The Five Best Record Stores for Vinyl Enthusiasts in Manchester

Manchester is a music city known for its diverse musical heritage. The beat of Manchester is ever-evolving and attracts music fans from all over the world. There are many ways to indulge in the city's music scene and shopping is no exception! Here's our list of the five best record stores for vinyl fans and DJs in Manchester. This handy guide reveals the must-see record shops where you can dig for some rare records and bargain vinyl. Why not explore these record shops with a record store crawl day!

Have fun flipping through dusty covers and unearthing hidden gems. These five record stores will give you endless record-collecting opportunities to find those valuable and unique discs.

Piccadilly Records

Located in the centre of Manchester you'll find one of the most popular record stores, Piccadilly Records. This is the largest and longest-running record store in Manchester and boasts a rich contribution to the city's music scene.

The shop has been running for over twenty-five years and stocks a massive range of music genres. You'll find all genres of music, neatly organised within a maze of shelves and record racks. You'll be able to spend hours digging deep in this Manchester institution flipping through the exact same boxes as Manchester's most famous musicians.-

Within the store, you'll find a range of music. Everything is here including indie, rock, pop, rnb, hip-hop, soul, funk, disco, edm, techno, house and more!

The staff at Piccadilly Records are friendly and willing to answer any questions about the collection. They will gladly help you find that hidden gem you're looking for. Their knowledge of music is unsurpassed as they live and breathe music full time! They even review every record the store stocks helping you pick the best new releases. Not only can you shop for records here but you'll learn a lot about them too! No record store crawl would be complete without a visit to Piccadilly Records.

Click here to visit the Piccadilly Records website for opening hours

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Vinyl Exchange

Another central Manchester gem is Vinyl Exchange. This record store is a haven for vinyl enthusiasts and record collectors. Their sprawling shelves house a vast collection of new and old records of every genre. The store opened in 1988 and has been a go-to destination for vinyl shopping in Manchester attracting vinyl fans to the city.

Vinyl Exchange is Manchester's largest second-hand vinyl shop and provides the best location to dig for vintage records. Collectors flock to the store in the hope of uncovering that special record to add to their collection.

We love ruffling through their record racks and flicking through reggae, dub, rare groove, disco, funk, soul and vintage pop music. Alongside all the classic genres you will find a range of EDM genres suitable for the modern DJ.

Vinyl Exchange is truly the spot to find some rare treasures to add to your vinyl collection. Don't miss this record store during your visit to Manchester.

Click here to visit the Vinyl Exchange website for opening hours

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Eastern Bloc Records

This record store is one for the DJs amongst you. If you're a DJ looking to pick up the best 12 inches for your DJ sets Eastern Bloc Records is your one-stop-shop!

This record shop is Manchester's main dance music specialist and a haunt for DJs in the city. It's been the best destination for vinyl DJs in the city since opening in 1985. DJs visiting Manchester or touring in the city can be seen searching for rare imports, underground sounds and the perfect wax for their upcoming gigs.

The staff have specialist knowledge about all EDM genres and can help answer any questions you have. You're free to listen to the records before purchase, to make sure they fit nicely into your DJ collection. While they stock all genres that DJs usually play they are also noted for being one of the best Jungle and Drum & Bass specialist retailers in the UK.

Not only is this the perfect record store for DJs to explore it's also a cafe! You can recharge, grab a bite to eat and power up with a caffeinated drink. It's the perfect way to spend a day doing something you truly love with the warm welcome of the staff.

Click here to visit the Eastern Bloc Records website for opening hours

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Empire Exchange

Just a short walk from Piccadilly Gardens in the centre of Manchester on the edge of the Northern Quarter you'll find Empire Exchange. This store sells second-hand and vintage items including records. It's a fascinating menagerie of yesteryear perfect for rare vinyl hunters. As this space is not just for records you'll have to crawl your way through decades of vintage stuff including electronics, VHS tapes, cassettes and toys.

Their record collection is unique and offers a vintage selection that is totally random. You might find a Jungle record nestled next to Aretha Franklin. If you like to spend an afternoon combing through dusty sleeves looking for that special piece this is a good spot!

Empire Exchange is a quirky spot on our tour of Manchester's city centres best vinyl record stores, truly unmissable!

Click here to visit the Empire Exchange website for opening hours

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Vinyl Resting Place

If you're new to the city you must visit Afflecks Palace. It's a labyrinthine maze of market stalls and independent shops spread over five floors. It's a shopping paradise for anyone interested in unusual items, subcultures and of course vinyl records! Many of the market stall holders sell vinyl records so be sure to search all floors of the building.

The biggest record supplier in Afflecks is Vinyl Resting Place. Arguably the best name of a record store ever! When you enter Afflecks Palace head to the third floor!

Vinyl Resting Place first opened its doors in 2014 and has only added to Manchester's exciting record store offering. It's another great location to dig for rare records to add to your vinyl collection. It's especially good for finding niche records and second-hand vinyl.

We love their £1 bargain bins where you can find records of all genres. They are really good for sampling!

The staff here have an encyclopaedic knowledge of music and will offer help and advice to help you uncover the best records in the store. They are friendly and always answer questions about the records but also music in general. You can spend hours chatting to the staff here!

This record store has a range of genres including vintage and modern styles. It's great for collectors, listeners and also DJs.

Click here for the Vinyl Resting Place website for opening hours

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We hope you enjoy Manchester's best record store crawl! Explore these unique record shops and support Manchester independent music scene. We hope you find that special record for your music collection or the perfect wax to spin at your next DJ gig!

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