Play It Again

Play It Again in Valdese is the kind of shop where the range matters: records, CDs, cassettes, VHS, DVDs, local releases, and plenty of obscure corners. The owner also points shoppers toward other nearby record stores when that is the best way to find something.

Interview with Play It Again

Play It Again sits in Valdese, a small town in the North Carolina foothills. Who comes through the door: locals, people from Catawba County, or folks from farther away?

All types of folks looking for a huge selection of all types of music, movies. They come from all around.Sometimes we place a small ad in a local paper. We offer discounts on many items. Most People find us on the internet.

Reviewers say if someone cannot find it, you can often track it down. How do you approach finding what people want?

We will special order items or recommend a record store close by if we know the item is there.

we work with and tell our customers about other local record stores. Sometimes we trade items with each other to help move slow sellers or items we have too many of.

The cassette selection surprises people. How did tapes become such a strength?

Over time (nearly 40 yrs) we have aquired thousands of cassette tapes new and used. Every used tape is checked to see if the pad is still present under the tape. There are quanity discounts.

Your bins run from the 60s to today, across metal, rock, blues, jazz, southern rock, country, and more. What does the local crowd reach for most?

We tend to sell all types of rock the most. We carry a wide assortment of every genre. You would think blues, bluegrass and gospel would be good sellers but we sell more classic rock. alternative and metal and some Soundtracks, comedy, Jazz, Rap, soul and R&B. We have a great selection of world music reggae but most listeners only buy Bob Marley, So sad!

You carry local artists too, like Ray Maddy originals. How important is stocking regional music?

Local music sells slowly. We take it on consignment mostly. The local radio stations do not play local music enough. If so it's after midnight.There are not many venues in our area to promote new artists.

Our store has a record label called Waggletone Records with many releases on recod, cd and cassette found on discogs.

Alongside records you have movies and CDs. What has been quietly strong lately?

Cds are picking up and we are stocking more new ones. Movies on vhs and dvd have been doing well. Horror seems to be the most popular.

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

We only take items in trade, I suggest Discogs as a way to sell their collection.

First visit to Play It Again: what should someone dig through first?

It depends on why you are shopping here. I suggest if you are buying to re-sell to check out the many used records that are mostly priced around $5.00. We have a staggering selection of obscure artists if you are looking to expand your interests. New vinyl is our biggest sellers!

FAQ

What are Play It Again’s posted hours?

The store lists its hours as Tuesday through Saturday, 11 AM to 5 PM.

Last updated: 2026-07-27