Music lovers and vintage enthusiasts alike can relate to the familiar feeling of perusing shelves lined with music of all genres, decades and tastes. From indie exclusives to pop to classics, these record stores located around Georgia State’s Perimeter Campus accommodate just about everyone’s music style and keep the nostalgic custom of record collecting alive and well. Here is a review of some of the best record shops in the Perimeter area.
Comeback Vinyl:
In Alpharetta, Georgia, Comeback Vinyl started in 2014 as a booth in an antique mall. Cofounders and avid music lovers Alex and Karen Vernon sold records out of crates, selling and stocking up on new and used vinyl. This business allowed for the couple to connect with folks and figure out what people liked to listen to. As a result, their antique mall booth began to gain popularity, allowing for them to toy with the idea of starting a record store.
Their dream became a reality when Comeback Vinyl opened up. The store started small but then became so popular that the Vernon’s had to change locations and open up a much larger store. The Comeback Vinyl location that is known and loved today was the result of that. Comeback Vinyl offers a variety of 20,000 plus vinyl records and thousands of new vinyl records that are not listed online. The record store is open from 11 a.m. – 7 p.m. every day in Downtown Alpharetta.
Wuxtry Records:
Wuxtry Records, located in Decatur, is one of the oldest record stores around the area. Starting in Athens in 1976, Wuxtry opened their Decatur store shortly after in 1978. The infamous and successful magazine Rolling Stone noted Wuxtry as one of the top 25 record stores in the US, as the record store offers an evocative blast from the past.
Selling records, compact discs, T-shirts, posters and more, Wuxtry is a music sanctuary for those who appreciate older and more traditional ways of listening to music. Wuxtry has supplied Atlanta and Athens for 35 years with a plethora of CDs and LPs. Apart from the merchandise, Wuxtry records also display a walk-in museum of bands and music from the last century. Wuxtry Records is one of the longest-running new and used record store chains in Georgia. They are open from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. in Decatur.
Decatur CD and Vinyl:
Located on West Ponce de Leon Avenue, Decatur CD and Vinyl gives off a laid-back, easy-going vibe that fits the older atmosphere of the record store. This store is easily spotted from the outside due to its colorful blue buildings and murals decorating the establishment’s front. Paired with the art out front is a bush decorated with CDs, adding to the artistic and vintage aura that Decatur CD and Vinyl produces.
Decatur CD and Vinyl focuses on many older types of vinyl and doubles as a music venue, holding concerts and live music every once in a while. The store buys and sells used pieces of vinyl. Prices depend on the titles and conditions of the vinyl, and the store operates on a unique set of hours throughout the week.
