Records Per Minute

Should really be 2 and a half.
Records Per Minute isn’t bad, exactly, but it’s not really good either. As LPs have become more popular, they have become correspondingly more expensive in many stores. In and of itself, this is not a bad thing. This has given record companies a strong incentive to re-​release old classics on to vinyl, sometimes in thicker pressings that give them a better sound quality.
Unfortunately, the run-​away effect in price is getting out of hand, and that’s a lot of that in this store. They do have a $ 2 section and there are certainly a great many records there, but if I had to hazard a guess it’s picked over often enough that your odds of finding a gem are pretty small. It’s a lot of stuff that people don’t want.
Then there are the new releases, and to their credit they do have a great many of those. However, the prices for some of them are simply ridiculous. $ 30 for a copy of Go to Heaven by the Grateful Dead? It actually got a little better for the brand-​new stuff (only $ 25 for Veckatimest by Grizzly Bear), but still. You can find other record stores that are at least a little bit better than that.
Lastly, the selection in certain genres is pretty thing. They have a lot of used Jazz, but the big-​name, high quality stuff is very thin in terms of offerings.

Best spot in Columbus for those in the know. RPM is everything you can want in a record store and more. RPM’s selection is second to none in this city. They have an impressive array of gig posters to go along with their numerous box sets and new and imported vinyl gems. They also carry a wide range of gear, from the entry level turntables, to top performing ones from Projekt and Rega, RPM also has a constantly rotating selection of great refurbed tables as well.
Did I mention the vinyl? If RPM doesn’t have it, they can get it in no time. Last trip in I grabbed a ton of early top-​quality condition Factory releases, and a super limited Pixies box set (no one else in town would even try to stock something of that nature). The space is well lit, clean and very well organized. Steve (the owner) and Ian, can always turn you on to something you’ll enjoy. I never leave without a few titles tucked under my arm.

The ultimate. Plentiful stock of everything you could imagine. Here, you’ll find an extensive collection of weird shoegaze pressings, catalogs of classic ambient albums on Japanese import, countless old crates prime for digging, among other super interesting rock-​oriented finds. Prices are unbeatable and Steve (owner) is the nicest, most enthusiastic guy you’ll ever meet. Seriously. Best in Columbus for new wax.

most all of the $ 2 records would be $ 1 records anywhere else.
they do a 6 for $ 10 deal though.
lots of new vinyl.

I wanted a new turntable — an upgrade for my system. Steve was a great help. Ended up with the Pro-​Ject Debut Carbon. It sounds better than I hoped. Plus, I picked up some new vinyl while there. Always a great experience at RPM!

The reviews by David W. and Brandi H. pretty much say it all. Clean store, well organized, great $ 2 bins. Worth stopping by frequently as the owner continually restocks everything from the $ 2 albums to new releases. Cool concert posters, collectibles, turntables and other stuff for sale on the walls, shelves, and in all the bins. Any music lover could easily spend a day or so here. Great prices (and if you aren’t familiar with the going rate for new vinyl, then my advice is look around and find out for yourself). After comparing all the other options, I think you’ll find that if you start shopping here first, you’ll tend to save yourself some time and trips elsewhere.

I had high hopes for this place. I kept coming back. Now I’ve stopped. The selection is large and there is something to be said about the bootleg collection there, but the prices are unreasonable. New vinyl and collectible are just too expensive.
There is a large selection of poor condition vinyl available — last time I was there the condition was not marked — so you have to take it out and check it (see my next comment).
The business practices seem a little off too. Had an issue where the owner barked at us for trying to open a used, but sealed vinyl. Got it home, found that it was warped (unplayable) took it back, had a frustrating conversation just to return it. Brought up that he wouldn’t let us open it. Didn’t seem to care that me being put out to travel back down to his store was an avoidable inconvenience had he let me open it in the first place. He did finally accept the return but after the frustrating conversation I didn’t quite feel like being there. Returned another time to be ran out of the store promptly 10 minutes before closing time.
Head on up the street to Lost Weekend Records or one street over to Elizabeth’s records for a much better selection and experience.

I love this place. I had hundreds of LPs and 45’s that they went through thoughtfully and carefully. I feel like my old vinyl has found a great home.

I found several used records here at decent prices. Good selection of both new and used vinyl.

