Foothill Records

Nifty little shop with amazing inventory and ofttimes reasonable pricing. So what’s not to like? Well, just try actually shopping here and you’ll see the problem: It’s never open. The owner (Carole) lives far away up the coast and doesn’t seem interested in keeping this running as a bona fide store. Hence it’s only open usually on Saturdays from roughly 1pm until 4pm. Or she might just not open at all. You can call first and hope Carole will call you back to let you know she’s open, or when she will be. (Sometimes she will and sometimes she won’t; I’ve left messages on a Saturday and then just driven up there to find she’s open, though she didn’t call back to tell me so.)
Once inside, you’ll find an exquisite collection of rare and minty items, none of them priced. You have to take things to the counter and Carole will call out prices to you. This may be difficult if you’re trying to stick to a budget. One time I brought her a stack of 45’s to price, and she did so while carrying on a phone call, shouting out to me every so often «We’re at $ 55 now,» «We’re up to $ 96,» etc. I wasn’t into that so much, especially since I only had about $ 20 to spend.
She also has a bunch of budget albums, some deal like 11 for $ 7 or 7 for $ 11 or something. I’m dying to go through them but I can never seem to hit the store during that lucky window when they’re open. Can’t tell you how many times I’ve actually driven up there on Saturday afternoon to find the place closed.
A study in frustration. I don’t have time for the idiosyncracy of this place, not when there are other good record shops in the area (Permanent Records in Eagle Rock, Rockaway in Silverlake, Penny Lane and Poo Bah in Pasadena) that keep posted hours during the week and know how to use a price gun. I suppose if this were the Central Valley and hers was the only store in a hundred-​mile radius, we’d all be lining up for her milkshake. Thankfully we have other, better options.
All this said, perhaps you’ll stumble in some time when she’s open and find the album (and the deal) of your life. You never know. For me, as I said, I just don’t have time to figure it out.
PS — she only takes cash.