Dallas is a good city for buying records. You can spend a full Saturday moving between a historic Oak Cliff shop, a Bishop Arts store that hosts live sets, an East Dallas institution and a warehouse-sized store off LBJ Freeway. Here are five worth your time, grouped by part of town so you can plan a route.
Every name and address below was checked against at least two public sources, including the shops' own websites and local coverage from the Dallas Observer. Hours change, especially around in-store shows and holidays, so check before you head out.
Oak Cliff and Bishop Arts
Top Ten Records
338 W. Jefferson Blvd., Dallas, TX 75208
Top Ten opened in 1956 and calls itself the longest-running record store in Dallas. It is now run as a nonprofit (Oak Cliff Records Library) that preserves and shares an archive of music and film, and it still sells records and supports local and DIY music. Go for the history as much as the bins. It is usually closed Mondays.
Spinster Records
408 N. Bishop Ave., Suite 102, Dallas, TX 75208
Spinster opened in Oak Cliff in 2014 and moved into the Bishop Arts District in 2019. You will find new and used vinyl, turntables and hi-fi gear, plus apparel and books. The shop hosts in-store performances and signings most weeks, and it buys used records and audio gear if you are clearing out a collection. It pairs well with dinner in Bishop Arts or a show at The Kessler.
East Dallas
Good Records
9026 Garland Rd., Dallas, TX 75218
Good Records has been around since 2000 and is one of the most loved shops in the city, known for in-store sets by touring and local bands over the years. It sits near White Rock Lake and the Dallas Arboretum, so it is an easy add-on to a lake day. The shop also buys used records; if you are bringing more than about 40, it asks you to drop them off so staff can call you with an offer.
Deep Ellum
Off the Record Craft Beer & Vinyl
2716 Elm St., Dallas, TX 75226
Off the Record is a bar first and a record shop second: craft beer up front and crates of vinyl to flip through. It opens in the evening on weekdays and in the afternoon on weekends, so it works best as a stop before or after a Deep Ellum show rather than a morning dig.
North Dallas
Josey Records
2821 LBJ Freeway, Suite 100, Dallas, TX 75234 (near Farmers Branch)
If you want sheer volume, this is the place. The main store is about 25,000 square feet of new and used vinyl, CDs, tapes, posters and turntables, and shoppers mention a listening station for testing used records before you buy. Josey has since opened other North Texas stores, including Plano and Garland, but this is the original big one. Plan on an hour or more.
Tips for a record store day in Dallas
- Start south and work north. Top Ten and Spinster are a short drive apart in Oak Cliff, Deep Ellum is next, and Good Records and Josey sit on opposite ends of town, so pick one of those to finish.
- Check before you sell. Several of these shops buy used records and gear. Call ahead with a rough count and genre so you do not haul crates across town for nothing.
- Look for in-store shows. Spinster and Good Records both post events. A free in-store set is one of the best ways to find new local music.
- Inspect used media. Big used sections are great for cheap finds, but give discs and vinyl a quick look before you check out.
Know a Dallas record store we missed? Let us know and we will check it out for the next update.