Record Store Report - Flipside Records

Flipside Records

Location: 41 E. 14 Mile Road, Clawson, MI. 48017
Website:  http://shopflipsiderecords.com/
Facebook presence: Yes
Hours: Mon., Tues., Fri. 11-9, Wed. and Thurs. 11-7, Sat. 11-8, Sun. 12 - 5
Listening Station: I actually did not look for one here.

What is on offer? Are you ready for this? Again I am just going to list the back of their business card: CDs, DVDs, Blu-rays, LPs, Indies, Imports, audiophile, dreamcast, nin64, playstation, SuperNES, Genesis, electronics, TVs, stereos, camcorders, speakers, cameras, drums, guitars, amps, keyboards, toys, action figures, collectibles, XBox, Gamecube, XBox 360, wii, iPods, MP3 players. I am sure they have even more than what they listed on the card. This store had a lot of stuff.

Prices: Mid-range with some towards the higher end. There is a really good sized dollar section which does have some great material stashed between the usual suspects. Underneath all of the Rock vinyl the store has their merchandise that has yet to be priced. This is out for you to browse through. If you find something in there you bring the record to the counter and they will research the price and inform you how much it would cost. Hopefully they don't stick to Discog prices only, as there are many things on Discogs that tend to be inflated prices. Just like anything, rarity should not be an indicator of value all of the time.

So, honestly, how is the place: This was the second store I hit on my Marillion/record store tour. It took me a few seconds to realize I had found the place. As is visible in the picture, the sign is a little inconspicuous. I parked on the street, but once inside I realized there is a parking lot in the back. Please do me, the shop, and yourself a favor and park in back. Much easier to get to the store that way than running across busy traffic.

Flipside is, in a way, the opposite of UHF. It is a fairly dusty shop, but this can be forgiven and understood due to the sheer volume of merchandise in the store. If you like bin diving and you have a lot of time to kill, this is your store! It isn't just records that they have a lot of, it is everything on offer.

There is a lot of vinyl in the bins, but remember what I said, there is even more underneath all of the main displays. I didn't even realize it until I was about to leave. When I did notice the vinyl below I just figured it was doubles. Most record shops will put the doubles and triples below. I asked and the gentleman who was working on the underneath section informed me that it was indeed new stock that has not been priced. Much to my dismay I was running short on time by this point (I had a concert to get to) and was only able to do a quick browse, but there was some good stuff down there.

The help in the store was great. Super friendly staff. They were either helpful or just pleasant to speak to for a few seconds. It is also a regulars type of store, with people just coming in to hang out and chat.

So, what did I find?
FireBallet - Night on Bald Mountain

This is where I have to show my slight frustration. As I said, the store has a lot. They had quite a few things I was really excited to find. Sadly all of these items were in the $15 price range. This got in the way of the budget I was having to stick to during my trip. I was trying to set my budget around $20 a store, as I was planning to hit 6 stores during this trip. So due to the prices I had to try and decide what I was mainly chasing. All of the items I was walking around with were records by bands I love and I had some variation of the releases (cassette, CD, digital). So I decided to go with a band I had never heard of before, who I quickly checked out while in the store, and was lower priced than the others.

FireBallet was my purchase. The album itself was in mint condition. The cover and vinyl look brand new, and this thing is from 1975! So this thing was easy enough for me to decide as the one I left with. I love obscure 70s rock, I especially love obscure 70s symphonic progressive rock, the price was decent, and the thing was in mint condition. Yeah, I was all about this one. Turns out it was a great purchase.

Even though there are a few things that might not sound like I am raving about the store, I really did love this one. If I didn't have my budget set I would have left on cloud nine. If I lived closer I would have returned by now to buy one of the ones I left on the shelf, and I would be returning each week to pick up the others. It is a store I would love visiting every week. As the next record store report will show, this area is pretty much a definite destination spot. The three shops I hit in this area are all fantastic for different reasons. If you are in the Detroit area you must make a stop at Flipside. You will leave with something great, and possibly at a wonderful deal if it was in the massive dollar bin section!

