Human Head Records — Local services in New York

I love a place where you can really dig and find some super surprising stuff-and this is usually that place, especially if you lean more toward soul, disco, house, techno and the like. I always leave with a decent stack of stuff; a few harder to find items and lots of fun stuff (all pretty reasonably priced). I will say, however, aside from when I’m being rung up at the register I have NEVER felt the staff to be nice, helpful or anything even close to good. In fact, I’ve visited the store at least three times and have never felt welcome. I’ve had unpleasant interactions with one of the main employees who plays records mostly in the back and complains about customers loud enough to be heard and seems annoyed when asked any question. I’ve been shopping at vinyl shops my whole life and I’m a pretty easy customer. I usually ask nothing and can find my way around. My first visit there, he made me so uncomfortable I cut my trip short. I was carefully holding my small stack of LPs to purchase , balanced on the bin next to where I was shopping. I was hurting none of the records in the bins or the stack I was buying, but after lots of sighing and looking at me funny he charged out from behind the turntables and barked at me in front of the entire store, “you know, we kinda built those ledges down there so you wouldn’t put records on top like that so why don’t you use them”. I was embarrassed and replied “oh, I didn’t know that was for that and I also didn’t want to have my stack of items below the bin for fear of you guys thinking I’m being shady or gonna steal. But Thanks for letting me know, that’s a great idea.”

He returned to the turntables but keep sighing loudly every time I moved to another row to peruse, as though I was taking too long or looking at too much. Weird. He then said “you don’t have to pull them all up you know “. And I was dumbfounded because as tightly as the records were packed, I don’t know how else you could read the inner label to see what was on the record without pulling them up some to peek.

I just. Checked out at that point. It really upset me and ruined my view of the store. I thought he was maybe having a bad day and the store is great so I went back a month or so later… and it wasn’t just the one day.

I love the stock and the price and layout, but get a friendlier staff. I spent a decent amount of money each time I went in and would spend more but I keep looking For other places to...

I had the pleasure of working with James from Human Head Records while cleaning out my mother’s home in preparation for its sale. It’s been a challenging time for our family following the unexpected and tragic passing of my father, and sorting through decades of belongings has been emotionally overwhelming. Among the things we uncovered were about eight milk crates filled with old vinyls, 45s, and 78s. Some of the records have been sitting untouched for over 2 decades.

I reached out to Human Head Records to see if they could help us determine whether any of them held value. James got back to me within 20 minutes and arranged a convenient in-home visit (we live in NYC). He stayed in touch via text that morning, confirmed our appointment, and kept me updated throughout the day on his arrival time.

James was kind, respectful, and clearly passionate about what he does. He took the time to explain his valuation process to my family and was genuinely excited about some of the records we had. It was evident he knows his stuff. After going through everything, we reached a fair agreement and completed the deal right on the spot.

The entire experience was easy, smooth, and unexpectedly enjoyable. I highly recommend reaching out to James and Human Head Records if you’re looking to sell or learn more about your vinyl collection. You’ll be in excellent hands!...

Human Head Records is one of my favorite record stores in NYC, hands down. I’m a regular both in-store and on their Discogs page, and every experience has been solid. The shop itself has that classic record store vibe, the smell of old vinyl, yes, even a little moldy at times, which I personally love :) and rows of crates you can get lost in for hours.

What really makes the place stand out is the team. D, who has helped me several times including today, deserves a big shout-out. He’s patient, super knowledgeable, and always has a great attitude. Today he went above and beyond being extra patient with my order, and I really appreciate that kind of service. Shops like this thrive because of people like him.

The stock here is fantastic, excellent condition, fair prices, and always something new to discover. I live in the Bronx and they are absolutely worth the trip out to Brooklyn. When I can’t make it in person, I also order from their Discogs page and the shipping is always smooth.

If you love vinyl, this is the kind of shop that makes collecting special. Great records, service, and always a great reason...