Decent selection of punk and local vinyl if you are in the area. If you are from L.A. or Long Beach area, do not waste your time. Oh, and the dude that owns the shop is a lameass. He didn't take as kindly to me during my last visit as in my younger days. I guess he preferred me back in the day with my pink hair and whatever the heck else I had going on at the time. Well, douche-basket, guess what?! I still have great taste in music, in fact better than before, so put aside your 'I am so cool cuz I own a record shop b.s.' and don't be such a dick. With that said, I shall venture further to Amoeba or Long Beach neighborhoods for my vinyl. Hmmmm, guess I still am a lil' punk, ain't I?!?!?! read more

Dropped by here to browse and pick up some concert tickets. The selection was OK, the kid at the counter was incredibly annoyed that we dared enter the store -- not really a shock, but you know... whatever. I wish I'd seen the review re: white supremacist material before we went, though. Ambivalence toward bigotry isn't good enough for me and you definitely can't name your store "Vinyl Solution" and have an attitude like that! Not cute. Won't be back. read more

I went yesterday to get an old record for a gift for my dad and the owner was so wonderful! I truly appreciate his help and kindness! Definitely going back and telling others about my experience! read more

Good vinyl selection of punk, 80's rock, Smiths, and independent artists. However, was not happy to see Skrewdriver LPs, regardless of what era they are associated with. read more

What happened to this place!?! It used to have an excellent vinyl selection, now it's abysmal. I agree with Daniel M., ebay has ruined record stores. Few people trade in their vinyl to stores anymore and those that do end up having their vinyl sold on ebay by the record shops. I doubt that I'll ever return to this record store. If you do go to this shop try and use their restroom. Years ago it used to be wallpapered with David Lee Roth photos. The best part was that no two pictures of Diamond Dave were the same. Somebody must have gone through a lot of magazines to find so many pictures. My friend aptly dubbed that bathroom the David Lee Roth masturbatorium. read more

A bit over priced compared to other local vinyl shops, but the owner was pretty nice, and there are a ton of fun t-shirts for sale. I didn't encounter any racism or feelings of that sort. I just found the prices a bit high. Well organized, some good retail going on, and a nice vibe, overall. If you are coming on a vinyl tour of the area, I would stop in. read more

Support your local record store, for they may be here today and gone tomorrow. Usually I drive up to LA for my record needs, because well, Amoeba just has the selection... but its far and crowded and full of record hipsters.... I had never been to vinyl solutions.... but I'm glad I finally went. It has all of the qualities of a good local record store... and I love little places like this. I know there are a lot of people who probably intimately know the owner and the story.. .I don't - but this is what i gathered.... I think the owner either is in or was in a band... The store offers a decent selection of vinyl, and are heavy on the punk side, but that's not ALL they offer. In fact i saw a new Ariel Pinks Haunted Graffiti and some other new relevant bands... (relevant i guess is a subjective word) anyways... they have a decently sized selection of rock/pop/alternative records, heavy on the punk as I mentioned, a used section, jazz, country, big band, rockabilly, folk ect ect. They have tons of band shirts stickers and patches.. and record accessories such as record sleeves. The prices seemed fair.. and the guy working there was really nice... I hope to make this a regular stop in my collecting adventures read more

I've been going to Vinyl Solutions for close to 28 years and it's one of my "Go To" stores for buying great rare vinyl LP's. I've been dealing with Darren all this time and we share stories about the different groups and musical history which is about 80% of my time spent in the store and about 20% looking for records. His prices are always fair and I'm never disappointed with the way he prices the rare LPs. I always support the local independent businesses and I'm thankful that this great store has survived all these years! Please go here to support this great independent record store! You will be glad you did!! Jerry A. read more