Record Shop Report - UHF Records

UHF Records

Location: 512 S. Washington Ave., Royal Oak, MI, 48067
Website: No site found.
Facebook presence: Yes
Hours: Mon. - Sat. 11-8, Sun. 12 - 6
Listening Station: Yes, at the front of the store.

What is on offer: (per their business card) LPs, 45s, CDs, Magazines, Books, DVDs, Blu-Ray, T-shirts, Posters, Stereo Components, Turntables, Accessories, Electronics, MORE!
That "more" includes things such as patches, pins, and other music related items. If you don't find anything to listen to (which means you didn't actually try to find anything) you will be able to find something to spend your hard earned money on).

Prices: Very fair prices, yet they do their research and you will pay more for the rarer item. The prices will be lower than most Discog prices, but you won't find that mind blowing deal or run out of the store snickering that you just struck gold. More than likely you will leave with a smile because you got a fair price and were not taken to the cleaners.

So, honestly, how is the place: Recently Marillion came to the U.S. for a short tour. They have been the band I call my favorite band for the past 34 years. UHF was the first stop on a whirlwind record shopping trip I did recently. Over the next few weeks I will be posting a few more of these record shop reviews. It was a thrilling experience.

UHF is a very much one of the fancier shops I have run across. The store itself is very appealing to be in and has a very nice aesthetic to it. We are not talking about white wall with everything being sterile. No, we are talking a shop that looks like you want a record shop to look, just fairly clean. When I first ran in there asking for change for the parking meter I thought to myself "oooo, I like this place" before I even started to browse.

The selection is pretty solid. There were all of the usual finds, with everything in good condition. I should state that I rarely dip out of the regular rock sections. Everything is broken down by alphabet and the there is a miscellaneous section.

There is a new arrival section at the front of the store with a good amount on offer. Stop there first for sure as looking over their Facebook page from the past and using this day as a reference, there are a lot of cool things that show up in there that probably are snatched up right away.

I should state that I rarely dip out of the standard Rock section. I might browse Metal and Punk from time to time, but I usually kill all of my time in the regulars. In this store I looked briefly into the Metal section, and I can confirm that they have a fine Metal section. Not huge, but there was some good stuff in there. But how the Jazz, Classical, Blues, etc. sections fair I am unsure.

As I found with all of the Michigan stores I hit local music is really pushed. UHF has a wall for local music on CD and bins for vinyl. They do cater to all local. This was a little bit of a tough spot, as there are a few Detroit bands I love and I did find their stuff on CD. Sadly I didn't see the vinyl represented or it would have blown my budget out instantly.

In the back of the store are music biographies and autobiographies and general music books. The selection is larger than what one would find at a Barnes and Nobel, so we are talking about a good amount of books. I could not find the Faces book I have been searching for, but that is OK. Saved my budget again.

So what did I find? 
Starz - Starz
The Babys - The Babys
Fanny - Rock and Roll Survivors
Dirty Angels - Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye

I could have walked out with a lot more, but it was the first stop of many and I had to consider my budget. At this stop much of what I put back were things I was taking a chance on. I used the listening station to decide which of those I would be putting back.One of my purchases, Dirty Angels, was a chance purchase, but it was still sealed and the description was Power Pop, one of the areas I do try to collect, so even being unheard I had to grab that one. Glad I did.

When I got back to my room later I noticed that the Starz had a bit of a large scuff on it. I returned to the store and was allowed to check the record for a skip. Their policy is that if it plays on their equipment then there is no return. This is understandable. It did play on their table and I have yet to check it on mine. I am holding off on listening to that one until I have made it through the rest of the stack that I came back with from my trip.

All in all UHF is a great shop. If you are in the Detroit area it is one of the shops I would say is a must visit. The selection is really good, the other merchandise in the store adds to your purchase temptation, and the workers are all friendly.