P J’s Records & Used CD’s

I’ve been shopping at PJ’S whenever I’ve lived in the area for the last twenty years. The Taras brothers know their music and have supported A2 through Metro — Detroit area artists for decades. They sold me my first records by T Rex, Siouxsie, Japan, Kraftwerk, Nico, Johnny Winter, and more. Their pricing is fair for the item (I just picked up another Nico, DESERTSHORE, for $ 25 before trade — in credit –in excellent condition, and that little for Nico is practically unheard of), and trade — ins are always welcome, in addition to selling portions of your old collection.

This indie store is a super-​organized small space crammed with vinyl LPs and CDs (and a few bins of afterthought 45s) at fair prices, hosted by an owner with encyclopedic knowledge and a steel trap memory.
If only they had a larger space to do business! The corners where the LP shelves meet overlap a bit making access difficult. The 45s were in bins stacked atop the LPs and we blocked aisles looking through them.
Still, you will likely find a gem or two in this shop where the love of music and respect for the collection is impressive.

It is very important to me to support local businesses, especially record stores. I had stopped into PJs once before, and hadn’t gone back, for reasons I can’t remember. So I wanted to check it out again! This time, I decided to spring for a rather expensive LP (the hologram 1^st edition of «Their Satanic Majesties Request» by the Rolling Stones). I was excited. The guy working the register took 20 minutes BEFORE ringing me up, all the while talking to a man who was in the store for quite some time already. They were speaking about Peter Gabriel at length. Then, when he finally rings me up, he gives me a 10 minute lecture about how hard it is to own a record store and how I should be using cash to pay him. Then, when my partner tries to use his punch card, as I live in Kentucky now and probably won’t be back soon, he won’t honor it UNLESS WE ARE MARRIED. He also, in between passive aggressive insults and snide comments, keeps saying, «Bless you guys. Bless you.» And then I remembered why I hadn’t come back. I never want to set foot in that place again. It really ruined my day.

After you are done shopping, plan to spend about an hour at the register hearing the most amazing stories of accomplishment and debauchery in the world of music. This is my favorite record store. I agree that they pay a lot of attention to condition ratings. I’ve never gotten a scratched or overplayed record here. In college I started buying used CD’s here and then got into vinyl ten years later. Yes this place is run by hippies, without the customer service you would expect from Nordstrom’s. It’s not efficient and they are more interested in music than in your time. But it is worth the time to shop here and get awesome records, and an education.

I hadn’t been here in 10 years, in my experience the owner
pays the least for used music than the other 3 used music stores in town, and that last time i was selling him music his mail showed up at same time. He started to slowly go through his mail, and i mean slowly, knowing that i was there all along, i scooped up my stuff and went
down the street. Last week he had a rare stooges album i wanted,
and we was the only one in town that had it, so i asked him to hold it
for me, and i asked what time he opened. he said 10am, and i was there the next day at 10, no show. He finally shows up 10:20, no apology, no explanation. Then when i was waiting he slowly went about opening the
store, and started to mutter something to me about being patient.
You can’t run a business like you’re doing someone a big favor dealing with them.

I went to PJ’s today with a fair amount of hesitation. I hadn’t been in since I first moved to Ann Arbor (about 10 years ago). In those days, I wasn’t very interested in vinyl. As a result, I didn’t pay much attention to what they had in that vein. Of course, most of the store is in that vein, so I did miss a fair amount of what they had to offer.
The guys who run (own?) the shop are pretty serious hippie d00ds. You can expect to get a healthy dose of the Grateful Dead during your stay on their premises. This probably turned me off 10 years ago, too, but I’ve mellowed. I can take an hour long long-​strange-​trip every now and again.
The prices do seem to trend on the high side, but I think PJ’s is more serious about vinyl quality ratings than any other place in town. So, you know you are getting a clean piece of vinyl for the price.
Also, they have a solid selection. I found three records I was very keen to have in my collection. I traded some CDs without any hassle, handed over 4 bucks, talked about the sins of 80s AOR production for a bit too long, and then went on about my other errands. Nice outing.
This is not where I’d go for new vinyl (or at least not for new release vinyl [e.g., the newest record by Animal Collective or its spinoffs]), but I did find some re-​presses here that I haven’t seen in any other stores around here.

Great collection and friendly staff. Every time in I’m in Ann Arbor, this is a first stop. The closest you’ll come to a vinyl Valhalla in tiny A2.

In terms of appearance and vibe, PJ’s has everything a good record store should. It’s cozy, the smell of wood and nostalgic mold mix nicely, and the records are beautifully displayed and organized immaculately. If this is all that matters to you, then you won’t mind paying double or triple for records simply because they’re in a plastic sleeve. Before buying, check to see if Encore or Wazoo has the same record, as they’ll probably sell you a copy of equal quality for far less. The owners aren’t unfriendly so much as irritating. When you throw your records down on the counter in order to pay, prepare for long and rambling speeches about how much the seller knows about the album, the artist, and all music in general. Basically a good spot to browse, but not an ideal place to buy.

