Shuga Records holds such a special place in my heart. We've been stopping in for years, and they helped make our engagement in their store so special. They went above and beyond from clearing out a little section in the back for the proposal, to playing our favorite song on the speakers as we walked in. They also helped me procure my partner's favorite record that has been notoriously difficult to find. The staff here are so kind and have always been lovely to work with- special shout out to Tom and Kailey who helped organize everything and made our day so memorable! read more

I've been a regular coming here for a few years. Staff is friendly, but I learned that buying used records from here is as good as buying from a scalper. I found a record I've been looking for a while (The Black Dahlia Murder: Ritual); and they had it listed at $175 (in their Discogs store it's $200). The average selling price is $75 for sales that happened this year. The ONLY time it ever sold for $200 was in 2018. Egregious price gouging. Reckless Records down the street will sell rare records at their average selling price. I can't imagine a large record store needs more than triple what they probably paid to acquire that record. They aren't a private seller, they get exclusive artist pressings read more

Awesome place. Awesome people. Great feel for a record store with a crazy good selection. This place is a must stop

I love them! Such a staple spot for me, very good indie and electronic selection I always try to get new releases here to support. Management and staff are also good and they put on cool events. read more

Poor customer service and scam-level pricing. There are too many good record shops in this city to get away with that combo. My first visit will be my last - learn from my mistake and go elsewhere. read more

Great record selection! Love finding new things here! Also, got to meet the shop dog bobo

Dropped in to checkout electronic based music of which this shop has a huge selection of new and used. I particularly liked that a descriptive label was placed on each album, noting the style of music. This is very helpful if you are not familiar with the artist. The albums are listed in alphabetical order but it would be even better if they grouped the albums also by style - would save music heads like myself tons of time ! Lastly, it would be cool if the walkway space between the bins were wider to allow for better digging quarters. Overall great shop especially for new electronic music ! read more

Quite a record store on Milwaukee Ave. ! Tons of records and quite a bit more than usual International music to choose from too ! If you are looking for something different to listen to , check this record store out. read more

Shuga Records - The art wall when I was there. - Vinyl Records Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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I bought yeezus by kanye west! and i love it so much and its a orange vinyl there was a lady there that asked who i was looking for and i said "jay-z" and she said which album? i said "watch the throne" and she was like telling her friend what i said and she said i have great taste thank you if you see this review and i bought yeezus for $49 dollars! best price and they had kanye bootlegs that are good! like cruel summer and a mixtape bootleg by kanye and this is the best one and i wish they had mbtdf but yeezus is good thank you shuga and thank you kanye for yeezus. read more

The service was great and the workers helped me find many things upon their vast selection of records. I came in looking for some hip hop albums and I was left satisfied. Great place with even better employees read more

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Nice shop been shopping here for about 5 years. Decent selection of records of most genre Rock Metal Blues Jazz even soundtracks. Just a warning shopping in this area you will get tax 3 times one for cook county one for the city and one for the store. Also a heads up if they ask if you like a bag they will give you one of their signature totes with the stores name on it they fail to mention it's not free and throw the bag's fee on top of your bill. read more

I came here after one of my classes and I bought a boot leg vinyl (1999 joey badass). I've been looking for this for so long this is one of the best bootlegs I've listened too. It's near perfect some imperfections but that's expected with bootlegs a little expensive but I didnt really care and I was talking to the girl at the counter about not trusting websites to purchase bootlegs and I'm more than happy with this. One of the best bootlegs I've heard great service very kind employees would come back again read more

Shuga Records - Vinyl - Vinyl Records Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Please sucks, They are a complete ripoff. Called and told me there was no upcoming sales and I ordered a record. The next day they offered it at 25 percent off and would not offer me any adjustment. Told me to return at my cost and reorder. What a joke of a small biz that rips people off. I will NEVER do biz with these guys again and suggest u don't either. They also raised the price of the record online so thr 25 percent discount is not really a 25 percent discount. So on top of ripping me off they are lying to u by saying u can get 25 percent off. Love to support local but these guys suck !!! read more

They sell counterfeit copies of Death Grips - Exmilitary for $350 and do not disclose they are counterfeit. Also, purchased 5 sealed records online. In the photos there are no price tags. All 5 have large unremoveable glued on price tags. read more

