Tired of paying Fifteen quid for that favourite film on video, or even just five pounds for that new cd single? Wish you could buy about eight singles and still have change from ten pounds, just like in the ‘old’ days? Well, if you shop around enough you still can, and the following guide highlights the best cd and music ‘bargain’ stores around at the moment.
CAMBRIDGE
Cash Converters, Mill Road.
Descript: Cash Converters notoriously differ in quality from town to town, but the shop in Cambridge is normally really well stocked, presumably due to broke students having to sell all their belongings. A decent selection of videos and cd’s, plus cheap tv’s and videos too.
Example Buy: The re-mastered Star Wars trilogy for 15 quid.
Resale, Mill Road
Descript: Like Cash converters but obviously a little more independent, musically this is poor but the video selections pretty good (if a little dated). This is a good place to track down that long wanted eighties teen comedy/drama…..
Example Buy: Bill and Teds Excellent Adventure, Birdy and The Fly for under a tenner.
Jay’s Records
Descript: Independent record store with all the new releases plus a constant sale section, with cd singles from 50p.and albums from about three quid. An eclectic mix of pop, dance and indie makes this one of the best record shops I’ve ever been in.
Example Buy: Shifty Disco cd singles, Grandaddy’s album.
Andy’s Records
Descript: One of many stores in the Andy’s records chain, this is reasonably dull bar for the fact that the bargain bin has relatively new singles from 50p, and a large back catalogue (averagely priced) up stairs.
Example Buy: JJ72 ‘Snow’, & Clint Boon Experience ‘Earworm Song’ for £2.
EAST CROYDON
101 Records, Sydney Street.
Descript: Large record shop with a huge selection, plus a decent second hand video choice too, with prices starting from around four pounds. Lots of obscure singles and albums too, the odd expensive ‘classic cd’ and helpful staff make it another store definitely worth visiting.
Example Buy: Lauren Laverne ‘Take These Flowers Away’ EP, The Godfather trilogy.
Beano’s
Descript: Huge independent record shop. A little more expensive than most of the shops recommended here, but well worth visiting if you’re looking for something in specific. Lots of 50/60/70/80’s vinyl as well as brand new releases too.
Example Buy: Anything you want on vinyl or cd, really.
In Shops
Descript: One big indoor market with lots of cheap food and clothes shop, tucked away at one side is a reasonably dodgy looking video and cd 2nd hand shop. Prices are cheap and quality random, but every so often a real gem turns up very cheaply.
Example Buy: The Big Chill, Pulp Fiction.
LONDON
Music and Video Exchange, Berwick Street, Soho.
Music Exchange, Notting Hill
Video Exchange, Notting Hill
Descript: All run by the same independent company, the music and video exchanges are all superb shops, with a huge selection, and should be visited as soon as possible. The Music Exchange in Notting Hill is particularly cheap, and on one recent visit I paid just ten pounds fifty for: Dog On Wheels – Belle and Sebastian, The Drugs Don’t Work – The Verve, White No Sugar – The Clint Boon Experience, One Armed Scissor – At The Drive In, ‘I messiah, I am jailer’ and ‘Crush’ – Ac Accoustics, She Don’t Hear Your Prayer – Costeau and Sweet Surrender - Bellatrix. Which as bargains go is about as good as it gets. Can’t be recommended highly enough.
Soho Market Stall, Soho.
Descript: Market Stall in the centre of the small soho market. Present most days but not always, it sells cds singles from 50p and albums from two pounds. Sometimes has cheap promo cd singles on the same day (if not before) a single is released. Opposite a video and music shop which is also of decent quality.
Example Buy: Dum Dums, Laptop and Bellatrix’s latest singles.
Music Shop, Shepherds Bush, Opposite The Green.
Descript: Cheap singles and albums. Some excellent bargains – all new cds are only ten pounds, singles from a pound and a huge selection from cheesy pop to nu-metal.
Example Buy: Grandaddy ‘The Sophtware Slump’ Leonard Cohen ‘Greatest hits’ for fifteen pounds.
SURREY
Hits – The Arcade, Redhill.
Descript: New and second hand music shop. Very small but ram packed with singles and albums from the 50’s to the current day. Of special interest is their 3 for a pound singles box and large selection of promo cd singles.
Example Buy: Hefner ‘Christian Girls’, Clint Boon Experience ‘You Cant Keep A Good Man Down’ and Cinerama ‘manhatten’ for just one pound. Bargain of the guide so far.
Obviously there are a hell of a lot more shops just like these across the country – and throughout the coming months we’ll be adding regularly to this guide. If you know of a shop that should be included in the guide please email us the name and a brief description to garbled@email.com
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