Vintage Music Company

Pros: lots of 78s, amazing storage of tons of old records and more. Owner took some time to look for a specific 78 I was after. Cons: owner did not seem to want me in there looking around or talking to him, corrected me incorrectly about my upright phonograph, didn't want to sell me a needle sharpener he had a couple dozen of. And the one 78 I purchased is cracked (I guess that's on me, I shoulda checked). I probably wouldn't deal with him again unless I had to, but then again he may care anyway. 🤷

Vintage Music Company overhauled my 1930s radio. This radio has been in my family since my grandfather got it from a nursing home that held a sale in the 50s or 60s. My parents had it at our cabin for many years. I decided to have the work done rather than get rid of it. This radio has always been part of my family and now we can enjoy some great old music! It's a complete overhaul with an addition of a blue tooth adapter. It sounds fantastic!! Everything now works including lights that I don't remember ever working. Thank you so much VMC!

We needed a new needle for an heirloom Sear’s Silvertone record player that was my grandpas. We use our record player daily and wanted to get a new needle ASAP. After hours of frustrated searching online for the brand, needle and cartridge numbers, I found this gem online. I called to see if they could help and was told if I could bring the needle in they could match it. The next day we walked out with a new needle and we were back in business. I will 100% be returning here for any repairs or parts in the future! Support local people. We’re SO lucky to have a store like this locally.

Laughably bad customer service over the phone. I have very little knowledge of vintage music / turntables. Looking to get my girlfriend's turntable repaired. My call was almost immediately met with scoffs, huffing and puffing, and a condescending tone. After being cut off mid-sentence multiple times before I could even get to the issue with the turntable and why it cannot be returned, I decided to hang up and look elsewhere for help. Good thing there are plenty of other options in the area. I don't know much about vintage music, but I know bad customer service when I see it. Would not recommend this business for novices of vintage music like myself.

This store! I should likely keep this place a secret.. this store has been in this original spot since the 1920s. This store can repair your old broken turntables no matter how old, radios, and even cylinder players. Some of the most rare parts for older record players can be found here! This store has one of the largest collections of rubber and shellac records that I’ve ever seen! He also has one of the largest cylinder collections I’ve ever seen. If you enter and the owner says “don’t touch the stacks” DO NOT BE OFFENDED and leave.. the stacks represent things that people have brought in that he has to go through, things to repair, or things he has organized in his mind. There’s a totally organized section and if you ask him about a certain artist you’re looking for he will know exactly where it is and he will bring out the best most rare treats you’ve ever seen! He also will buy/trade records you may not know what to do with. You have to check this place out!

My music loving husband saw this store and had to stop. It is one of those places that is a time warp. So much old vinyl on shelves! Very old music players too. They do repair work on the old tube style radios. Stop to check out the records sometime.

Want a vintage or antique record of some artist that can't be found outside of the Smithsonian museum collection? It's here. Want to astound your friends and family with an original cylinder recording most likely printed by Edison himself? And need a player to play it on. A vast collection of other types of music from bygone age. Come on down to this little shop and do a little shopping. Over a million records of all types sizes and shapes. I think I found some acetone original printings tucked in a corner. Amazing! Simply amazing.

Terrible customer service. Very rude and condescending. I'm new to vintage music and I was trying to get a record console repaired and every time I misspoke I was immediately corrected and made feel stupid not to mention that his phone was spotty at best. Very rude. Do not recommend. Do not go. This person does not deserve your money!

Great Store , Gave them an Old Philco Console Tube Radio ( afraid to try it & Blow it up ) to do with what they please . Came Back another time with my working 1950 's Zenith Trans Ocieanic Tube Radio ( Working ) They checked the tubes & all were Good & sent me on my way No Charge !