Shuga Records - Vinyl Records Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Great verity. Small space! So be mindful of others. Takes credit cards. Lots of stickers on the wall and a painted Calvin and Hobbs on the wall! Will be back for some more "rare" records. They also have a $1 section! (: mostly oldies but I saw a Frank Sinatra ! read more

I will never do business with this place again. Ten days ago I bought an album off their website and got the order confirmation and order # from them with the info that it would be shipped media mail and would take from 10 - 14 days to arrive. I was browsing a few days ago and saw that they now had the same album I had purchased on their site now selling for $74.99. That was surprising since I bought it for the price they had in the listing of $19.99. Now, today, I get an email from them stating they can't find the album I purchased and my money is being refunded. That's a load of crap. I guess they are trying to pull a bait and switch..... Do not use this place... They will rip you off..,,. ***** They are scam artists ****** AVOID THIS PLACE read more

Awful communication, lies, refund is refused even with full insurance Shuga Records are liars and scammers with terrible communication, avoid buying there My parcel was lost in March 2022 (it was sent late February) I have been writing them every month after that Finally, in November Jake answered me that USPS (the international delivery cost with full insurance was above $60) is reimbursing them (I have a lot of proof of whole conversation via mail) I said thanks, waiting an answer and then we agreed that i will choose other albums as a replacements (I paid more than $200!) After November letter I wrote them about every two weeks with no answer I started to write to CEO Adam mail and Instagram Then, conversation with Adam started He said that I am harassing and threatening them just by writing e-mails (with 0 answers) in which I describe the problem and that nobody wants to deal with it He made up few different reasons not to refund or send replacements and accused me of the whole situation But I am the victim here He told me in different letters: 1) I was refuned (i was not) 2) They sent replacements and they were lost 3) They sent replacements to my US address and I never accepted parcel on my end 4) I opened an issue with CC in my country and Shuga lost the money; "Shuga can't refund money that is already taken" That is not a joke CEO Adam really wrote me all these lies After I once again wrote him that Shuga Records Manager Jake told me in November that USPS is definitely reimbursing them, he stopped answering They are total scammers and liars, avoid this store even if you want rare specific album from Shuga read more

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Swung in when boppin' around the neighborhood over the weekend and really dug it. My friend who still lives in town hipped us to Shuga since we were heading towards Reckless and I'm super glad we popped in. It's a newer record store, which is heartening to see these days, and really well curated. You definitely pay the price a bit more for the curated prices but they have a great selection of new and used vinyl. They also have some fun stacks of old magazines and other memorabilia to sift through (I almost picked up an old Rolling Stone magazine with R.E.M. on the cover from '82). They also have some posters, t-shirts, and other record player hardware. Well organized with a friendly staff. A fine addition to the Chicago music shop scene for sure! read more

Wow. What a difference two years make after writing my first review. To be fair, I can't say I've had any horrible experiences with Shuga. The closest it came to that was Record Store Day 2020. I bought a stack of RSD releases that year, and didn't really pay attention to each release's price. But when I got home, I realized I paid double MSRP for a Lou Reed album. I quickly scanned other local record shops sites and found they were selling the same album for MSRP. I called Shuga and asked if it was priced wrong and they said no. So I decided to return it for a refund. Then I learned that Shuga is NOTORIOUS for not only charging double for new releases (especially RSDs) but also hold back inventory of most wanted items only to list them later for ridiculous prices. Pretty unethical. I stopped by for this year's RSD just because I was shopping at two other record stores in the area. And their tactics were much more evident. Prices for their "collector" items are crazy. Sure, it's well within their rights to price however they want, but it's well within mine to longer support them. It's sad really. It's a cool shop with great staff, and a friendly, knowledgeable, and approachable owner. Too bad they opt to screw their customer base. Look to Reckless, Dusty Groove, and Rattleback for fair prices and great service. read more

Nice selection of indie, and current. Fair prices for standard LPs. Autographed copies are marked wayyyy up from in store signings for indie bands.... read more

Don't recommend buying online. They send Damage merch then give you a hard time returning it. The worst service ever.

