Bill’s Records

I could literally spend days in here and still not be satisfied. HUGE collection. Probably the largest in DFW with the exception, maybe, of Forever Young in Grand Prairie. Old, new, good, bad, rare and obscure… If you’re looking for it, they probably have it. Staff is super friendly and helpful as well. They have shows here sometimes, but I have not made it to one.

Love the concept there are tons of records in there and its going to take a while to find the ones you want. The problem is that most of them aren’t what I was looking for, i searched for a long time and as he’s a nice guy pulled out around 6 or so records, nothing special and was quoted a very high price.
I wish that Bill had some sort of organization, if he priced by dollars or at least had a rough guide then you’d be satisfied but its a bit disappointing spending hours in the store and having no idea what he’s going to quote you.
Lovely guy, I like the concept just wish there was some organization going on

I love the variety in this shop. it’s so nice having a unique little place still around. The owner, Bill, is the sweetest man and as helpful as could be. Love this place so much.

Lots of Records for you to browse.
A little messy, but that’s all a part of the hunt.
He has a serious passion for music.
Smells like cigarettes, which is all a part of the experience.

Every time I come to Dallas I stop at Bill’s. Please allot some extra time to rifle thru the used records as they are not well alphabetized but that is part of the charm of the store. It’s like a giant vinyl garage sale. Bill will be there and is very knowledgable and a pleasure to talk to. We discussed art and architecture as well as music. He was truly charming and a Texas treasure.

There must be some reason that this place has endured over the years, but it’s most assuredly not for the benefit of those who search Unilocal for reviews. From my experience, and from everything I’ve heard over the past several decades, this store is a disorganized, smoky (you’ll be hit with it as soon as you walk in the door), good ‘olé boys shop. The attempt at organization is laughable, and the pricing is nonexistent.
As with any store, I generally move on if something’s not marked. In a place like this, where pricing is up to the whim of the owner, it’s a double disincentive, because, merely by asking, you’re expressing interest and giving him a shot to gouge you.
A good way of summing this all up is by comparing Bill’s to the biggest garage sale of records and related materials that you can imagine. It’s a pile of stuff within four walls, with zero consideration for the customer. Good luck.
If you’re into hunting, and haggling, and don’t mind a good dose of carcinogens as a side effect, this is the place for you.

No organization and no pricing

We spent almost two hours having a blast perusing the shelves at Bill’s while Bill chatted with us about our music selections, his old location that was close to but not actually in Richardson, and some of his famous musician friends. The records aren’t all in the best order, so some digging is required. That’s part of the fun though, right? Also, there are no prices on anything. Bill just tallies it up for you at the end, so don’t be surprised when you don’t see price tags. He was generous and honest with his prices; we walked out with arms full of vinyls for $ 120! We can’t wait to go back and hang out! Plus, it’s in a fun little area where you can grab a bite or a beer, of even a show next door depending on the time of day. Go see Bill!

Okay, I love the idea. A store with wall to wall vinyl. Doesn’t that sound legit? Hell yea it does! Then why the 2 stars???
The place is literally «wall to wall» records. Records here, records there, records everywhere. There is an attempt at alphabetically organizing the records, but it’s just that… an attempt. I went to the N and Y sections hoping to find some Neil Young records, but instead found myself browsing through Abba, Neil Diamond, and Elton John records among others.
Long story short, I found ZERO Neil Young records. If there was a real commitment to organizing the collection, this place would be legit. As of now, there isn’t enough pot in Denver that could keep me flipping through the thousands of records in this place in search of that elusive Neil Young record.

I went to Bill’s with low exceptions. The last time I was in his shop was at the old location many years ago. I left empty handed and not happy with the high price I was quoted and the attitude.
Today I saw a much different record store and a much different Bill. He was very friendly and chatty, I picked out several stone mint LPs and was charged a very reasonable price. Honestly, I was shocked.
I wasn’t even going to go to Bills this trip to Dallas but I’m very glad I did. There are gems in this store, you just have to really dig for them.

