Academy Records

NYC is blessed to have such a phenomenal used record shop. I've been buying and selling records here since 2009. You are not going to find crap records at Academy. Any vinyl enthusiast visiting the city needs to make Academy a stop. And bring some $$ - you're gonna find something you need! The inventory is constantly evolving, which makes it necessary to come back again and again. Every day there are different, unexpected, exciting, totally unpredictable records out. Originality and condition are paramount at Academy. That said, you're just as likely to find a sweet, solid record for $8.00 as for $80.00...or $800.00. It doesn't matter your budget, they truly have something really, really nice for everyone.

Great record store in New York. Amazing variety of used vinyls, and some new too. Big plus, that they have a chair for waiting friends, who might not be as enthusiastic.

Great record shop! Music playing, great vibes, and turntables set up to sample LPs. Found a few gems in the $1 boxes outside. Well curated collection of new and used vinyl. Free sticker!

A beautiful selection of jazz, old school and contemporary. Was so pleased to find some of my favourite albums by South African + West African musicians in the crates— records I’ve been looking for for a long time. A really nice atmosphere with turntables for you to listen to unsealed records. Will definitely be back!

Great to be back to this my old favorite from 20+ plus years ago. Always good finds at reasonable price. Condition is well thought-out and reflected to pricing. Feeling Burt Bacharach these days. Found two this time. He’s like 94 years old, wow. Keep at it please.

A nice selection of cassette tapes, plus some more underneath the counter. Nice place, be surw to visit if tapes are what you’re after. Prices are fair.

Such a cool little shop that’s so densely packed w records. Lots of $3-5 bins where you can get lucky

Not quite a hidden gem, not quite a mark of gentrification, Academy Records is quintessential unassuming East Village enjoyment. Plenty of records in this small space with a sizable new arrivals bin that brings all the chaos and confusion you'd expect of hunting for records. Given its central EV location, it's a great pit stop during a weekend day drinking session or trip to Tompkins Square Park. My last purchase (hardly a find, but I'm no savvy collector) was the self-titled Pretenders debut album for $6. Looks great, sounds great. What's not to love?

Academy Records E. 12th Street I think of this as Academy Records Annex. It's just that way in my mind because there's two brick and mortar locations. I search online for now. You can shop their website from anywhere in the world. If you need assistance they're the music experts to me. When I created the Music Legends area of Manhattan I had places like this historic record shop in mind. If you haven't visited it's a must visit for any collector. I like to browse. Many of the music shops have closed over the years. I haven't been here since Covid. I'm hoping they survive. Price is no object if you find what you're looking for. I'm sure they can check their other location too. If you don't find what you're looking for ask. They're very knowledgeable and helpful! They used to buy records and CD's although nowadays you better inquire first.

Great store, but a little unbalanced. I had a fun time browsing the Classical section, the new Classical was a special treat. But when I tried to look for Rock, it was so small and crowded I gave up on it. I'll still visit next time I'm in town. Maybe I can find more gems.

Great store, always have a really wide selection. Fairly priced. And usually always have some great wall pieces. One of the best record stores in the city!

Cool music playing upon entrance, a couple of interesting titles up the wall... the best part for me was the boxes of 45's... found a bunch of titles, everything from The Police to R.E.M. and the J. Geils band. There was a nice selection of Blues and Jazz as well some good titles there... Lightning Hopkins on cassette.... The rock selection was pretty generic and not as exciting as other places I've seen. Nothing groundbreaking... they had a lot titles stacked on the counter. Everything from Jesus and Mary Chain to the Smiths. The clerk said they weren't for sale yet. Unfortunately it's what I had just asked about literally a minute earlier so that was really frustrating. Overall it was ok. Definitely seen better shops definitely seen worse

I'm no record snob but I fully appreciated the professional and prompt way I received helpful info about the vintage biz, and was offered a decent price for some vinyl I came into possession with that I did not want. Would definitely do business again. Very organized and courteous staff here.

