Vinyl Vault Records — Local services in Waukesha

I am new to the wonderful world of vinyl, sort of. Let's just say I took a 30yr. sabbatical. I did the whole CD, mp3 and streaming thing but now it's time to get back to quality audio. I happened to stumble across Vinyl Vault Records when in the area of lovely downtown Waukesha. I wasn't sure what to expect. It's a nice size shop with good inventory and who knows what gems I would find. I did find some great albums to expand my collection with the 2-visits that I've made and will be stopping back again today. Most importantly what I found was what I thought a record shop should be. People who have a passion for the wonderful world of vinyl and music in general. All of the other places that I have been to I'm just another guy off the street buying some records. Little to no interaction with the staff. Ok, that's what I expected. It wasn't personable. It's just a business transaction. That all changed on my first visit when I met Dan Schneiderman, owner. Here's a guy who has been collecting since he was nine, if I recall correctly, and he's 51. We chatted turntables, head cartridges and musical tastes plus Dan's background in owning another shop. It was an educational visit as well. Dan explained ways to improve the play of a record with the proper cleaner and ways to remove static electricity. Dan carries a REMARKABLE cleaner, Ledbetter. He actually did a demo for me as he cleaned a record to show me how well Ledbetter works. I was sold! I have now cleaned about 200 records and have about 1/3 of a bottle left. It goes a long way. Ledbetter's slogan is true....Your ears will thank you!. Very true! It's amazing how well this cleaner works and my albums are sounding fantastic.

Vinyl Vault will now be my go to shop in our area thanks to Dan and his warm / welcoming personality. It's all about customer service and creating a memorable experience. I know this all too well as I have had a successful career in residential remodeling. Word of mouth is gold. Create a memorable experience and you will be paid in dividends of continued growth.

My best to Dan and the staff at Vinyl Vault Records for continued growth and success. Here's to you guys for the memorable...

My family and I stopped into Vinyl Vault as a way to have our 12 year old and 10 year old introduced more to music. They both now have small record players in their rooms and we wanted them to see a record store and what it all was about.

The experience though was completely unexpected. We spent some time browsing with Dan (owner) asking us a few times if we had any questions. Once we started really chatting with him, I let him know that our kids just got their first record players and we truly want them to start listening to all types of music, not just the Spotify variety. Immediately Dan came from behind the counter, talked directly to my daughter about what music she liked, artists she knew and more. It was so amazing. Dan even took her over to the new vinyl section and talked to her about specific special albums, limited editions, etc. It was so great to see this type of interaction in todays retail world. As we finished up what turned into about 45 minutes in the store, Dan stepped up one more time. Again, straight with my daughter rather than to the parents, getting her involved in her music, he showed her how to clean her albums, gave her the right tools (no charge) and left my daughter in a state where she could not wait to get back and put on her record player the new albums she got.

I would say we have simply not had this great of a retail experience in store in forever. For anyone looking for a new spot...go here, talk to Dan and the others in store, you will not be disappointed. For Dan, thank you! My daughter literally came to me last night wanting to make sure she was cleaning her collection the right way, and all her and my son now want to do is listen to their records...not music from their phones! We will be...

There is nothing like a small business owner who genuinely cares about their customers. Admittedly, it’s a lot easier these days to buy vinyl online, but Dan makes the in-person visits worth it. I spent the past two Record Store Days at Vinyl Vault and Dan was prompt in answering questions and ordering special requests via Messenger. This year, the line started in the very early hours of the morning in about 30 degree temperatures and Dan was kind enough to bring hot chocolate, coffee, donuts, and allowed customers in line inside the shop to warm up for a few minutes before the store opened. I also greatly appreciate that Dan is welcoming of all music tastes. I’m a Taylor Swift fan, and I appreciate being met with the same respect and kindness as any other music lover rather than dismissed and talked down to. Even when I’ve reached out to Dan to ask about stock he didn’t have, he’s always immediately offered to make a special order if it’s possible. The handful of visits I have made to Vinyl Vault have reminded me how important it is to support small businesses when and where you can, and to enjoy the rare experience (these days) of shopping for physical copies of music. I will be back, and I will continue highly...