Finally bought a used record player and the Portishead album I always wanted to be able to experience it like the first time. Was well taken care of by staff and will come back for more records.
As always, clean, well lit, organized. I found a few cds of interest, as always. Thanks, enjoy!
Not much of a selection of hip-hop records but they have some good ones, (astroworld, rtj4, the money store, flower boy, etc.) a great atmosphere and not bad prices
This is great local record store with a wide selection of pretty much everything and a friendly staff. If you want CDs or LPs, you can find a lot of gems for $2.99 or $3.99, but you have to look. And sure you may need to clean them up when you get home, but thats part of the experience! Their new vinyl selection is also great and if they dont have what youre looking for - just ask! They can order it for you.
Didnt really notice this place until I inherited my dads records and started collecting. This store is a hidden treasure (at least hidden to me until I saw the light). Its packed with vinyl, CDs, cassettes, DVDs, memorabilia, audio equipment and so much more. On top of that, their staff is phenomenal. Need to know which pressing of a record is better? Theyll know. Want to discover new artists that youd probably never hear of in popular culture? Theyll know that too. Are you into supporting well-run local businesses? Look no further.This place is a neighborhood icon that is often filled with regulars and newbies alike.I look back with disappointment that I didnt come here sooner. Nonetheless, Im trying to make up for that with frequent visits as they are stocking new (and old) stuff every single day.Thank you Vinyl Solution Records for being great!!!
Since I restarted collecting vinyl, Ive been looking for a good record store, something that is becoming increasingly rare. After we moved out of the Bay Area, I heard of this place and I knew I had to visit. Ig was like being in Disneyland. It brought such amazing memories of times in high school, browsing through records, and trying to make up my mind as to which ones Id bring along this time...I will be returning!!
Awesome store with super friendly service and excellent prices on vintage vinyl. 5 star experience.
This place is great purchased a refurbished amp. Its working great. Good used vinal selection. Friendly staff nice place to hang out . Prices are reasonable
Recently bought two record players off craigslist, noticed one was slower than the other. Called Tommy at Vinyl Solution Records, he said they offer repairs. I came in the next morning, Tommy immediately got to work seeing what he can do to help, I browsed the store and within 20 minutes he got it working. Granted it wasnt a BIG repair just a few minor tweaks here and there, Tommy was a big help and didnt try to oversell anything. Reasonable price for the repair that was done and very timely. I cannot speak for bigger repairs but just know that I will be coming back for other needs! Thanks Tommy!!
This shop is tops in all respects. Well stocked, very organized, clean, great prices and very knowledgeable long time owners. These guys work hard for the place to look so good. They take their business to a new level. They even have classic work shirts and will take the time to make sure you are a happy customer.See Robert or Tommy and plan on a total musical experience. This place is a museum that takes time to see everything it has to offer. I’ll be a regular customer.
Throwback to great record stores of the 70s.
Very affordable. Friendly staff. If you cant find what youre looking for, they can order it for you.
Great local record shop. Lots of new and used records to check out
Has tons of music for those into records, cds and tapes. Would be back there to look for more music.
I wish I had a reason to rate this less than 5 stars..... Fortunately! I have yet to find a single reason. Great selection of not only LPs but DVDs and CDs. The current day owner Tommy Tunes, makes certain that his customers are taken care of. Ive had a brand new record player not work properly, he offered to accept its return for full refund or to try and fix it! He was able to fix it within 10 minutes no hassle. If that doesnt spell customer satisfaction, idk what will.
Love this place for their huge collection and friendly staff! I end up picking up quite a number of records everytime I visit.
One of the best record stores around! The owner is super cool and can order anything for you thats not already in stock.
Great selection at very reasonable prices.
Good selection and price
Great record store with a good selection of vinyl, CDs, cassettes, and other music accessories
Tommy has truly helped me over the past 7 years curate my eclectic listening style. Introducing me to music that I wouldnt have known without his guidance. Will be moving out of the area soon but forecast Ill be driving down to San Mateo when I need my vinyl fix!!
The place to find Rare and Vintage Record LPs .....
Great deals on used vinyl records, CDs, audio cassettes which they also buy or trade, plus they sell New CDs & will order for a $5.00 deposit.They also buy, sell & trade used Turntables; sell high quality, affordable new turntables & occasionally used guitars plus new electric keyboards.Great atmosphere for officianados of physical music collectors & lovers of music of all genres.Finally, they sell used - (and occasionally new) - DVDs & Blu-Ray movies.
An old school music shop made relevant again with the resurgence of vinyl popularity. It takes me back to my youth when going to the record shop was a tactile experience of discovery. Flipping through records and finding a must-have prize is a lot of fun. Its like treasure hunting. The shop has everything from brand new popular stuff to used obscure randoms. All genres are represented. Be sure to check out the new arrivals bin of used records. Early digging can uncover some precious gems for your collection. If you are like me, be prepared to spend more time and money than planned because you will have a huge stack of records by the time you leave. Really fun store.
