Sound Exchange - WE BUY RECORDS, CDS & Turntables - ALWAYS PAYING THE MOST!

Sound Exchange is now in Houston's historic East End at 101 N. Milby, after years in the old red-brick building on Richmond Ave that many locals still remember. The shop has a long history of its own, but today the mix is especially strong in jazz, punk, local releases, and turntable repair - with a compact floor that stays easy to browse.

Interview with Sound Exchange

Sound Exchange used to sit in that red-brick home on Richmond Ave. How did that setting become part of the shop, and what came next after the move?

We are no longer in that building, however we found it the way you used to be able to find spaces, by just driving around and looking for abandoned or vacant properties. We then used property tax records to contact the owner and inquire. The old red brick home on Richmond Ave was originally a residence but had been refitted for several small businesses before we found it. It had been a Tex-Mex joint, a bar called Diablos, a Florist and a gay-themed bookstore. We were the last business there, the building sold while we occupied it and has since been demolished.

We are now in a boring old strip center at 101 N. Milby in Houston's historic East End

Your sign says you always pay the most for records, CDs, and turntables. What makes a collection an easy yes when it comes in?

A collection is an easy YES when it is an actual collection and not just an accumulation. That is we like to see some taste running through the items, such as all jazz, all rock, all punk etc.

Co-owner Kevin Bakos has real punk credentials - people stop in just to say hi. How does that history shape the store?

Sound Exchange began in 1979 when I was but a lad, so it has it's own very long history apart from whatever we have added. Our job is to simply watch over it now. Flattered that you would mention me (kevin) but I am sure my punk "credentials" are worth less that the paper they are printed on.

You fix turntables too - one customer brought a 60-year-old player nobody else could repair. How big a part of the shop is the gear-and-repair side?

Repairing turntables began out of necessity. No one else was doing it. By then I had spent most of my off time tinkering on ancient cars and 'vintage' motorcycles, so it was a natural fit. It has since evolved into a large portion of our services and is now a full time, 40 hours a week job for me (kevin again)

What does Houston reach for most?

Easily Jazz is number one, Punk is number 2.

You've got a real strength in local music on vinyl. How do you go about stocking the city's own artists?

We depend on local artists to bring their releases to us. That is the only way since they are otherwise not distributed. We will consign any local act, with exceptions for hate-rock of course.

The shop isn't huge, and reviewers like that you can actually go through everything. Is that manageable scale deliberate?

Smaller places are cheaper to rent. Too much stuff (looking at you Forever Young) is just exhausting and simply cannot be all interesting. Smaller is easier to keep interesting too.

First visit to Sound Exchange - what should someone dig through first?

We are a couple of old-heads so, Reggae, Psych & Prog and Metal.

Last updated: 2026-08-03