The True Vine - musical smorgasbord- drunk on the ear candy of many good times , stories and albums of every flavor . Find yourself there in a A Baltimore beacon bejeweled . read more

I stopped by True Vine to do some browsing a few weeks ago when I was in the area. It's not large, but it had an interesting selection. However, I'm pretty headache-prone in businesses that smell heavily of cigarette smoke. I couldn't stay inside very long for that reason. I was able to find a few things I took home, but I probably wouldn't return to True Vine over some other record shops in the city. The shop does have a classic old store front/facade as well a some great decor. Worth stopping in if you collect vinyl, are checking out the city's record shops, and are in the area! read more

See all

This place is top notch. Was visiting from San Francisco to record an album and had been checking out all the music spots in the area. I found soo many records that we just cant find organically in SF. Fantastic vibes. Plus, the guy is super knowledgeable and def put us in the right direction for finding other 'hard to get' vinyl elsewhere. Each genre section has some artist/act that just makes you go "OH!" I'll be back next June/July! read more

Jason was so awesome. Walked past at first but insisted my friends and I go back and I'm happy we did! I was able to pick out and look through the collection peacefully. Jason helped when I did inquire and kept a friendly conversation; Learned a little about him which was nice! Anytime I'm in Baltimore I'll make sure to check out Jason at True Vine read more

This is a really cool spot. I've been to pretty much all of the record stores in the area and I'd place this one in the top 10. They have lots of vinyl and the place is very spacious. They have music from every genre but the prices are rather high. Positives: Large selection Plenty of room Great hours Negatives: Pricey Extremely hot inside Neighborhood is a bit rough This place is worth a visit but expect to pay top dollar and then some. read more

When my boyfriend and I were in Hampden, we checked out The True Vine Record Shop. Whenever we are in Baltimore, we usually hit up El Supremo and The Sound Garden in Fells Point. Being in Hampden, we stumbled on True Vine while walking around the neighborhood and decided to go inside. It's looks real old school inside with wooden crates and interesting décor on the walls. You can find some really good stuff in here - it's a good mix of new and old. I ended up getting a giallo soundtrack compilation that I haven't seen anywhere else. I'd recommend this vinyl shop 100%. read more

True Vine is amazing. If I ever wanted: - Cambodian Pop from the '70's. Check. - Southeast Asian Percussion and Vocal Recordings. Check. - Battles B-sides. Check. - Laurie Anderson EP's. Check. And this was just at my last visit. The staff is really helpful and the True Vine Series CDs are great if you want to hear something different. Only one less star because I'm effin' OCD and I really have to control my impulse to completely clean and organize the store. But maybe the clutter thing is part of the charm, eh? Hey True Vine! If you want to pay someone to clean and organize the hell out of your store, you know where to look! read more

Awesome. Affordable. Great selection. Knowledgeable, friendly guy. Left happy and with 3 albums and a magnus baby organ. read more

Lots of really amazing, hard to find music. The staff was friendly, helpful and knowledgeable. I can't think of a record store I like more. read more

The True Vine Record Shop - Vinyl Records Near Me - Baltimore, Maryland

Oh, The True Vine Record Shop! Located at the beginning (or end) of The Avenue, how I wish you were in the Boston area. This is one of my favorite not-local-to-me-and-have-only-been-there-once record stores. They have a singular collection, and a space that is organized and easy to traverse, while being conducive to serious digging through rows of vinyl. I was visiting Baltimore & DC during one of the few times I have ever been paid for vacation days (yay to my former teacher days). I explored much of Baltimore by day alone. The Avenue is a great area of stores -- reminds me a bit like downtown Northampton, MA; downtown Santa Cruz, CA; and parts of Cambridge, MA. Though I could have spent a couple hours at this store-- what with their collection of obscure recordings, rare 7"es, countless "white whales" (albums-- of various obscurity or just "hard to find on vinyl"-- that you have been looking for/hoping for for quite some time), and more. Sadly, I only had less than half an hour here. That said, I found 2 of my white whales-- and even a great Joe Tex live album for $4-- in less than 20 minutes! Which white whales? TOM WAITS'S CLOSING TIME! & TELEVISION'S MARQUEE MOON!" Both in great condition. If only True Vine were nearby, I would go there often. I would suggest it to locals and visitors from out of town. It's the kind of place where, even if you only kept a budget for "records under $10" or 7"es, you would still find better-than-solid records. **** Note: I am a freelance editor. I sometimes barter my services for vinyl and books. I would be more than willing to barter editing & writing coaching help for vinyl from this store. Contact me if you are a Baltimore/DC local, or if you plan to visit the store someday soon. read more

RAD! this little gem of a record shop truly blew me away. crazy wide variety of well cared for vinyl. I only had time to pick through a handful of rows but still managed to score some major finds I've been after for a while, including a feelies record I had seen going on ebay for around $70. a super reasonable $15 at TTV. the staff were super friendly, unpretentious, and even helped me find a walkable path back to our hotel downtown. the true vine was easily one of my favorite things about baltimore. I hope to return one day. read more

