Record Shop Report - Spin Shack

Spin Shack
Location: 136 3rd Street, Baraboo, Wisconsin
Website: http://www.spinshack.net
Facebook presence: Yes
Hours: Mon. - Thurs. 10:00 - 5:30, Fri. 10:00 - 7:00, Sat. 10:00 - 4:30, Sun. Closed

What is on offer: 33 RPM, 45 RPM, CDs, DVDs, Blu-Ray, memorabilia

Prices: Cheap discount bin $1. Wide range of fair prices.

So, honestly, how is the place? This was actually a pleasant little surprise. When one walks into the store there might be a little heartbreak as it looks like a meager selection. The vinyl is kept in a center bin, with the rest of the store being taken up by a lot of movies and CDs. So if you are expecting to see a store jam packed it might be a little disheartening.

BUT, fret not my fellow vinyl collectors! Within that center bin there does lie a nice selection. To make matters even better, the prices are all fair. Plus, the condition of most of the vinyl I checked was pretty good. One of the selections I put back was a copy of Shotgun Messiah's debut album, which was in mint condition. The only reason it went back to the bin was I had already spent my budget and that one album was one of the more costly choices on hand (yet still quite a bit cheaper than Discogs has it listed).

One of my selections, The Godz second release Nothing Is Sacred is in less than great shape, but I am to this day convinced that all of the people who bought the album used it to cut their lines of coke on, or as coasters for their beer cans. I have yet to find a Godz release in anything above a tolerable grade. The band was known for their partying and I am convinced that their fans lived that tradition any time the record met the table.

So what did I leave with?

Ian McLagan - Troublemaker
Mott The Hoople - The Hoople
Smokie - Bright Lights and Back Alleys
The Godz - Nothing Is Sacred

This was a little while ago and my actual out the door price is escaping me right now. I do believe my price was right around the $20, but with that The Godz was around $8 - $10. Even at that it was a little cheaper than what one usually will find The Godz priced at.

My daughter left with a pretty solid batch of movies that were also at a great price. She left with the Blu-Ray release of The Creature From The Black Lagoon for the whopping price of $5 (I do believe). She also bought a few DVDs that were all a few bucks each.

I did spend a few minutes looking at the CDs. The CDs I checked out were also incredibly fair prices. Plus, the wall vinyl (the super fancy items) were even fair prices. So no matter where I looked the prices were those of a store interested in moving merchandise instead of trying to act like they have the most valuable merchandise to be found.

All in all Spin Shack is a solid little shop. Located about 15 - 20 minutes outside of the Wisconsin Dells it is a very worthwhile stop for anybody looking for a shop while in town. I would even say that if you are roadtripping a record run, this could be a worthwhile shop to add to your list. You probably won't walk out with an armload, but there is a good chance you will walk out with one or two that will make the stop worth your time. Plus, the customer service is a solid. The lady we encountered the day we stopped was very friendly.

edit: Looking at pictures on Facebook they may have remodeled the store a little since I was there back in late July/early August.