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.
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