I arrived at 11:15am, the place was closed. I called and could hear the phone ringing inside, unanswered. I was about to go after a few minutes, actually walking to my truck, when a car pulled into the lot with a harried driver, who I assumed correctly to be the owner. He was very apologetic and quickly opened the store. To be honest, I thought it was pretty funny and, in my mind, the kind of experience I consider endearing for a record store guy. I expect (but never get) punctuality from my doctor, not from a guy who haggles vinyl records for a living. Besides, who doesn't have a bad morning every now and then. He seemed like a cool, friendly guy; and all was forgiven when I saw what his store had to offer. After plucking several decent albums from the $1 bins, I scoured the higher priced bins and picked up a couple Rush, Sweet, Queen, and -- my favorite -- a brand new, red vinyl re-issue of the Ramones debut album, plus a few 45s, all for about 50 bucks! Definitely worth the wait! Will be back for more. Just in case, I'll bring a magazine and fire up my iPod! read more

This place is great, i've been coming here for over 15 years! super good prices, good rare vinyl, weird obscure releases we've never heard of and everything you're looking for too! never heard or seen anything about this racism people are talking about. I guess they just want something to complain about. read more

I found this place last night!! LP records for cheap, so now I can buy my old vinyls that I sold to places like this for half the price back in the 90s again....what comes around goes around.... so hang onto your old shit after it goes obsolete because they will come back as antiques eventually. They even have 45s and some rare foreign releases and alot of quality .99-cent LPs. For those of us who were born in the era of skips and pops and can't ween ourselves off of it, here is your toy store! ... just don't take any of the records that I am about to buy (back).... All the records surfaces that I saw were very clean... you can feel free to check the vinyl first before buying it... read more

Not a bad place for records. Pricing in a little high in my opinion for some of the condition of the albums, but a decent selection. Good $1 section too. Just a few issues: 1. I usually go around 12:00 noon because of my work schedule. Half of the time, no one is there. I have even gone to another store and come back an hour later, but the store still was not open. I was there last week and another customer was waiting to get in as well. There was a sign on the door saying that he had stepped out for a bite to eat (the sign is always there in the morning). The other customer tried to call both numbers listed on the sign and both calls went directly to voice mail. 2. I was in a few months ago and found an album I was interested in, but it was not priced. I asked the owner for a price and he preceded to tell me it was from his personal collection and he was asking $25. I passed and came in a few weeks later and saw the same album priced at $10. I have no idea why....... If I do go back, it will be in the late afternoon for sure. read more

My daughter has decided to get into vinyl, I can totally appreciate this in her. So naturally I had to stop into Vinyl Solutions. There has been a recent merger in the shop a new partner that seems to be breathing new life into the place. I walked in like I was on the mission that I was on. Dave actually said that "I looked like I was on a mission" in his greeting to me. I told him my daughter was interested in vinyl and I was going to get her started for Christmas. I told him the bands that she was into and he fond me some really cool stuff. He was sold out of a few things but said he would order and hook me up with a record player for cheaper most other places I have been looking. He gave me a great deal on everything and threw in a couple 45's. The store itself seems to have a better arrangement, or just not as many things. it is a tiny shop and when you have to squeeze past things to get to other things it is just uncomfortable. There used to be a clothing rack taking up what little space there was, that has been removed and you can walk now. Over all the customer service was good and I fond mostly what I wanted, and what they didn't have is on order. read more

What can I say, this is just a cool little store run by people who really know their music, and enjoy it! I found this place by accident when I was buying flowers at the store next door, and I almost didn't walk in. It has the look and feel of an old school punk store, but boy was I wrong. Sure the guy behind the counter has way to many tats, and more holes in his body than he was born with, but he was playing Frank Sinatra, on vinyl, for a customer, and was discussing the qualities of the recording, I was sold! So I start browsing and he asked if there was anything I was looking for, gave me a quick overview of how the store is laid out, and offered to play anything I was interested in. Needless to say I spent way to much time, and walked out with an armful of LP's, it was like being a teenager again with a fresh pay check, just looking for somewhere to spend it! So here I am, listening to my haul on my trusty Technics linear tracking turntable and loving life! Yes LP's will do that to you if you are over a certain age. Go visit Vinyl Solution, take your kids, show them what existed before iPods and CD's. Recommended. read more