Records Per Minute is probably the closest approximation to Rob Fleming/Gordon’s Championship Vinyl, and walking into it feels exactly like stepping into the world of High Fidelity, except that Echo & The Bunnymen are making albums again.
Although I tend to enjoy the haphazardness of most record stores, RPM’s clean and easily navigable layout make getting in and out convenient (though more than likely, if you are a music geek, you will kill quite a bit of time here). About half of the space is taken up by used vinyl selling for $ 2 a pop, and while I didn’t find much of anything to be desired here, I’m sure someone with more patience and time to kill would find some good rewards to reap. The new vinyl selection is truly deserving of admiration, with a healthy mix of the classics (Pixies, The Cure, The Jesus and Mary Chain), the modern (Arcade Fire, Deerhunter), and the lost gems (The Chills, Trashcan Sinatras). That doesn’t even cover the R&B and hip-​hop sections. Prices tend to range anywhere from $ 15 to $ 60, but are generally reasonable given that many of the titles are imported. Additionally, the store carries CDs, turntables, and miscellany that are worth a look.
With some extra cash and a couple of hours to kill, Records Per Minute is a destined Old North gem.

Besides a $ 2 bin of things actually worth at least $ 2, there’s a great selection of new stuff and always an on-​point recommendation at the ready by the proprietor. Zero pretension, have to stop myself from going in EVERY single time I pass by and that’s A LOT.

As far as record stores go, RPM gets all the stars.
My least favorite part of searching through stacks of used vinyl is the allergy affect most record stores seem to curse me with. There’s so much dust, my eyes and throat are itchy and irritated and my nose goes berserk. It’s no fun. But places like that tend to have a pretty good selection, at least in my experience. I’ve been to other record stores that are nice and neat and fresh (vs chaotic, cluttered, and the feeling that you’re in a hoarder’s basement) but they seem to lack the good used records and have 5 million copies of the same Bread album.
RPM marries these two breeds of record store in a beautiful, organized space that has records on records, most priced at only $ 2.00. Most of my used vinyl has cost me more around $ 4.00 and $ 5.00. The assistant manager was helpful and friendly and very knowledgeable, well-​dressed, and not bad on the eyes ;) Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy the grizzled, apathetic, grunting record store dude just as much as the next guy, but it was nice to not feel either like you were wasting this guy’s time or the alternative, getting sucked into a 45 minute conversation about the history of floor speakers.
My favorite part of the space was easily the gorgeous brick archway dominating the back of the store. New vinyl was fairly priced and there was a section with nicer used albums that were worth more than the $ 2 of many of their compatriots. They had their fair share of 5 million copies of Elton John’s Friends in the $ 2 sections and I wasn’t having any luck there (which makes up most of the inventory but I was looking for pretty specific stuff), so I stuck to the $ 3 and over section and walked away very happy.
They were also selling CDs and DVDs in the back as well as some receivers and other random things. They had some pretty awesome local show posters on the walls and of course were spinning records the whole time. The assistant manager even had to stall ringing someone out (on an iPhone of course) because he said you can’t have a quiet record store. True that.
This place rocks.

I can only think of one other vinyl store in Columbus that has a larger selection than RPM. They have so many quality $ 2 records and there $ 3 and up section is very good. The owner is very knowledgable about classic rock and 90s. Highly recommended.

Records Per Minute is a great record store. Not only do they have an excellent selection of vinyl — new, used, rare, local, etc — but they also have a nice selection of gear to listen to your wax on. Steve, the owner, has a superior knowledge of his catalog and he also has great suggestions on some other ear candy that you never knew you might be interested in. The location is great too, right in the heart of Clintonville’s live music area (Kobo, and Ace of Cups). It’s street parking only, but it’s always pretty plentiful.

It all started when I drove by on my way to class and it was always closed, it wasn’t till one sat morning me and my fiancé were eating breakfast at Jack and Benny’s (which is amazingly close) and viola it was open! We had a wait for breakfast so we headed over to flip through some vinyl. We got sucked in and almost missed breakfast! This shop was clean and well lit. The organization was superb and steve was super friendly. My favorite was how he has a couple of demo stations where you can preview your purchase. Around the perimeter of the store every thing is 2 bucks! And in the middle is a vast 45 collection that is easy to get lost, this store is amazing three thumbs up and has started me and my fiancés breakfast and record day

What a great place. Very good selection of records and a very cool old building. You’ll find new vinyl, rare vinyl and everything in between, including a daunting 45 collection just begging you to spend a day with it, leafing through hidden treasures. They also have live music from time to time with the bands playing on just the other side of the brick archway at the end of the shop. If this were in my neighborhood, I would love to hang out here all the time, but it’s also worth it to drive across town for.