These guys are your best...and possibly your only...local option for restored vintage tube radios, phonographs, and stereos. They also sell already restored items. This inventory changes on a regular basis. If you have an antique tube radio, bring it to these guys so you don't wreck it or burn your house down! I have to say one thing to all the potential customers because it irritates me so much when I hear people complaining. It is EXPENSIVE to repair tube gear. Not only do they NOT make tubes anymore, working on this hardware is a dying art. What's more, you will probably spend way more money restoring an item than it's worth. You can easily spend 200 bucks on a 50 dollar antique tube radio. And afterwards, it will still be worth 50 bucks. That's just the way it is. You have to love tube gear and phonographs to spend money on them. So DEAL WITH IT! I'm totally sick of hearing people complain in the store who JUST DON"T GET IT! Mike and Scott are great! They have truly encyclopedic knowledge. They know what they are doing. My only (minor) gripe is that they are occasionally in a bad mood. But hearing some of the crap they have to deal with from ignorant customers, I guess I understand and I'm willing to cut them lots of slack. If you like this stuff, stop in. You won't regret it. -Daddy Maxx Retro

I love this place! I have a turn table that was running fast and I thought I'd have to get a new one but this dude was not only super nice and honest, he also fixed the player on the spot and showed me how to do it in case I needed to in the future! So friendly and welcoming and the store is incredible! Definitely recommending to friends and heading back myself!

This store is amazing. I hoped to repair my childhood record player and Vintage Music made it happen! The owner was not satisfied until he tried multiple needles to find the right fit. He was thorough and meticulous. I even found a couple of records to round out our music collection. My whole family is delighted! This was such a positive experience. A must visit for those who appreciate the skill needed to restore and repair heirlooms or nostalgia items.

Everyday I have someone ask me "Where can I get my Victrola fixed?" or "Where is the largest selection on 78s in the area?" Well I'm gonna steer you towards "Vintage Music" Now I LOVE ALL KINDS of Music including the stuff my Great Grand Parents listened to. This music is so interesting ( and short most songs only lasted 2 minutes) Years ago I lived in Des Moines, Iowa and Legendary Tiny Tim lived not far from me so me & my friends Crazy Rob & Lew, used to go watch Tiny Tim at the Holiday Inn South. I was able to interview Tiny Tim at length on night and Tint Tim & I discussed old music on cylinder & 78. My favorite song Tiny Tim turned me onto was "I met My Love At The Alamo" & "I love me" By Irving Kauffman (I believe) Anyway this shop is truly of historical value !!!! Tell em the ZERO sent ya ......

The place is amazing with a great selection and knowledge of 78's and RCA Victrolas. The atmosphere is beautiful and relaxing. The only reason why I did not give this place 5 stars (which it definitely deserves) the owner Scott Holthus is very pompous and has degraded me and another fellow collector of old blues and ragtime. Go for the goods and avoid Scott.

What a kind human the owner of Vintage Music is! I went in with a problem with my cue lever as a result of my own doing. I didnt know how to use my record player and he quickly fixed it, showed me how to use it, and then refused to charge me any money. While he was working he talked to my husband and I about his father, and stories about growing up and when he started the music store. Just an all around great human. After much debate we slipped him some money anyway. Thank you Vintage Music!

I love this place. I discovered it by accident when I first moved to MN. I have a phonograph and collect old 78s so this place is heaven- HEAVEN! The guy who owns this little place has more 78s than I've ever seen. In fact, you'll hear him say 'hello' when you enter but won't be able to spot him through the stack of old music. Don't have a Victrola but want to get one and give the crank a spin? He also sells them. Want to buy a song you heard once but can't remember the title? Hum a few notes and he'll be able to name it. Seriously. He's freakishly awesome. If you're looking for anything from the prohibition era... Swing era... or things that you can't find anywhere else - he'll have it.

I went to Vintage Music Co. about ten years ago to see if they could fix a late 1970s/early 1980s turntable I had. The owner said they didn't work with turntables that new. I knew I was in love with the place when I heard that. I did end up buying an extremely awesome Voice of Music record player from the 1960s. It worked wonderfully. When I got it home, it started sounding a bit off, so I took it back and it was fixed immediately and free of charge. It still works great to this day. The store is like a blast from the past -- there are old Victrolas and 78s everywhere, organized like a proper record shop. Even if you don't have a record player or have any interest in owning one, this place is worth a visit just to learn a bit about music history.