Nice, typical single unit record store in a strip mall type setting. Found a flexidisc I'd been eyeballing on discogs for some time. Yes, I paid maybe $5 more for the item, but the instant gratification was worth it. Staff was very nice to the wife and I along with our 8mo old in tow. Wife found a nice pink reprint shirt of the Unknown Pleasures cover art (yeaaah yeaaah I know, kinda cliche, but it is cute). Also do all of these record shops in Orange County have screen printing setups in the back churning out bootleg reprints of all these classic tees? No complaints it just seems a reoccurring theme I've noticed! Some prices may jump out and slap you in the face, but over all reasonable considering the growing interest in vinyl again. read more

Why can I say. This place takes me back in time. I love browsing he messiness (sorry guys) and looking for flashback stuff. The team a vinyl is cool but not to cool to help you out. I hope hey are in business for ever! Support this local business! Stop in and you'll see. read more

I used to go here all the time. Maybe times have changed and no one brings used records to record stores anymore? but I always remember them having quite a selection of records. Everything from punk to indie to hardcore...etc. Now, not so much. Maybe I shouldn't fault them for that. But nearly every time I go here now, I come back empty handed. I used to like this store a lot, but I don't know anymore. I think I should blame eBay for my poor review. Still, it's always worth checking out what they may or may not have. Support local record stores, 'cause once eBay takes over completely it's going to be impossible to find anything good for a decent price. Pretty much the place in Orange County for punk and hardcore kids to buy records at despite it all. read more

I enjoyed my limited time here, and will definitely go again. I was a man on a mission today to get 200 paper inner sleeves for my collection which, after years of procrastination, is finally getting the considerable attention it deserves. This, after calling multiple shops and either getting hung up on, getting high prices, or being told they didn't have many for sale, resulted in my coming here, which was on my hit list anyway (have been going to numerous local shops in the area in the past week). It seems they were glad to sell me these; not many buying them anymore. I also found it interesting that inner paper sleeves come in both rounded and square ends (I had to get both due to my quantity), and that supposedly the plastic ones actually somewhat damage the record somehow. Nice that whoever (a young man) at the register took the time to point it out. I love vinyl and being in these stores. In front is a 99 cent value bin (probably 150 in total in it) which I landed a water damaged (cover, anyway) ZZ Top Rio Grande Mud, self-titled Alan Parsons Project, Emerson Lake & Palmer Love Beach, Santana Welcome, and Electric Light Orchestra II, all of which were in decent shape, save for the cases which were beat up. If the vinyl inside plays as good as it looks, I can stomach the expenditure. :) The place is small and in a strip mall. The photos here (thanks, Yelp) helped me find the place; just look for the sign and suite number. They were playing Bob Dylan Highway 61 revisited when I entered, which earns them big brownie points in my book. That and the staff were courteous and the place didn't smell like some of the other recent establishments I've frequented. I don't know how much value's to be had in the rest of the collection, but I got the impression there are some jewels to find for a decent price if you look. Pay attention, the sticker on the case is what it costs, not where someone else before you leaves things. Bob Seger's Night Moves in great condition was in the 99 cent bin, imagine my bliss in swooping it up only to find it's actually $8 at the register. Apparently that's my bad...? read more

One of my fave remaining record stores around. Great selection of CD's, used vinyl and T-Shirts. This store majors in punk rock and succeeds with a knowledgeable and helpful staff. Thanks Vinyl Solution for keeping it real. read more

Been going here for over 20 years and will hopefully be coming for another 20+. The owner is friendly and knowledgeable. I have had a number of brief conversations with him while purchasing records and I always learn something new! I have never had any problems with their used records that are sealed with tape as the conditions have always been beyond satisfactory once brought home and opened. Hands down the BEST records store in HB! Easily a top 5 in all of So Cal! read more

