Papa Jazz Record Shoppe

Haylie

2024-04

I’ve bought so many CD’s from here. Always a great selection, especially for rock, metal, and alternative. They also have a great selection of new records.

Scottie Evans

2024-03

This store is amazing. The absolute best selection of vinyls in Columbia. The staff is friendly and helpful. This place passes all the vibe checks. Stop in and see for yourself.

William Blake Hawkins

2023-11

Exceptional experience at this Columbia gem! The staff's deep knowledge and genuine passion for music shine through. An impressive selection caters to diverse tastes. Clean, cozy ambiance made my visit delightful. Will be back for more musical treasures! 🎶

leah witt

2024-04

They found CD's that mean so much to me; that are part of the memories I shared with my son. They were quick and reassuring concerning the quality.

Josh Townsend

2023-11

Fantastic shop! Was in Columbia, SC for work and stopped by that evening. Friendly staff and phenomenal collection. If you've got time, dig through the bins. There's some great deals if you take the time to look!

BRIAN GRAY

2024-04

Great business and one of a kind yet unique record store.

Extrachrispy 85

2023-10

This store is awesome! The selection is always too notch (I almost always find some unexpected gem) and if you are big into vinyl, CDs or even DVDs, THIS is the place to go! Super friendly staff, too!

Franklin Rogers

2023-10

Great place to buy records, horrible place to sell. Throws you a number off the top of the head after looking at packaging and vinyl itself. No research done to determine actual value. I don’t care about the price markup afterwards because sure you have to make money but why not actually make a fair offer based on condition, pressing etc. not just what one guy thinks he can get away with offering

Jeff Caughtyou

2024-01

Awesome customer service, a magnificent selection of vinyls and, CD' s. Great place for music.

Jim L.

2019-05

The best place to get vinyl in the Cola area. They have a wide selection to choose from. I have been going to Papa Jazz for over 20 years for my music and they haven't changed a bit. They also carry CDs if you're not into vinyl. They sell everything from pop, metal, hip-hop, and, most importantly, local artists. The people that work there are great and are always willing to help. Do like me and go to Papa Jazz and get lost looking for albums you didn't even know you needed.

Chelsea Croft

2024-04

Love these guys! Also super helpful and always giving new music to listen to.

Barnett Greenberg

2024-03

Great record store! Awesome service and selection! Top notch and recommended!

Chris Mixon

2023-05

A beloved local institution that’s been doing it right for 40+ years. The most recent releases and, bar none, the best used selection I’ve ever seen. Staffed by legitimate music fans and musicians alike, these folks know what they’re doing. If they don’t have it and can get it for you, they will. If you see something used that goes up on their daily posts, call them, they’ll hold it for you. The alluring smell of decades old vinyl? They’ve got it 🙂Everything you could possibly want in a used record store. Truly a treasure. Highest recommendation.

Chase Hastings

2023-05

The best place in Soda City for vinyl. Fair prices, incredibly knowledgeable staff, and a mix of new and old. If they don’t have something they always offer to order it for you. Definitely a gem of the city

Keltsey Jacob

2022-05

Intimate shop with great selection. Staff is knowledgeable, and cares about providing quality vinyl, etc. Would recommend a visit to this local favorite!

ASHLEY BURT

2023-05

Great service and selection. They can/will order anything you need and most of the time arrives in just a few business days. Limited parking because it's in 5 points, and not for the claustrophobic, the place is small and has records everywhere. Best place in Columbia for vinyl, hands down.

Nicholas Torre

2024-02

Great selection, good prices and friendly employees.

Seth Yeun

2023-05

I was very happy that one of the employees was knowledgeable on music from and relating to the Goth subculture! I picked up quite a few CDs and will definitely be back for more. Employees are nice and the music that plays in store was enjoyable as well.

Carl Hilton

2021-05

I grew up going to record shops like this. I like digging in racks and crates for the good stuff. I like buying local first. They can usually find about 75% of what I'm looking for.Their trade prices are fair, their purchase prices are reasonable. Special orders usually arrive next day, and they are reasonably priced as well. The staff is knowledgeable and fun to talk to. Parking can be dicey during the weekdays, but you can usually find a spot. Never had a problem on the weekend.

Jim Small

2023-05

One of the best music stores you'll ever find. A broad selection with something for everyone, and a knowledgeable staff that will help you find the record you need and the one you didn't know you needed until now! Great prices and great selection.