They wouldn't buy any of my records--and I kept trying to tell them Polka sounds better when it's scratched! Just kidding, these guys are great, and they make the East Village still seem like the East Village I moved into 28 years ago. The diversity of the recent arrivals used lps is great, along with the prices. All the best new records of my fave genre, too. There's also enough of an awning in front that I can get high in the rain before I shop without getting wet. Great staff, too!

I was asked to put a mask on in the store today , so I just said "Are the records going to give me Covid?" and I walked out.

I was in NYC for the weekend and stopped in Academy for the first time. I was met with a hello upon first walking in. I bought a record somewhere else earlier. I asked if they could hold it up front while I browsed and they kindly obliged. The store isn't massive, but it didn't need to be. The selection was pretty solid. They had all genres and lots of new arrivals. There were quite a few records I've only seen online and never in a shop. The listening station was one of the better ones I've seen. Two nice Technics 1200's with a mixer. They also had two stools to sit. The shop was clean with pretty fair prices. I really liked Academy and would recommend checking it out.

Highly recommend and frequent this place. These guys know their stuff! Great selection. Fair prices and most importantly really cool, helpful and knowledgeable staff...unfortunately kind of a rarity in my experience. Check them out!

I'm all for supporting local business as a lifelong NYC resident. But that goes out the window when the business staff are completely rude and disrespectful. Upon paying for a record at the Academy Records on 18th St. for my young daughter who has taken up the hobby, the price was $16.32. I handed over a $20 and a second later I said I have some change to cover the 32 cents. The millennial aged cashier with the register wide open flat out said no. She handed me the 68 cents of change and then I handed her back the four quarters I now had in hand and said please can you give me a dollar bill. Again she said no and refused saying "it would screw up the register". When I expressed my disbelief that it's a totally normal request to true up the change to get a dollar and my displeasure with her attitude, she called me an "angry white man." Truly disgusting - this sort of lack of any courtesy or dignity is another example that our society and city are truly at a terribly sad low point. Academy Records, you proved nothing today except how poorly you think of your customers.

A friend was forced to leave NY and left us with her records. Academy came to our apartment as scheduled to review our records. He was able to take 175 records (95%). We were very happy with his offer. I think it was clear to all that we would have taken less. they were in good shape and she was a musicologist.

This store is great! They have tons of good records for fair prices. They also have a couple great bargain bins. The staff is helpful and the store has two turntables, so you can listen to a record before you buy it. I highly recommend checking out this store.

They are a bit underhanded & exploitive about buying cd's & albums. Instead of getting an idea of what you own they urge you to bring your collection in, then cherry-pick & examine like they are buying a diamond. After their inspection of a couple hundred units with hemming & hawing for effect they select a dozen for a pittance which just covered the cab ride over!

For such a small store they had a really great selection and at really inexpensive prices. I found a couple of really cool pieces of great quality for under $10 each. I'm surprised at the large selection of soul and hip hop albums which I normally cannot find. I only take a star away for how damn hot it was in the store that day which limited the amount of time I was able to shop.

For used albums this is an absolute winner. Inventory always turning and changing. Good value and selection with varied genres represented. Large new arrivals section! A go to in the East Village. I don't buy much new vinyl but they do have a solid selection. A sister store to the Annex in Brooklyn- don't miss it.

Awesome place, staff is super friendly and always a new, fresh supply of Lps stocked weekly. Very careful about covid and keep capacity at a smart number, which is a plus! Always my go to regular stop.

Super nice staff and top dollar on vinyl trade in's. Unfortunately they don't yet have a huge selection of used vinyl that isn't classical or jazz. That said, you can find some real gems so worth a visit if your in the Union Square area.

Very chill place to browse records. The guy at the counter when I was there was damn near like a zen master, just imbuing the place with his calm vibe. An annoying customer even came in at one point, but he handled it like a pro, diffusing the customer, never once letting the customer's annoyingness ruin his cool or the cool of anyone else there. A wide selection, but not too huge a selection, which I think is a good thing, because an overstuffed record shop can get pretty daunting. This place has just the right amount. Some of their selection is expensive, but I bought four great records from them and every one was fairly priced, some maybe even a little too fairly priced. So, definite gems to be found, if you flip through. Nothing better than stumbling on a record you've been looking for for ages, and its like $2.50. Will definitely be coming back.