PART I: Drak is knowledgeable and friendly enough. He is in a business that buys and resells. By definition he must buy low and sell high. No one will get what they want when they sell things like albums. Drak tried hard to not insult you but also does not just fork over cash for used vinyl. A good rule of thumb is you will get 5 cent to the dollar of the value you were thinking. It is your choice to sell, not his. I sold 150 albums and a turntable for $90. I felt I could have got 3 or 4 times that much selling myself, BUT I did not feel like being in the used album business. Will I go back to sell more stuff I have - I'll let Drak take a look and then decide. PART II: I visited Vinyl Solutions today with 150 cassettes and a dual RCA cassette player. Drak offered $45. As he was reviewing my relocation I looked through the vinyl racks and found many of my prior sale items there is a black dot in the upper left corner of each album I sold Drak). I easily found 20 of my old ablums and they were all selling for $30 and up. This is a 1000% mark-u. Drak said all my items would be in the dollar rack. Bottom line, I chose not to seek,this time. I donated them all to the Goodwill and will take the tax write-off. Again, Drak was kind enough, just not someone I wanted to donate to this time. I next have 350 CDs to move. We'll see if I decide to take the time to visit Vinyl Solutions again. Heads up - if you are at Vinyl Solutions and spot one of my old ablums with the black dot in the upper left corner, remember Drak only paid 38 cents for it so don't pay $20-35 for it! read more

AVOID THIS RACIST PLACE................jk. Some past reviewers have been critical of this place because it sells "white supremacist" literature. Honestly, I highly doubt the owner is racist at all. In fact, I've seen a man of Hispanic descent work there! Keep in mind also that a lot of UK punk bands are/were tied to a lot of the political parties that were basically xenophobic, racist, and Neo-Nazi in ideology. So to say that the store owner is a racist person just because he carried some books about "white supremacists" is silly. Maybe he's just trying to imitate a punk record store from the UK, heh. The selection for this store isn't the best, but it's pretty above average for a small store. The store caters mostly to the punk / new wave crowd and it specializes in imported records. You can always find some great gems in this store if you look really hard. I found a 7'' single from an indie band that I liked amongst the loads of punk 7''s. In regards to new releases, this record store does also get some nice rare ones that will definitely surprise you...and make you want to buy them. Customer service for this place is pretty good. The guy working there was pretty nice and even opened a new record just for me to see what specific color the record itself was. I've only had a run-in with the owner once and he seems like a grouchy guy. Oh well. Definitely will come back. read more

My first visit was today. It definitely was a great experience. The customer service is friendly and helpful. I found amazing records at great reasonable prices. Nofx, johnny cash, elton john, the monkees, and a labyrinth david bowie single. There was so much to look at and i could definetly go through that whole place just looking at records. I will definitely be back. So far no cons for me. I love this place! Takes me back to being a teen a record hunting. read more

Vinyl Solution - My finds!! So smazing!! - Music & DVDs Near Me - Huntington Beach, California

I drove by this store every day for a year and never saw it. It's in one of those beach blvd. shopping centers where everything blends together. I wish I had found this place earlier! This is a great vinyl shop with a really good punk selection. There's not a ton of hard to find vinyl outside of the punk selection, but I did actually just pick up a great old Elvis television appearance recording pressed on blue vinyl. The prices are great. I'm pretty sure this is the best you're going to find in the HB/Newport Beach area. read more

This store is the best!! The owner, Drak is super knowledgeable, helpful and friendly. I go there all the time just to see him! Jeff and Quinn are great too! Honestly have never had a bad experience there and have found all kinds of gems! Cruise in to discover some music or just hang out! You won't regret it! read more

An HB landmark and punkest rock record store I know. More local musicians have started their punk rock educations out of this shop than even their local liquor store. Decades of dedication on the owner Drak's (sp?) part is here to benefit you--don't miss out. And don't call Drak "Darren". He hates that more than he hates the beach. read more

This place is a gem. They have great records and are always getting new supplies but that's not the charm. I walk in here and I go back in time and next thing I know I lost time and it's an hour or two later. The owner, Drak is the best. Check their $1 record continually as there are usually treasures in there. Bring cash (NOT CREDIT CARDS) and ask Drak for the 80's discount. Guess he buys records too but I've never sold one to him or anybody so can't help in that capacity read more

