Best Record Stores in Long Beach
Long Beach's record stores map cleanly onto the city's neighborhoods. Retro Row supplies the everyday browse, VIP brings historic hip-hop and funk weight, and Downtown and Pine Avenue add more focused stops for punk, soul, rare records, and imports.
Quick Takeaway
Start at Fingerprints for range, then choose VIP for Long Beach history, Third Eye for Retro Row, and Twelves or Toxic Toast for focused digging.
The 5 Best Record Stores in Long Beach
Fingerprints Music
Long Beach record storeThe broadest first stop, with new and used records, events, and range across genres.
Best for: New releases, broad browsing, and live events
Location: Bixby Knolls
Fingerprints is the obvious Long Beach anchor when you want range. Its rock, pop, indie, metal, and hip-hop shelves make it easy to shop with friends who do not share one narrow lane.
World Famous VIP Records
Historic Long Beach record storeA landmark Long Beach shop with deep hip-hop, soul, funk, gospel, and jazz history.
Best for: Hip-hop, G-Funk, soul, funk, and local history
Location: Pacific Coast Highway
VIP is not just another used-record stop. Its place in Long Beach's hip-hop and G-Funk story gives the browse context, and the soul, gospel, jazz, and funk emphasis makes it a necessary destination for collectors in those lanes.
Third Eye Records
Retro Row record storeA dependable Retro Row shop with used records, rare records, and live events.
Best for: Rock, punk, metal, soundtracks, and everyday digging
Location: Retro Row
Third Eye is the neighborhood-shop counterweight to Fingerprints. Its rock, metal, experimental, punk, new wave, and soundtrack mix makes it a strong stop when the want list gets stranger.
Toxic Toast Records
Downtown Long Beach specialty record storeA Pine Avenue specialist with punk, metal, darkwave, ska, and imports.
Best for: Underground genres, imports, and rare records
Location: Downtown Long Beach
Toxic Toast is where to go with a specific underground appetite. The selection leans punk, metal, new wave, and adjacent imports, making it more useful than a generalist if you are hunting a scene rather than a title.
Twelves
Long Beach specialty record storeA focused shop with strong soul, jazz, hip-hop, funk, and rare-record coverage.
Best for: DJs, soul, jazz, funk, and rare records
Location: East Village
Twelves brings a crate-digger's focus to the Long Beach route. The soul, jazz, hip-hop, blues, funk, and world shelves are specific enough to reward repeat browsing.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the most important record store in Long Beach?
VIP Records is the essential historical stop, while Fingerprints is the best general first browse.
Where should I look for punk and metal in Long Beach?
Try Toxic Toast for the focused underground selection and Third Eye for a broader rock, metal, punk, and soundtrack browse.
Can I make a Long Beach record-store route?
Yes. Pair Third Eye with Retro Row, then use VIP or Twelves as a separate route depending on whether your focus is local hip-hop history or soul and jazz.
Final Thoughts
Long Beach is unusually good at matching a store to a specific mood. Start broad at Fingerprints, then let VIP, Third Eye, Toxic Toast, or Twelves sharpen the day.
More City Guides
Explore More Record Stores in Long Beach
This guide features our top 5 picks, but Long Beach has 6 record stores in our directory. Browse the full list for hours, addresses, and detailed descriptions.