If you're a multi-format, physical media lover, you've reached heaven. In an era when video stores…read moreceased to exist due to a gross miscalculation of the need for cloud infrastructure, Scarecrow Video restores the lost order. The films I checked out were The Visitors and Cast a Deadly Spell (part of the H.P. Lovecraft series) both perfect picks that I never would've stumbled on through an algorithm. Not to mention, there is a HUGE array of specialty and genre-specific films that can only be found on Blu-ray and/or DVD. And that's before you even get to the VHS and Laserdisc sections, which are very much alive and well here. The staff is friendly, welcoming, and warm, and they clearly enjoy where they work. I personally love their custom system of film organization sections broken down by theme, country, and some genuinely inspired niche categories that you won't find anywhere else. Also, the privately curated, rare graphic zines at the check-out counter are absolutely worth a glance. What's easy to overlook? This place is a registered nonprofit and the largest independent physical media library in the country, with over 150,000 titles. Many are out of print and flat-out unstreamable, titles that don't exist on Netflix, Hulu, Amazon, or anywhere else combined. Supporting a membership here isn't just convenient, it's genuinely keeping film history alive.

This slice of perfectly preserved retro goodness has it all. Mr. T's Be Somebody or Be Somebody's…read moreFool afterschool special--they have it on video tape. Need a VCR, they got a few. That collection of obscure shorts where a cat convinces another cat to cut off its tail, but don't worry, it's actually a play you find out in the end, it's not only there, but the person working the counter has a recommendation for you if you liked that one. Jackie Chan's complete collection, rare imports and all, yep. Not sure what you want to watch, but you want be in one of the most special authentically vintage places on the planet, Scarecrow Video.

Whenever I go to the farmers market, it's always a must to check this place out! Reasonable prices…read moreon records and the selection is very, very interesting! I have purchased a good amount of records here and the staff has been very friendly!

Great record store with a healthy indie vibe and nice employees. Excellent selection of new and old…read morereleases. Prices are equivalent to other shops in the area.

Came here killing some time between shifts in the area and what a cool little shop that takes you…read moreback to the mid 2000's and prior. There is wall to wall media of music both CD's/cassettes, DVD's movies- including box sets of shows. Some of which are new or are in great condition. It's a relatively small shop but it's packed with so much media, you could spend a bit of time here if you're looking for something specific or even if you're browsing. It's just on the other side of 405 but still considered part of Totem Lake. What's nice is Vortex would be considered a small business, I mean what other major retailer these days buys and sells physical media like this presently? furthermore, I'm all for the preservation of physical media with so much of everything going digital now. If I'm looking for something in particular and need it for my DVD or CD player, I'll probably try here and perhaps you should too.

Vintage CD's, DVD's, records, laser discs, and all other types of physical media. This is one of my…read morefavorite record stores, and I can only speak for the records. Seattle record shops are often picked over, so come over here to find treasures and better pricing. They also have the new records here too, and vinyls seem to be priced according to quality as you can find the same vinyls priced differently. Selection is great without being impossible to browse through. The owner is pretty friendly. There's also nice ambient music playing in the background (on a record player, of course). I bought some records where the album cover was very worn, so I wasn't expecting much but miraculously they played without any noise. Amazing!

Awesome music shop selling vinyl, tapes, CDs and other music mediums - wide selection and great…read morepieces as well, plus helpful and friendly staff. Recommended and check it out if you are on Pike Street in Seattle!

Wonderful record store with a curated collection full of treasures. I spend time listening online…read moreto bands I have never heard of and pick up some real nice music which is in heavy rotation at my place. They have a rewards system, so make certain to sign up on the index card and they log your purchases.

Seriously, am I the first to post about this hidden gem? I had to put away 5 albums as I told…read moremyself to only buy 5 (plus a DVD). Clean and welcoming, this will be a new favorite in my Seattle record stores. Nice, intimate selections, but I found some great additions to my collection! Nice customer service and they have an awards program!