Visited this store a couple of months ago and terrific selection. Owner is a Kinks and Pistols fan so you know it is "top Drawer". I will be back in your store when I am down in OC. Kinks-- the real British invasion!!! read more

This store has a really good selection of punk. The staff are very knowledgeable about music. I used to love this store. But ... this is definitely Huntington Beach. A few years back I was in this store and they were playing bum fight dvds on the tv screens. That same day I also saw white pride material for sale on the book rack, I confronted the owner right there on the spot. I also contacted HB City Council and let them know. Huntington Beach still has plenty of racist skinheads, and this store definitely welcomes them as customers. The owner said he did not condone racism, but he didn't completely condemn it either. The problem is that there isn't any gray area on this issue. If you're not 100% opposed to bigotry, you're not my friend. The owner seemed like a cool guy, and definitely knows his music ... but selling white pride materials is definitely a deal breaker. read more

Vinyl Solutions is very much like going through your best friends older brother's record and t-shirt collection that they've been compiling from the 50's through the 80's. This place is a nostalgic head trip jam packed floor to ceiling with every genre of music you can imagine and more. The records that are displayed on the north wall like art are the musical gems of the store - coveted selections you might find in anyone's cherished music collection. I believe they have something for everyone here and at every price point, too -.99 cents and up. This would be a great place to spend a few hours in on a rainy day when you wouldn't mind being inside while in Huntington Beach. The owner is very accessible, helpful and loves to talk about music just like in the music stores you remember before 1982 when CD's first started to be produced. It's nice that places like this are still around. read more

They have always had a good selection... Many years ago, I remember wandering into this store and buying a bat shaped vinyl of Specimen. A very cool store, just got a whole lot cooler... Because I sold them 5 milk crates full of my early to late 80's Punk, New Wave and "Alternative." It was hard to part with these gems, but I decided that after years of moving hundreds of pounds of vinyl from place to place I would at least see what they were worth... So I drove them over to Vinyl Solution. After drooling over my collection, the guy behind the counter called the owner to come in. I probably waited a bit over an hour for the owner to roll out of bed, shower and come in... But, I was thoroughly entertained as the guy behind the counter continued to go through my collection, raving about how cool it was. When the owner came in he was equally impressed... He kept saying "this is my kind of stuff..." He carefully went through my collection, looking at each record while punching numbers in his calculator. Then when he was finished he showed me the number (what he could sell the stuff for) and offered me 25%. His enthusiasm for my collection made me happy to accept his offer. "Drac" the owner, is a very honest, good guy... He asked if I would accept payments, which I was fine with... And after 4 weeks I was paid in full. Great place... Great selection... Great people! read more

Fuck eBay. Fuck Amoeba. Save your soul and shop at Vinyl Solution.

Wow. These guys are unreal. First they don't open till noon and then they just don't even show up! I drove a long way to get here and me and another guy just sat outside waiting. Nothing. He said they do this all the time. This was totally unprofessional and an incredible waste of my time. I don't appreciate it. I wouldn't think of giving people like this my hard earned money. They don't deserve it. I would not reccomend anyone patronize this establishment. read more

What you should expect from a Record Store ... a Cultural Experience !!! One of my friend back in High School 22 years ago introduced me to this independent record store which carried lot's of hard core, punk, alternative, and basically hard to find items. I was able to trade in all that cheesy main stream stuff I got from the "record club" that some chump in Jr High School got me into (the 7 tapes for 7 cents crap) and pick out some new local music. We were some of the first customers, but i would make it a habit back during High School to come in after picking up my pay check from the Minimum Wage job I had to afford all the other cool used records that other customers had traded in. Buying used records always has been my way of life, and has supported my DJ set that I now spin twice a month at a near by bar (Thanks Drak.) They also care lot's of Music Buttons, Stickers, and T-Shrits of band's that you wont' find at the main stream malls. As long as this story survives the MP3's B.S. independent music will have a home at Vinyl Solution. Best of Luck into the Future. One last thing, Compared to the other 'local' record stores, the prices here beat the others as far as retail goes. I always bring exact change in Cash to help balance the register. All way's extremely knowledgeable about the music they carry, and good people to have a conversation with when it's slow. *** Oh yeah, one more thing, I know a lot of Jewish People who collect World War II material (Fascist stuff) as it should never be forgotten, and simply because it exist does not mean that it is a political promotion, that is for the owner to decide (the owner of the item.) Please Don't get started with the banning of Music, Literature, & Books. The Control Freak mindset is a mental illness, so don't get started with it! We are in America, land of the free, don't try to take away my liberty's! read more

