Tucked away off bustling Albany Road in Cardiff, The Record Shop is a real gem for music fans, with its shed-like interior jam-packed with bargain vinyl and CD selections.
Described as “a compact and less daunting version of D’Vinyl just around the corner on Mackintosh Place,” the interior is overflowing with boxes and shelves of records, CDs, DVDs and even some old tapes.
The decor could never be accused of being ‘hipster’, with old posters, CDs and record sleeves plastered over every inch of wall space – and you have to be careful not to bang your noggin on the dangling 12″ singles above.
Navigating the shop takes some skill, with boxes on the floor and overflowing shelves offering unexpected trip hazards.
The selection inside is nothing short of magnificent – this is a place where you could literally spend hours tracking down rare tracks. Mind you, given the slightly chaotic filing system, finding even straightforward items can take ages, but then that’s part of the fun.
Al fresco browsers can find vinyl 45s from just 25p – and some were pretty good too – and CDs for a quid.
Back inside the shop, there’s boxes and boxes of singles awaiting your browsing pleasure.
Some of the record sleeves look like they’ve been on the walls for some time. In fact, some look like they’re had enough of hanging about and are trying to make a break for it.
There’s loads of decent albums priced around the £4, although rarer items command higher prices.
Kim Wilde, Nirvana, Sex Pistols, ABC, Lou Reed and Supertramp posters adorn this stretch of wall.
One pound CDs on the outside rack.
The Record Shop can be found at:
4 Inverness Place
Roath
Cardiff CF2 5RU
Get Directions
Tel: 029 2045 3093
Opening hours are a bit erratic, but generally you’ll be able to dive in to all those lovely records between 12-5.30 on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays. I don’t think there’s a website.
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Looks like a proper record shop We had one then it turned in to sell CD only 🙁
I remember when it was Hippo Records – popped in last summer on a trip back to Cardiff. Still a great place to pick up some obscure tracks 😊