Secondhand Record Shop Near Me in Katong With a Jazz Loft: RetroCrates

RetroCrates opens at noon from Tuesday to Friday and at 11 am on Saturday, and it stays closed on Monday. The shop occupies 450A Joo Chiat Road, Singapore 427663, in a two-level space near the East Coast Road end of the street. Searching secondhand record shop near me in Katong usually leads here first, because the store adds hundreds of used titles every week and keeps its pre-loved Japanese pressings upstairs.

RetroCrates tells its own history on its About page. It began as an online store in 2015 and opened its physical storefront in September 2016. In June 2018 it extended the premises with The Jazz Loft, a space dedicated only to jazz. That step-by-step growth shows in the space today, which runs over a ground floor and an upper level, with jazz given a room of its own rather than a single rack.

Reviewers on Google describe the owners as a friendly older couple, and one wrote that the pre-loved records are chosen by the owner on personal buying trips across Japan and Europe. Another review quotes the owner as saying that every single record is cleaned and tested before it is sold. Those details matter for a used-vinyl shop. They tell you that the stock has been through a human check before reaching the bins.

One Google reviewer points newcomers straight to the second floor, calling it the place for hidden gems, where the Japanese pressings sit. Japanese pressings are prized for quiet vinyl and careful manufacturing, and many arrive with their paper obi strips intact. If you only have half an hour, spend most of it upstairs and treat the ground floor as a quick scan on the way out.

The shop's own description is broader. It sells new and pre-loved records across pop, rock, jazz and more, with new releases, reissues and the weekly flow of used titles. You will also find audiophile labels such as Mobile Fidelity, Analogue Productions and Blue Note's Tone Poet series, along with CDs, cassettes and band T-shirts. Rega turntables and other hi-fi equipment are on sale too, which makes the shop a useful stop for anyone setting up a first system.

RetroCrates publishes its own grading scale, and it uses letters instead of the usual VG and EX codes. M stands for mint, A for near mint, B for very good, C for fair and D for poor. In the shop's words, a B record will show some signs that it was played but is otherwise in good condition. Knowing the scale before you go helps you compare copies quickly across both floors.

A sensible rule for used stock here is to aim for A or B. C records can be fine for background listening or for a rare title you may never see again, but surface noise is part of the deal. If you are unsure, ask the staff about a particular copy. The shop's habit of cleaning and testing stock means they can usually tell you how a record plays.

The web store mostly lists new stock, and its prices give a sense of the shop's range. National Album Day 2026 releases were selling at S$52 for Annie Lennox's Bare on white vinyl and the same price for Adam and the Ants' Kings of the Wild Frontier on sunburst splatter vinyl. Michael Jackson's Invincible, a double LP on marbled grey vinyl, was S$68. The Avalanches' No Bad Memories, a limited blue double LP, sat at S$75.

Used records are a different story. The pre-loved category on the website was not loading when this guide was written, so the used bins are best judged in person. That is a good reason to make the trip. The shop floor is where the weekly used intake actually lands, and you can hold each copy, read the grade and decide on the spot instead of guessing from a listing.

The posted schedule runs Monday closed, Tuesday 12 pm to 6 pm, Wednesday 12 pm to 6 pm, Thursday 12 pm to 6 pm, Friday 12 pm to 6 pm, Saturday 11 am to 6 pm and Sunday 12 pm to 5 pm. Saturday gives you the longest window. Sunday closes an hour earlier than the rest of the week, so start before 3 pm if you want time in both rooms.

If you arrive after 6 pm, or on a Monday, the honest plan B is a short walk down Joo Chiat Road to Cherry Lane Records, a used-vinyl shop that stays open until 9 pm every day. The two shops have different strengths, so they complement each other. RetroCrates leans toward jazz, Japanese pressings and audiophile releases, while Cherry Lane focuses on classic rock and Asian rarities.

If all you want is cheap crates of records for a few dollars each, this is not the shop for you. RetroCrates sells carefully chosen and graded stock, and its new audiophile pressings cost what such releases cost anywhere. Collectors who care about condition, jazz listeners and anyone buying a turntable will get the most from the visit. Casual browsers on a tight budget may prefer a flea market.

PRAIRIE by Craftsmen, a cafe on Joo Chiat Road, is close by if you want coffee before climbing to the Jazz Loft. Around the corner on East Coast Road, the Turtle Street Art mural is a popular photo stop. Both sit in the older Katong area, where restored shophouses, small bakeries and family-run eateries line the main roads and the lanes between them.

If you have time after the shop closes, head south across the expressway to East Coast Park, a long seafront park with cycling paths, beaches and hawker food. An evening walk along the water is a good way to end an afternoon of digging. Keep your records in a firm bag, since the sea breeze and a bicycle path do not mix well with loose LP jackets.

Address: RetroCrates, 450A Joo Chiat Road, Singapore 427663. Hours: Monday closed, Tuesday to Friday 12 pm to 6 pm, Saturday 11 am to 6 pm, Sunday 12 pm to 5 pm. Online store since 2015, physical shop since September 2016, The Jazz Loft since June 2018. Nearest MRT: Marine Parade on the Thomson-East Coast Line.

Go upstairs first, check grades against the shop's letter scale, and save the new-release wall for last. To combine RetroCrates with Cherry Lane, a coffee stop and an East Coast Park walk, ask Karpo in the Karpo APP for a plan that fits both shops' hours.