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NorCal Loop

San Francisco, Oakland, San Jose, and Sacramento, from soul 45s to Sacramento's cleaned-record specialists.

Route: San Francisco → Oakland → San Jose → Sacramento · 14 record stores across 4 stops

Stop by stop

Stop 1: Bay Area Classic

San Francisco, CA

  • Amoeba Music

    Haight-Ashbury · Jazz, Rock, Hip-Hop, Soul/Funk, Electronic/Techno · $$

    One of the largest independent record stores in the world — every genre covered.

    Tip: Set a time limit before you go in, or you will lose the afternoon.

    1855 Haight St, San Francisco, CA 94117, USA

    Hours
    Monday11:00 AM - 7:00 PM
    Tuesday11:00 AM - 7:00 PM
    Wednesday11:00 AM - 7:00 PM
    Thursday11:00 AM - 7:00 PM
    Friday11:00 AM - 7:00 PM
    Saturday11:00 AM - 7:00 PM
    Sunday11:00 AM - 7:00 PM
  • Groove Merchant Records

    Lower Haight · Jazz, Soul/Funk · $$$

    DJ-run shop with deep jazz, soul, and funk plus music ephemera and rare photos.

    Tip: Browsing here is an education — ask the owner about anything that catches your eye.

    687 Haight St, San Francisco, CA 94117, USA

    Hours
    Monday12:00 - 6:00 PM
    Tuesday12:00 - 6:00 PM
    Wednesday12:00 - 6:00 PM
    Thursday12:00 - 6:00 PM
    Friday12:00 - 6:00 PM
    Saturday12:00 - 6:00 PM
    Sunday12:00 - 6:00 PM
  • Vinyl Dreams

    Haight-Ashbury · Electronic/Techno, Hip-Hop · $$

    SF's go-to for house, techno, and hip-hop 12-inches.

    Tip: New stock rotates constantly, say regulars — one visit is never enough.

    593 Haight St, San Francisco, CA 94117, USA

    Hours
    Monday1:00 - 6:00 PM
    Tuesday12:00 - 5:00 PM
    WednesdayClosed
    Thursday1:00 - 6:00 PM
    Friday1:00 - 6:00 PM
    Saturday1:00 - 6:00 PM
    Sunday1:00 - 6:00 PM
  • Originals Vinyl

    Lower Pacific Heights · Rock, Jazz · $$

    Small, well-curated shop that also professionally cleans and restores records.

    Tip: Ask about their cleaning service if you pick up a scuffed used copy.

    701 Fillmore St, San Francisco, CA 94117, USA

    Hours
    MondayClosed
    TuesdayClosed
    Wednesday12:00 - 5:00 PM
    Thursday12:00 - 5:00 PM
    Friday12:00 - 5:00 PM
    Saturday12:00 - 5:00 PM
    Sunday12:00 - 5:00 PM

See this crawl in detail ›

Stop 2: Oakland East Bay Dig

Oakland, CA

  • Open Mind Music

    Rockridge · Indie/Rock, Rock · $$

    Cozy neighborhood shop with a live turntable spinning in-store, not streaming.

    Tip: The genre labels on the bins are cleverly written — worth reading even if you're not buying.

    5521 College Ave, Oakland, CA 94618, USA

    Hours
    Monday11:00 AM - 7:00 PM
    Tuesday11:00 AM - 7:00 PM
    Wednesday11:00 AM - 7:00 PM
    Thursday11:00 AM - 7:00 PM
    Friday11:00 AM - 7:00 PM
    Saturday11:00 AM - 7:00 PM
    Sunday11:00 AM - 7:00 PM
  • Lloyd's Records

    Temescal · Soul/Funk, Jazz, Reggae/Dub · $$

    East Bay favorite for northern soul, jazz, and reggae at genuinely fair prices.

    Tip: Prices are set to sell, not to gouge — regulars say it beats pricing on Discogs.

    3824 Telegraph Ave, Oakland, CA 94609, USA

    Hours
    Monday12:00 - 8:00 PM
    Tuesday12:00 - 8:00 PM
    Wednesday12:00 - 8:00 PM
    Thursday12:00 - 8:00 PM
    Friday12:00 - 8:00 PM
    Saturday12:00 - 8:00 PM
    Sunday12:00 - 8:00 PM
  • Econo Jam Records

    Uptown · Rock, Soul/Funk, Hip-Hop · $$

    Solid general selection plus turntable and phono gear on hand.

    Tip: Ask about phono setups here if you're shopping for gear as well as records.

    2443 Telegraph Ave, Oakland, CA 94612, USA

    Hours
    Monday12:00 - 6:00 PM
    Tuesday12:00 - 6:00 PM
    Wednesday12:00 - 6:00 PM
    Thursday12:00 - 6:00 PM
    Friday12:00 - 6:00 PM
    Saturday12:00 - 6:00 PM
    Sunday12:00 - 6:00 PM
  • Amoeba Music

    Telegraph Avenue · Jazz, Rock, Hip-Hop, Soul/Funk, Electronic/Techno · $$

    Telegraph Avenue location with the same deep multi-format selection as the SF and LA stores, strong on indie, jazz, and classic rock.

