What are the best used record and book stores between Tampa and D.C.?
May 25, 2010 6:42 PM Subscribe
Drawing a curved line from Tampa, FL to Washington, DC, what are the best used record (vinyl preferably) store and the best used book store along that route?
I'm not sure I understand the "curved line" requirement: are you talking about only record/book stores near the I-75/I-81 corridors?
posted by saladin at 7:46 PM on May 25, 2010
posted by saladin at 7:46 PM on May 25, 2010
A friend of mine owns Bull City Records in Durham, NC which sells used cds and LPs. It's a pretty awesome store and Chaz is pretty much the nicest person ever.
posted by ghharr at 7:51 PM on May 25, 2010
posted by ghharr at 7:51 PM on May 25, 2010
You could try Park Ave CDs and Rock and Roll Heaven in Orlando
posted by motorcycles are jets at 7:57 PM on May 25, 2010
posted by motorcycles are jets at 7:57 PM on May 25, 2010
The last time I was in DC, I went to Capitol Hill Books and had a blast. If you're willing to pop up to Maryland on a weekend for a treat, head to Book Thing of Baltimore, also known as "the free book place".
posted by knile at 8:27 PM on May 25, 2010
posted by knile at 8:27 PM on May 25, 2010
Response by poster: Thanks for the suggestions and, sorry, I should've been clearer. I'm DC-based, but will be driving up, so anything outside DC would be great. And, I agree: Joe's Record Paradise is probably the best used record store in this area.
The stores can be along the I-75 corridor or the I-95 corridor; I haven't decided my route north, but could be swayed by particularly good crate/shelf-digging opportunities along either.
posted by the sobsister at 8:37 PM on May 25, 2010
The stores can be along the I-75 corridor or the I-95 corridor; I haven't decided my route north, but could be swayed by particularly good crate/shelf-digging opportunities along either.
posted by the sobsister at 8:37 PM on May 25, 2010
Best answer: Chamblin Bookmine in Jacksonville, FL boasts over a million books in stock, and they might be underestimating it a bit. Their main store on US 17 is a sprawling maze of overflowing shelves and boxes stacked haphazardly in aisleways. What originally started as a normal enough retail space soon swallowed the house behind them, combining the two buildings. And digging is a must because their stock is not cataloged in a computer system, instead employees have been known to draw maps to sections of the store most likely to contain the books you're looking for. Their downtown location isn't much more organized, but it boasts a coffee bar, and a second story.
posted by nulledge at 11:15 PM on May 25, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by nulledge at 11:15 PM on May 25, 2010 [1 favorite]
Wax N Facts in Atlanta's Little Five Points is pretty great. There's also Wuxtry in Athens, but I don't know if they still carry vinyl.
posted by donpardo at 5:03 AM on May 26, 2010
posted by donpardo at 5:03 AM on May 26, 2010
Yeah, I was asking specifically because I wanted to make sure I-95 was an option so that I could recommend the Chamblin Bookmine in Jacksonville and Wolf's Head books in St. Augustine. Both are excellent, and both (particularly Chamblin, as nulledge points out) reward digging.
posted by saladin at 6:48 PM on May 27, 2010
posted by saladin at 6:48 PM on May 27, 2010
Response by poster: Thanks to all. Bookmine in Jacksonville was, in fact, great. I walked out with a couple sacks of fine reading material.
posted by the sobsister at 5:04 PM on June 18, 2010
posted by the sobsister at 5:04 PM on June 18, 2010
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by OmieWise at 7:19 PM on May 25, 2010 [1 favorite]