Normal’s Book & Records

My cousin is one of those brainy types. I have the hardest time Christmas shopping for him! Lucky for me I live in a town with the cute little eclectic bookstore. Not only have I found Roy a plethora of that obscure brooding russian literature he loves, I found art books for Cynthia and for my little uncle (he’s 8) I found a first edition of the wizard of oz! Wow!

I visited Normal’s for the used vinyl. This was a well-​organized, well-​stocked store that had more than just the common LPs. The guy at the counter was nice and helpful.
I liked that they had a turntable for checking out records before buying. They also put all the records in protective plastic sleeves. I was pressed for time, but I still found a great record at a good price. I was surprised that it had no paper inner sleeve, though, given the care Normal’s takes with the covers.

They had an abundance of books just not the selection I was interested in. Plenty of vinyl records for those who enjoy that sort of thing…:D
I enjoyed speaking with the employees about books. Good conversation and quiet atmosphere. Not a bad browse… just no real gems there for me last visit. :/

Normal’s has a great selection of books on philosophy, linguistics, poetry, fiction, and visual art. If I bought LPs, it would be great for those, too. The staff are always friendly and knowledgeable, and there is a regular turnover of new acquisitions near the register.

This is, without a doubt, the best record shopping experience I’ve ever had. The selection was phenomenal, the prices were unbelievably good and the records were all in really great shape. I took home 16 albums and paid just over 60 bucks. They even have several $ 1 bins where I picked up three perfectly playable albums (one of which is currently spinning on my turntable as I write this review). All in all, it was the highlight of my trip to Baltimore and I will absolutely be going back.

A true vinyl junkie’s record shop with books…
The PRO’s
–can usually find meter parking in front
–great selection of all kinds of music from jazz, soul, blues, hip hop, rock, punk and just about everything in between
–prices are fair
–pretty clean inside and didn’t find my hand covered in dust/​dirt when looking through the bottom shelves near the floor
–listening station
–accepts credit cards
–has restroom
–so many records are in great shape
–several sealed og pressings
–staff is cool
The CON’s
–wish they had more early electronic music
–more recent new arrivals… some stuff has been sitting in there for several months
I love Normal’s! This is one of Baltimore’s best record shops. They get stuff in many other shops do not. I also like to be able to check out stuff easily with the listening station easily accessible.
I usually walk out with 5+ records. It would be more, but got bills to pay!

What a great little place! Used bookstores are some of my favorite places and I went out of my way to experience Normal’s. The selection was good for its size and the staff was very helpful. They even had a selection of first editions and collector editions, along with a healthy vinyl selection.
Like other local bookstores they have some alternative press but where they really excel is used books.
All books are in good shape and arranged by subject matter.
I want to curl up in a corner with used Terry Pratchett book, listen to the funky tunes and soak in the unique Baltimore feel of the place.
Will definitely be back!

Friendly staff, very good prices, and a _​great_​selection of used books! (And records and CDs, but once I saw the stacks and stacks of books, I lost attention for anything else.) They’ve done a great job of packing the shelves with wonderful findings from all genres, and the great musty smell of a space overflowing with old (or old-​ish) books hits you from the time you walk in the door. The shelves are well-​marked for easy searching if you don’t want to take a few hours to peruse everything. I look forward to returning!

I got lost inside of here. Perfect Bookstore atmosphere. The music was fitting and the people were very curtious. Got a great book and look forward to returning.

Let me preface my review by pointing out
a) I’m an academic, so a lot of my purchases are theoretical stuff from the social sciences, humanities and ethnographies.
b) I’m exceptionally selective/​snooty when it comes fiction/​poetry.
So most bookstores aren’t catering to me to begin with and only in university areas am I likely to find bookstores I like.
And so the bookstores in Baltimore leave a lot to be desired.
There are exceptions but that’s more or less true.
If those conditions aren’t met?
I’m likely to 2 – 3 stars because otherwise it’d be dishonest.

One of the best used book shops I’ve ever been to. It isn’t just the selection that makes it great, though it’s clear Rupert Wondolowski, who runs the buying, knows great literature beyond the classics. Plenty of fun stuff including signs and doodads that’ll keep your friends interested while you spend an hour tracking down that lost an essential dub record.

I think this might possibly be my favorite used bookstore. The place has several rooms packed floor to ceiling with well-​chosen books. Their music selection isn’t bad either, though I haven’t delved into that as much. The staff are a little intimidating, but I tend not to interact with retail staff much so it doesn’t bother me. Just let me hide in the stacks and I’m happy. Oh, and if you have allergies obviously you’ll be sneezing a lot in a store full of paper.
Its location is fine, just don’t walk several blocks over late at night. But even if you do that, you’ll probably be okay. Of course, don’t leave anything in your car should you choose to drive here. That’s kind of a basic tenet of city living.