From the owner: used and new records on mercer islandread more

Loved the selection. The sales person was very savvy of what they have in stock and their pricing…read morewas fair. Went with my family and we left with vinyls/ DVDs and cassettes. Our experience was enjoyable. There was ample free parking and it's in a fun neighborhood. We will be back!

The last time I had set foot at Golden Oldies was after selling a lot of my 45s in the late 1980s…read more I really regretted doing that decades later. Hopefully the music brought someone else joy. It was a nice spontaneous visit on 1/22/24 with The Homie. It's helpful that they have their own adjacent parking lot. And to get your bearings, easy access westward from I-5 near Dick's in Seattle's Wallingford neighborhood. Again, love indie music retail shops where it's always an adventure to see what can be found. Friendly guy behind the counter. Really knew his inventory as various people came in looking for something in particular. There's vinyl, cassettes, CDs...a huge variety of media formats. We ended up with a variety of vinyl, cassettes, 78s, and I was especially happy to find a Tourists album. This was during Annie Lennox and Dave Stewart's pre-Eurythmics time. Love seeing that Golden Oldies continues to exist since 1977!

This is a great place for records when you're in Seattle. Besides having a sweet name, their…read moreselection is awesome too. Highly recommended!

Popped into this store on our walk around the city after lunch…read more Amazing decor outside and in: gotta love their dog friendly sign no Republicans !) ... gave me good vibes from the start. Dedicated to real punk. Did not have some mainstream bands but overall great curation of items and vinyls/CDs. They also have decor, old posters or signs from different shows, some T-shirts, DVDs, cassettes and even VHS. My brother loved this shop. He's a curator and big fan of vinyls and punk/pop/punk/metal and he really enjoyed this store. Super friendly and knowledgeable associates at the store as well. Support a great local business the houses great musical collection finds!

Great store with a wide selection of various video and game platforms at great prices. The service…read moreis friendly and helpful as well. A great store to find that hard to find record, video, etc.

Love this record store! You can find retro games, movies, VHS, cassette, CD's, DVD's, and most…read moreimportantly for me, vinyls. So many interesting things to peruse through. Most of the new vinyl selection will be of movie and video game OST, with a slight focus on Japanese anime and music (Japanese electronic, jazz, etc). The old vinyl selection will have a mix of eclectic and obscure bands as well as a few more mainstream/popular albums, and prices are fair. Just don't expect to find the latest pop release here. I've picked up a few vintage records here, and they all played perfectly without noise. It's always fun to visit to discover some oldies, and they are constantly stocking new items. Also, one of the staff let me know Al is named after the owner's dog (so cute and it's the logo of the store too!). I believe they also own HIFI LOFI across the street, which you should definitely check out as well.

This is located adjacent to the Neptune Theatre and the U-District Rail. You need to descend a set…read moreof stairs to find the underground entrance. There's a huge selection of old vinyls, cassettes, CD's, and movies and categorically organized by genres. All the vinyls are meticulously graded as well, which I appreciated as not every record store will take the time to do this. Fun place to go digging for old classics. The person behind the counter was friendly and didn't make us check bags or give us a hassle about carrying a sealed bottle of water. It's pretty standard to check your bags in some Seattle establishments (especially museums or other high traffic area!), so not sure why there are complaints for that here.

This place is hard to get to when you have bad knees! Upon entering, I was greeted by a man who…read moresaid "hey leave your bag here, you can't be walking around with a bag!" I was holding a SMALL PAPER BAG. I get it, theft is a serious thing, but there's a nicer way to approach a customer, specially it being my first time there. I didn't enjoy the rest of my experience and rushed browsing around. I'm sure they a lot of good selections but I'm just thrown off. Will be taking my business elsewhere.

I appreciated the fantastic service for a guy who just came in to find a very niche item. I was…read morethrilled when they found my disney infinity figure for my 5 year old. It's a fantastic store for all ages, and the staff is super welcoming.

I've heard about Pink Gorilla games for years on the Metal Jesus YouTube channel. I finally got to…read morego to a location. The staff is super nice. But the place is super small and just an alright selection. I'll have to try one of the other locations if I'm in Seattle again.