Secondhand Record Shop Near Me in Soho: Reckless Records

Reckless Records was the first record shop on Berwick Street, and it has traded used vinyl there since 1984. The address is 30 Berwick Street, Soho, London W1F 8RH, a short walk from both Oxford Circus and Piccadilly Circus. For anyone typing secondhand record shop near me in the West End, this is the reliable answer: the doors open at 10 am and close at 7 pm every day, and fresh stock goes into the racks all week.

Soho built its reputation on record shops, and Berwick Street became the centre of it. Reckless arrived first, in 1984, and has outlasted the many booms and slumps of the business since. There is a separate Reckless Records in Chicago, founded in 1989 and still trading, so do not be confused if a search for the name throws up American addresses as well.

The shop has one claim to fame every music fan in Britain recognises: it appears on the cover of the Oasis album What's the Story Morning Glory?, the 1995 album photographed on Berwick Street. The Reckless frontage is part of that famous street scene. The more useful fact is inside, though. Most of the staff have worked at Reckless for over ten years, and between them they cover every genre in the building.

Reckless deals in second-hand vinyl first: LPs, 12-inch singles and 7-inch singles, plus a large stock of used compact discs. Styles run from rock, pop, indie and metal through reggae, jazz, electronic, house, soul and funk. There is also a selection of deleted and hard-to-find specialist CDs, and some hard-to-find new vinyl, but the reason to come here is the used stock.

The turnover is what keeps regulars coming back. The shop says it buys collections every week and that its buyers travel around the UK, sometimes further, to find titles. Thousands of records and CDs go out each week, so the racks you dug through on Monday will not be the same racks on Saturday. Short, frequent visits beat one long dig here, because the best titles from a newly bought collection go quickly.

Secondhand items are sold as seen, and there are no returns on used stock, so the check happens at the counter. Every second-hand record is either in its sleeve on the shelf, where you can inspect it, or behind the counter, and staff offer customers the chance to look at the disc before paying. Most records carry a grade, sometimes with a written description of any faults.

Use that offer every time. Tilt the vinyl under the shop lights to look for scratches that cross the grooves, check the label for stickers or writing, and look at the sleeve seams. If a record matters to you, ask the staff member which grade they gave it and why. New items are different: they can be returned with a receipt if still sealed or faulty.

Reckless buys most kinds of music, with its main areas being rock and pop, soul and dance, jazz, punk and reggae. It pays in cash or exchange, and has specialist buyers for small or large lots. You can walk in with records during opening hours, but bring ID showing your address, such as a driving licence or a utility bill, and note that buying stops at 6 pm, an hour before closing.

For bigger collections, call 020 7437 4271 first so a buyer knows you are coming, or send pictures to the selling-only WhatsApp line, 07507 894751, which cannot answer stock questions. The shop's own advice for drivers is to come on Sunday, when parking is easier, or at the weekend generally to avoid the congestion charge. Records need to be in at least very good condition to fetch good money unless they are genuinely rare.

The selling page lists the collectable labels the team is keen on, and it doubles as a shopping guide for what turns up in the racks. Names include 4AD, Blue Note, Blue Horizon, Island, Warp, Rough Trade, Harvest, Vertigo, Elektra, Pye, SST, Metalheadz, Jazzman, Pama International, Treasure Isle and Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab pressings.

The shop also says it buys library music collections, ex-radio station and ex-library stock, ex-shop stock and deadstock. That explains why oddities appear here that you will not find in chain stores. If you collect one of those labels, ask at the counter whether anything has come in that has not reached the floor yet; the buyers see every collection before it is priced.

Berwick Street still has its street market, one of the oldest in London, and its food stalls make an easy lunch between digs. Sister Ray is also on Berwick Street for newer releases. Phonica, on Poland Street, is the stop for house and techno 12-inch records, and Sounds of the Universe on Broadwick Street specialises in soul, jazz, reggae and global music.

Walk the loop in that order and you finish near Carnaby Street, with Oxford Circus Tube a few minutes north. If Reckless is crowded on a Saturday afternoon, start at the other shops and come back in the last hour before 7 pm, when the West End shoppers have thinned out. Skip the CDs if you are short on time; the vinyl walls are where the rare finds surface.

Reckless Records is at 30 Berwick Street, Soho, London W1F 8RH. Telephone 020 7437 4271 or email recklessrecordsuk@gmail.com. The shop opens 10 am to 7 pm every day, closing only on Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year's Day. The nearest Tube stations are Oxford Circus and Piccadilly Circus, and Tottenham Court Road is also within walking distance.

Come with a want list if you collect seriously, and with an open mind if you do not; the staff welcome requests for recommendations and hidden gems. Sellers should arrive before 6 pm with address ID. Buyers should check every used record at the counter, since second-hand sales are final, and leave room in a bag for more than you planned.