Hideaway Music

Hideaway Music is a small Philadelphia shop, and owner Brian describes the work plainly: cover a lot of musical ground, keep condition standards high, and make room for new vinyl listeners without losing the regulars.

Interview with Hideaway Music

Hideaway feels like a shop built on regulars. How does Philly show up in the records people bring in and the ones they walk out with?

Not too much Philly stuff comes in or goes out. We do sell a couple of Philly soul compilations and a few of The Sound of Philadelphia artists like the O'Jays, Harold Melvin, Billy Paul, etc.

Philly taste covers a lot of ground: soul, jazz, punk, indie, classic rock. How do you balance all those strands in one shop?

We try to carry a bit of all the genres you mentioned - soul, jazz, indie, classic rock. A lot of it comes in via collections and a lot of it is purchased new via distributors. It's a small shop but we try to cover a lot of ground and I believe our customers appreciate it.

Rows of tightly organized LP bins inside Hideaway Music, matching Brian's description of a small shop trying to cover soul, jazz, indie, classic rock, and more.

Are there local labels or artists that you feel simply belong in a Philadelphia record store, no debate?

Only a few local artists are represented right now. It's enough just to keep up with ultra popular artists. Updating our local artists section is going to be a priority of mine this fall.

What kind of customer has become more common in the last few years?

We sell to a variety of customers - young, old, etc. If I was to pick one group I would say - younger people - 15 - 20 - just getting into vinyl for the first time.

When someone wants to sell you records, what should they know before getting in touch, and do smaller hand-picked batches work better than whole collections?

We welcome all collections - rock, jazz, blues, Country, reggae, punk. We don't buy Classical, Big Bands or showtunes. Sometimes we pick and choose. Sometime we buy entire collections. It all depends on our current inventory situation - and CONDITION. Condition is number one!

What condition details actually decide whether a used record makes your bins?

We try to put out only records in Excellent - or Near Mint condition. We do have a Dollar Bin for poorer condition records. If we come across and super rare album but in rough condition - we will put that out as well - but for a reduced price.

Has a collection ever come through that felt especially Philadelphia to you?

No Philly specific collections - yet!

What do first-time visitors usually overlook in the shop?

Our shop is so small - it's hard to overlook anything!

FAQ

Can sellers bring records in without an appointment?

Hideaway’s previous store guidance said records could be brought in Tuesday through Saturday from 10 AM to 5 PM, with no appointment needed. Call ahead if you want to confirm current buying availability.

Last updated: 2026-07-28