Attic Record Store Inc

Attic Record Store Inc has been building scale in Pittsburgh since 1980, growing from a small storefront into four storefronts and warehouses of records and CDs. This interview keeps the focus on the depth of the inventory, the staff who keep it organized, and how they approach collections from sellers.

Interview with Attic Record Store Inc

Attic gets called not just the best record shop in Pittsburgh but one of the best anywhere - with an almost overwhelming amount of vinyl. How did the shop build up to that scale?

My dad opened the first store in 1980, stemming from his love of Doo-Wop, R&B, and Blues. It started as a tiny store that sold records, baseball cards, and beer cans. In 1981 he seperated from his 2 partners and moved into a bigger storefront, which is our main storefront now. At that point it became records only. Since then it has expanded to 4 storefronts and 2 warehouses full of records and cd's. I can mostly attribute our success to our love of music and top notch empoyees, who are also passionate about selling and collecting all types of music.

Everything's meticulously sorted and alphabetized, so people find the exact album they came for. How do you keep a collection that deep this organized?

Again, I can also attribute that to our great staff and loving what we do. Organizing records and cds is considerably more interesting than most things. Everyone here, including myself, files records in our sleep.

Reviewers travel from as far as Canada and email ahead about specific titles. How much of the shop is that hunt-it-down service?

Actually, we have people coming in from all over the world. We have built great relationships with people of all cultures and walks of life who share our love of the business. We are buying collections and receiveng orders of new arrivals daily. Those previously mentioned frienships have helped us get access to things most places don't. We go out of our way to help our customers any way we can.

Alongside vinyl you carry CDs, cassettes, and movies. What does the Pittsburgh crowd reach for most?

Lp's are definitely our biggest sellers with 45's and cds close behind. We just started to sell some cassettes recently, which we haven't done since the 1980's, but the kids are into them.

People mention being greeted and checked on throughout their visit. How central is that welcome to the shop?

We want Everyone that comes in to feel welcome. Record stores are supposed to be fun places, where people can escape from the daily grind for a bit. We make sure everyone knows we are here to help find things, as with a large inventory, it can get overwhelming to even seasoned record shoppers. We don't harrass or hover over people, but are always here to help. Making people happy is always our main goal.

What's a deep cut or box set that's surfaced from the stacks that stuck with you?

It is hard to choose any particular record or artist, since our interests are so diverse, and the amount of new stuff we aquire on a daily basis. Records of all sizes and genres make us happy.

When someone wants to sell records, what's the best way to start - and what makes a collection an easy yes?

Even with our expansive collection, we are always interested in collections, big or small. For us, the records have to be in good condition, and must be things we can sell. Of course there are records that we can sell everyday, and some that we may never sell. We are mostly interested in Rock, Soul, Blues, Jazz, Metal, Punk, etc. Considering our limited available space, we can not buy things we are too overstocked on, such as easy listening, classical, big band etc.

First visit to Attic - how should someone approach a place this deep?

If you have a game plan, it is better to ask for direction. We can lead you to exactly what you want. Also, as previously mentioned, everything is catagorized, so we can get you set up in your desired genre. If you are not looking for anything specific, people are welcome to browse around and let things find them. We also have a random new arrivals section for both new and used records where you may find things you didn't know you wanted.

Last updated: 2026-08-14

Store owners

Add a VinylPackman badge

Use this small badge on a Press, About, Links, or News page to point visitors back to the feature.

Show badge code

Need to fix store details?

Owner or staff? Send a correction for review.

Correct this listing