BEST record store in HB for sure! Lots of punk and metal for great prices and they are always having cool sales! This place is worth putting down as one of your regular vinyl shopping stops! It is the best thing that will happen to your vinyl collection! read more

Tons of good find in here, every time I stop by. There is high turnover as well, which makes for exiting browsing. They have everything from rare one of a kind vinyl, new sealed vinyl, dollar bin, and 45s. Drak has a great knowledge of music, and knows what he currently has in the store. As with most good music stores though, you'll find more gems by browsing, than by searching. read more

This record shop is pretty good they have vinyl records and CDs for sale along w/ tshirts and badges. They have a great selection of records at great prices and always great deals in their 7" section. They now have record cases for sale too. The staff is always helpful and friendly and always give you fair prices when you come in to sellbem your music. read more

First I will admit I was not looking for vinyls for myself but for a gift for a teenage grandchild who wanted classical music. Was not impressed with this store at all. One star for the person who more or less pointed out the general area for me to look. No organization to the records in any way whatsoever - everything in a mishmash. I don't know what they think classical music is, but if they had any, I sure didn't find anything other than one or two albums. Employee(s) were/was completely disinterested in helping me look for anything, so I walked out without any purchase. I suggest looking in Costa Mesa for a much superior shop. read more

This is the best place for punk Vinyl around. They always have a rare first pressing you might want on their wall with all the big ticket items like picture disks and rarities. Go buy your Neil Diamond records off ebay. Vinyl Solution will have the adolescents, rare GG Allin presses, and TSOL first pressings you are looking for. The owner is really cool and always willing to give you his opinion on a selection you made. They have good, cheap shirts as well. They have received thousands of my dollars over the years. I love these guys because they keep punk and vinyl alive. it isnt just a cool fashion for them. read more

Prices seem to be going up. Definitely not as bad as Port of Sound though so they got that going for them. Employees pull some shady tricks when pricing their vinyl. Very small things but not very good business ethics. Got a CD with a price tag on the plastic cover, I peeled it off which revealed an old price tag on the CD's insert that an employee poorly peeled off which ripped it. I've gotten multiple records with these coverups and of course I understand buyer beware but it just bugs me that they try to cover up their mistakes and pull one over on an unsuspecting customer. I asked to see an expensive screaming trees single off the wall, I took it out of the sleeve and opened it to reveal massive water damage to the inside of the fold out sleeve/poster BUT, to their credit, they gave me a 50% discount which I greatly appreciated. My worst purchase there was Audioslave's first LP. I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw it for only 20 bucks so I impulsively bought it. The sicker on the plastic sleeve read "Chris Cornell + Rage, Great debut. Ask to look at vinyl." This was early on so I didn't know any better. I get home only to realize that it only contained 1 of the 2 LPs! They put NOTHING to indicate this and it's not like ignorance was a viable excuse because there were two slots and one quick look at the remaining record would confirm that one was missing. I agree that this was more of my problem but the fact that the record was priced without any indication that it was incomplete seems a little shady. Just make sure you always check what you're buying which is good advice for any store. I look at this as a learning experience so now I always ask to view all of my purchases before I get them. I still frequent this store because the people are nice and I've found some great records there. The initiate atmosphere is intimidating but just make comments about some of the records and have a conversation with them. Their CD selection has deteriorated immensely. It used to be huge with outrageously low prices. Now it's a not even a quarter of the size and the prices have easily doubled. Last part, hit them up for RSD because they put out some nice bootlegs for low prices. Really bulks up your haul and it's a hell of a lot better than dropping 50 bucks for some official RSD release. Happy hunting! read more