Unearth The Voyage
There is a small town in New Jersey where vinyl records never went out of style. Bordentown has quietly held onto something that most places let go of decades ago, and the proof is right on Farnsworth Avenue.
A record store here has been serving music lovers, collectors, and curious newcomers for over four decades, and it shows no signs of slowing down. The shelves are packed, the staff actually knows their stuff, and the back room holds thousands more records than you can see from the front door.
Whether you grew up with a turntable in the living room or you just bought your first record player last month, this place has something for you. Read on to find out what makes this New Jersey music haven worth the drive, and why so many collectors keep coming back year after year.
Where It All Happens: The Address and Setting
Right in the heart of historic Bordentown, New Jersey, The Record Collector sits at 358 Farnsworth Ave, Bordentown, NJ 08505. The store is part of a walkable stretch of shops that gives the town its old-school character, and the building fits right in with the neighborhood’s vintage personality.
Farnsworth Avenue is the kind of main street that still has real, locally owned businesses doing real business. The Record Collector is open Thursday through Monday, with hours running from 12 to 5 PM on most days and closing slightly earlier on Sundays at 4 PM.
Tuesday and Wednesday are the only days the doors stay closed.
The location is convenient for visitors coming from Philadelphia, Trenton, or the surrounding Burlington County area. Parking is straightforward, and the store is easy to spot once you know what you are looking for on that block.
Four Decades of Vinyl and Counting
Not many independent record stores can say they have been running for over 47 years, but The Record Collector can. That kind of staying power does not happen by accident.
It takes a genuine love for music, a loyal customer base, and owners who actually know what they are selling.
John and Sue, the owners, have built this store into something that goes well beyond a simple retail shop. Their knowledge of vinyl, rare pressings, and music history runs deep, and that expertise shows in every corner of the store.
Regulars who have been stopping in since the early days still make the trip, and new collectors discover the place every season.
The store has outlasted music trends, streaming services, and the rise and fall of the CD era. That track record alone tells you something meaningful about the community this place has built around itself over the years.
The Inventory: More Records Than You Can Count
The floor display at The Record Collector is already impressive, but it only scratches the surface of what the store actually holds. Staff members will tell you that there is a massive warehouse in the back stocked with close to one million LPs and CDs.
That number is not a typo.
The selection covers an enormous range of genres and eras. Classic rock, jazz, soul, country, pop, film scores, spoken word, and comedy records all have a place here.
You can find Brenda Lee next to Taylor Swift, or stumble across a Jack Kerouac spoken word album you never knew existed.
For collectors with niche interests, like film score vinyl, the depth here is genuinely hard to match. Many visitors who specialize in specific genres leave with multiple finds they had never encountered anywhere else before.
Always ask the staff if you do not see what you need on the floor.
Rare Pressings and Serious Collector Finds
The Record Collector is not just a casual browsing spot. It is also a serious destination for collectors who hunt rare and original pressings.
The store carries first pressings of historically significant albums, and some of those carry price tags that reflect their true collector value.
A first pressing of the Velvet Underground’s debut album, for example, is available for around one thousand dollars. That kind of inventory puts the store in a different category from most used record shops.
Not every record here is expensive, but the rare ones are priced to match their actual rarity and condition.
The owners are careful about what they buy and stock, focusing on quality condition and authentic pressings rather than filling bins with anything available. If you are a purist who wants the real thing and not a reprint, this is one of the more reliable places in the region to find it.
Pricing: What to Expect Before You Shop
Pricing at The Record Collector reflects the store’s focus on quality and rarity. Common albums and popular titles tend to run higher here than at some other used record shops, and that is worth knowing before you walk in.
The store stocks many original pressings and excellent-condition records, and those come at a premium.
That said, the store also offers a dollar ninety-nine bin on weekends, which is a real opportunity to find interesting records at a low cost. The condition in that bin may vary, but the selection often surprises people.
If you are on a budget, the weekend bin is the place to start.
The staff will also point out that they carry multiple copies of many titles, so if the first copy you find is priced high, there may be a less expensive version in stock. Asking is always worth it, and the team is straightforward about what they have available at different price points.
The Staff Experience: Friendly, Knowledgeable, and Genuinely Helpful
One of the things that keeps people coming back to The Record Collector is the staff. Sue, in particular, has a reputation for going out of her way to help customers, including checking the back warehouse for specific albums that are not on the floor.
That kind of personal service is rare anywhere, let alone at a small retail shop.
The team is knowledgeable and willing to talk music without making you feel like you need to pass a test first. Younger visitors who are new to vinyl collecting have noted feeling welcome rather than out of place, which matters a lot in a hobby that can sometimes feel exclusive.