I won't order from them again and wouldn't recommend anybody else to. It's one of the worst experiences I've had purchasing something. They sent me the wrong item, admitted it, there's been over ten emails back and forth just trying to arrange to send it back to them for a refund, and after nearly a week of this, they aren't doing anything about it and are currently giving me no option to return it and I'm stuck with an item I didn't buy. Please see my screenshot for proof. Literally a complete waste of time and money. They have a history of doing this based on other reviews as well, so it's not a fluke. It's some of the most incompetent customer service I've ever dealt with. Be sure to check your records to make sure they're sending you the pressing you ordered, or better yet, don't buy from them to begin with unless you're open to possibly having a similar experience and wasting your time, money, and energy. Update: After submitting a PayPal Claim, I finally received instruction to return the record for a full refund and have done so. Unfortunately, Adam Rosen (the owner), called my personal number this morning to argue with me, defend sending the wrong record, and threaten to tell our mutual friends (which he discovered through snooping about me online) about this matter. I'm not making this up and he has handled this unprofessionally to say the least. Please don't support his business. read more

Shuga Records - Vinyl Records Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

The prices here are embarrassing and insulting. Just stopped by and walked right out after seeing some of these prices. Last RSD they were marking up everything by $20-30 over MSRP too. Shops like these suck, but unfortunately this is becoming the norm. read more

I preordered an album from this place (Phoebe Bridgers' North America Indie Exclusive 'Punisher' vinyl) in April 2020 for local pickup. The pandemic worsened, everything went into shutdown, and my grandma died during the summer amidst all the chaos, so I wasn't able to pick up my record when it came out in June 2020, nor did I ever hear anything from Shuga Records. I finally went in to pick it up in December (I know that's a long time, but we were and still are living in a pandemic) and they told me that someone had come to get it just a couple days before. It was clearly a blatant lie. Adam, the owner, tried to gaslight me, telling me I must have a roommate (nope), and then added some racism to the lie by saying it was a "Black woman in a nice car" that came to pick it up. There were many inconsistencies in his lies such as telling me that no nearby cameras would have been able to capture when it occurred because it was late and dark outside, but then later telling me it was picked up around noon. I told them that this was all impossible. They argued and told me they had MY signature on file. I told them, once again, that this was certainly impossible considering nobody else even has my name. I asked them to procure this receipt multiple times and they were never able to despite telling me they would. The owner told me he would give me the record from his personal collection, but he never did every time I called asking about it. The last I heard from him was months ago now, and he said he was in contact with the record label to get me a replacement, but that was obviously a lie considering it never happened. I don't recommend anyone deal with such a sketchy business. I hope Adam or one of his employees that acted as sketchy as him are enjoying the record I paid for! Or maybe they decided to sell it to someone else since Adam kept mentioning how much it's worth now, who knows. read more

I called yesterday to ask if they had the signed Billie Eilish record and was told they would be available this morning at 10am. I showed up at 10am to be the first in line and I was told the signed album was already sold out! I had been in immense pain and traveled across town so I could get this as a gift for my husband, only to realize I'd been lied to. What a horrible experience and waste of my time while in terrible pain. I'm beyond upset that a store associate lied to me and I went so far to walk away with nothing. read more

July 3rd 2021, late night online inventory prowl. Got big eyed! After using the search bar. Ears tall..forward pointing.. Hmmm, can it be? do they really have it? Discogs? Na.. time for this introvert to make a 4th of July record store run. Hesitant because of a few harsh reviews.. To Late! foots on the pedal. FYI, parking is full on city mode. Can't do this,can't do that..pay up sucka. Just a heads up. Be patient. Anxiety ensued... block and a half walk at a min should be expected. Walked in stressed. Was immediately greeted with a triple friendly,welcoming hello!!!!!! Not like an over the top uncomfortable hello. Passively Spanked! And coddled simultaneously. Thank you. Took all of 20 seconds to notice a very nice..,well everything! Flipped through the "T",s. Aww man..it's not here... Reluctantly went to the counter seeking help... ugh, hey what's up she says. Uhh so like, I saw this on the stores website & I ....can't find it... She's like... oh that's cuz we keep the good shit on the wall.. I scan ..and BAM! Yes please. This just so happens to be the case for the other 4 items I was looking for too. Nuff said! All the staff was on point! Welcoming,Friendly, professional,positive! Couldn't have asked for a better experience. read more

