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Best Of Toronto
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There is no shortage of music shops in Toronto and no shortage of places to find some cool vinyl. These days big box music stores are carrying vinyl but nothing beats browsing through these hand picked music shops. The selection of vinyl can be overwhelming but what will keep you coming back to some of the smaller vinyl sellers is knowledgeable staff and a wide variety of independent and hard to find records.
Here are a few of our fave spots to check out if you want to add a little vinyl to your music collection.
Cosmos Records
607a Queen Street West
(416) 603-0254
Just down Queen street you will find the vinyl stop that gets the award for having the most organized selection of records. Simply put... on the top shelf is where you will find the most expensive LP's and on the lower shelf you will find the cheaper ones. Pretty simple eh? Cosmos features a great selection of vinyl for music lovers new and old and has pretty much the best selection of collectibles in the city.
Discovery
1140 Queen East
(416) 778-6394
http://www.discoveryrecords.com
Queen Street East continues to rival the west end in the battle for cool and Discovery used and collectors’ records helps with the fight. This vinyl destination is one of the oldest in the city and has incredibly low prices that will put a smile on shoppers faces. They have an incredible selection of vinyl but also carry a great selection of CD's, cassettes, 78's and even a few eight tracks.
 Kops Records
229 Queen West
(416) 593-8523
Just west of University Avenue on Queen Street music lovers will come across Kops records which has been around for more than 20 years. The record shop has an incredible selection of everything imaginable. Head downstairs to find contemporary vinyl picks including hip hop, reggae and jazz then head upstairs to check out selections from the 50's to the 80's along with a decent selection of CD's. The store even features a few turntables set up for buyers to sample their potential purchases.
Neurotica
642 Queen Street West
(416) 603-7796
Neurotica has been around since the early 90's and hasn’t really changed much since... but that's the good part. Vinyl hunters will have a blast in this place. It's a tiny little shop that has a massive selection of cool second hand vinyl at pretty decent prices. Plus, be nice to the staff and you will walk out with a discount card for your next visit.
 Play De Record
357a Yonge Street
(416) 586-0380
http://www.playderecord.com
Don't let the tiny size detour you. Play De Record which is just north of Dundas on Yonge is crammed full of vinyl that any dance lovin' DJ would die for. It's loud, it's crazy, the staff knows there stuff and you are bound to find awesome vinyl for nearly every genre of dance music. They have a great selection of imports and there’s also a great selection of DJ gear for both beginners and professionals.
 Rotate This
801 Queen Street West
(416) 504-8447
http://www.rotate.com
Just west of Bathurst on super trendy Queen Street West vinyl hunters will find Rotate This known as one of the top independent record stores in the city. The Queen street hub carries a great selection of independent and mainstream music both on vinyl and CD, but it's really is the vinyl selection that makes this a great shopping destination. Genre wise you can find pretty much everything including: rock, hip hop, punk, jazz, electronic, indie and much more. Plus, the shop is an official ticket outlet for a huge chunk of concerts taking place around the city so you can pick up local concert tickets and some new music at the same time.
 She Said Boom
372 College Street: (416) 944-3224
393 Roncesvalles Avenue: (416) 944-3224
http://www.shesaidboom.ca
She Said Boom is a great destination for vinyl... although they also feature a pretty kickin’ selection of books, CD's and DVD's. Shoppers can find stocked vinyl, both new and used, focusing on indie, jazz, lounge, reggae, electronic and alternative at both locations.
Slinky Music
442 Queen Street West
(416) 603-2600
http://slinkymusic.com
Head down Queen West to Augusta Avenue and you will come across Slinky Music, a vinyl stop knonw for a great mix of new, old and used vinyl. Vinyl not your thing… you can browse through cds, pick up concert tickets or check out some of the super cool apparel that can be found throughout the shop. Owner Paul can usually be found on the floor and the staff has the reputation of being some of the most helpful in the city. This is what makes it a perfect destination for the beginner vinyl enthusiast.
* Slinky shares their space with Moog Audio (whose flagship store is in Montreal) who carries a great selection of DJ equipment that you can rent out to ensure your next party is off the hook.
 Sonic Boom
512 Bloor West
(416) 532-0334
http://www.sonicboommusic.com
This one is definitely the biggest of all the vinyl shops in the city! Sonic Boom on Bloor has a selection that is bound to keep you busy for a while. Despite the size "hard to find vinyl" may be... well... hard to find here. But that shouldn't stop you. Turn-over happens quick here from the young Annex crowd who flock here daily. The store is open until midnight 365 days a year which means you can basically head out and grab some good vinyl any day you want.
Vortex
2309 Yonge Street
(416) 483-7437
Vortex, at Yonge and Eglinton, seems to carry it all but the specialty here is previously-play and independent vinyl. Shoppers will find rock, jazz, electronic, blues, soul and more while browsing through the tiny shop. The new arrivals section is definitely cool... although if you see it grab it because there is an extremely high turn-over of quality stuff.
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