Luckily while some of my favorite Antique Shops in the Twin Cities have vanished because of online sites like eBay, Vintage Music is still here and since it's not really practical to buy alot of stuff in the store online I'm sure it'll be around for a long time. Man they do not make stereos like the ones in here anymore, in my opinion with all the music available for downloading nowadays it really doesn't even make sense to buy a conventional modern stereo anymore, I mean who needs CDS these days?. Always thought they were pieces of garbage anyway, one wrong move and they get wrecked.Vinyl feels more authentic, and has a more unique sound, especially when played on stereos like the ones in here. Not only do they have all kinds of gorgeous antique & vintage phonograph players and radios in here, they actually repair and refurbish them here as well which if you havent noticed is almost unheard of anymore. You can even find antique wind up phonographs here with the horn speaker and all, no electricity needed, now that sounds even greener than the stuff made today. If you're into jazz or music from the 20's - the 40's they've got thee biggest selection of 78 speed records I've seen. I've got a couple Glenn Miller ones from here that are in excellent condition and sound great. Because of how breakable 78's are (not like the flexi disks of the 1950's - today) I don't suggest getting more than you're able to properly store. While you need to properly store newer vinyl as well, 78's you almost need to protect like fragile glassware and they can't be stressed in any way. If you're a passionate fan of music and antiques or just wan't to go somewhere intersting come here words can't even describe all the great stuff they've got in here. This is also the only place I know of in the entire State of Minnesota that restores antique stereos.

Outstanding. A rare "wow" experience, and I'm cynical lol. I inherited a big 1930s-era Motorola tube radio from my Dad, and had it refurbished at Vintage Music. Amazing! So happy with the quality. I was blown away. Scott and Mike were awesome. Immediately knew the ins/outs of the manufacturing, and took time to explain the history. Then brought this old radio to life, to live another couple generations. What a great find. Friendly, knowledgeable, professional, and fun to work with (hilarious sense of humor). I love this place. Highly recommend!

This place is great and I am very happy that they provide the unique service that they do (and do it so well). I had a Newcomb School Record player from the 70s that played, but not at the correct speed. The V.M.C. guys fixed it up and it plays like brand spankin' new. It did take longer than they estimated but it wasn't a problem for me. I was very impressed with their knowledge and customer service. They seem to really like what they do and they do it well. The place is packed with super cool old record players and the biggest stash of 78s that I have seen. Super fun.

I called today to ask about availability of a needle for my transistor console. While the needles are very hard to find, Mike was able to repair my needle assembly to the point where I can play LPs again. He was super friendly and informative on the phone and in person. He was able to do the quick repair on the spot and didn't want to charge me for it. I gave him some cash anyway because he spent so much time explaining things and giving me great advice on how to get the console working even better. Great shop, great people! I wouldn't even think of going anywhere else! If you don't need repairs or are at all interested in quality vintage music stuff, it's definitely worth just stopping by to browse and gawk at all the cool stuff they have.

I was driving by the store front (and it's an OLD store front, very worn, sun bleached like something from my grand-parents day), and was attracted by the faded sign of turntable repair. I have just recently revived my vinyl listening pleasure by acquiring a newer still (relative to what they service here). Anyway, I've begun buying vinyl again and decided to see what this place was about. Well...they have a LOT of old equipment: working (and non) wax cylinder gramophones, Victrola's, radios from the early 1900's and later, console stereos from the 50-60's (working! some of which you can purchase), and more 78-records than you can shake a stick at...I mean A LOT! If you like 78's and can play them, this is your place, and all seem to be priced for just a few dollars each. The place is pretty messy (though the 78's are organized well) but they seem to know what they are doing, and Mike(?) was very friendly and welcoming. I'll be back if just to browse and maybe pickup one of those great refurbished record players that once were once the heyday of your room decor by being actually part of the furniture.

