PJ's Used Records

I really like this place. Something about 2nd floor record stores - they just feel right. PJ's is a bit more cramped than Wazoo up the road and a lot more cramped than Flat, Black & Circular in East Lansing, but they have packed a lot in here. To the right on entering is a pretty chaotic classical and bargain area. They'd just priced a jazz and blues collection when I got there last and I walked out with some nice old (colored vinyl) pressings of Brubeck on Fantasy, a Coltrane album, and some other stuff all for $1 a piece and highly playable.

A lot of their stuff seems priced pretty high, especially their "audiophile" area near the back wall by the reggae. But a lot of these albums ARE fantastic and in incredible shape. And speaking of their reggae section: it's probably the best in Michigan. And priced pretty low. I found a sealed Eric Donaldson album there for $10 that regularly sells used for $70-$100, and most other albums are near or below discogs pricing (and definitely in better average shape).

I don't know why the chatty owners would turn you off of this place. They talk to each other incessantly about sports, music, UofM and any other random thing that pops into their heads, but they leave you alone if you're not in to small talk. They'll also put anything on you want to listen to so long as they don't hate it, so if their talking does put you off, ask to hear something you do want to listen to.

They're a bit off the beaten track, but you can usually find a free parking spot in the residential area across the street (especially in the summer). They get a lot less foot traffic than Encore, Wazoo, or Underground too, so they really appreciate the business. Stop in and support these guys and find a few good deals.

The best thing about P.J.'s is the atmosphere, with the selection of used CDs coming in second.

P.J.'s is a small independent record store in the upstairs of a building near the Ali Baba restaurant.  Parking is awful, so be prepared to park several blocks away and walk, or take the bus. But once upstairs, it's a fun store packed from wall to wall with CDs and records.

It's not the most inexpensive music you'll ever buy. Even the used CDs may set you back up to $5 or $6 each, so it's not as cheap as hitting up the garage sale down the street. But when they buy used CDs, they make sure they are in good condition, so your purchase won't be scratched and unplayable, and that's nice. I picked up a used copy of "Nothing's Shocking" by Jane's Addiction and the CD and the liner were in pristine condition.

A hidden gem in my mind. Expect the selection to be in excellent condition inside and out. Great atmosphere and knowledge of staff is excellent.

This indie store is a super-organized small space crammed with vinyl LPs and CDs (and a few bins of afterthought 45s) at fair prices, hosted by an owner with encyclopedic knowledge and a steel trap memory.

If only they had a larger space to do business! The corners where the LP shelves meet overlap a bit making access difficult. The 45s were in bins stacked atop the LPs and we blocked aisles looking through them.

Still, you will likely find a gem or two in this shop where the love of music and respect for the collection is impressive.

The staff is great, they always have really good stories to tell.

Good selection, very well kept.  Some of the new vinyl is more expensive than other places in town.

Love the funkiness of this place.  True vintage Ann Arbor.  Great prices, too.  Found Pavarotti and The Three Tenors CD's that will help make our Italian dinner party delightful.

When I walked in I could see the place was packed with records - so the old LP's I wanted to recycle might not be of much interest. The owner came down to the car, had a quick look and told me the jackets needed to be in better condition than mine were to sell. Struggled to give me advice on what else I could do with them. When I said then that it was probably the end of the road for the records,  he seemed grieved but accepting. Tactful, friendly and honest.

I hadn't been here in 10 years, in my experience the owner
pays the least for used music than the other 3 used music stores in town, and that last time i was selling him music  his mail showed up at same time. He started to slowly go through his mail, and i mean slowly, knowing that i was there all along, i scooped up my stuff and went
down the street. Last week he had a rare stooges album i wanted,
and we was the only one in town that had it, so i asked him to hold it
for me, and i asked what time he opened. he said 10am, and i was there the next day at 10, no show. He finally shows up 10:20, no apology, no explanation. Then when i was waiting he slowly went about opening the
store, and started to mutter something to me about being patient.
You can't run a business like you're doing someone a big favor dealing with them.

PJ's fills the somewhat unnecessary niche between Encore (used crate-digging) and Wazoo/Underground Sounds (mostly new with a decent selection of used). The 2nd-story PJ's is a tightly-packed room full of new and used vinyl, with a moderate amount of CDs in one section of the store. It's not quite the crate-diggers paradise of Encore, but it certainly invites a browse.

The biggest draw, of course, is the vinyl. PJ's clearly makes an effort to get new, high-quality (the owner apparently refers to 180g and remastered material as "hi-tech") vinyl releases spanning many genres. Flipping through the new stuff revealed bands from a variety of genres: Pearl Jam, Stevie Wonder, John Coltrane, Tool, Animal Collective, Sufjan Stevens, Radiohead, etc. The racks of used records are substantial as well, clearly catering to collectors and fans.

The biggest issue with PJ's is the prices. They are simply too high for both new and used records. While I like supporting local businesses, I can do that at Wazoo or Underground for $5+ cheaper (or more) for most new releases, especially on the really expensive 4xLP stuff. The used material is also a bit ridiculous in price, even if it is in very good shape most of the time.

I bought 3 albums on my trip to PJs because they weren't crazily overpriced. Be aware that if you want to quickly get in and out of the store, PJ's is not your place. The owner hand-writes an EXTREMELY DETAILED receipt for his own records and then re-writes that information on your receipt, so the checkout process takes way longer than it should, in my opinion.

I'd guess that PJ's caters to a slightly different client than me. I'm not really a crate digger or a record collector, I just like to get music that I like on vinyl. Sometimes that's old, sometimes it's a new release. I just want a good price and a good selection. PJ's seems like the kind of place where a record geek would go and chat with the guy working there for a good half hour and not care that it took 5 minutes to get his records rung up. But like I said, I don't really see where PJ's fits into my music consumption when I have wazoo, underground, and encore.

PJ's is great, but prepare to spend some time there!!
mostly because one of the owners talks a lot. and boy does he have stories. if you do have time prepare to be amused and hear some great stories about just about any album you pick up!

the store is tiny, prices are average. they have a lot of new stuff, so some of the records are not at used prices which threw me a curve until i figured it out. there are great tapes, cd's and boxed sets as well, mostly all used. i really appreciate the tapes since my vehicle isn't high tech.

i squealed with delight when i found a crate below the register counter of album innards for sale. the squealing can be mostly attributed to finding a giant fold out poster of prince and and the revolution. the rest was because i found the innards to 'songs in the key of life'.... stevie will be on my wall soon.

you can find good stuff in the cheap / sale sections and some rare finds as well. the jazz selection looked super fun but i didn't peruse it on this particular visit.

parking is non-existent... meters are the closest thing. bring cash if you dont plan on spending anything or much... you will hear about it if you make a $10 sale on a credit card!!
overall a nice shop.