All Sales Vinyl might most accurately described as the “premier” record store in Fort Collins, a city that has a surprising amount of dedicated record stores for its size. With a larger selection of new records than anywhere else in town, it also has arguably the best location, right smack in the middle of Old Town. This of course means that the fairly small store can get nice and snug on weekends. Particularly during the summer months and around the holidays, but the amount of foot traffic the store gets does little to diminish its charm.
Fort Collins is funny like that, despite a healthy amount of tourism, there aren’t quite enough tourists to change the fabric of the town and it is able to maintain its charm. All Sales Vinyl falls into this category too. Although this isn’t quite the place where one could spend hours crate digging for rare records, there’s enough turnover in the store to warrant a trip back once a week to see if there is anything particularly interesting. The store maintains a healthy mix of new and used records to give locals a reason to return as well as a reason to avoid Barnes and Noble for new releases.
What to expect from All Sales Vinyl
On a typical day, there will be a single employee running the front of the store, politely smiling in a way that lets you know that it’s ok to buy an album everyone knows and that there is no obligation to try and impress him with the obscurity of your purchase, a feeling I get in far too many record stores. This might be a learned behavior to be fair. The shops location means a significant number of patrons just stopping for a look. But don’t worry, this isn’t just some novelty shop with exorbitant prices.
Selection at All Sales Vinyl
Standard record store fare is also available. Band T-shirts, turntables, record cleaning equipment, and a few ukuleles available for purchase adorn the walls alongside some of the newer and more display-worthy records currently in stock. Record cleaning services are also offered for those too lazy to do so themselves.
The store is humble, comforting, and as unpretentious as it gets without feeling like you’re shopping for records in Target. Casual and serious collectors alike will appreciate the atmosphere, the selection, and the location. It’s a perfectly serviceable but unexciting shop.
My Take on All Sales Vinyl
All Sales Vinyl is a little bit on the touristy side. This is the shop that is going to attract mostly people window shopping and popping their heads into every little boutique and vintage store on College Ave. The selection reflects this, perhaps to a fault. You’ll find plenty of solid record stores here, but mostly people records meant to appeal to the broadest audience possible.
Address
120 S College Ave, Fort Collins, CO 80524