Vintage Vinyls

If big corporate retailers, bootleg carriers and iTunes just aren’t enough for your musical demands, then try digging through some of the city’s vintage record shops.

Surprisingly, Hong Kong – a place known for shunning anything that’s a hand-me-down – does indeed have a handful of stores selling used and rare records and CDs, most of which are run as labors of love by real aficionados. “My love of music will keep me in the record business as long as I can afford to feed myself two times a day” laughs Classic Shop owner, Chau Yiu Keung. Now that’s what we like to hear.

Walls of Sound

This quaint little emporium is tucked away on the third floor of an anonymous building on Cochrane Street (you can spot it from the escalator), looking like a fanboy’s dream den. In fact, Wall of Sound is comfortable - you can hang out, pull up a chair and tune out to your heart’s content.
What’s there: CDs, LPs, 45s and a handful of 78s (there are also DVDs, VCDs and VHSs). The cheapest CDs and LPs are around $20.
Best for: Good old-fashioned soul, funk, blues, jazz and reggae
Organization: Neat but disorganized. While pop/rock CDs are arranged in alphabetical order, vinyl records are classified by genre. So expect to find soul classics mixed in with funk, reggae and jazz, and classical mixed in with pop/rock, oldies, Cantopop and Japanese pop. This aside, the collection is small enough to make hunting something specific a relatively painless process.
Random find: The “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang” soundtrack on a 45
Want to sell? The most sought-after genres here are jazz, classical, blues, soul and golden oldies. They’ll take CDs, DVDs, VCDs, LPs, books and record players. For large sales, they do home collections provided you’ve specified what you have beforehand.
Address: 3/F, 38 Cochrane St., 2805-1584; Open Tue-Sun: 12:30pm-7:30pm.

Collectables

Collectables has been around since 1992, and is full of pretty much everything – books, CDs, vinyl, DVDs and the odd music figurine. It’s one of those word-of-mouth stores where records and CDs typically come and go by the day – hence their lack of a stock database.
What’s there: More than 300 CDs, 10,000 LPs, 500 45s, and a few 78s. You can find CDs and LPs for as low as $5.
Best for: Your Pink Floyds, David Bowies, Kinks – basically, anything British (especially from the 1960s-1990s), as well as dance records from the 70s-80s.
Organization: Shelf upon shelf of stuff packed so dense you have to pop out for the occasional breather. Needless to say, it gets confusing. Some collections of vinyl are stacked among the books, so make sure you comb carefully. Thankfully, pop and Brit-rock vinyls are helpfully categorized into subgenres (heavy metal, folk-rock, new wave, and so on). CDs are also classified by genre – pop/rock, hip-hop, reggae, Japanese and French music, for example – all in alphabetical order.
Random find: Australian surfing tunes from the 50s
Want to sell? Usually you’ll get $10-$15 for an LP/CD depending on resale potential and durability. They’re now looking for classical and jazz records, as well as modern British bands like Radiohead and Coldplay. You can also trade your LPs/CDs for books.
Address: 2/F, 11 Queen Victoria St, Central, 2559-9562; Open Mon-Sun: 12pm-8pm.

Classic Shop

The accident-prone should beware as Classic Shop is littered with boxes of unshelved, unorganized records. Sometimes there’s just no room for them – and that’s not a bad thing when you’re shopping for old records, but watch out for the haphazardly stacked VCRs, turntables and speakers.
What’s there: They mainly stock vinyl (LPs, with the odd 45, 16 or 78), but they also have over 200 CDs. Both are about $10 each.
Best for: Classical, jazz and Chinese opera. “People don’t come here for rock,” says owner K.Y. Chan.
Organization: Of the records that have been shelved, classical LPs are organized by record company while pop/rock records are organized by the artist.. Most of the latter are 60s-70s pop-rock oldies like Frank Sinatra, Andy Williams, Joan Baez, The Beatles, Santana and Eagles. CDs are organized by genre.
Random find: The soundtrack to Monty Python’s “Life of Brian.”
Want to sell? For large quantities, they do home collections. Prices offered will depend on quality and rarity. They won’t accept records or CDs that are in very bad condition.
Address: Room 201, Won Hing Building, 74-78 Stanley St, Central, 2541-7733; Open Mon-Sat: 11am-7.30pm.

