Record Krate

Since the Record Krate opened, it’s managed to become my favorite shop in Raleigh. The selection is great, and the owner Kirk is one of the friendliest guys I’ve ever met.
You’ll find classic rock, hair metal, blues, jazz, and classical. You won’t see a lot of newer stuff, but there’s a section for that too. Most records are in great shape, Kirk will tell you otherwise at checkout. There’s a large section of unsorted, cheap vinyl too if you want to spend some time digging for gems. Most recently, around the holidays, there was a great Christmas vinyl selection on display; by far the best selection I saw anywhere in the Triangle.
One of the awesome quirks/​perks is there’s a loyalty card that gets you fun things. On my most recent trip, I scored a pair of (cheap) sunglasses for spending over $ 25. There were also free records/​cassettes outside up-​for-​grabs on my way out.
The prices are good, and everything’s organized in the shop except for the bargain bins and new arrivals. The only thing that could be improved is the hours (closing at 4 in the winter), but I can work around that.

Record Krate offers a great selection at very reasonable prices, and Kirk was super friendly and helpful. The entrance faces the parking lot at the corner of Saint Mary’s and Johnson.

Great collection with the potential for a lot of really cool finds. They are also super helpful and friendly. We will definitely come back. Only had time to get through half of the store.

My 16yo is into vinyls and couldn’t wait to find more at Record Krate. The store is cozy, but staff is super friendly and helpful. It’s also very well-​organized. We scored The Wall, Tony Bennett and Count Basie for her… and The Commodores for me (lol).

Clean nice selection and very helpful. Only reason why 4 stars is because its pretty cramped but maybe eventually they can afford to expand!

Great selection. They had everything I asked for and more from every genre. The store was nearly organized which allowed me to look for what I wanted easily. Shop owners will point you in the right direction, should you need it. Store is tucked away in a parking lot, down some stairs. A hidden gem. They’ll also play it for you if you ask. Ill definitely be back!

Much of this store’s inventory seems to have been preserved in amber for the last 20 – 25 years. I flipped past a lot of these same LPs dozens of times in the late 80s and early 90s: second-​string releases by popular (or semi-​popular) artists of the 80s, but almost none of the real classics. Prices seemed on the high side, too.
This is the first used record store I’ve visited since I moved to Raleigh and I hope this isn’t typical of the market around here. Maybe this is all indicative of the current levels of interest in vinyl. If so, I guess I’ll have to wait a few years until today’s college students and hipsters get sick of hauling their LPs from apartment to apartment and sell them all.

A quirky vintage shop with records galore! I was in the mood to go crate digging on a fine spring Saturday & stumbled upon Record Krate thanks to Unilocal.
Initially, my friend & I were digging through the alphabetized section & realized the genre sections were in the other room (by the checkout counter). I was in the mood for jazz & soul & my wants & needs were met! I stocked up on so many jazz records, six: Ella Fitzgerald, one: The Blackbyrds & one: Miles Davis. While the covers weren’t in great shape, (hey, they’re old!), the records were in fine shape. The bulk of my choices were $ 8 each, but the price varies on each record.
The shop is neat & organized & has that musty, vintage smell.
Parking is an issue, so be mindful of that. Also, look at the basement level to find the store (in the back of the building).

Great selection of used vinyl records, from classic rock to more psych and garage rock, def make a stop here if you’re in the area. Free & easy parking in any of the «RP» spots outside. Excellent prices to boot!

So I’m on the hunt for some old R & B vinyl and find Record Krate on Unilocal.Easier than actually finding the shop. Be diligent, though, this is an amazing find. Bins of vinyl covering all genres. Brought back fond memories of shopping at The Record Bar in my teen years. Loved it. Will return.

This is the cleanest and friendliest record store I’ve found in Raleigh! The people in the store make wonderful recommendations and are very helpful. They’ll gladly play anything you want to listen to on their very nice turntable — no matter how odd or awful the record you request!

Killer customer service and even better vinyl. Don’t miss out on the bargain bins!

Great selection and a noteworthy $ 1 bins selection
Really organized for being in the basement of a building. Parking can be a pain though since it’s really limited. They even had old school books and vintage band stickers (so tempted to buy an Oasis one). The main guy who runs the place is really friendly and talks to the customers throughout the store. He even offered free holiday records from a bin by the register, as his gift to the customer. Granted, the records weren’t incredible finds, but the gesture was greatly appreciated.
Just like any other quirky record store with music-​obsessed older folk running the place.

This is a great store and the owner is very knowledgeable and very nice. He remembers his customers and what they like. Very good selection and great prices, especially compared to some other record stores in the area. Highly recommended!