My List of the Top 4 Used Record Stores in New Jersey

My greatest passion in life, other than working as an indentured servant for the Associated Content people, is music. And it’s not just listening to music, it’s a collecting thing. For record collectors (and when I say “record”, I mean vinyl as well as CD), having is as big a part as appreciating. The appreciating part can happen anytime, though it usually happens after 3 AM, alone in your bedroom with a stomach full of whiskey, but the collection part has to take place during the day. In my case, during the operating hours of four New Jersey record stores.

So if you collect albums and live in New Jersey, well, you’ve probably heard of these places. But if you’re just getting into record collecting or you just want to know where to get used CD’s, then saddle up partner, prepare to have a soar anus, we’re going for a ride!

4. The Coconuts in the Somerville Circle

This corporate-type store is a normative “no-no” for the hardcore independent collector and pretentious hipster alike, but I’ve found it to be unusually stocked with a lot of hard to find major label releases. I can’t fault a place where I got the entire Billy Joel back catalogue for under $5 a pop. Plus, I am neither a hipster nor an indie guy. Though I probably know more about “the music” than your average member from those sects, I am not cool enough to be part of either group.

3. Jack’s Music Shoppe – Red Bank

I don’t frequent this place too often, not because it’s lame, but because it’s not really in my area. However, whenever I do get down to Jack’s, I’m always pleasantly surprised. They’ve got a decent used CD section, but their strength is in vinyl. They also offer a wide selection of new albums that are normally hard to find. Other perks include a pretty cool movie section and a bunch of sheet music for double agents, musician/collectors (NOTE: The use of the term “double agent” is highly stupid and, to be honest, I just made it up. Never use the term “double agent” to describe anything other than actual agents who hit doubles.)

2. Vintage Vinyl – Fords

By far, the best used CD selection in the entire state of New Jersey belongs to Vintage Vinyl in Fords. It’s almost too big. If you’re a hardcore collector and you plan on heading to Vintage Vinyl, make sure you’ve left yourself seven or eight hours of wiggle room because it takes at least that long to browse through their used CD’s. I’m not kidding; it takes, like, mad long. I can’t say much about the rest of the store because I’ve never looked at anything besides the used CD section which, by the way, did I mention was expansive and great?

1.P-Rex – Princeton Record Exchange

You don’t have to call Princeton Record Exchange, P-Rex, in fact, you probably shouldn’t. P-Rex is the name of the website, as in prex.com, and I’m not sure how cool it is to say it loud. Regardless, Princeton Record Exchange is the granddaddy of them all. It was the first independent record store in the world. I can’t vouch for that claim, but it may as well be true. P-Rex has a bit of everything: Awesome vinyl at fair prices, lots of cheap CD’s, a bunch of hard to find albums and DVD’s, everything. I’m usually there about once a month or so. So if you see me, don’t be afraid to say hi. I’ll be the guy with the green shirt.