John and Sue treat the store like it is their living room, and that attitude carries through to everyone who works there. The store has a welcoming energy that makes browsing feel comfortable, and the staff genuinely seems to enjoy helping people find what they are looking for.
Live Music Events That Made the Store a Community Hub
Over the years, The Record Collector has hosted a remarkable lineup of in-store concerts and live events. The back of the store transforms into a small performance space that has been compared to the intimate jazz clubs that used to fill Greenwich Village.
It is a tight, personal setting where the music feels immediate.
Past performers have included Peter Tork of The Monkees, Men Without Hats, Peelander-Z, Lisa Bouchelle, Bravo Utah, Kelly Carvin, Swift Technique, and Mystic Bowie. The store has also welcomed non-musical guests like voice actor Billy West from Futurama and comedian Raymond the Amish Comic for special appearances.
Kinky Friedman has performed there as well, drawing fans who made the trip specifically for that show. The event history at this store is genuinely impressive for a shop of its size, and it speaks to the cultural role The Record Collector plays in the Bordentown community.
Memorabilia, Collectibles, and Pop Culture Treasures
Records are the main event at The Record Collector, but they are far from the only thing worth browsing. The store carries a solid collection of music memorabilia and pop culture collectibles that go well beyond the vinyl bins.
Action figures, KISS merchandise, Beatles memorabilia, and other band-related items fill out the shelves.
For collectors who enjoy the physical artifacts of music history, this is a satisfying place to spend time. The memorabilia selection changes as new items come in, so repeat visitors often find something different on each trip.
Some pieces are genuinely rare finds that would be hard to track down elsewhere.
The store has been accumulating these items for nearly five decades, which means the depth of the collection reflects years of sourcing and buying. Even if you come in specifically for records, the memorabilia section is worth a look before you head to the register with your finds.
CDs Still Have a Home Here
At a time when CDs have nearly vanished from most retail stores, The Record Collector still stocks a strong selection of them. New and used CDs sit alongside the vinyl, giving shoppers options across different formats.
For listeners who prefer the CD format or are looking for specific titles, this is increasingly hard to find elsewhere.
The CD selection covers classic rock, pop, jazz, and other genres, with titles spanning multiple decades. Many of the CDs are in excellent condition, and the pricing follows the same general logic as the vinyl: quality is factored into the cost.
Used CDs in great shape are priced accordingly.
The store’s commitment to keeping CDs in stock reflects a broader philosophy about preserving physical music formats. Not everyone has made the full switch back to vinyl, and The Record Collector acknowledges that by keeping the CD section well stocked and well organized alongside everything else on the floor.
The Discogs Connection and Online Inventory
The Record Collector maintains an active presence on Discogs, the popular online marketplace for vinyl records and music media. This is genuinely useful for shoppers who want to check availability before making the trip, especially if they are hunting a specific title or pressing.
The store’s website at the-record-collector.com also provides information about the inventory and hours. Cross-referencing the Discogs page with what you are looking for can save time and help you plan your visit more efficiently.
The online listings reflect a significant portion of the stock, though the full warehouse inventory goes beyond what is listed at any given time.
For collectors who do not live nearby, the online presence also makes it possible to purchase without visiting in person. That said, browsing the physical store in person tends to turn up surprises that no online search would ever surface, which is part of what keeps people making the trip to Bordentown.
Music from the 60s, 70s, and 80s: The Core of the Collection
The heart of the collection at The Record Collector beats strongest in the classic rock and pop eras. Albums from the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s make up a large portion of the inventory, and the depth in those decades is hard to match at most stores of this size.
Big names and deeper catalog cuts sit side by side in the bins.
For anyone who grew up listening to music from those eras, browsing the floor here has a way of pulling up memories attached to specific albums and songs. The store stocks titles that were once common but have become harder to find in good condition as the years pass.
Even younger shoppers who come in without much background in classic music tend to leave with something. The staff is good at pointing people in the right direction based on what they already like, which makes the store accessible to collectors at every level of experience and age.
Planning Your Visit: Tips for Getting the Most Out of the Trip
A few practical things are worth knowing before you make the drive to The Record Collector. The store is open Thursday through Friday from noon to 5 PM, Saturday from noon to 5 PM, and Sunday from noon to 4 PM.
Monday also runs noon to 5 PM. Tuesday and Wednesday are closed, so plan accordingly.
The weekend dollar ninety-nine bin is a real highlight for budget shoppers, so Saturday is a good day to visit if you want to take advantage of that. Arriving with a list of titles you are looking for is smart, but leave room to browse freely because the best finds often come from albums you were not expecting.
Always ask the staff if you cannot find something on the floor. The warehouse holds far more stock than what is displayed, and the team is happy to check.
The store is at 358 Farnsworth Ave in Bordentown, and the trip is worth every mile.
