Oak Park Records

I moved to the neighborhood about two months ago and finally made it over to Oak Park Records today and I gotta say - this is a SOLID record store! Their used selection was really good and prices were incredibly reasonable. I walked out with a nice stack of really great used records (and a couple of new ones). Plus, the owner was a super nice and welcoming guy. I have a feeling they're going to see a lot of me over the years!

Oak Park Records is a must-visit for music lovers. The store is clean, organized, and offers a large selection of records, CDs, and DVDs. With many years of experience, the owner is always ready to provide expert advice or recommendations. This media resale store is a true staple of the Oak Park community.

Wonderful record store. Tons of great selection, good prices, and a nice used section. Very well organized compared to other stores I’ve seen. The owner was also a very nice guy.

Wonderful store, very well organized and great selection! Amazing customer service and atmosphere. Even gave out delicious homemade cookies, highly recommend!

Great record store. Nice not so easy to find stuff.

This is a great, vintage, no-nonsense record shop! Great selection without being overwhelming, and a very knowledgeable owner and staff.

Prices are very high and selection is very low. Average used semipopular LP $20 I won't be back

Great shop. High quality collection of both new and old vinyl

Stopped in one day to ask if the establishment purchased CD's and I was told depending if there was a market for the particular item. I returned the next day with my Billie Holiday CD collection . The box the collection was contained in was a bit tattered but all the cd's inside were individually cased and in perfect condition. I politely asked might he be interested , the proprietor (I'm assuming) glanced at the box and dismissively / condescendingly responds I can tell by the condition of the box that's not anything we would sell here. ??? Uuhhh, what do you sell here ???? I'm certain my brown skin & natural locks had absolutely nothing to do with Oh boy's rudeness..... -0 stars

I have been coming to this store for decades. The owner is extremely knowledgable, personable and best of all helpful. The store is organized and clean. The selection is consistently excellent, I rarely leave empty handed, regularly finding too much and find myself stuck with painful choices. I can think of 3 things I had to put back last week that I can't wait to buy when next I have a few dollars of discretionary vinyl money. I have been in many hundreds of records stores over the years, this one is too tier.

Good selection but it seems like the good folks in Oak Park have forgotten there is a global, deadly pandemic. I felt so uncomfortable from the second I walked in until I decided to leave because the owner allowed at least 20 people into tiny store. Thanks for the hand sanitizer...

Nice place, convenient and full of a variety of used records. It's definitely based on what they have sold back to them so if you're looking to spend a little time and see what gems rise to the top - you'll enjoy it. It's got a neighborhood feel that I wish more stores had. The owner was approachable, and funny... We asked about an album that we couldn't find and they had just gotten one from the artist in - it was behind the counter... We snagged it for 99 cents. I saw a young guy come in and ask if he could market his guitar lessons in the store and they were happy to let him. That made me feel good too, community is important for small businesses. Check this place out. It's worth it.

Like Hyde Park Records, this used to be a Djangos, and was bought out by a long time employee. This store has been spending the year sorting out the wheat from the chaff, so it hasn't found its legs quite as quickly as Hyde Park. However it has great potential, with a large space and huge inventory. It appears the biggest demand in this neighborhood is for classic rock vinyl. Not exactly my bag, but it's one to watch in the coming year.

I really enjoy going into the shop to see what Alan has gotten in lately. I always hit the new vinyl first, and as indicated on other reviews, the prices are a tad high. However, I am happy to pay that a local shop I can walk to from home. The used vinyl selection is also pretty good. Sometimes I do get a bit frustrated that the selection doesn't turnover faster, but vinyl is about the experience and building a collection. If you're too damned impatient to wait, buy an mp3 and call it a day. Used vinyl is in great shape and isn't finger fu--ed like Val's. Prices on used are more reasonable. After buying many, many new/used records, and bootlegs, I buy with confidence and satisfaction. Please support OPR!

Good little shop to check out if you're in Oak Park. Near Val's and Old School so you can do a record store crawl. The store was well organized and seemed to be well curated. To be fair, i've only been here once and it was awhile ago. I found a couple of singles at fair prices. Would stop by again if passing through the area.

Great selection of classic rock and jazz records, with a nice mix of common faire and less widely findable records and cds. Allen, the guy that runs the place, is also super helpful and quite knowledgeable which makes for a good buying experience. A great aspect of this place is the fair pricing. My one complaint is that the mark up on new vinyl records is a tad high at times, which sometimes makes me debate whether I want to buy a new record here or put the cash in my pocket until I have time to make the trip cross town to Reckless and pay a little less. Now that Second Hand Tunes in Evanston has closed, Oak Park is #5 in my list of record stores overall in Chicagoland. That puts them up there with the "greats" everyone thinks of when they think of Chicago--Reckless, Dusty Groove, and Dave's, and now, also Bob's Blues and Jazz Record Mart (Same Bob as the, now closed, Jazz Record Mart). Definitely worth the trip to check them out!

