Origami Vinyl

Our search for the perfect vinyl shop continued and Origami Vinyl was next on the list. I’m not going to lie. When I first walked in I had really high expectations. It wasn’t the reviews nor the décor of the place but the friendly staff and fact that they had A LOT of new vinyl on here made it really promising.
While they have a lot of variety in terms of rock, indie, jazz, and electronica I think what makes this place a bit of a turn off for me are the prices. Granted the majority of vinyl this place offers is NEW (I mean brand-​spanking sealed new) but paying $ 15 for a Tame Impala record that has ONE single with FOUR different versions of the SAME song for that price make me wonder if they up the price simply because they’re in Silver Lake and figure people will cough up the money for it.
I mean regardless, you can spend your money how you want it but if you’re like me and don’t mind a good conditioned record with minimal wear but plays fantastic, you might want to check out another location.

Ideal record store located in the Silver Lake/​Echo Park area. The store frequently holds in store performances, but the real treasure is owner Neil’s knowledge and collection of contemporary vinyl. Whether it’s picking up a 7″ single or finding a used copy of a recent release, there are plenty of cool treasures waiting to be discovered. I wish more record stores were as cool as this place.

Small… But mighty!!!
It’s true, if you come into Origami looking for the same behemoth of albums that other larger stores nearby house you’ll be unsatisfied. However, if you are looking for an album that you haven’t been able to find at one of LA’s 4273 other record stores, you won’t be upset.
That being said, If you’re guessing that Origami is one of those «LA record stores with albums of bands that sound familiar but maybe not but yes» you are correct. The difference between Origami and those other stores lies in two great things: the helpful staff and the fact that in addition to «those» albums for there’s also a solid selection of some great albums of bands that are excellent additions to any collection. So yes, they carry Elliott Smith and N.W.A. Also, keep your eyes peeled for weirdness, it’s usually on the wall, to the left.
The one thing origami is not good for is digging for dusty albums. There is a small selection of older albums but if you want to dig, there are a lot of other places to do that. Sorry.
Also, the store hosts some events and sells tickets to nearby shows. If you want to get linked into the music scene in LA, Origami is a great resource for that.
If your first visit leaves you dissapointed, I’d highly advise giving it another shot. I first visited about four years ago and left empty-​handed and turned off by the small size. Fortunately, I took another gamble and have since returned many times with albums I haven’t been able to locate anywhere else.

Quoting California B&P Code, 12 024.2:
It is unlawful for any person, at the time of sale of a commodity, to do any of the following:
(1) Charge an amount greater than the price, or to compute an amount greater than a true extension of a price per unit, that is then advertised, posted, marked, displayed, or quoted for that commodity.
(2) Charge an amount greater than the lowest price posted on the commodity itself or on a shelf tag that corresponds to the commodity, notwithstanding any limitation of the time period for which the posted price is in effect.
Origami Vinyl does not believe in following the letter of California law, or at the least providing adequate customer service in the face of an error on the part of the business. After browsing their slim selection for around 40 minutes and mulling over some options I came upon a copy of Bill Callahan’s ‘Dream River’ priced at $ 13 dollars plain as day. I’d been hoping to purchase something by Callahan lately and felt elated at the good find. Bringing the record up to the sales clerk she informed me that I owed Origami Vinyl $ 22 and some change, I immediately pointed out the $ 13 dollar sticker on affixed to the record. Instead of realizing her error and offering me the posted price she peeled off the sticker without a second thought, erasing the offending error, and offered me 10% off the «new» price as if this was some sort of favor and not a slap in the face to a customer who had spent nearly an hour pouring over the cramped selection specifically in search of some great deal amid the stacks. I felt robbed on the spot and slowly said, ‘That’s not cool’. The sales girl merely sat there as I made a swift exit without purchasing anything at all.
I’ll be avoiding any future purchases here after experiencing such short sightedness in an attempt to pride profit before any sense of respect for the customer base. If anybody from Origami Vinyl reads this and has any interest in winning back a customer who formerly couldn’t stop singing the praises on the behalf if their record store, I’d still like to purchase ‘Dream River’ but at the original $ 13 posted price, I’d feel absolutely won over by such a gesture. Until then I live right here in Los Angeles, leaving me with ample options for buying vinyl without visiting Origami Vinyl ever again.

I’m not impressed. They’re doing what they can but for me there is little magic here. If you wanna buy a fancy box set in a store, go here. They will love you for it and be super nice. I stop by sometimes when it’s empty, that’s my favorite environment to dig, but I feel uninspired. The records in boxes underneath the alphabetized catalogue, that’s what I love. I just wanna tear through those boxes, I wanna find a couple good deals, unexpected vibes, checkout, begone. Here, there’s no room for that. It’s stiff. Pulling out one box onto the floor would block the way. It’s not fun. If you wanna go somewhere and pretend you’re digging through records, again, this is the place for you. Actually it’s a niche record store, like buying records off some hipster’s iPod. And it’s like they’re watching you browse. I get a chill from the owners. Eventually when I don’t buy anything I get what amounts to a glare in comparison to the light, hopeful hello they put on me when I walked in, tryna butter me up, I don’t think so. Keep your cherished collection, I’ll buy online if I want something truly brand new, not that ratty, still sealed but dusty and creased Nosaj album I saw. I woulda bought that, but it just didn’t look worth it.

