It’s pretty unusual to encounter a despondent record shop owner, but there are few record store proprietors as openly passionate about record collecting as the owner of Portland’s Too Many Records.
One of the newest record stores in Portland, this shop is owned and operated by one of the more well-known faces in the online vinyl community. The owner, Matt has run the Too Many Records YouTube channel, which covers a variety of vinyl and music-related topics, for nearly a decade. The channel recently hit the 50,000 subscriber mark and this brick-and-mortar shop of the same name is quickly coming up on its 2nd anniversary. This is perhaps the most unique aspect of this shop. A quick scroll through the owner’s YouTube channel and you can gain quite a bit of insight into what goes on behind the scenes at record stores. The owner is an open book when it comes to what it’s like to run a record store from buying record collections, discovering new music, and dealing with the internet’s resident assholes.
What to Expect
So the owner is a total vinyl and music nerd, and has his own record label, but what is the shop actually like? Basically, it’s exactly what you would expect from someone who is obsessed with records: well-curated, unique, and filled with other music-obsessives. This store’s layout might surprise some people, hopefully in a good way.
Albums are broken down into more categories than a typical record store, which allows shoppers a chance to browse through some records they might normally skip. Bins are mostly sorted by genre but several bins are unique to this shop. On my visits, I have seen bins dedicated to the employees’ and owners’ favorite records, a bin dedicated to “grails,” and bins of discount records (5 for $20). When you go to a lot of record stores, these kinds of personal touches are what make a shop stand out. Too Many Records manages to have a distinct personality without having to rely on legacy or having a super snazzy location.
In my experience, some record stores can put off a vibe that makes the store out to be a bit of a “cool kids club” but Too Many Records avoids this completely. Instead, the shop emits a feeling of sifting through your friend’s record collection. One of the best things a record store can be is inviting, especially with the hobby growing the way it is and so many people stepping into record stores for the first time. In this regard, Too Many Records gets a 10 out of 10.
Selection at Too Many Records
Let’s talk specifics. In terms of total records available, this store is fairly middle of the pack. This is by no means some kind of record megastore that will stock every artist on the planet, but it’s not just filled with “thrift store records” like many used record stores are. In terms of used vs new the store stocks mostly used records, but a much more curated selection of used records than what many people will expect from a used record store. A quick glance at the walls will show just how many great records are available in the shop, with the highest value stuff put up on display so that serious collectors can quickly check for any personal grails that they have been on the lookout for.
Pricing at Too Many Records
When it comes to price, expect everything here to be more than fair. This isn’t a discount store at all but the owner has spoken openly on his YouTube channel about the rising cost of records, frustrations with stores overcharging, etc. The bottom line, the prices here on used records are totally fair in my experience. No one said this was a cheap hobby.
I haven’t been able to visit this store as often as I’d like to (or with as much in my bank account as I would like) but I’ve always been able to find some solid picks. On a recent visit, I grabbed a copy of Street Life, by Roxy Music, perfect for my more glamorous days.
I might be biased but I truly believe that Portland has the best vinyl community in the country at the moment. This city isn’t huge but the amount of great record stores here never ceases to amaze me and Too Many Records is just another great example of this. If you’re in Portland, check it out, if you’re not then check out the YouTube channel and just pretend you’re there.
Records Purchased:
Street Life – Roxy Music
Address:
1854 N Lombard St, Portland, OR 97217
Check them out: Too Many Records Youtube