Play De Record

Record store · Kensington-Chinatown

Play De Record

Record store · Kensington-Chinatown

411 Spadina Ave., Toronto, ON M5T 2G6, Canada

Highlights

In a cozy nook in Chinatown, this iconic vinyl haven thrives with an eclectic mix of records and DJ gear, making it a must-visit for music enthusiasts.

411 Spadina Ave., Toronto, ON M5T 2G6, Canada Get directions

playderecord.com

@playderecord

@onthegrid

"Play De Record just moved its location from downtown central Yonge street to a new location just south of College street in Chinatown. A veteran in the industry Play De Record has been around for 25 years and has a wide selection in genres of records and DJ equipment. Famous for housing new material or one-off’s that seasoned vinyl collectors hunt for Play De record has become a staple in the music community." - Tennis

On the Grid : Play De Record

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@onthegrid

"Play De Record, Chinatown by Tennis. Play De Record just moved its location from downtown central Yonge street to a new location just south of College street in Chinatown. A veteran in the industry Play De Record has been around for 25 years and has a wide selection in genres of records and DJ equipment. Famous for housing new material or one-off’s that seasoned vinyl collectors hunt for Play De record has become a staple in the music community."

Toronto

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Google

Such a vibe coming here and buying my first ever vinyl with a friend of mine! Fion (aka. Sadstab) was such a lovely lad to talk to and hear about all the unique experiences they’ve done, from tattooing band members to recommending me the perfect records to listen to. I ended up buying one of their recommendations and am very satisfied! It seems like the store is very tight-knit with their customers and regularly hold concerts! I also was able to buy stickers of Eugene, a very charming fellow. Overall, I’ll definitely be coming back for the vibes!

Yazeed Moore

Google

My staple record store whenever I'm in the Six. Great inventory and equally impressive signed vinyl on the wall. Always look forward to hitting this spot which result in great vinyl scors.

Yann Kemper

Google

Amazing electronic music selection, easily the best I've seen at any record store so far. A lot of really cool electronic vinyls and rare CDs (Never expected to see a Pizzicato Five album at any store on this continent). Eugene was very helpful and knew a lot about the electronic music scene. I highly recommend this store to anyone who loves electronic, hip-hop or dance music, because you won't be disappointed!

Jeff Sanford

Google

Wonderful record store that used to be on Yonge St., helped me fill some holes in my collection during the only free time I had during my latest visit to Toronto from Tucson. Eugene & his wife are knowledgeable, care, and will help you find what you're looking for. Special for me was finding a nice, original pressing of Beach Boys, Endless Summer to complement the cassette I bought 51 years ago. The cassette was the first music I spent my own money on when I was 9 years old. Thank you!

Nashid

Google

Shoutout Eugene and his wife man. I’ve been visiting this shop (and the old one) since I was 12, coming with my older sister to browse the record selection and look at all the cool memorabilia. Thanks to their website, I was able to find Immanuel Wilkins’ The 7th Hand, a great new jazz record that I couldn’t find anywhere without shipping it in from the US. These guys also support local shows and collaborate with local event organizers to show out for Toronto. Love this place, and the culture that it helps nourish throughout Toronto.

DJ Strobe

Google

Amazing selection and great employees! My favourite record store in Toronto

T Y (T Y)

Google

An institution in the city, IYKYK. It’s always a pleasure visiting the store and chatting with Eugene, Fion and the team! Such good vibes, great curation — especially for r&b and hip hop and the best spot for RSD!! Not crazy lines like the other stores 🤭 Will forever be a go to for us!

Katso Ramodimoosi

Google

Amazing service! Helped me so much with shipping issues, and I even got next-day delivery. Now my go-to record shop.

Whitewolf X.

Yelp

funky and cool! The owner is very kind and understanding. Love the vibes in store. super chill

Gary V.

Yelp

What can I say . Place is legendary . Strip to Toronto isn't complete without a stop here . Great records and dj equipment my go to . Thank you for your years of dedication and service

Lotus E.

Yelp

Cool vibes here and very good records and tapes. Super friendly people working there. I'd come here all the time if I lived in the neighborhood

Owen R.

Yelp

Toronto institution A go to for cities DJ's Bought my 1200 here (90s) Yonge St sucks HARD these days, so it's a good move to a cooler area; Spadina, Kensington

Dan I.

Yelp

Record collections should grow but the quality need not waver as well. This store seems to promise it all. Perhaps placing a review too early but so far enough of what discover is enough to place it in good favor on this page. Great stuff.

Rennie M.

Yelp

Have not been to the Spadina shop but the Yonge St local was the bees knees back in the day. Same ownership today, so.... I bets it's still golden.

Blair B.