Well… If it’s good enough for Sleater Kinney, It’s good enough for me!
Was here last week for a record release singing — and was very pleased with how well they accommodated the very large number of people that came. The guy at the door actually stopped me to get an extra thing signed for me that I did not request for fear of holding up the line.
These guys love music, know music and share that expertise with the neighborhood.
This long /​narrow record store resides next to the Echo on Sunset — and provides lovers of vinyl disks a small but well curated selection of precious music gems.
This is the respectful, loving way records should be bought — each album feels much more important than it does when you click ‘BUY’ on iTunes.
Love Live Origami.

Meh. Very small, I feel very claustrophobic every time I’m inside there. The selection is not varied & the service? Always aloof, always pretentious. I live in Echo Park, I get it but C’mon! A smile goes a long way. I’m doing YOU a favor as a paying customer not the other way around!

Great selection of vinyl.
Free in-​store shows.
Enough said.
Support local record stores!

De La approved!

I really wanted to like this place, because I love cool little music stores. And the dog was super cute :) But though I love alternative music, there was nothing in this store for me. It was all hipster music – you know, the bands no one has ever heard of – and once they have achieved more than 50 listeners, the hipsters abandon them because they are too mainstream. That is the music this store sells. Seriously, despite many years of loving alt rock, and even being a college radio dj, there was nothing here I’d ever heard of. That is just pretentious. And their used lps (yes, this is the correct word, hipster boys and girls, not «vinyls») were all jammed underneath the bins, pressed tightly together – how is one to read the spines in this dim shop? Guess I am too old for this place :(

A bit pricey with a very «hipster» collection. Although they do have $ 1 and $ 5 albums for sale below the racks. Overall cool spot to check out though.

This is the great little record store that could. Though their retail space is small, they make the most of what they have to work with. Here you’ll find a nice selection of hard to find vinyl, a great mix of musical genres and styles. If you are looking for something specific not on hand, their very friendly and knowledgeable staff is more than happy to assist in finding just what you’re looking for. Origami also hosts live in-​store musical performances, which is no small feat considering how little they have to work with. Intimate without feeling claustrophobic :) They also sell concert tickets to most local music venues without the exorbitant surcharges associated with Ticketmaster (Burn Ticketmaster! Burn!). I highly recommend Origami for their prices and great staff, this place is a gem!

Thanks Origami for having the tickets I’ve been running all over town in search of without paying the crazy ticket vendor fee.
I was looking for tickets for The Mavericks @ The Fonda. Online the fee is something like $ 13/​ticket and the tickets are only $ 38. There’s no box office @ The Fonda, except for night of tickets at night (boo). Their outgoing message sent me to Amoeba Music, which was sold out and Amoeba sent me to Echo Park and Origami. I called first to see if they had tickets and the answered, quickly looked up stock and I headed over.
NOTE: Tickets are only sold for cash. The same woman who answered the phone (apologies I didn’t get your name!) apologized for not letting me know ahead of time, but directed me to two nearby ATMs.
Very helpful and kind. Thank you Origami!

This is one of those places you can walk into and fall into the stacks for hours; good music will be playing, the sweetest boxer walks around and collects pets, and there’s a pretty interesting and eclectic selection of records covering such a wide range of music. There’s some really hard to find stuff here and the used section here is affordable and will help you grow your collection while also getting something really cool and one of a kind at the same time. The owner of the shop and his employees know their stuff and I overheard them calling customers personally when new albums came in or special orders had arrived. Great customer service and a really relaxing and positive atmosphere in here. Love!

Origami Vinyl is a cool spot for sure.
The guy working inside is nice and his giant dog is adorable and very friendly.
Wide selection of bins to browse through, everything nice and organized.
Upstairs there is a space for in-​stores.

Stopped by this little place to purchase a ticket to a show.
I didn’t really get to look around at all the records
but I really liked the vibe of this place. There was
a dog that kind of hung out around the door way,
but don’t worry. she was super über sweet. :)
I’d like to come back to explore this place some more!
BTW, I parked on the street, meters=bring change!

For the tiny, immaculate and unique space that Origami occupies, it possesses a very high rate of win per capita. Their selection is perfectly, if not eerily well-​organized. There is a good selection of punk and indies, though most of their store showcases newer, sealed records. While they might not have that Dokken b-​side you’re looking for, I bet you’ll find something to pry your cash from your wallet. They had Rocket From the Crypt vinyl, so maybe my review is biased based on such a stellar find.
Pretentious? A little. But so am I. So fuck yeah, check this place out, especially if your’re next door at Masa. Or vice versa.

A friend and I went here for the free Dum Dum Girls record release performance and I’ll have to return– very cool indie record store with a loft area for live performances. Definitely makes for an intimate performance.

You don’t have to be a record junkie to enjoy this place! The staff are super chill and can/​will talk music with you. Tell ‘em a few bands you’re into, and they’re like Pandora minus the commercials. They’ll turn you onto some good stuff you probably wouldn’t have discovered on your own in a million years!
If you actually DO own a record player, then ya, they have quite the selection, so I’ve heard. Over 100 by the looks of it!
I’ve seen a few bands play here also. It’s such a cool venue because the band plays like 20 ft. above you. It’s wild, you just check it out at least once!

Rad.