If you've lived in Long Beach for any length of time, you undoubtedly know of Fingerprints. After…read more30+ years, it is undoubtedly the largest music store in Long Beach, and one of the largest in SoCal. We were there for Record Store Day. Loved the special deals they offered that day and having the chance to listen to a few bands over the course of the day (and get some merch signed!). I think their old store was better for listening, since there was a clear area for the audience--in the current store, we were tucked between shelves of merchandise--but it still worked and we had no problem seeing or hearing the bands. I particularly enjoyed seeing Violet Grohl and her band that day. Dave Grohl was there, but as a member of the audience. It was fun rocking out with him to his daughter's tunes (even if he was a couple of rows away). Love the staff. Rand, one of the owners, in particular, is incredibly knowledgeable. He also does a great job of lining up events and bands. We had such a great day at Fingerprints!

I've been a Fingerprints customer since moving to Long Beach in 2023 and have loved the 4th Street…read morelocation. I've attended countless signings and performances, and I buy a vinyl there almost every month to keep growing my collection. As an LA native, I grew up going to the original Amoeba in Hollywood and continued shopping there after they moved to their current Hollywood Blvd location. I've always appreciated the events they host, and when I moved to LB, Fingerprints felt like LB's version of Amoeba because of its incredible lineup of signings and performances. Since moving to their new Bixby Knolls location, the event experience has taken a step backward. The new space isn't designed to accommodate the crowds these events attract. They proudly increase the vinyl prices for these events to pay for staffing these events while admission continues to be oversold. The result is an experience that feels more focused on maximizing attendance than ensuring fans can actually enjoy the event. I attended the Charli XCX Q&A yesterday, and the stage was so low that I couldn't see anything. Within two minutes of the event starting, I requested a refund because the room was clearly over capacity. Unless you were around 5'6" or taller, the only way to see Charli was through other people's phone screens. When I asked for a refund, the employee handing out vinyl records told me, "Well, it's a Q&A. The whole point is to listen." I respectfully disagreed. Seeing the artist is part of the experience, especially at an in-person event, but my refund request was denied. Even if the focus was solely on listening, the experience still fell short. Employee phone notifications were constantly going off and the front door opened every few minutes as employees loudly turned away customers because it was a private event, and outside street noise frequently overpowered the conversation. At times, I could hear phone notifications and traffic more clearly than Charli herself. I think Fingerprints hosts some of the best artist events and I want to see them succeed in their new location. The event setup needs to improve- a raised stage, better crowd management, clearer policies on phone usage, and limiting attendance to what the space can comfortably accommodate would go a long way toward creating an experience that matches the quality of the artists they bring in.

First - I am thankful to have a bookstore that I can hang out in and browse. This store is in a…read moregood location with ample parking. It also has a peaceful vibe and an area, set aside, that you can read at. There is a Starbucks, so you can sip and read. I've always had good service at this Carson location but today I had exceptional service from Nathalia. She was super helpful, patient and a delight to work with. It's employees like her that keep you coming back. And of course, Barnes & Noble pretty much has anything you are looking for as far as books, journals, etc. Today my purchase was a fountain pen along with an accessory. Their pricing was pretty good on both items. I'll be back again soon.

This Barnes & Noble is pleasant to look at from the outside, and upon entering the building, the…read morelayout is consistent with the standard Barnes & Noble franchise design. The store offers a large selection of books, with many titles covering the same genres but from varying perspectives, writing styles, and approaches. I visited with a specific purpose: to browse the spirituality, tarot, oracle, and divination section. While exploring the store, I also wandered through other departments to see if anything else caught my interest. Fortunately, I came across several items that I added to my mental list for a future purchase. However, the section I had originally come to see offered fewer choices than expected. This was both disappointing and surprising, as I have typically found a much wider variety of these subjects at other Barnes & Noble locations. Of course, I understand that each store's inventory varies. Unfortunately, my interactions with the staff significantly diminished the overall experience. During my visit, one employee repeatedly insisted that I take a shopping basket after I had already made it clear that I did not need one. She then entered my personal space, coming uncomfortably close to my face and behind my head while repeating herself several times. Her behavior came across as intrusive and demonstrated a disregard for personal boundaries, despite appearing to frame the interaction as customer service. I also used the restroom during my visit. It was a decent size, although it felt somewhat crowded. Given the volume of customers this location receives, I believe the restrooms could benefit from more frequent attention and maintenance. Finally, while checking out, I had another unpleasant interaction. The cashier made an unnecessary comment about the email address I provided, referring to it as "trash," or making a similarly negative remark. Regardless of the exact wording, the comment felt inappropriate, unprofessional, and entirely unrelated to completing my purchase. The overall price range is costly, the value is to be determined. Overall, the store itself is enjoyable to browse and offers a pleasant shopping environment. However, my experience with multiple employees left a lasting negative impression. If customer service and respectful interactions are important to you, this location may not meet your expectations. If you're simply interested in browsing the books and merchandise, your experience may depend largely on the staff you encounter that day.