Yelp

The perfect record store. Tons of used vinyl to dig through, and tons of characters dropping in. Everyone wants to talk to the owner, who understands music in a way I'll never comprehend but still offered me a crate to sit on while I dug through PDR's crates & crates of used hiphop and drum n bass. Came back the next day and the owner dug out a few boxes of dnb that hadn't been priced yet. I was running between the crates and the listening station like a puppy playing fetch. I still made time to listen to the conversations happening around me. Hours of education & entertainment. Seriously, this is the perfect store for djs and collectors. Pay top dollar for that album repress, or waltz out with $150 in $5 singles like I did.

Mandy M.

Yelp

My go to place for records or anything turntable related...Been a BIG fan for over 20 years..Since Yonge Street..Family owned and superior customer service..Prices are right and the selection of music old and new is none stop.. Thank you for helping me build my Amazing musical collection for over 20 years...So Grateful....

Alex T.

Yelp

This is truly the best vinyl records store in Toronto for underground electronic music both new and vintage releases. Yes, there are other record stores in town but they more oriented on pop music. The selection is very impressive! You can find really rare vinyl only records if you dig enough! Of course there have modern pop and classic also. All kinds of music you will find there. The staff is very helpful and friendly and extremely knowledgeable about records they have and the underground music overall. They also have any types of dj and music production gear. I always have great pleasure being there, communicating with other people and of course digging the best records in the world!

Daniel D.

Yelp

I could not find anything I was looking for here,but full marks to the owner who offered me a milk crate to sit on while I leafed through the vintage selection in the back room.

John M.

Yelp

Didn't get to spend as much time in there as I would've liked, but from what I looked through their hip hop selection was better than anywhere I had previously looked, in Toronto or otherwise. The prices were all pretty good and they offered a 10% discount which was very nice. However, one of the employees hovered over me the whole time I was browsing and was a little condescending and told me "I didn't even listen to hip hop," based on my appearance and that I must listen to indie rock. Aside from his snarky comment, my experience was pretty enjoyable. The rest of the staff were pleasant, and even he was ok.

Arcane J.

Yelp

The owners here are amazing and they've got underground records you can't find anywhere else in Toronto! Very impressed with this place.

Nina K.

Yelp

Coolest and highly knowledgeable staff. Great selection of records. I bought my first record here.

Mark F.

Yelp

Best for dance records in Toronto. Great vibe. The staff are actually very knowledgeable and give good recommendations. I appreciate the listening stations.

Edmund W.

Yelp

The house/techno selection was quite decent, with a good range of records from labels like Aus and L.I.E.S. However, there's a maxim that goes "de gustibus non disputandum est" (there's no disputing about taste), which is good business practice if nothing else. Unfortunately the employee who spoke to me didn't buy into this ethos, and seemed to be spoiling for an argument about musical tastes. He was also kind of egotistical, in that Stereotype-of-a-Disenchanted-Nineties-Record-Store-Guy way. It left kind of a sour taste, so I went to find some other shops - although I probably would have bought a few records if the atmosphere had been friendlier.

@onthegrid

On the Grid : Play De Record

View Postcard for Play De Record

@onthegrid

Toronto

View Postcard for Play De Record

Google

Yazeed Moore

Google

My staple record store whenever I'm in the Six. Great inventory and equally impressive signed vinyl on the wall. Always look forward to hitting this spot which result in great vinyl scors.

Yann Kemper

Google

Jeff Sanford

Google

Nashid

Google

DJ Strobe

Google

Amazing selection and great employees! My favourite record store in Toronto

T Y (T Y)

Google

Katso Ramodimoosi

Google

Amazing service! Helped me so much with shipping issues, and I even got next-day delivery. Now my go-to record shop.

Whitewolf X.

Yelp

funky and cool! The owner is very kind and understanding. Love the vibes in store. super chill

Gary V.

Yelp

What can I say . Place is legendary . Strip to Toronto isn't complete without a stop here . Great records and dj equipment my go to . Thank you for your years of dedication and service

Lotus E.

Yelp

Cool vibes here and very good records and tapes. Super friendly people working there. I'd come here all the time if I lived in the neighborhood

Owen R.

Yelp

Toronto institution A go to for cities DJ's Bought my 1200 here (90s) Yonge St sucks HARD these days, so it's a good move to a cooler area; Spadina, Kensington

Dan I.

Yelp

Rennie M.

Yelp

Have not been to the Spadina shop but the Yonge St local was the bees knees back in the day. Same ownership today, so.... I bets it's still golden.

Blair B.

Yelp

Mandy M.

Yelp

Alex T.

Yelp

Daniel D.

Yelp

I could not find anything I was looking for here,but full marks to the owner who offered me a milk crate to sit on while I leafed through the vintage selection in the back room.

John M.

Yelp

Arcane J.

Yelp

The owners here are amazing and they've got underground records you can't find anywhere else in Toronto! Very impressed with this place.

Nina K.

Yelp

Coolest and highly knowledgeable staff. Great selection of records. I bought my first record here.

Mark F.

Yelp

Best for dance records in Toronto. Great vibe. The staff are actually very knowledgeable and give good recommendations. I appreciate the listening stations.

Edmund W.

Yelp

Play De Record

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