Big Al’s Record Barn

Sadly, they have closed their doors for good. This was my favorite place to shop. After Al passed away earlier this year, we knew the store would close, but did not expect it to happen so soon. wishing all the best to Al’s family, including that beautiful bird, who I know went to a good home…

If you’re a jazz afficionado like I am, this isn’t the place to go to. Yes, he has a big jazz section but a lot of it is junk and anything worth buying was like, 20 – 25 dollars, with no prices in between. At that price point, I expect sleeves with no splits or water damage — never mind VG rated records as well. Also, don’t go there if it’s a hot day, as there is no AC. That and as another poster mentioned — dust and cobwebs everywhere doesn’t compel to stay and linger. On the positive side, I like how they organized the 45’s. I have a huge collection of 45’s and would buy more but the few stores I have seen them don’t usually categorize or organize them.
If you like jazz, Streetlight down the street was surprisingly good. They have vintage as well, for example Blue Note re-​issues for 18 dollars. Half Priced Books in Fremont is also pretty good but their selection is much smaller.

Lol I thought this place was closing? The two men when you walk in are rude. They don’t even acknowledge you or greet you. Also it is SO DUSTY and cobwebs everywhere. Isn’t that like a health hazard?

This is a really great place to browse about the history of rock and roll! Lots of fun old posters on the wall, and lots of 45s, including some with picture sleeves I got. records are literally everywhere, and there are all kinds of genres — easy listening, country, jazz— you name it! It can be hard to search through because of the sheer size but enjoyable. There are even 78s. Can’t remember if this store also has vintage sheet music, but I did get an original of the Everly Brothers first LP here. This store is iconic!

Ceiling to the FLOOR! Multiple rooms! Talking Bird!!!
This place was amazing. I went in looking for Pink Floyd, but came out with other things. Could spend hours in here looking at vinyl.

I was so overwhelmed in this place! So much to go through and they probably have everything you want, but good luck going through all that. My recommendation is; get a list of what you are looking for, go to the man in the front and ask him for help finding your stuff.
When you go there, make sure you have the time, patience and know what you want. If you feel adventurous you will feel that this place its just too much.
Worth checking out though!
Good Luck!

This is my favorite record shop. Leaving SF created a hole in my life as I used to frequent Amoeba’s every Sunday to go home and have record day…
This place is off the hook awesome. Very well catalogued. And the records are in excellent shape.
Now all I have to do is beat the clock on his closure. So sad.
Love, love you record barn. Friendliest guy I’ve met in a long time…

This place is still open. I was put off by Matt C’s review, and from the signs outside they claim to be having a going out of business sale but this place is very much still open. Theres a massive selection of old stuff here (80s and older, maybe even pre 80s). Absolutely nothing beyond the 80s, and I overheard Al saying he doesnt buy anymore so absolutely dont try to find something new here. Prices are high, averaging at around $ 10 for the what I was looking for.

Sad to see Big Al’s is closing. Here’s some good info on the shop:

Al’s a grumpy old know it all who tries to pass off non-​originals as originals. Collectors prices on records that look like they’ve been used as frisbees on concrete, half the time with a mismatched record inside the cover. He talks a lot of crap and when you catch him in misinformation, you cant correct him, he knows everything better than you. Can you say con artist? No wonder he’s going out of business!

Al is a super cool dude. At 80 years old, he says pretty much whatever he thinks, which is awesome. And his entire record collection is completely discounted all the way down to $ 5. ABSURD. Go there NOW. Parking is sorta weird but I love this place. So much character, and such a vast collection. Literally thousands upon thousands of records. He even marked Prince as his name AND symbol on the shelf marker, hah.

I agree with this being called vinyl heaven! LOVE this place! I can spend hours here just browsing. The workers are really nice guys and don’t pressure you or follow you around like some small shops do, they’re real gentlemen. I’m glad I found this gem, I’m not going to even bother going to Rasputin, Streetlight or a thrift store again.

Simply an amazing and overwhelming place for any collector! Probably over 1,000,000 vinyls in this shop with the largest selection of 45’s I’ve seen anywhere! He is closing his shop next year so currently all 45’s are $ 2 and all LP’s marked $ 20 and under are only $ 5! I expect prices to be slashed more later though.