I'm a regular customer. This is the best place for 78s and ANY record players. Scott, the owner, knows more than I EVER will and is a real great guy. He's got a selection of phonographs for sale- you could get anything from an external horn Edison Home to a 1980s stereo console! The store does have some record player/phonograph parts- simply ask. He does NOT carry any vinyl records, but does have the most 78s of any store- Scott estimates 750,000-1,000,000 78s. (Do note, quite a few of these are unsorted, but theres easily a few hundred thousand in the well organized racks for sale). He'll (usually) let you demo his phonographs and records, and has good deals, along with 90 day warranty on nearly every machine. Here you'll get the best quality work done that I've found. Some guys can do parts of the process, say just the motor for a phonograph, but Scott knows it all. You might pay a bit more than you expect, but you can be sure you're getting your money out of it. Don't expect lightning fast repair, he does have a bit of a backlog. Records, on the other hand, are all fairly priced. Nearly all are 15 dollars or less, and some more desirable and more expensive ones can be found in the small rack on the counter. He also stocks new and old stock steel needles, along with the vintage tins. He's got a few phonograph/78 related books and booklets, too. Even if you don't buy anything he'll be more than happy to have a cup of coffee with you and talk. Like I said, he's a great guy. Sometimes he's a bit blunt, but once you get to know him he's great. The store can seem a little cluttered at times but it's no issue. If you're looking for a record and it's not in the racks, you can bet it's in a stack that hasnt been sorted. Come back another day and check! As a younger collector of records he's basically been the basis for my collection, and has given me lots of advice and taught me many things I would never have known. This is easily the best store in the midwest.

Got what I needed (a new needle) and marveled at the fabulous shelves of 75 rpm classics. Wonderful owner. Great customer service.

I am someone who has no experience fixing record players, so I decided to bring mine here. It turns out it was just the drive belt that had broke and melted a bit. I had already taken out most of the band at home, and the guy working here had to use a toothbrush to take out just a little bit more that was left behind. It took him 1 minute to wipe the stuff away, whip on a new belt, and then charged me $20. Maybe this is the average price for 1 minute of labor and a $1 belt, but I felt like it was extremely over-priced. Of course I should have tried to do this myself, but being really inexperienced, I didn't feel comfortable messing around with it! Besides the cost, the guy was really rude when talking to other customers in the store, and very short with me. When I asked him if we could plug the record player in to make sure everything worked, since I wanted to fix everything that might be broken, he mentioned how then we would have to plug it into speakers, and that is a pain. Instead he just plugged it into the wall and made sure it spun. I definitely won't be going back!

It has the distinct smell of the aged, a disturbing combination of dusty and a subtle sweetness that is specific to old people, old things. That is to say, this place is legit. Many of the pieces here are stunning and older then me. The shop is cool enough to offer a 90 day warranty and are not aggressive sales people.

This place is as much a museum as it is a store with a dedicated owner as curator. I am just entering the market for an antique console stereo and I learned a ton in the 30 or so minutes I was there. Anyone interested in older 78 records, purchasing a restored console stereo, or in need of repairs on one; I highly recommend this place.

Awesome customer service. Mike was awesome getting my console to work and gave me more information in a 20 minute conversation than I got scouring the internet for hours. He could've sold me on a lot of upgrades but was set with what was worthwhile at this time. The only place I'm going to go for any turntable repairs going forward.

Great place, great service, great price! I needed a belt for my Onkyo turntable, so I brought it in. From the time I walked in to the time he had a new belt on was less than 2 minutes, and the cost was less than 20 bucks - a great deal for on the spot service from people who have skill, knowledge and a well stocked store! I probably could have paid 5 bucks less, not including shipping, and ordered on line and waited for it to come and hoped it would be right and put it on myself, but I was there and back home in less than an hour, and have been spinning vinyl all afternoon.