Fair prices on everything I sold. They pay b/t half and a third of what they're going to sell it for. Quick service. Best to get there before 6:30 if you're selling.

Academy LPs is fair. No messing around - stuff is priced to move, and I always end up finding something on every trip. I never feel like they're pricing to take advantage...and the bargain bins often turn up some gems... Good rotation of new merchandise, decent selection of new releases - primarily rock & jazz, with some hiphop tossed in as well. Decent amount of 7" vinyl as well... I've never had an issue with the employees - they don't come across as typical record store douches... Well worth a visit at least every week or two...and be sure to check out the sister store in Williamsburg...

I'm always impressed with their shop. The house music is always so good. Almost hard to shop because the instinct to rock out is almost too great to overcome. Once you've settled into the groove, immerse yourself in an excellently curated selection that hits just about any spot. One of my selections lacked an inner sleeve, which they happily rectified. Good listening station setup. What more can I ask for?

Good prices, cool staff. I found the selection fairly limited and not presented in an easy way... I know a lot of people love digging through stacks of albums to find a gem, but I honestly want to go to an Artist, find the album I want, and get the F out.

Stopped by for a quick shop. Decent selection and decent prices. I would go back. Cool neighborhood which makes it worth a trip. I didn't find anything this visit.

Fuck this place. I was waiting in line for half an hour in the cold and one of the staff lets their buddy skip the line

Good records, bad staff. I was once in store, asked for some Radiohead records, and they told me to come back later. I called the next day to know about the records, before heading to the store. They said they got some, but when I asked which ones, the guy at the phone complains: "Oh my god...", and comes back later with the information. Is that a way to treat a customer?

Very nice selection. Two well-functioning turntables to preview records on before you buy. Well-organized with enough space to move around. Prices were decent; a little high, but it *is* New York, and the selection is deep for a store this small. I even saw a copy of a Gerry & the Holograms album! Out of my price range, but I was able to find a couple of super-clean 80s classics for $10 total.

I'm a huge fan of Academy Records and CDs, so it was certainly worth a shot to see what the other two stores were all about. I recently got a chance to walk around Academy LP's to see why vinyl enthusiasts appreciate it so much. What I noticed immediately was the shape of the store. It had an interesting crooked shape, with the left side of the store angling deep underneath the building while the right side remained relatively shorter. I also noticed that most of the LPs were organized in genre and alphabet sections instead of individual artists. Sure, there's an individually tabbed rock and jazz artist section near the entrance, but everything else is placed in general sections. For those looking for something specific this can be a little frustrating to find something, but then again it helps with music exploration. As they sorta say, maybe you won't find what you want but you'll find what you really need. The prices really ranged all over the place, but one won't likely find a record priced less than $8. However, for those looking for something more affordable one could comb through the somewhat battered $3 each or 2 for $5 section. This area mainly consists of 70s and 80s artists that were popular at the time but have since fallen into a 'to each their own' niche. For $2.50 one may find something affordably worth taking a chance on. And hey, even if you find your couple of dollars hard to part with the store has two fine listening stations around the corner. This is actually one of the more important aspects of the store, since vinyl fans usually have to cough up a decent amount of change to get one used record. Getting the chance to gain confidence in what you're interested in buying by listening to it really helps. Since there are only two to use, though, one may have to wait a little bit. You could take an extended lunch break on a weekday and go when it's less crowded to increase the availability of the stations I suppose. One of these days I'll get to Brooklyn to check out the Annex, but as far as I'm concerned Academy and its stores are doing things right.

Just go. Be ready for some excellent hunting, as well as delightful customer service. If you are looking for Classical - go west to their 18th street location. They carry world/pop/rock/jazz/blues - They have $1 bins, but even without they are priced on the low side. I got Court & Spark by the wonderful Joni Mitchell for $5! Go.