Quality over quantity. Owner is very friendly, enthusiastic, and recommended two records I really, really like and would've never bought on my own. I came in the door 5 minutes after they were supposed to be closed on a monday, and he let me browse the entire store, then spent another 20 minutes playing me music and chatting. This kind of interaction rarely happens these days. Support indie record stores!! read more

Jason Willett will help you discover new dimensions of sound that will tickle you in ways that you didn't know were possible. Also, yeah, did I mention that Dan Deacon works here? If you vouch for music, you should check out this store. There's a small, but special selection, and most importantly, it's a great place to talk to people to learn a random fact or two pertaining to the vast universe of music. read more

I visited five record shops while in Baltimore, looking for used vinyl. True Vine was my least favorite, mostly because the prices seemed a tad high to me. Also, the $2 records were the same mostly-unwanted records you see in every thrift shop. It's the only shop where I came away without buying anything. It is a well-stocked store, though, and certainly worth a visit. read more

True Vine was one of the first record shops I checked out upon moving to the Baltimore area in the summer of '06. Always new used stuff coming in, some hard to find titles, lots of original pressings and all sorts of genres. They stock some new sealed albums, but just a little. Mostly all used which I prefer. They've got a listening station which is good because I always stumble upon some interesting looking record I want to listen to. Prices can be hit or miss.. If you check it out it is definitely the kinda shop you must check out at least once every month or two as they get in new stuff all the time. The biggest flaw this shop has is the smell of cigarette smoke. I'm not a smoker and I find it incredibly inconsiderate that the owner and others who congregate outside will smoke with the shop door wide open. The smell enters the shop and nobody seems to care. Plus you could have records in hand, but nobody is behind the counter so-to-speak. They could be out socializing outside not paying any attention to the customers in the shop. This is a business, right? Like the records, but that's about it. Although I have enjoyed coming here over the years the cigarette smoke entering the shop is a deal breaker. It's been nearly every visit with the exception of a few. It's a shame because I've always liked True Vine, but feel like it's gotta be my lucky day to drop in and it's actually smoke-free. read more

Best vinyl record store in Baltimore, and possibly the entire east coast. It is not huge but it is extremely well curated and has lots of titles I have not found anywhere else. read more

Its always a good sign, at a record store, when you can ask the person at the counter for a specific group and they can immediately tell you where, in the stacks, to find them. The other day, I asked Jay if he had anything by the Dillards and within 30 seconds he had two of their albums for me. True Vine is a great place if you have an open mind and are looking to expand your musical horizons. You'll be hard pressed to much by the Beatles or Led Zeppelin, but there's a wealth of great music for those with tastes more on the obscure side. One of my favorite things they've done is create mix CDs of various styles of world music; I picked up one such CD of Hungarian and Ukrainian folks songs which I love. The selection, the staff and the display case in the corner with bizzaro, cricuit bent and homemade instruments make it worth the stop. (Just be aware, they've moved and are no longer on W. 36th st. but around the corner and down the hill on Hickory St.. You should see the sign as soon as you turn the corner. If you're going up hill, you're going the wrong way.) read more

really cool selection, great vibes. fun to just go and find something new! i loved the selection of cassettes too. it can be hard to find cool ones in thrift stores so this is definitely my new go-to place for those. read more

Definitely the home of the eclectic and obscure, but as a thirty-something fan of the great music of the history of rock and roll, from Buddy to the Beatles, from the Ramones to the Strokes, the pickings are slim. But if I want a recommendation for some good Ukrainian psychedelic folk, I guess they're more than accommodating. But I'd rather come in with some faint hope they'd have some of the classics I'm really wanting to get my hands on. I much prefer the Arbutis record show. But they are friendly, and if you do want obscure, random stuff, they have a ton! read more

Decent selection, but very expensive. Reasonably organized with a pretty good vibe. Pet peeve: Most small record stores will not charge sales tax if you pay in cash. This one did, even though there was no written receipt of my purchase and the cash I paid clearly was earmarked for the clerk's pocket. Don't be cheap with your customers! read more

Awesome selection and helpful staff! bins packed with great music and organized! sometimes old record stores are a free for all, not the case here. Definitely need time to browse but if you know what you're after it's easy to find read more

This store is great. In their "Under $2" section you can find amazing gems with just a little wear and tear on the actual cover, but perfectly fine records. That's actually a policy, they will only sell records that work perfectly. Jason is not only a great store owner but a great person in general, an enlightening person with which to have a conversation. I locked my keys and wallet in my car in the pouring snow and walked back in after having bought a turntable. Immediately after hearing about my predicament, Jason calmly told me to stop stressing, let me use his computer to find the number of AAA, made me a coffee (a great one, at that), and shared a smoke while waiting. A true human being. Wow, I really diverged from the point of this review-- TRUE VINE has something for everyone, and then more after that in their large eclectic independent collection. Definitely worth at least a visit if you're in Hampden. read more