Brian Hunt

2024-04

So glad they made it through the MP3 era. Long live vinyl!

I.DIG.WAX.

2021-05

A great record store. They had a. great CD selection which is mostly what I buy. Didn't really get a chance to look through the vinyl. I liked the old school vibe and music that was playing while I was there, which ranged from electronic music to The Commodores. The staff was extremely nice, personable, and interested in talking music. One of the best record stores I've been to all around.

e mckelvey

2023-05

The only thing I can say is that Papa Jazz is constantly the best record store that I have ever been to. The selection is always great and the used section is always fairly priced and very conservatively graded for the better. What some stores call VG+ Papa Jazz will grade it a VG or a VG- and ask a very fair price. I buy from a bunch of different places but most of my collection has come from Papa.

Kevin Oliver

2023-05

I've been shopping at Papa Jazz for 35 years and never been disappointed in the selection and the surprising finds. Even in the vinyl revival we're in these days, it's not hard to find affordable, good stuff in the bins.

Rory Bowman

2023-05

cutest little shop! love the vibe and had very kind employees. Very pleasant experience. They have older artists as well as new and all organized in alphabetical order. Looking forward to coming back!

Charlie Mohn

2024-02

Great selection of old and new vinyl.

Brian Poust

2023-05

Let's begin with the conclusion. I love this record shop.Record stores come in different shapes and styles. Some specialize in one thing heavily, some have all of the charm you might expect from a corporate chain, while others don't appear to hold any values at all. In so many ways, there's no mistaking that Papa Jazz has been around since 1980. That it has endured since 1980 should tell you that it's an institution that has weathered the ups and downs of the favored format of the store - the vinyl record.Papa Jazz stocks most anything. Primarily a second hand store, it has expanded to new releases/reissues to keep up with market trends, but the magic within those walls is the used selection. Within that, you'll find why the store really draws in both  serious, seasoned record collectors and the more curious and adventurous among new collectors. What's that? Great records that weren't hits.Sure - the classic titles are there and you can find them at prices fair enough that you may question why you have a Discogs account at all. But keep digging. You'll find that a knowledgeable staff has the desire to turn you on to left field and fringe artists who you may not have considered previously, or even known about. Avant Garde Jazz? Yep. Prog? You betcha. Some outlaw, border-line psycho country singer from the most rural of 1970s America? Maaaaayybe?It's a record store that in my estimation is a dying breed. Are there cleaner record stores on Earth? Sure. Are you going to knock your head on a piece of their HVAC unit? Possibly. I have - more than once. There's a sign to warn you though, so it's on you when it happens. But if you want an accommodating space with serious knowledge behind the counter, when you're ready to get your friend that Fleetwood Mac classic they want on vinyl and THEN turn them onto the Eric Dolphy record they NEED, well, Papa Jazz is the exact place for you.I could go on. And on. But when you're a USC student at the beginning of your life's adventure, you're in town for whatever brings you to Columbia, or you just want to see what a record shop looks like when it's run by people who care about what they're doing, Papa Jazz comes with my highest recommendation. Get your knees dirty with the crates on the floor. Ask an employee what they're digging right now. Tell your yuppie parents to go walk around Five Points while you expand your horizons. Just understand there's something for you to find, something for you to learn, when you shop at Papa Jazz Record Shoppe.

kevin raynard

2023-05

Unfortunately yet another disappointing experience as they have been sucked into the "vinyl revival" along with it's silly pricing.Quite funny as a lot of their bins still say " most records under $5".If you can find one less than $8 you have done well!And if you do it's a $1 record in reality.Honest guys $8 & $10 for common garden average records is out of order.At least it is for this fella!New record pricing is on on par with everyone else but your used stuff( rock anyway) is too much.Been twice, will not be a third trip.

Thomas Richburg

2021-05

Genuinely one of my favorite places in Cola. The staff has always been willing to talk music and to give me solid recommendations. They've remembered me by name and face consistently since I started going there a year and a half ago. If they don't have an album you want, they can often order it for you, and I've had no problems doing so any of the times that I've ordered. I'd recommend Papa Jazz to anyone into records in the area. It's too good of an atmosphere and they're too good people not to be aware of.

Rick T

2024-03

Great record store located in Five Points !