Used to love this place. Recently the clerks have changed and they are "too cool for school". I can get that at any mall, anywhere. Do yourself a favor. Head to Kim's Records and Video, new location, a few blocks down. Nice people. Nice selection. Not pretentious and rude.

I'm more partial to its sibling store, the Academy Annex, but this is also a wonderful place to buy records from. A pretty vast selection of almost every genre, it also has a good selection of new/reissue vinyl. One of the staff members put on some John Lee Hooker. I asked him who was the artist and what album it was. He was very friendly, then took the album off the record player and sold me it then and there. Well, that was my introduction to a great artist. It probably harks back to how people used to find out about music. Academy Records will always have my vote!

I went here today to sell 30 LPs that I received from someone moving away. They accepted all but 4, and I was paid $125. For fast cash, this was a great choice. Cute shop in the East Village, very nice vibe though I can't say they seemed very interested in conversing with the Black woman uninterested in records. Cory who works there (or at the Annex in BK) was very responsive to my emails which encouraged me to sell here. I recommend it for selling and buying records if need be!

I love record stores; I used to go to Tower (remember them?) and flip through the bins for hours. Academy is a great store, and I love their 12th street location; lately I've been in the habit of buying vinyl and stockpiling it without listening to it--just gotta have Plastic Bertrand and Lene Lovich. When Jim Carroll died, I went here and got a copy of Catholic Boy. I think my musical taste stopped evolving about the time they stopped pressing vinyl anyway. I've found such gems here, for such good prices--I'm just really happy they're so close to me.

This is the best place to go for your record collecting, nice staff and very helpful. I wish it was not so Far East in the village. I liked there old address better but the new location is bigger. Rock On Academy

This place is definitely NOT CLOSED. I just called them. If you're looking for classic Rock/Jazz/R+B/HipHop/Spoken Word and Musicals...this is the place. They have a sister shop uptown somewhere nearby that has classical records. They let you listen to anything you buy, and the prices are absolutely low for what you get. Significantly lower than every other record store in the village. They also have legit $1 bins with actually good quality records. I got the Yes album and Steely Dan AJA for $2 in really great condition, no scratches.

Should I write in Spanish or English? Oh well, whatever. Te amooooo Academy Recordsssss!! I was looking for another shop, which I never found, and suddenly I stumbled upon Academy Records. Without a second thought, I went right in. The music playing was awesome. In my opinion, this was probably the busiest record shop I've seen in my LIFE, and believe me, I've been to more record stores than night clubs. People of all ages skimmed around the aisles of music, which ranged from classical to metal, punk, rock, jazz, soul, man you name it, Academy Records probably had it. It had vinyls, cassetes, CDs, blurays, DVDs; used, rare, new. It was all there, stuffed somewhere. What surprised me the most were the prices. There were great records (i.e.: Ten by Pearl Jam) for, what? 4 bucks? awesome. I stocked up with seven records, which I think were used, but in perfect conditions, for less than 50 dollars. Now that's what I call a good deal. Records nowadays range from 10 to 20 dollars, new. And everything in Academy Records was in great conditions. There's something in there for everyone, I swear!

Hands down the best record store in all 5 boroughs. Always has a constant supply of vintage LP's in VG++ to NM condition and brand new LP's, of all genres priced to sell, not sit in a bin for 5 years. Staff is friendly, knowledgable, and fair. Eric the main buyer is a jazz lover like me and always conducts himself professionally. Can't give enough stars to these guys (and girls). Music lovers .... celebrate.

I came here for the first time yesterday after a storekeeper at the Flatiron location made me aware of it! I'm so glad he did because I fell in love with their selection of LPs and 45s! Its just as good as their Williamsburg location, which is closer for me, but this one is worth the subway ride over too! I liked being able to sit down and enjoy the music. I think I spent over $100 yesterday on 45s because I need my collection to grow faster. I bought Joy Division, Joan Jett, Bad Brains, Bad Religion, Sex Pistols boxed set, and a few others! Smle at the window display because they have an old school Cher make up kit doll. Ha

Went to Academy today. Charles Kynard on Prestige I had never seen before. Score! Met the owner today. He gave me a great price a big box set I needed to move for credit. Thank you.