True Vine is the best record store I have ever been in, period. Extensive selection of everything from the normal to the exotic and bizarre. The real gem of this store, though, are its owners. They are actually nice and engaging people, unlike most record stores. I have one warning though; prepare to buy more than you expect. You will go in, find a record you like and one of the owners will say "you will really like this!" And you will really like it. And you will buy it. read more

My wife has dubbed the True Vine guy her favorite Hampdenite. Unfortunately, I too am a Hampdenite and so this promulgation makes me wonder. But....the title is well-deserved. If I may cross-reference my other reviews, True Vine is like the Celebrated Summer of acid jazz, international rarities and just plain fun oddball records. Where the Celebrated Summer guy is passionate and always up for a discussion of any and every facet of punk, the True Vine guy just wants to play you some records and hope something sticks. All people should love their job this much, and all record stores should have this kind of command of niche subject matter. read more

The Hot spot for diverse artist on CD/Wax/Cassette. Lots of international and diverse music to choose from. I dig the fact that there is a listening station available for records, CDs, and tapes. Thank mother nature for the true vine. read more

A great place to look for some esoteric music, from the Boredoms to the earliest recordings you can stumble on it here. A nice assortment of vinyl, with quite a few goodies for a little as 2 dollars. read more

My undying love for Jason Willett is only partially fueled by his excellent curation and stewardship of the True Vine. Jason runs a lean show here, and the bins are packed to the gills with quality releases, especially local and obscure. If you aren't careful, you'll find yourself engaged in conversation here for hours. A definite "must visit" for adventurous music lovers. Trust Jason all the way. read more

Before moving out of the state of Maryland, I was a frequent customer and I could definitely find a good bit of rare items. Customer Service here is awesome and Jason is a very knowledgeable guy. He won't steer you wrong! He's not only concerned about a customer's musical taste, but once you stepped into the shop, you became a member of the True Vine Family! I'm glad that I'm included. read more

True Vine is truly the record store of record stores. Jason the owner is awesome and knows his stuff. Very insightful and helpful. Sure it's a heaven for Artists, but also the everyday person will find it's charm just as alluring. If you love music, you'll love True Vine. read more

My stay in Baltimore was a short 2 days...with all the sight-seeing going on, I knew I could only make 1 record store visit while I was in town. I researched all the stores in the area to see what the locals recommended...after reading the RAVE reviews here on yelp I decided that true vine would be it. This store is a small New York-ish boutique, which usually means quality over quantity, but unfortunately...about half the records at this store are re-issues! I spent 2 1/2 hours combing the entire place and found a total of 4 records. When I brought the 4 records to be rung up at the register, the employee told me that 1 of the 4 records I had found was "Not for sale"! after which I was told 3 reasons why: Excuse #1 "we haven't even bought this record yet, how did you find it"? (are you kidding me? you haven't bought the record yet? then what is it doing in your store for sale in a $1 box?) Excuse #2 "there's no price sticker on the cover, we haven't priced it yet" (the majority of the records in the $1 boxes don't have price stickers) Excuse #3 " this record was probably misfiled, it shouldn't have been there, we're waiting to hear back from someone" (uhhhhhhh what???) I found this "not for sale" record in the middle of his $1 boxes. The box was half empty and had clearly already been cherry picked. This record was most likely sitting in that box for ages...but suddenly when an experienced collector pulls it from his $1 box it's "not for sale".....i smell BS. Overall, my shopping experience wasn't too pleasant and quite the waste of time. How in the world does this store have such great reviews? Are the owners friends shilling these reviews out...or what? Will look elsewhere for records next time I'm in town. read more

Rare stuff galore, but he won't have your typical sellers. The $1 records are some of the strangest things known to man. Which is either great or awful depending on what you want out of your record store read more

the best record store in baltimore and possibly the east coast. for real.

My coworker has been talking about this place for weeks! Yesterday I finally got to stop in, I walk in the door and I was AMAZED. Totally flabbergasted. So many more records than I expected! I will absolutely be back with a shopping list and more time to peruse next time. read more

Great selection of Quality lps . Staff always helpful and knowledgeable . Leave some time to dig through the bins and crates , for my musical tastes they had ample selection of classical and world music ! read more

Not sure this is the best record store on the East Coast but it was really cool, the guy who owns it is a gem and was really helpful and just an all around good dude. Hit the Golden West around the corner (food place) for the ultimate record store day experience, vegitarian burrito was good, and recommended by dude in record store. Had an Ok selection of Gospel records which is what I shop for. Fair prices and an actually good one and two dollar record section, which I love in a record store, the best records are the ones you have no expectation for and end up being great. read more

This is one of my first stops when I come to Baltimore or DC. The staff are very knowledgable about their well curated selection. Shopping there is a bit like a treasure hunt. I never go with expectations and always come out with a smile. I would like more places like this, but I don't think its possible- its just too special. read more