# CD stores in Amsterdam, Rotterdam or Utrecht?



## Granate (Jun 25, 2016)

Another person going on vacation to those cities for a few days.
Is there any in particular with good sections for Classical Music on CDs, and how expensive are them compared to the UK or Berlin?


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

Rotterdam has only one, small store ,Utrecht also one , I give you al link, you cab figure the cities out .
Remember those shops are not very cheap .
https://www.klassiekezaken.nl/winkels


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## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

I have not been there for years, but in the past Concerto in Amsterdam was good:

http://www.utrechtsestraat.amsterdam/?p=360


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

Art Rock said:


> I have not been there for years, but in the past Concerto in Amsterdam was good:
> 
> http://www.utrechtsestraat.amsterdam/?p=360


Well past their sell buy date.


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## Granate (Jun 25, 2016)

*CDs and Record Stores in Amsterdam (August 2016)*

I am already back from my Amsterdam holidays. I want to thank you for your tips and examples of Record stores. I visited three of them in Amsterdam looking for Classical Records (August 2016 update):

*Waxwell Records (Gasthuismolensteeg 6, 1016 AN; waxwell.com)*
https://www.google.es/maps/place/Wa...fceebff78c36e819!8m2!3d52.3722953!4d4.8877734

A very small store, probably new, which I knew by chance when I saw someone carrying a bag with a vinyl and the name. We found it by chance and I went in. There are almost only second hand records. Inside, below the table on the back, there was a single box with classical records for 1€ the unit, most of them. There were main labels, DG, Phillips, and a few boxes where I found a Mahler Nº3 by Georg Solti and LPO for 5€ (2LPs). There is a turntable where to test the records. The fourth movement sounded fantastic with headphones. That was my purchase.

*Concerto (Utrechtsestraat 60, 1017 VP; concerto.amsterdam)*
https://www.google.es/maps/place/Co...d2934e254f4eadc1!8m2!3d52.3633416!4d4.8983872

As you said, the store to look into for a long time. 
CDs cost usually 20€ average if they have no offer, 10€ for 2nd hand, and Vinyl cost 30-35€ average if they are new; 2 or 5€ if they are 2nd hand, 8-15€ if they are boxes. CDs are in the 2nd and 3rd building to the south, and all the Records in the 4th. There are two lines of new Remastered Classical, or Modern Classical, or New Releases (RECORDS) next to the Soundtracks. To find 2nd hand records, go as downstairs as you can and you will find all of them in the last room together with World and Jazz 2nd hand. Alphabetically ordered, starting at the back with the Vocal works and then ordered by Composers A-Z and Bruckner, Haydn, Mahler, Strauss, etc. Plenty of gems to find for a bargain depending on the composer: I found lots of Mozart's, Beethoven's, Sibelius', Haydn's, but Bruckner and Mahler only had few and "B class" recordings left (Mahler 4ths everywhere). I also found lots of Verdi and Wagner boxes, and many R. Strauss gems. Many 2nd hand records are in extremely good condition. The store has three turntables to test the records. I found Barenboim's Bruckner Te Deum (DG) extremely fast-paced, but I took it (5€). Poulenc's Concerto for Organ and Strings by Jean Martinon (Erato) was one of my last 'discoveries', so I had no doubt (2€).

I went to the classical CDs section (a whole room for them, lots of composers) looking for some Mahler CDs in particular, which I did not find. Then the assistant of the room asked me what I was looking for. I am glad we did not bring an argument about why would I look for "recordings of a hundred years old" (I was looking for some 60s Bernstein versions). 
The New and 2nd hand CDs section for Classical is as interesting as the records, but quite more expensive. I did not want to dig in if it was going to cost so much and the composers I was interested in did not have the right recordings. I left the shop only buying the two records for 7€.

*Discostars (Haarlemmerdijk 86, 1013 JG; discostars-recordstore.nl)*
https://www.google.es/maps/place/Di...x8264f28564e1a69!8m2!3d52.3828455!4d4.8870385

You will need a lot of time to spend there if you want to leave the store as happy as I did. *My personal recommendation. *

CDs have the same price as in Concerto, but this small store has "cosy" corridors. You can find records, CDs, DVDs and even VHS! Records are only second hand, for 2 or 3€ the unit, 7€ the box. There is no turntable. Organization-wise is a mess at the records section. CDs are really well organized and the store has a nice variety of stuff (Composers, box sets, soloists), I even found the complete Mahler 10 by Rattle, but 20€ was an insult.

The Classical records are at the very back of the store, and the ones you can see organized are at 90% in good care and plastic sleeves. The variety of recordings per composer is not only really good for such a mall space, the recordings are usually A class. They are divided into Vocal records, Classical and vocal records and Classical records (but in the end this is very vague). You can find pressings both from Germany and the UK, and some even from Russia.

However, in that "organized" section, you can find most of the Mahler symphonies by Tennstedt (1-4th EMI) as well as many Bruckner's (3-5 Karajan-Jochum DG) and Beethoven's (9th Bernstein DG). The actual key to find the best works is on your feet. I could count 5 unorganized boxes with dusty and broken-cover records, not priced. To dig in those boxes I usually had to take out with care dozens of records that were on them. Some boxes have dutch pop records mixed with classical, but you can find in those, on your knees, one after another, important recordings, many other composers and lots of surprises. I found a Schumann symphonies set by Wolfgang Sawallisch for EMI, many piano concertos, and after a long time, I found treasures mixed in those boxes like Mahler symphonies (2nd and 8th) by Kubelik for DG, and to complete the journal and 15 minutes before closing the store, the massive 1962 Beethoven cycle by Karajan for DG. I could make sure that was the 62 cycle by the inlay book, all in German but with the famous letter signed in 1962. I don't really know if the pressing is from the 70s or 80s, but I am sure it is not from the 60s because I checked that the set is unused.

In that store I eagerly paid 19€: 3€ each for Bruckner's 4th (Karajan DG) and 5th (Jochum DG); Mahler 2nd and 8th (Kubelik DG) and 7€ for the Karajan Beethoven DG 1962 set.
The staff inside was friendly at the moment of paying in cash, he did not put more cents for bags, and did not bother me when I was digging in for one hour at the back of the store. Kudos for me.


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