Big Al’s Record Barn is ALMOST literally a barn crammed with old records. It’s more like a long room crammed with records, with the shelves packed top to bottom. Al is a friendly old man who is obviously a music lover and has collected records for a loooooooooooong time. He also has a parakeet/​coworker that says «hello» as you walk in.
This place is overwhelming to me, but I think in a good way? It’s definitely not a quick place to stop by in, unlike other music places. Mostly old stuff ranging from old folk/​country/​jazz etc. up until 70’s music, with sporadic 80s-​90s lps throw in.
You could literally spend HOURS perusing all the stuff, but I don’t do that because that would overwhelm me and give me a headache. A haven for lovers of vinyl because there are zero cds/​tapes in that place. Al seems to have good music playing on in the store as well.
Their prices are not the cheapest, but because of an ongoing sale (that perhaps never ends), I walked out with 5 records for $ 30, when the one Loretta Lynn album was originally marked at $ 30.
A good, old fashioned record store, the way they used to be. I will definitely stop by again the next time I’m in San Jo!

I’m really wishing Dj Shadow had done his digging here and featured it in the movie ‘Scratch’. I had never set foot in a record store so large, and with so much variety in records. Tons of boxes and crates full of records. Different genres, album titles, group titles, musicians… It’s a beat-digger’s dream. I had always wanted to take a look around, but after coming in for the first time, I was seriously overwhelmed by it.
I couldn’t think of any album titles that I wanted to look for, or any singles. I was lost in it, it’s pretty mesmerizing. Next time I drop by, i’ll be sure to have a list of albums I want to pick up. Oh, and i’ll try and drop by when they first open too since the store hours vary. This place is definitely worth checking out if you’re into beat-​digging, or just love vinyl.

All records $ 20-​and-​under are now $ 5!
This is welcome news to walk into.
I had never been here before, so I was surprised to see $ 15, $ 20 and $ 25 price tags on old records. I’m used to $ 0.50, $ 1, and $ 3.95 at Rasputin.
But then Al shouted to me, like a voice from Heaven, and said, «Did you hear that?» «No. Say it again?» «All records 20 dollars and under are 5 dollars! 80% of the store is on sale!»
Way to inspire Al; cause before that, I was thinking I’ll allow myself only ONE record. But upon this news I just went for it and walked outta there with 10 records and 4 EPs (most EPs are just $ 2).
The place is PACKED with records that are surprisingly well organized. You’ll find stuff you’ve been looking for, stuff you’ve never seen before, and stuff that’ll have you hollering for more! Yee haw!
Al and his old buddy sit there behind a counter like two old buddies chillin on a porch. Got any questions, just ask. Other than that, just enjoy Al softly singing along with his boom box.
When I went to check out, Al began looking at my records, calculating my tab. Clapton, Stray Cats, Bing Crosby, Stylistics, Dolly Parton… He stopped at Dolly, stared at it, and said, «Dolly reminds me of my mother.» My first thought was, «Are you saying what I think you’re saying? I wanna meet her.» But he then went on to share how one of Dolly’s songs sums up a time in his childhood and what it means to him. It was a nice moment.
So, hey everybody… go check Al’s Barn out. He’s got a great deal going on right now and he’s cool guy. I don’t think he carries anything new, they’re all basically used, but you gotta see it to believe it; the records you see here, you’ll never see anywhere again.

I love this place! The only thing wrong is that I don’t have near enough time or money to spend in this place. Glad to see Al changed his hour’s because I can now stop in once in awhile after work instead of a rare Fri./Sat. i’m in the area.

This place is awesome, the outside table of records for a dollar is amazing, you can find a lot of classics like sinatra, dean, and mozart there, as well as Tom Petty, Boston, Simon Garfunkel ect ect for only a buck. Thats a great deal, also «Big AL» was kind enough to let me know anything in the store 20 dollars and under was only five bucks, I completed my pink floyd and zeppelin collection for about 30 bucks :)))
Definatly a place to find some treasures through the isles. The only reason its not a 5 star is lack of organization, there are records every were and even on top of the shelves you can find some awesome buys. If you lwant to add to your collection you will definatly want to check out Als

highly recommended. I have been to streetlight, where you can find a good deal on classical; and rasputin, where there are some bargain in 1 $ bin and a large indie selection.
wait a minute. what about big al’s? it is about the past. you can find tons of old records, some of which are extremely rare and al will give you a 50% off so don’t be shocked by its ticket price.
al is also a kind guy to talk about music with.

Just stopped in yesterday for the first time and was simultaneously in heaven and totally stressed out. I only had about 20 minutes to shop, and there was so much to get through!
I walked out with 2 Camel records, 2 Men at Work records, two Blue Oyster Cult records, and a Deep Purple album. Half of what I bought is fairly rare, and I went back to work pleased and determined to return again very soon.
Only problem is that they are only open from 10AM-​4PM, which makes after/​before work visits impossible. I guess I’ll have to trek back to San Jose on Saturday!
Anyway, great selection and a very vibey atmosphere.