovered. The staff actually talk to you, recommend films based on real conversations, and there's something special about holding a physical copy in your hands and committing to a choice. It made me realize how much we've traded convenience for connection. Here, kids aren't glued to screens they're wandering aisles, picking movies by their covers, asking questions, and learning patience. There's a sense of anticipation in taking something home, rewinding it (if you know, you know), and making it an event rather than background noise. This place reminded me that maybe the "old-fashioned way" wasn't so bad after all. It's slower, more intentional, and honestly, a lot more meaningful. The kind of experience that makes you think twice about how you want to raise your kids and what kind of memories you want them to have.

Title Music and Video is a spirited little shop that seems to be working hard to prove itself…read morethrough the digital boom. And you know what, I think it's succeeding. Nothing beats the feeling of actually flipping through albums (and I don't mean with your index finger on your iPhone). In a store like Title where cheeky categories pull you in a direction you might not have previously gone, you're more likely to stumble upon a treasure. I was tickled to find the film categories such as "Film Noir," "Holliwood Cool" and "French New Wave," proving that this shop houses much more than the latest Lindsey Lohan flick. With old yet rare films that might make your grandfather scratch his head in recollection, you can be prepared to jump out of the box. And if it's music you're after, don't be shy. Again, I would deter you from trying to source anything mainstream here, but you could just get lucky and happen upon your favorite obscurity... and on vinyl. Let's be honest, nothing sounds better than the honey smooth, yet vintagey rawness of a song played on vinyl. Grab a player at your local yard sale and head down to Title to bulk up your collection. You will be the instant envy of your coolest cool friends.

Basement Books is a dangerous place on many levels…read more Danger number one: It's in Central. It is right in Central. Central is a place you meet people, so you might say, meet you in central at 4pm and then you get there at 3.30pm and you have to wait. So what do you do? You go to Basement Books and peruse their countless books with bright yellow stickers advertising their low and affordable price. Danger number two: Because these books that you're perusing are cheap, you can justify the price even if you're not sure whether you even need the book. 'Oh, a history of Physics' I've always been interested in Physics, and it's only $9.95 I should probably buy this and learn about Physics. Danger number three: Their range is gigantic! I almost said 'ginormous', but that's not a word. What I meant was Hugantic! There are literally thousands upon thousands of books and they're always receiving new stock. They have art sections, computer sections, history, film, personal growth, science fiction, literature, even books like the dictionary, which, had I purchased a copy last I was in, would have saved me the embarrassment of using a non-word like 'ginormous'. So beware of Basement Books. You have been warned. The bookshop is in a great location, the titles are cheap and the range extraordinary. I have a pile of books in my room almost as tall as I am that I have yet to read, opportune purchases that came at me as I strolled amidst the aisles killing time. A book on deadly diseases for $4.95, I'm not going to find that bargain again. Buy! Buy! Buy!

In this day and age of Kindle and Kobo and Nook, a solid read (and I mean one that you can…read moreliterally hold and turn pages beneath your fingers) comes pretty cheap. You really do need to head in to see what they've got because I find their online catalogue lacking and sometimes the staff don't even know what they're stocking. The outside disguises how big this place really is, as it has sections for anything from classic fiction to travel books and bios. It has a pretty decent selection of art supplies as well (I'm no art student, but it does cater for scrapbooking hobbies or the amateur artist if you're after it). Right in the back corner they have a little children's section which I found perfect for my six year old sister who's going through her first reading phase. I bought her a collection of these tiny Winnie the Pooh classics, and a special anniversary edition of Beatrix Potter's Peter Rabbit and Friends stories which averaged around $4 and $12 respectively. They have tons of different hard cover books (some of which are pop up!) which were surprisingly cheap, but more importantly, were invaluable in keeping kids (of all ages) entertained for hours.