I'm a DJ and visited VIP for the first time today as they were hosting an open turntable event this…read morelovely Sunday. It was fun getting on the tables and jamming with other DJs. Too much talent in one place! Of course, the shop was kind enough to host the event so I had to show my support and do some shopping. I ended buying a fresh VIP graphic shirt. I was helped by Ten. She was the sweetest. I pulled a shirt off the rack and without me saying a word, they insisted on switching it for a fresh shirt from their back shelves. Too kind! Listen... Record stores had it rough the last two decades, but it's nice to see VIP beating the odds and thriving. I suspect it's because it's more than a store, but community. Please support these good folks. Thank you VIP

YEEEESSSS 1,000% I WOULD RECOMMEND THIS BUSINESS!!!! I have NEVER been to a store that showed it's…read morecustomers so much love and hospitality!! They have such a HUGE selection of music to choose from also! If you LOVE MUSIC, this is a place to go purchase it! I'm telling you the customer service, care and hospitality you will receive will leave you speechless in a GOOD WAY!

Lots of nostalgic memories of FYE, even if there aren't really even any close ones near me anymore…read more The final bastions of FYE are at the more older, "aged" malls out there, and the Lakewood mall's location isn't an exception. The entrance in and exit out is bizarrely narrow for some reason. I'm not sure if it's always been like that or if it's been made narrow on purpose to make theft much more difficult but whatever. We were greeted when we went in and asked if we needed help. Good number of customers while we were visiting on a Friday evening. Store looked like it was only 75% stocked. Maybe they just had a really big sale or they haven't had their next shipment yet, but it seemed like a good mix of nerdy goods, both anime themed and Western media. There's snacks, plushies, apparel, and much more. Physical media is sadly dying so there's that, but not much of it. $10 Moomin Gacha pins which is alright price-wise. I'd say look through their clearance if anything.

Went to this location today around 7:00 and these two employee's where just sitting on there asses…read morebehind the counter bs'ing on there phones. Very bad customer service. Won't be going back to this location.

Awesome spot! The owner Andy is extremely knowledgeable and passionate about the business…read more Beautiful set up really cool selection

Small record store in downtown Long Beach. It surely it's needed in the area, not a lot of music…read morestores left around, indie shops in general. Great layout, the merchandise my not might my cup of tea, but that's cool, I am glad they are passionate about the music they sell. Ok prices, Closed on Mondays!

Would have never known this place was here if not for Yelp, and I drive by Downey/Alameda all the…read moretime. Super nice guys work here who are passionate about the music, always happy to help, give recs, and share stories. Also, the only music merch store I know with a points system ($10 = 1 point) that you can redeem for shirts, maybe more in the shop? It's not the largest place but if you're into metal, you'll be able to spend quite a while in here. Just wish their vinyl selection was as big as their CD selection!

This place rules! I was visiting my uncle in California and was looking for some cool heavy metal…read moreadventures while I was there. I discovered this small record shop and it was absolutely incredible. The owner is this away guy named Rick and he knows EVERYTHING!! I stayed and chatted with him for almost an hour he is so knowledgeable about the products and the music. I came out with many different products, I bought T-shirts, cd's, pins, patches and tapes. This was one of the most awesome stores I've ever been to. You have to go if you are ever in the area

If it weren't for the nice, friendly service, this place alone on the used records would probably…read morebe 3 stars for me. I highly recommend the listening station before you buy used records. Sometimes when you look at the scratches, they aren't as deeply imbedded as they seem. Then others totally ruin the record for me. Most of the used records I found ranged from $2 to $4. However, I did splurge on a Brenda Lee record for $9. She's just so great. There are some really great finds in all genres. Lots of rock. Was hoping for more old school R&B, but was fairly limited. This place has many other things going on... skateboards & accessories, clothing, shoes, CDs, some jewelry, pipes & bongs. That doesn't bother me as long as they keep supporting the vinyl - new & old. Smaller store. Free street parking all around. #578 2017 Yelp Challenge 44/100

such a cute homey feeling store! I love their variety of records and the vibe of the store is so…read morenice and inviting. the woman at the register was very nice as well!

Highly recommended to find types of music and clothing. The best spot around for all the good…read moretunes, hip hop, oldies and more! Check them out

This shop caught our eyes as we drove by, so we had to stop by here real quick. The bright,…read morecolorful jaiamalas were hanging in the front. They sell items from India like hand woven textiles, rakhi, wooden carvings, chaj, fabric, jewelry accessories, etc. My colleague and I bought a couple of jaiamalas because they were so beautiful!! She got the yellow one and I got the red. Service could use a little improvement and could be a little more friendly or welcoming... but, I would give it another chance because I'm very happy with my jaiamala.

I am absolutely in love with this store... now I only wish it was in Northern California. I am…read morealways looking for a reasonably priced store when I can purchase Hindu puja items. Its nice to have a go to place where you can pick up a small brass statue to take to someone's house as a gift. This place is perfect. I was able to find many brass statues that were reasonably priced and of goof quality. The store is small but they have organized everything very well. The gentleman working in the store was extremely helpful and looked for items for me when I want to buy more pieces. He was also very patient and explained things well to other customers in the store. I wish there were more stores like this one.