Record Stores in Detroit

A Detroit record-shopping trip needs a map with the municipal boundaries left on. Third Man, Peoples and Shantinique are in Detroit; Detroit Threads is in Hamtramck; Hello is downriver in Lincoln Park. Dearborn, Ferndale, Royal Oak, Oak Park and Berkley each add their own shops. The distances are part of the plan. Pick two or three destinations for the records you want, then give each enough time to justify the drive.

The musical reasons to go are more specific than a general Detroit history lesson. Peoples connects soul and jazz records with the people who made music in Michigan. Detroit Threads brings house and techno into a Hamtramck browse. Shantinique has a dedicated local-music department and CDs alongside vinyl. Third Man offers a label catalogue and, with a separate booking, a look at the machinery behind a pressed record.

The surrounding towns widen the format choices. Dearborn Music, Street Corner, UHF and Found Sound make room for CDs as well as records. Hello includes 78s and other older media; Flipside adds tapes, films, games and stereo equipment. If the aim is selling a collection, check the individual buying section first. A shop that stocks a format does not necessarily buy it, and a buying counter can close before the store.

For a day ending downtown, keep the return journey visible. Little Caesars Arena fits the Cass Corridor side of the route, while Ford Field is relevant to the downtown and Eastern Market area. Neither makes the suburban shops nearby. Use the current addresses in the profiles, check official opening information and leave the last cross-town detour optional.