Time Traveler

Time Traveler is small and fun, chock-full of surprises and hidden in the basement of an otherwise unassuming mall. When asked if the piles of nylon bags filled with records are new deliveries, owner Mr. Wong chuckled, “No, they have been here for over a month. I have no space for them.”
What’s there: Over 5,000 LPs (!) and about 200 CDs and DVDs. Prices range from $60-$100.
Best for: 70s-80s pop/rock and classical
Organization: Upon entering, you are tempted by a “Buy six LPs for $100” section on the immediate left, which contains mainly pop/rock from the 70s-80s (think Michael Jackson and George Michael). The wall to the right is nothing but neatly stacked LPs, ordered alphabetically and by genre. CDs and DVDs are not sorted. Good luck.
Random find: Deep Purple’s “Who Do We Think We Are” on vinyl
Want to sell? They’re looking for jazz and classical LPs. The price depends on the condition of the record and the popularity of the artist. Home collections for donations of over 100 items.
Address: Shop B07, Emperor Group Centre, 288 Hennessy Road, Wan Chai, 2574-3773; Open Mon-Sun 2:30pm-8:30pm.

Old Sound Collection

Situated on the 13th floor of Sino Centre in Mongkok, Old Sound Collection is behind what looks like an emergency exit at a hospital, but it's full of gems.
What’s there: Over 2,000 LPs and Singles, retro Cantonese magazines and loads of kitsch.
Best for: Jazz, vintage Cantopop and 70s-80s rock (prog, metal, punk, new wave and new romantic). Average prices are $50-$100, but there is also a $10 clearance rack.
Organization: Expectedly disorganized. The owner, Mr. Liu, says that regular customers usually “sense” where to look for things, but tell him what you want and he’ll either fetch it for you or direct you to the right section.
Random find: The Soviet Army Chorus & Band Today on LP (a tribute to 20th century Russian composer Shostakovich)
Want to sell? They’re currently looking for jazz LPs. They do home collections for large sales; prices depend on rarity, popularity and the owner’s whimsy.
Address: Room 1305B, Sino Centre, 582-592 Nathan Rd., Mongkok, 2359-9826; Open Mon-Fri, 4:30pm-9pm; Sat, 3pm-9pm; Sun, 3pm-8:30pm.

Marble Records

One of the many music stores in the basement of Mongkok’s Sino Centre, Marble Records stands out because it’s relatively ordered and clearly signposted.
What’s there: CDs only; average price $60.
Best for: CDs from the 90s onwards (including rare dance/electronica, indie rock and metal, jazz and J-pop)
Organization: Neat and small. There are two walls of fairly new CDs neatly categorized by genre.
Random find: Bargrooves’ “Magenta” (2006)
Address: B2 Basement, Sino Centre, 582-592 Nathan Rd., Mongkok, 2385-3383; Open Mon-Sun 2pm or 3pm – 10pm or 11pm.

Buy Record Players:

Classic Shop Room 201, Won Hing Building, 74-78 Stanley St., Central, 2541-7733
Hang Wan (So Kee) Hi Fi Co. G/F, 160 Ap Liu St., Sham Shui Po, 2729-2225)
Kun Kee Second Hand Hi-Fi Company G/F, 139 Ap Liu St., Sham Shui Po, 2361-6263
Man Sing Hi-Fi & Video Attic Floor, 255 Ap Liu St., Sham Shui Po, 6748-8424
Walls of Sound 3/F, 38 Cochrane St., Central, 2805-1584

Everyday Vinyl Care

Five tricks of the trade according to DJ Yeodie (resident DJ at Volar, Edge, Tribeca & Homebase):

• "Always play your records. They accumulate dust and mold if you don’t play them. The stylus helps keep the grooves clean as it plays, but make sure the stylus is not too heavy. Otherwise it will wear records out quickly.

• Crank up the air-con. Keep records out of the sun and hot temperatures to prevent warping.

• Don’t place things on top of your records or lean them against a wall, because this could cause warping. Stack them vertically like you would books on a shelf.

• Greasy fingers do not belong on the record’s playing surface. Hold them at the outer edges or by the label.