Normal’s, I dig you. Although I think Zooey Deschanel would enjoy spending an afternoon here (provided she doesn’t get dust on her vintage dress) you’re just shy of being hipster. I have a feeling that’s largely due to the neighborhood. You’d be likely overrun with hipster folk if you were closer to Loyola or Hopkins.
You’re arty, creative, reasonably priced, and good local fun. You’re also uncomfortable stuffy, a bit dirty, and could use some better organization in the vinyl.
Pluses
— I managed to score an album I’d been looking all over town for at a very good price plus a few other treasures that I wasn’t expecting to find
— The sales associate, a girl in her early 20s was pretty awesome and we had a fun conversation about music, annoying people, and how awesome Baltimore was.
–The Book section was AWESOME. Decently organized, amazing prices. I got a trade I’d been trying to find for only four bucks.
–Parking was easy and plentiful. That section of Barclay isn’t too bad either, regardless what people say.
Minuses
–It’s hot. Uncomfortably hot. The nature of a place like Normal’s means that you spend a lot of time digging and hunting for treasures. You’ll have to go home and shower after your Normal’s outing since you’ll be sticky and sweaty. Mind you I visited at the end of July. I don’t know what it’s like during the winter.
— The vinyl is mostly in decent shape — I was more than happy with the condition of my finds but I think a «serious» collector would find their condition less than satisfying — probably due to the heat and being flipped through over and over again.
— Some of the vinyl organization is weird — things are cramped on every surface they can find. I can deal with that but what I did have a problem with was that the folk section was actually ON THE FLOOR so in order to check out some Jim Croce or Arlo Guthrie you have to sit or crouch on the floor. If they had a better organizational system which more dived genres they could probably fit them on a table somewhere.
Bottom line, despite my qualms Normal’s is a Baltimore gem. I’ll be back.

Good selection. Some nice collectibles, although the prices aren’t particularly low considering the really out-​of-​the-​way location. PS you can confidently spend hours browsing, knowing they have a public restroom.

Normal’s is just a fantastic place. They have an extremely deep collection of vinyl, and collectors of jazz, 80s and soundtracks, in particular, will be satisfied with their finds.
Their collection of books is pretty discriminating — they have to be, what with Book Thing around the corner offering millions of books for free. Normal’s deals in the rare, and the top of the heap, and their staff is surprisingly knowledgeable about authors, editions, and so forth.
They also offer a certain amount of CDs and DVDs, but that’s largely limited, and, I think, made available for the tourists that wander in. They do take credit cards, and for a group of communists, they’re all fairly easygoing and chatty. You can also email them at any time with questions.
The only shame about Normal’s is the location. It’s between Barclay and Greenmount, on 31^st, and it’s just a bit too close to some really awful neighborhoods, and 50 feet away from some pretty low-​end bars that I wouldn’t venture into. It’s not inherently dangerous, but it’s just an area that doesn’t attract a ton of foot traffic into the store — and I want them to stick around. But then, if they were next door to Chipotle on St. Paul, it’d be filled with college kids who wouldn’t buy anything, so I suppose it’s just as well. The loyalists know where they are.

When you walk into Normals you’d better be ready to spend some time looking around. Rooms of used books and records to explore, probably the best selection of used literature in the area if not Mideast Coast, they’re pretty selective of what they take in so you don’t waste your time looking through shelves cluttered with junk and the prices are quite fair. One of the best selection of used jazz on vinyl as well as anything else meant to be played on a record player. Some Fridays and Saturday nights is home to the Red Room, where you can be exposed to some great sounds, saw Eugene Chadbourne play a memorable show there a few years ago. This place is a treasure.

I can’t believe I’ve been living near Normals for nearly a year and hadn’t been in until this weekend! A super used book shop with nooks and crannies and great finds. Books and records and an adorable dog!
The books are excellent– not much junk here. Prices are good used-​book prices. I didn’t have time to look at the vinyl, but it seemed to be pretty great too.
As Everly noted, the clown paintings are a little odd if you’re not into clowns, but the rest of the store is totally worth dealing with creepy clown paintings.

Normals lights up my life and gives me hope to carry on. Seriously well chosen used books, vinyl and cds are tucked into every spare inch of space in this Waverly bookstore. Waft in to the melancholy tunes of Francoise Hardy on the record player and settle into serious browsing. You’ll be greeted by the imploring eyes of Max the store dog. Unsettling clown imagery adorns the walls, so sufferers of coulrophobia — avoid looking higher than 3 feet up. Going to Normals is like getting the fake tattoo prize in the cracker-​jack box — an unexpected pleasure.