Owner is very friendly and knowledgeable. Lots of great finds to be had.
Great place for current and obscure record releases. Also some rare finds for music memorabilia. Well worth the trip.
If you love Vinyl drop what youre doing and go to Vinyl Solutions. For us old heads, its a walk down memory lane. For my youngest so, its a place that I get to time travel, to a time when I went digging in the crates for something old or something new. Now hes digging. Oh and there are cassettes (you heard me right) and CDs. Streaming is cool and all, until you pick up an album, read the liner notes and stare at the album art for hours.
Nice local spot. Very big
Excellent selection of used and new items, all your music needs in one stop. Cant find what you came for just ask Tommy or any of the guys and theyll help you out. Good prices and you get support your local Store.
Used Arrested Development CD for $2.99! Used media stores are like treasure hunts. You never know what youll find, but its always fun. Can use AC, as it was very warm inside on my recent August Saturday visit.
Awesome store, the owner is very nice, knowledgeable, and helpful.
Very friendly, great selection.
Good sized, clean, and organized record store that sells records, CDs, cassettes, other assorted media and hardware. Staff is very helpful and friendly. Records are separated by genre and then by letter by artist with popular ones clearly labeled. They also have little deals for certain clearance items! Will definitely return for future record purchases.
Great selection of new and used media. Good variety of retro stereo equipment also! Very reasonable prices :-)
Fixed our vinyl in just a few minutes, replaced the belt right before our eyes and done. Also, helped us pick up couple of used world music records too. Well definitely come back to explore their collection
Beyond San Francisco theres no other place like this within the Bay Area. A place to spend evenings looking for vinyl treasures. Love it!!
Great to see a place a great selection of vinyl and soon to be forgotten cds!! Lol! Good service as well. And they sell analog audio equipment. Great find in the bay area.
Down to earth record shop with excellent staff and a good selection. I thoroughly enjoyed browsing the shop and I got some great recommendations on new stuff. I cannot say THANK YOU enough and cannot wait to make it back!
We loved all the old school albums you can find here
A very cool throwback record store in the 25th Ave. shopping area of San Mateo. Lots of long play (LP) record albums from the past and present. But theres more: 45s at the same price as they had in 1969--$1. Add in CDs, VHS tapes, laser discs, cassettes, vintage magazines, posters, stereos, turntables, and guitars, and you have a place where youll want to spend hours. Prices are very reasonable and nobody is huddling over your shoulder. A wonderful step back in time.
Good finds and good service, but needs more variety of movies.
I hadnt been here in years and recently visited after buying a turntable. Im so happy to see that its still here and still a great record store (vinyl). Ill definitely be back.
If you are a Real Music lover, this is the place to check out.
Nice place to find CDs of music movies and all those classics
A very analog store for a digital world- love buying and browsing for vinyl here - been coming here for 35 years!
Super awesome record shop featuring a diverse range of vinyl. They have a special clearance section (filled mostly w/60s-80s classic rock) where you can get 6 LPs for $2.00. I like scoping the free posters, postcards, & zines!! Service is a hit or miss. Sometimes you get friendly cashiers, but not consistently. Its still a cool place to check out-esp for the vinyl collectors!
Great selection of modern and classic. Easy to find anything you are looking for which can be challenging at a record store. Staff is helpful, honest and friendly.
This place is awesome!!! Its so hard to get vintage music these days that you dont have to download. Whatever oldies and classics you want, they can make it happen.
Helped me out in a pinch. Great selection great customer service
Who knew that vinyl wouldn’t go the way of the dinasour? It’s one of the greatest things happening in an age of overblown and overhyped technology. Vinyl Solutions is the answer to this. One thing that happens when you only listen to vinyl, is that your musical tastes will improve because you won’t be overwhelmed by terrible compressed digital music.
Great, Old School, shop! They had a large selection of vinyl, cassette tapes, CDs and audio equipment. The shop was bustling when I was there. Good vibes!
Great record store with plenty of new and used vinyl. The owner is very knowledgeable and is always ready to help out.
Great selection of records and the staff is knowledgeable, friendly, and very helpful!
Great store. Helpful staff.
Very cool shop. Welcoming and friendly. A little gem in San Mateo!!
Vinyl Solution doesnt just sell records. They basically sell anything that will get you to listen to music the old fashion way, be it 8-tracks, cassette, vinyl, CDs, VHS, etc. They also have turntables, amps, and all the equipment you need for you the appreciate music with all the imperfections and warmth that come with analog medium (except for CDs). It even smells like a pawn shop.
This is a jewel I love this place theres nothing like the smell of an old original record store I love vinyl solution the owner is fabulous and the staff wow great I love this place!
Lot of used and new CDs for sale. Some prices are fairly high for CDs from name artists or multi-discs. But still usually much cheaper than Amoeba in SF.
A wonderful trove of all types of music
Nice selection of audio cassettes! Friendly staff too.