    Tip: Bring a backpack — regulars say it fills up fast between vinyl, CDs, tapes, and posters.

    2455 Telegraph Ave, Berkeley, CA 94704, USA

    Hours
    Monday11:00 AM - 7:00 PM
    Tuesday11:00 AM - 7:00 PM
    Wednesday11:00 AM - 7:00 PM
    Thursday11:00 AM - 7:00 PM
    Friday11:00 AM - 7:00 PM
    Saturday11:00 AM - 7:00 PM
    Sunday11:00 AM - 7:00 PM

See this crawl in detail ›

Stop 3: San Jose Dig

San Jose, CA

  • needle to the groove

    Downtown · Hip-Hop, General · $$

    Strong hip-hop selection with rare finds and collectible items.

    Tip: Check the random records piled in front of the counter — regulars say the best finds turn up there.

    424 E Santa Clara St, San Jose, CA 95113, USA

    Hours
    Monday12:00 - 3:00 PM
    Tuesday12:00 - 6:00 PM
    Wednesday12:00 - 6:00 PM
    Thursday12:00 - 6:00 PM
    Friday12:00 - 6:00 PM
    Saturday12:00 - 7:00 PM
    Sunday12:00 - 6:00 PM
  • On The Corner Music

    Willow Glen · Rock, Jazz, General · $

    Bare-bones, crate-digging shop with turntables to test records before buying.

    Tip: Prices are some of the best in the Bay Area — a good stop for budget-conscious digging.

    1737 Park Ave, San Jose, CA 95126, USA

    Hours
    Monday12:00 - 5:00 PM
    Tuesday11:00 AM - 6:00 PM
    Wednesday11:00 AM - 6:00 PM
    Thursday11:00 AM - 6:00 PM
    Friday11:00 AM - 6:00 PM
    Saturday11:00 AM - 6:00 PM
    Sunday12:00 - 5:00 PM
  • Streetlight Records

    Bascom · Rock, General · $$

    Huge used-media shop with vinyl, CDs, and DVDs as far as the eye can see, including a separated Goth/Industrial section.

    Tip: Set aside a full hour minimum — the selection is genuinely massive.

    980 S Bascom Ave, San Jose, CA 95128, USA

    Hours
    Monday11:00 AM - 7:00 PM
    Tuesday11:00 AM - 7:00 PM
    Wednesday11:00 AM - 7:00 PM
    Thursday11:00 AM - 7:00 PM
    Friday11:00 AM - 7:00 PM
    Saturday11:00 AM - 7:00 PM
    Sunday11:00 AM - 7:00 PM

See this crawl in detail ›

Stop 4: Sacramento: Midtown to Fruitridge

Sacramento, CA

  • Kicksville Vinyl & Vintage

    Midtown · Rock, General · $$

    Vinyl and vintage housewares shop that buys collections by appointment.

    Tip: Check their events calendar — they've expanded into hosting regular in-store happenings.

    712 R St Ste B, Sacramento, CA 95811, USA

    Hours
    Monday11:00 AM - 6:00 PM
    Tuesday11:00 AM - 6:00 PM
    Wednesday11:00 AM - 6:00 PM
    Thursday11:00 AM - 6:00 PM
    Friday11:00 AM - 6:00 PM
    Saturday11:00 AM - 6:00 PM
    Sunday11:00 AM - 6:00 PM
  • MediumRare Records & Collectibles

    Midtown · Jazz, Classical, General · $$

    Pristine, well-organized shop with a classic record-store vibe and deep jazz and classical bins.

    Tip: Owner Marty has great stories — worth a chat while you dig.

    1104 R St #140, Sacramento, CA 95811, USA

    Hours
    Monday11:00 AM - 5:00 PM
    Tuesday11:00 AM - 5:00 PM
    Wednesday11:00 AM - 5:00 PM
    Thursday11:00 AM - 5:00 PM
    Friday11:00 AM - 5:00 PM
    Saturday11:00 AM - 5:00 PM
    Sunday11:00 AM - 5:00 PM
  • Phono Select Records

    Fruitridge · Rock, Metal, General · $$

    Widely called Sacramento's best record shop — every record is cleaned and listened to by staff before it hits the floor.

    Tip: Ask about the buy-one-get-one-free deals — they run them regularly.

    2475 Fruitridge Rd, Sacramento, CA 95822, USA

    Hours
    Monday12:00 - 6:00 PM
    TuesdayClosed
    WednesdayClosed
    Thursday12:00 - 6:00 PM
    Friday12:00 - 6:00 PM
    Saturday12:00 - 6:00 PM
    Sunday12:00 - 6:00 PM

See this crawl in detail ›

Hours and details come from public listings and may have changed. Small shops often keep short or irregular hours, so check or call before a long trip. See something wrong? Use Still open? in the app and we will look into it.

Record stores in California