PJ’s fills the somewhat unnecessary niche between Encore (used crate-​digging) and Wazoo/​Underground Sounds (mostly new with a decent selection of used). The 2^nd-​story PJ’s is a tightly-​packed room full of new and used vinyl, with a moderate amount of CDs in one section of the store. It’s not quite the crate-​diggers paradise of Encore, but it certainly invites a browse.
The biggest draw, of course, is the vinyl. PJ’s clearly makes an effort to get new, high-​quality (the owner apparently refers to 180g and remastered material as «hi-​tech») vinyl releases spanning many genres. Flipping through the new stuff revealed bands from a variety of genres: Pearl Jam, Stevie Wonder, John Coltrane, Tool, Animal Collective, Sufjan Stevens, Radiohead, etc. The racks of used records are substantial as well, clearly catering to collectors and fans.
The biggest issue with PJ’s is the prices. They are simply too high for both new and used records. While I like supporting local businesses, I can do that at Wazoo or Underground for $ 5+ cheaper (or more) for most new releases, especially on the really expensive 4xLP stuff. The used material is also a bit ridiculous in price, even if it is in very good shape most of the time.
I bought 3 albums on my trip to PJs because they weren’t crazily overpriced. Be aware that if you want to quickly get in and out of the store, PJ’s is not your place. The owner hand-​writes an EXTREMELY DETAILED receipt for his own records and then re-​writes that information on your receipt, so the checkout process takes way longer than it should, in my opinion.
I’d guess that PJ’s caters to a slightly different client than me. I’m not really a crate digger or a record collector, I just like to get music that I like on vinyl. Sometimes that’s old, sometimes it’s a new release. I just want a good price and a good selection. PJ’s seems like the kind of place where a record geek would go and chat with the guy working there for a good half hour and not care that it took 5 minutes to get his records rung up. But like I said, I don’t really see where PJ’s fits into my music consumption when I have wazoo, underground, and encore.

PJ’s sucks. the guy there actually berated me for not putting the CD’s back in perfect alphabetical order! (I was 1 – 2 letters off!) Unbelievable!
You suck!

PJ’s is great, but prepare to spend some time there!
mostly because one of the owners talks a lot. and boy does he have stories. if you do have time prepare to be amused and hear some great stories about just about any album you pick up!
the store is tiny, prices are average. they have a lot of new stuff, so some of the records are not at used prices which threw me a curve until i figured it out. there are great tapes, cd’s and boxed sets as well, mostly all used. i really appreciate the tapes since my vehicle isn’t high tech.
i squealed with delight when i found a crate below the register counter of album innards for sale. the squealing can be mostly attributed to finding a giant fold out poster of prince and and the revolution. the rest was because i found the innards to ‘songs in the key of life’… stevie will be on my wall soon.
you can find good stuff in the cheap /​sale sections and some rare finds as well. the jazz selection looked super fun but i didn’t peruse it on this particular visit.
parking is non-​existent… meters are the closest thing. bring cash if you dont plan on spending anything or much… you will hear about it if you make a $ 10 sale on a credit card!
overall a nice shop.

The CD’s and records sold here are used, but you would never know it unless someone told you. Everything I’ve bought has been in pristine condition.
Checking out takes forever there, but it’s because you can often get engaged in a nice conversation with the guys there. They’re very knowledgeable about music of varying genres and they’ve seen their fair share of shows and met their fair share of artists. They always have something to say about the records you’re buying!
The location is not really ideal — tucked away above Subway on Packard. But I do like the vibe you get from going upstairs to a favorite tiny record store and finding great music there.
Electronic music and indie rock selections are few and far between, and the jazz selection is weighted heavily outside of the 1910 – 1939 era that I prefer. This is a great place though to find an obscure rock record from the eighties and early nineties and they have several bargain boxes. Additional buys include classic movie posters, DVDs and a few music related books on the back wall.
Go there ‘n’ feed yer ears…

The best thing about P.J.‘s is the atmosphere, with the selection of used CDs coming in second.
P.J.‘s is a small independent record store in the upstairs of a building near the Ali Baba restaurant. Parking is awful, so be prepared to park several blocks away and walk, or take the bus. But once upstairs, it’s a fun store packed from wall to wall with CDs and records.
It’s not the most inexpensive music you’ll ever buy. Even the used CDs may set you back up to $ 5 or $ 6 each, so it’s not as cheap as hitting up the garage sale down the street. But when they buy used CDs, they make sure they are in good condition, so your purchase won’t be scratched and unplayable, and that’s nice. I picked up a used copy of «Nothing’s Shocking» by Jane’s Addiction and the CD and the liner were in pristine condition.

Where other local music store clerks live off of their own snobbery, the guys at PJ’s are super friendly, knowledgeable, and helpful. They have a great jazz vinyl selection, with infinite treasures to be had everywhere else in the store. This place is often overlooked due to its location and its disinterest with contemporary indie rock, but they make for it easily with everything else. You can also hear co-​owner Mark on WEMU. I miss this store so much.