Beware. All around up tight. If you have Vinyl to buy or sell try Amoeba or go online. The owner has a nasty attitude. Sad to say, but his attitude makes record shopping uncomfortable. I recommend that the shop close up or resell to someone who cares.
Tommy The Owner Has Great Selections, Great Prices, and Very Helpful and provides fast,honest and very reasonable items.......This is the Store to Shop at You will ..NOT..be disappointed ...right off El Camino in Sunny San Mateo.....Plan on spending some time he has everything here.
Great place to find vintage merch. R&B/Soul selection isnt as vast as the rock selection.
Excellent selection of new and used media. Friendly and knowledgeable staff.
Awesome selection of both new and used cds, records and much much more. Also very helpful staff.
Great Record store. Fare prices on used records
Great selection of new and used vinyl across various genres.
Love this record store! always something new and fun to discover
The only good record shop between San Francisco and San Jose. Thank heavens this place continues to exist.
Found some old 80s CDs at very affordable prices!
A great place to buy any type of music, music for everyone! ☺
Tapes! Wax! CDs! Components and other audio peripherals. 45s and Edison presses. Every corner has something to keep you going in circles and confused with my personal handful of items I usually take to the counter to continue my zen and spend visits. Tommy is a ham and hes serious about music and will keep a conversation going as he paces the shop for all situations. I know my share of facts and can hold my own with people. Tommy happens to know that fact that spins peoples heads around and they decide to slap him around here and not say anything to his face. If you dont have a clue, say it and you will be fine and handled with due respect and insight into your questions. In a world where most shops are full of single file, hipster, genre snob children that care less that I spend nothing or my usual 100 bux in a single store, it earns me nothing, no recalling my face, genuine banter I try to speak while paying and a terrorized clerk if I ask for any promotion items for a recent release, as they claim that stack of Led Zeppelin reissue posters are not for sale and they cant give them away! Its promotional and you are a idiot as they end up in the trash from several known shops. Tommy has promo items from 40 years ago, mint hanging around and is happy to pass them out on a decently good deal, yes he is so overbearing he will give you a break for being you and being passionate about your music and shopping his store. I had bought some new leads for my cartridge and shell which were way too thick and broke immediately after I bought them. I had the option of ordering blindly from the internet or taking a drive down to see Tommy and ask if he had a set new or used to buy on the spot. He hands me over a head shell with 4 leads that locked on my Pioneer like cement, didnt charge me a dirty look for the favor. Thats what you do for customers who are beyond a first encounter. Theres a Kiss Radio in the shop from 77. One day soon! I can think of as many reasons to stay out of the war stores and spend an afternoon in San Mateo. Hella-Stock, Tommy likes his Metal!
Very reasonable prices and large selections.
Good price ! You should dig the new arrival bins.http://vinylworld.org
Great selection at decent prices
TL;DR - buy here, without a doubt. sell elsewhere.100% a wonderful small record shop that has been owned and operated by the same guy for 30 years. Its a fantastic spot to grab the current hits, take some time browsing to fill in the collection, or truly to peruse the random assortments of old box sets, cool art, trinkets, audiophile equipment, cool displays, and the other knicks knacks and ephemra. They even have a huge wall of cassettes, if you want to wow your kids. I would say this is the PLACE to go in the Peninsula, especially for vinyl, to find a random addition to your collection. I found some GREAT old french stuff. The only thing I would say is that you might not want to sell here. I am an audiophile and collector, so I am not trying to sell 40 of the same scratched Zeppelin CDs. I brought in a bag of 60-80 CDs, most were incredibly rare OOP Italian lounge soundtracks and the like. The gentlemen were not trying to have one over on me, nor were they anything but polite or enjoyable. The simple fact is they dont have the time and resources to sort through or assume anything about your music. If they dont know it, it might as well be a scratched up Korn or Green Day album. *** They offered $20 cash, $30 in store. That same day I took the identical collection to Amoeba on the way home, to the city: $150 cash, $250 in store credit. So I dont think theyre purposefully undervaluing versus just not knowing how to price rare OOP import stuff. So other than that, please support and enjoy this fantastic store. I have been shopping here since I was about 10, and theyve always got some fun or interesting selections. Just sell elsewhere.
Wemt to sell some cds, owner made it essy
Great place to look for old records
Awesome Store. Love this place.
Great selection, good service! Was a pleasure to leave my money here.
Once you get past the owners arrogance, the store is pretty nice.
Since 1995 they have been overcharging for used and fake stuff, and paying fractions of cents on the dollar for anything anyone brings in. Pretentious hipsters n hippies only.
An enourmous selection of music. I buy new and used CDs.
Lots of great stuff new and used
Cool
Great service excellent deals.
Always has great music.
Big selection of vinyl records!
Its like stepping back in time.
Tommy knows his music and media formats for the descriminating audiophile!
Need a better rock archive
My favorite record store to visit.
Great prices
Amazing record store!
Good selection, just a little expensive for new vinyl.
Sweet sweet vinyl!