Checked this out for my first time as a new record player owner. Grew up with one when i was a kid but parents got rid of it around the 2000s, so this is bringing me nostalgia. The selection is fantastic, every genre you could want. some record stores specialize in genres, they have everything here. Disco, hip hop, rock, punk, metal, new music, classical, whatever your heart desires. It was awesome to get a copy of Thriller, after my parents' one went missing, a beastie boys LP and a Cherub record for my boyfriend all for just over $30. Prices definitely reasonable. So dangerous it is 3 blocks from where I live. Super chill guy behind the register who just hangs out until you're ready. Also, props to them playing old school Will Smith & DJ Jazzy Jeff while I was browsing.

While Academy Annex is my favorite out of the three shops, Academy LPs is the one I frequent most. It is within walking distance from where I work and I can usually make a good run through the store when I am on my break. The staff can be aloof at times, but that is the standard with nearly any record shop. Any time I had a question, they were more than happy to provide an answer or assistance. You just have to speak up, that's all. Selection and pricing is in line with the other Academy shops. I also feel like this location is a little bit less picked through than the N6th. (I have never been to W18th). When I first moved to NYC, Kim's used to be my favorite, but Academy changed all that in a heartbeat.

Fantastic record store. My significant other is a vinyl junkie and he swears by this place. It's not the biggest store, but they always have great stuff (and sometimes very rare finds) at reasonable prices. It's also the place to go if you need to sell or trade LPs. The Annex in Williamsburg is decent, but Academy LP's is the best.

This place was awesome! First record store I hit up when I was in Manhattan. A good variety of just about everything. I couldn't have left without getting a sweet tee shirt. Grabbed a couple of records I could smuggle on the plane. I wished I had more time. But this gives me a reason to come back!

Walked in today & Adam hooked up a holy grail the second I walked in. One of the best record stores in the world. Thank you Academy & my dude Adam! Be back soon.

Last minute stop to pick up some vinyl before leaving NYC. Decent selection. Really good people. Picked up 3 good records for under $30. Will definitely visit when in NYC again. Support old school local businesses while they are still around!

Very good to great prices, with as good a selection as they can fit into the place, and very friendly staff. When I saw a copy of Freddie Blassie's "Nothin' But A Pencil Neck Geek" sitting by the listening station without a price, I asked about it and one of the clerks explained it wasn't for sale. Later, when I was checking out, another employee saw the record behind the counter said that it was actually ok to sell it and I got it for $3. For what it's worth, if you don't find anything good in the 50 cent bins, the content can vary pretty wildly depending on when you stop by. Also: C'mon guys, just price the 2 for $5 stuff at $2.50 each since the price doesn't go up if I only buy one record from that section. :) At any rate, the selection is eclectic, everything is priced reasonably (comparable or less than the best deals I've found online for plenty of records), and the staff is a pleasure to deal with. I just wish it was bigger. I guess that's what's the Academy Annex is for, so I need to take the L to Brooklyn one of these days.

I stopped by Academy during a recent visit to NYC and was happy I did. The store was packed w/ a lot of people (which is a good sign) and was pretty easy to navigate around. They didn't have the biggest section of punk records (my fave) but I still managed to find a few rare punk records here. They carry a wide variety of music and the records were in good to great condition and reasonably priced. I will definitely stop by again the next time I'm in NYC.

To me this is the Annex's little sister - though I am not sure which one was around first. In short they have new and used vinyl, often with some good rare finds. What keeps it from being 5 stars are the prices that are really high in order to pay for that manhattan rent. Certain LPs are easily marked up $20 more than they are really worth, but hey it's new york so someone will buy it.

I absolutely love this shop! Great selection and amazing staff. Really neat Jazz collection.

After speaking to Adam on the phone I went in today to sell a slew of records. How nice and welcoming everyone was, chatting with Adam, and Arturo helping me bring in the albums, also Eric who also was part of the process. The pricing seemed very fair and I would certainly recommend this store to all.