Oak Park Records is a nice little record shop with a decent selection of used and new records. You could spend a few hours thumbing through the inventory and you're bound to come across some hidden surprises. I like to pop in from time to time since it's right off the green line at Oak Park Ave.

Great record store I really like the owner Alan, he's very cool to talk to. The store is well organized, "new used arrivals" are always the first place I check out. And he's got a good selection of reissues too. The power pop section is also a must check out. Support local record stores he can probably get you anything you can find on Amazon.

big fan of this place. Always has a great selection of new and used records in all genres. Alan is a good guy, and really takes care of the store and customers. if your out in this area stop by and enjoy. OH and one more important thing, Alan is not a record store tool you want to kick in the face.

Everything was in TERRIBLE condition. And overpriced for the condition too. Both times I've gone, I only found two things, both were really common and not too exciting. I'm never going back.

Came here after going to George's for food. The owner was super friendly and pleasant to speak to. He answered a string of questions that probably would have annoyed most people. The selection was fantastic, a lot of jazz and rock. All were very reasonably priced. There was a selection of brand new LPs as well which was nice to see. I walked out with a couple solid records that were very fairly priced and have since gone back on several occasions to browse. I have always found some good stuff in the new arrivals which seem to change more than one would think. Overall I really enjoy making the trip out here. The music that plays in shop is usually pretty solid too.

I love the selection, layout, organization, and the employees here. I'm not sure if it was the shop owner who sold me my record today, but he was extremely polite, courteous, and helpful. Seeing as Rolling Stones has gone to hell this will probably be my next go-to record shop outside of the downtown shops.

Love this store. Pretty good selection, very relaxed feel. Just wish they were open on Sundays

This is one of my favorite record stores in the Chicago area. Allen is an incredibly cool dude and another honest owner that wont BS you. Found some real gems here....its a shop you have to frequent because they get some real hard to find records. Prices are great here! Dollar bin is filled with amazing records as well. Cant recommend this place enough.

OPR is a great place to find a long lost CD/Record that you just can't find else where. As stated in the other reviews this was once a 2nd Hand Tunes location but was bought out by the current owner. He has been a patron, worker and now owner of this location and really knows how to run a business. They are extremely knowledgeable on all types of music and can help you identify what you are looking for. They also do buy/sell here as well. Great addition to the neighborhood!!

The reason a lot of record store clerks are so crotchy is because they are offered boxes of unsaleable stuff, haggled with, and generally have to deal with a lot of nonsense. Do that and you'll end up like Jack Black or his nebbish co-worker. Alan takes it all in stride and offers very personable service without a hint of 'tude. Like any awesome used record shop, he has a very dynamic inventory to satisfy the crate diggers. Lots of surprises to be found in the racks. Keep it up, Alan!

Not a bad place at all. Found a copy of Queen's The Game here for about half the price that another area record shop was asking. Good layout, too. Will be back.

Local store with amazing selection of vinyl and CDs. The owner is super knowledgeable and friendly, and can answer just about any music question you might have. I would definitely recommend it to anyone looking for new or used vinyl.

this is one of the best kept secrets in the city, they have a variety of vinyl, cds and their prices are unbelieveable, il walk out with a dozen cds for 1/3 the cost of well anywhere else. They are so personable and kind with customers, and actually have a vast knowledge of music. rachel

THE place in the Chicago area to find classic rock records at reasonable prices. The owner is extremely helpful, and new records come in frequently. The store includes some new vinyl as well as used, and genres other than rock. While the inventory isn't quite as large as Reckless Records', I have yet to go in without finding something great. OPR sells CDs and DVDs, but the heart of the place is vinyl, and you won't find better value for the money anywhere in town. It's right on the Green Line (the Oak Park stop) and it's well worth a trip if you're a music lover.

I was in town visiting a few buddies and we decided to check this store out. When I took the records I was going to buy to the register, the guy laughed and threw me a pretentious, I can't believe you're buying this record look. He then offered his unmerited and unwanted critique of the album and a spiel about his favorite music. WTF? When I decided to ditch the LP's, he tried to save face with more small talk and irrelevant banter. From what I've been told, the guy owned the place. Dude, if you don't appreciate the records you're selling or the customers buying them, then you're in the wrong business buddy. Just another asswipe with a record store.

I live right behind this place so I frequently drop in. However, every time I stop in the guy working never says anything. No "hi" or nothing. Makes me not want to come back.

Traveled 10 miles after work to get there at 6:30pm (knowing that their open hours say 7pm) only to be greeted by a locked door and no explanation as to why.

My husband has this dream of playing vinyl again one day... and Alan will help get him there. Link up with Oak Park Records on Facebook for a real treat- The owner has a great sense of humor and offers great service...also play dates! Keep up the great work, Alan.

One time I was offered a 15% discount because I said "please" and "thank you". Great customer service!