Yesterday was my first time at Bill’s. My bf and I went with a friend of ours, who said it would be an interesting experience. It certainly was interesting… but I am sad to say that I wouldn’t make a return trip here.
The first thing you notice upon walking in is the chaotic placement of the vinyl selection. It seems everything is labeled «rock and pop», so if you are looking for any other genre, forget it! You will be digging for hours. Nothing is priced, so you will have to ask. The shelves are unkempt and covered with dust, so bring plenty of hand sanitizer and perhaps a surgical face mask! The cd’s are better organized, and at least they are visible. Everywhere you look there’s lots of «stuff», whether it’s posters from bygone releases or shows, buttons, patches, or others forms of music ephemera. The only thing that was halfway decent was the selection of jazz re-​issues that were near the front counter.
However, my bf and I soon discovered that this also had its drawbacks. We pulled out two Blue Note Dexter Gordon re-​issues, both which would easily sell for about $ 20 – 25 at just about any other record store (even Forever Young, which is notorious for higher prices). He wanted $ 65 for both records. Are you kidding me? We put them down immediately. But then, when I pulled out a John Coltrane re-​issue, he priced it for me at $ 25. It all really made no sense whatsoever. I bought the Coltrane record since the price was much more fair, but the price-​gouging on the other two left us with bad tastes in our mouths.

The lack of any pricing is annoying, but getting bit by bugs while searching through the records makes me definitely want to go elsewhere.
I still purchased a record in my attempt to support small biz, def a few bucks higher than Good or other places around. Bill had to be woken up from his nap to price the record I bought.
In an effort to not be disturbed while sleeping price your inventory :)

My sister and I took our first trip to Bill’s today, against our father’s advice. It was just as he described it: grungy, disorganized, and full of junk. There are just two sections: rock/​pop and miscellaneous (the latter follows literally no alphabetical order). So if you are looking to find anything rare/​obscure, search elsewhere. When my sister brought a Costello single to the counter Bill was asleep in his chair and, after being awoken by our presence, charged her $ 10 for it. The records are all unpriced which means unless you like haggling, your overpriced charge will most likely depend on what mood he happens to be in that day. We were also subjected to the (inebriated) sounds of the lively pseudo-​redneck band in the back who spread joy and cheer to all through their harmonically colorful depictions of drunken scuffles and loose women who «put the hoe in honky-​tonk».

Did you ever spend hours going through photo albums or looking at a yearbook and have a happy feeling for CONNECTING WITH SOMETHING from the past? Before you waste hours glued to your phone (Like what you’re doing right now!) checking those social media black holes GO VISIT BILL! Then grab a beer at one of the nearby watering holes.

I went for the first time today and was in complete amazement. I have read some of the reviews about this place and am convinced some individuals have inappropriate expectations. Here are a few tips:
1) Give yourself time to shop: If you are in a rush, do not bother. This store has a ton of inventory and you will be doing yourself a disservice by having time constraints.
2) Talk to the man: Bill is so full of stories and if I had hours to spend at the store, you have to believe I would have. He is incredibly friendly and very knowledgeable about what he sells.
3) Be respectful: This tip could be for any store, but I still feel the need to say it since I have worked retail previously. Do not dehumanize people that work at retail stores! I appreciate Bill’s Records because he is personable and actually tries to help versus relying on an inventory system. I like that I am actually purchasing an item from a real human and not some bland «drone» in front of a computer monitor.
I got very fair pricing on some hard to find vinyl and I am more than satisfied. If you are looking for deals and an impersonal purchase, do yourself a favor and just use Amazon at home. I appreciated Bill’s wisdom and hospitality and will be back many more times.

After living in Dallas for two years I finally made it to Bills. Not what I expected but very cool. The place is a mess no doubt, but true vinyl enthusiast would see the potential to find some rad hard to find/​import/​new records. It’s about digging, bottom line. I only went in looking for a few 45’s to added to my jukebox and walked away with records I didn’t even know I needed. I meandered around checking out the LPs, random art, CDs, books, even cassettes and several things caught my eye. Nothing is priced which is a bit frustrating but Bill made me a decent offer. It’s only business and he’s just trying to break even. I hung out for a bit and talked to Bill about his background in selling music and his challenges in today’s market. I also met a guy from the UK via NY who showed me a picture of his 20,000 45s. How cool is that?! I barely dented the stacks of 45s so I will definitely be back.
Note– If you’re going in here looking for popular and latest hit music this isn’t your place. There are some new release vinyl LPs but CDs not so much. If you love the smell of old vinyl and digging than this the place for you. Just plan on setting aside at least two hours of your life to hit gold.