I don't know one serious record collector who's been digging for years willing to name Shuga as one of their destinations, especially when it's located between two superior shops, Reckless and Dusty Groove. In fact, whenever I've mentioned Shuga to other record store owners, employees, or collectors, including those outside of Chicago, they either give a knowing chuckle or say something to the effect of, "Oh God, that store." The infrequent occasions I've stopped by have been because I accompanied other people who didn't know any better. The prices are outrageous, even taking into account Wicker Park rent. Expensive to the point where my jaw drops looking at what it charges. The staff comprises kids who can't be bothered. The selection caters to people early in their collecting, which is not bad per se, but it feels like hitting Urban Outfitters. Shuga lacks the odd or unexpected (and cheaper) gems you'll find at the other two stores and it doesn't provide you much of an experience that feels different. For me to buy records in-store instead of paying less on Discogs, this is all-important. I get that I'm likely not Shuga's target customer, but I'm genuinely puzzled why anyone would consider it the best record store in the city given the wealth of options available. read more

Fake and counterfeit records. Bought an Audioslave record, came in the mail. Misspelled tracks on the cover and printing is way off. Very poor quality. Good try tho! read more

This place is a definite go to record store in the city. Adam and his staff do a great job helping you out and if you want to limit indoor time right now, their online catalog is always up to date. read more

Love this store so much. One of the best record stores in chicago, so nice staff there always greeting you when you come in til you leave. Shuga Records is one of the reasons I still continue to collect vinyls. It's awesome to come into the store and having a small community already built. The prices are a little bit on the high side but it's worth it when you are supporting a small business and also having a good community with them. Love them and will forever shop with them read more

Just moved here from CA, and was excited to check out local shops... and this store has a great selection. HOWEVER, their prices are truly outrageous on new vinyl. They are very clearly, not only bumping above market (there were records marked $20-30 higher than I saw at Amoeba a month ago), they are also bumping the price of the new vinyl they have in stock to slightly above to whatever the going price is on online. In other words, they are gleefully a part of turning this hobby into something ony the rich can afford. read more

Well beyond the highest prices I've ever seen on entire stock. Literally, ever. For new records there's at least around a 30% - 40% inflation. Used records are unbelievably high. Try a simple test. Look at the price of a new record you want at Reckless. Then walk a few blocks to Suga. That's all you'll ever need to know. read more

Shuga Records - I just saw this as a response to a customer's complaint. You remind me of a drunk frat boy angry that a girl turns you down at a bar. - Vinyl Records Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

This is the most overpriced record store I have ever been to anywhere, ever. Seriously. I have been to record stores in every major city in the US, Japan, and all over Europe and I have NEVER seen such ridiculous prices. Yes, they're that bad. I highly recommend avoiding this business. Places like this ruined Wicker Park. read more

Helpful and friendly staff! Super easy trade ins!

Extra lame in the used department. Price gouging for bad condition records. Lots of new stock. Lots of bootlegs (also price gouging there as well). Plenty of other great record stores to support in Chicago. read more

If you are a record collector, especially when shopping online, for albums you wish to keep sealed this is not the store for you. They have no love, respect or understanding of record collecting, placing large price/information stickers on the front of all items and they cannot be removed. Communication is extremely poor and they are uncooperative. I had to go through my credit card company to get a full refund. I recommend shopping anywhere else. read more

You guys should be ashamed of yourself for flipping dead artists albums. John Prine, MF DOOM, you are continuing to sell these albums at a considerable markup that is highly unreasonable. You are charging DOUBLE what you are supposed to be charging. As a record store with access to a distributor, you have an ethical obligation to not take advantage of your customers. These albums are NOT OUT OF PRINT. This will be crossposted to google reviews, as well. read more

Was able to find a vinyl that I was searching for a time now. The order was shipped the day after the order was placed and it arrived before the expected delivery day. During the process of buying I had a question so I decided to call and see if they could help and the person who answered was super friendly and helpful. Shuga Records is your place if you are looking for rare records! read more

Had a very bad email exchange with Adam. Wow. The classic snob record store jerk. I emptied my cart and this jerk got my cell # off the checkout page and called me at my at my home. Way over the line. read more

Really good record store. If you're a fan of hip hop or rap, it's the store for you. A little pricey, especially for novice collectors who aren't into vinyl colors, print locations, special editions, etc. but they have a great selection read more