Comeback Vinyl - Alpharetta, Georgia
Good afternoon, VINYLEXAMiners! I’m coming at you full speed from Alpharetta Georgia and I’m excited to feature this great record store that was nominated by Instagram user ebavinyl365. I had a chance to chat with Alex from the store and he gave me the skinny and hooked us up with photos of the shop, the crew, and some lovely crates stuffed with records. I’ve had a blast with featuring locally owned, independent record stores across the country and I’ve really enjoyed hearing directly from the owners and operators of these shops that give us vinyl collectors a fun safe haven and a place of community. Without further ado, let’s dig into Comeback Vinyl!
1 South Main Street, Alpharetta, GA 30009
We buy used records 7 days a week.
And here’s the interview in its entirety!:
Tell us about your store and how it came to be (include brief history, info about ownership, really anything you want the readers to know!)
First off – thanks so much for asking us to do this! Comeback Vinyl was started in 2014 by myself (Alex) and my mom, Karen. We had a booth inside of an antique mall where we sold used records in addition to selling at street festivals and on Discogs. After just over a year at the antique mall we opened our own store in a 700 ft retail space selling both new and used records along with t-shirts, turntables, speakers, & vinyl accessories. We were there for just over 3 years and then in November of 2017 we expanded to the location that we’re in now. It’s a 2,000 square foot space in the heart of historic downtown Alpharetta, GA. We stock new and used records from a variety of genres
What is the best way for customers to contact you?
Email, Facebook or Instagram comment, phone call, stopping by the shop, you can even write us a letter if you like! :)
Does your shop specialize in any specific genres of music?
We stock a variety of eras and genres but we do have a very strong audiophile reissue selection. It’s mostly hard bop jazz from labels like Analogue Productions, Music Matters, Pure Pleasure, Speakers Corner, & Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab.
Does your shop have any interesting policies or special values for repeat customers?
We don’t have any type of hard fast loyalty program in place but we do have sales on a fairly regular basis where our repeat customers can score a good deal. We do enter to win giveaways on a regular basis, too.
If you had to estimate, about how much of your inventory is used vs new?
The shop is approximately 60% new and 40% used but we sell more used than new – it just turns over faster.
What do YOU think makes your shop special?
We do our best to provide customers with a true shopping experience. We have a really clean and organized store that makes it easier to browse the bins. We’re always greeting folks as they come in and engaging with anyone that’s interested in having a conversation about music or that needs advice or help finding something. We try not to have much filler in our bins. Everything in the shop that’s not selling will get marked down till it does – this keeps our prices in line with true market value and also allows us to maintain a constantly updated selection of used records which I think is super important to a lot of collectors. Our new vinyl selection consists of reissues of the classics as well as hard to find gems. We do our best to stock both records we know folks are interested in as well as some under the radar things that we think are cool.
Have you won any awards for the shop (think local best-of’s, reader polls, etc.!
We are listed on the Atlanta Journal Constitution’s best record stores in Atlanta which came out earlier this year!
What makes running a record store fun and exciting for you?
Being around people who love music and discovering new music never gets old. One of the most exciting things about working at the shop is when we’re playing a record in the store and someone hears it for the first time and asks if they can buy it. It’s so fun seeing the expression on their face at this newfound discovery and it’s so rewarding being able to share that music with someone.
What is your most prized record?/Have you finally snagged your ultimate “white whale” yet?
That’s a tough one! I don’t really have that one record that I’m still after. I am in the process of completing the 5000, 1500, 4000, 4100, & 4200 Blue Note Records series, though (mostly reissues). So I’m always on the lookout for ones I don’t have yet!
Alright folks, now get up off the couch, close your laptop, and head on down and get your paws on some records!