Avoid this place at all costs, unorganized, items in poor condition, no posted price on albums so, they charge what they want when you check out. Dirty building that reeks of smoke that looks like it hasn’t been cleaned in 20 years.
If you want a cheap album in decent to good condition, go to half price books! If Unilocal would let me, I would give this review no stars.
DO NOT SHOP HERE!

Vinyl!
I’ve had some great finds here. Nothing is priced though. This is a fun to place to go even if you are only browsing.
Being a music/​record nerd I can’t help but like this place. I used to go to his Richardson location in High School. I haven’t been by in a while, but they used to have a few instore concerts/​events from time to time.
Damn you iTunes… I really wish that there were more record stores!

Rows of colorful CD covers, smell of vinyl and their musty jackets got my heart racing. I really almost teared. I immediately recalled 1986 when I used to build my vinyl collection, of mostly Smiths records, from Record Exchange in Austin when record stores were still a formidable retail biz.
Bill was watching some documentary as a cute hispanic boy helper surfed the web at another cluttered desk. My friend said Bill hasn’t had a vacation in the 30 something years he’s run his record business.
I told my friend the stories of Bill’s penchant for pretty boys and pointed out the lack of any item in the store being priced. «be nice to him» I advised «I heard pricing is personal.»
He had a gravely voice and talked about how they do mostly an EBay business now. The selection was random, and not pop 40, but it’s the kind if place you spend awhile sifting through the pieces searching for treasure, amongst the posters and buttons of Indy counter culture.
I’ll give that 4 stars.

Yeah, so Bill and I had an interesting… okay, tempestuous, relationship when I lived in Dallas.
See, I first went to his store in 1990, when I was twelve, and the store was still located at Spring Valley and Coit. At that time, the place was a complete shit-​hole. There was lots of shit to buy and choose from, but finding what you wanted was like finding humility in Charlie Sheen’s personality. And the employees were no help back then…
ME: Have you got anything by The Beatles? Your records are so disorganized, I can’t seem to locate their stuff. You’ve got SOMETHING by them, right? I mean, surely…
STONER: Uhhhhh… try over… there? [points to a random unlabeled pile of records]
Then I drove over there after school one day in 1994 (my high school was just down the street), and it was MUCH more organized. I didn’t buy anything that day — didn’t even look at the prices — but I was happy with what I saw.
That same year, my mother asked what I wanted for my birthday. I told her I really wanted Animotion’s self-​titled album on LP. She went to Bill’s to buy it.
****Full disclosure: In high school, I worked for a competing record store called Collector’s Records. Frankly, Collector’s beat the shit out of Bill’s. Too bad they’re no longer open. Just saying. The point of my telling you I worked there is to let you know that I became very knowledgeable about pricing records.****
When I opened my present, I was happy and amazed.
ME: Wow! Where did you find this?! ‘Cuz we don’t have any copies at Collector’s!
MOM: Found it at Bill’s. I was surprised at how expensive it was.
ME: I know it’s rude to ask, but how much did he charge you for this?
MOM: $ 20.
ME: SAY WHAT!!!
I was livid. That record is only worth about a dollar. Spoke to a Collector’s co-​worker/​friend about it, and she informed me that Bill hates women (something about his ex-​wife fucking him over… it’s like, MOVE ON, DUDE!), and he, thus, charges them more for records, as a rule.
I decided to go again after school to snoop around. There were no prices on any of the records. So, I picked up a really beat-​up copy of Michael Jackson’s Thriller LP (a better copy of which I already owned), and took it to the counter.
ME: How much is this?
BILL: $ 60.
ME: For this?! Sixty bucks? No, I don’t think so; it’s not even an import or a picture disc! The album’s worth FOUR DOLLARS in near-​mint condition, and this ain’t nowhere near near-​mint, so I’ll pay you $ 3.
BILL: And what makes you think you can tell me what my records are worth?
ME: Because I work at Collector’s Records, and I therefore know how to price these sons of bitches.
BILL: You work at Collector’s?
ME: Yep.
BILL: Oh. So you know the owner?
ME: If you’re quizzing me, his name is Chuck M***y.
BILL: Alright… $ 5, then.
ME: I’m not actually interested in buying the record; I just wanted to catch you in the act of ripping people off like you ripped off my mother a few weeks ago by charging her twenty bucks for an 80-​cent album. Fuck you, hippie.
And I left. FOREVER.