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Amoeba Music

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2455 Telegraph Ave
Berkeley, CA 94704

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(510) 549-1125
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Amoeba Music - Berkeley, CA
Amoeba Music - Berkeley, CA
Amoeba Music - Berkeley, CA
Amoeba Music - Berkeley, CA
Amoeba Music - Berkeley, CA
Reviews
( 21 )
( 14 )
( 1 )
( 1 )
( 0 )

Best

Amoeba Music on Telegraph Avenue has the greatest selection of music, the most knowledgeable staff, and the best prices. Every genre is well represented, vinyl and CD, new and us...

Worst

I might have given amoeba a 5 star review at one time but now it would only be in comparison to other stores. Unfortunately they are the only game in town. But I have watched over...

anything and everything 11/1/2008

I love going to Amoeba, I always find everything I am looking for and then some. My husband is a trumpet player, and always has some rare requests for CD's for his birthday or Christmas, with a little time and flipping through used records I find what I am looking for. However, I hate flipping through racks, I have no patience for it. I like organized, easy to find shopping, I always have to prepare myself for that aspect of shopping at Amoeba. more
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Good Vibrations 10/16/2008

Best music and movie selection, high-quality used DVDs and CDs, very friendly and helpful employees who know their music, and most importantly and overall a great place to shop for good music/movies at reasonable prices! more
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Past its heyday 2/11/2008

When I first arrived in Berkeley to attend the UC, Rasputin was my second home. Way back then they occupied a basement space under what is now Hot Topic. When Rasputin went upscale and built a glitzy palace on the corner of Durant (now a glorified t-shirt store), I wandered down Telegraph and found a true audiophile's dream. Amoeba cared not for looks or glamor... they were all about the music. It was the poor kid's swapping mecca; you'd take the cds and movies you'd gotten tired of and trade them in for someone else's castoffs. Sharing and recycling at its best. And the staff were all hardcore music people themselves, many whom were musicians, who knew history and could appreciate a rarity and were all too happy to suggest other artists to explore.\r That was all back in the day though. The older clerks have mostly been replaced by young hipsters more interested in how cool you appear than in the music you are buying. I've often gotten less than enthusiastic help in finding things, and more
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Not What They Used To Be + The Worst Customer Service 5/5/2007

I might have given amoeba a 5 star review at one time but now it would only be in comparison to other stores. Unfortunately they are the only game in town. But I have watched over the years the progressive deterioration of what amoeba was really important for. No longer will you find obscure labels stocked in the jazz, classical and experimental sections and very rarely do you find out of print gems. And yes part of the problem lies with the fact that unpopular genres just do not generate sales. \r But I am also slamming amoeba over their very poor, rude and even insulting customer service. And watch the prices on new stock!\r On many occassions when I have pointed out price discrepancies I have either been told that it is the distributors pricing (without checking the computer) or to go elsewhere to buy even when it was their other store. Some of the discrepancies were as high as $15.00 on a single disc. Also items that had rung up at a lower price then the sticker price the clerk w more
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The CD's last stand against corporate monotony 11/20/2005

Amoeba Music on Telegraph Avenue has the greatest selection of music, the most knowledgeable staff, and the best prices. Every genre is well represented, vinyl and CD, new and used. Many music buffs and regulars haunt the aisles on a daily basis, to find out what has arrived since yesterday. Not the best place to sell back (go just down the street to Rasputin's to get the best price for your used CD's), but do your shopping here first. more
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Eclectic 11/4/2005

It's almost a case of "if Amoeba doesn't have it, it's because it doesn't exist." The genres of music offered is staggering - much more broad than any of the chain music shops. The big deals are in used music - be prepared to patiently click-click-click through the CD jewel cases in search of that ONE treasure that brings back special memories for you. more
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A cool place 11/1/2005

This place definetly has a big selection of music to choose from. It ranges from Indie rock bands to underground rappers. This particular location is located in the heart of Telegraph, so it's dirty yet close to UCB. If you don't like homeless people I wouldn't recommend shopping here, because Telegraph does have a lot of homeless. The prices are about average, they aren't as cheap as amazon or target but a lot of their selection you will have a hard time finding anywhere else. This is the perfect place to find a hard to find CD or record. If you ever have time to kill in between classes you should check it out. more
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Dirt cheap selecction of music and other stuff 8/23/2005

Much like Rasputin Music, which is right next door, Amoeba carries a large selection of mainstream and non-mainstream music. The real deal here is their selection of used CDs, vinyl, DVDs, etc. Prices are very inexpensive. They carry selections from pretty much every music genre, so you're sure to find something you like. They also buy used stuff for fair prices, so they're a good option for making some cash on your old New Kids On The Block and Vanilla Ice CDs. Plus, they sell used cassette tapes, which are very hard to find today. Be sure to stop by on the weekends, too for live music in their store. more
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Find anything here! 8/1/2005

It doesn't matter if you are looking for a record album, a cd or a tape. A 70's hair band, a new age artist or Britney Spears, Amoeba music has it all. You should give yourself plenty of time to browse, becuase there is a LOT of music there! he staff is helpful, but you feel as if you have discovered treasure when you find that 80's pop band all by yourself! more
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Nice place 7/27/2005

This record store is good because it has everything from used, new, or old. I buy some used CD there before and it turns out to be really good. It was totally worth it. more
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good, good, good 7/15/2005

Amoeba is super cool because they have the most thorough plethora of random music for good prices. And, I was looking for Sex and the City Season 1 on vhs and they had it foe$11!!!!! Compared to our buddies up the street (not to mention any names because I like them too!) who had the exact same product listed for $35! Speaks for itself! Amoeba rocks. more
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Spectacular 7/10/2005

This store serves to compliment Rasputin's Records but it shines in its own way as a forerunner in bringing out new and rare releases at affordable prices not to be seen at Best Buy or Sam Goodie's. The selection here is tremendous as well though it should be noted they carry so many rare CDs, not just popular ones. The record store is always jampacked with customers throughout the day. Sometimes the workers there are lazy PROS: Awesome selection, large size, rare cds CONS: Lazy workers more
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Support your best local record seller. 7/4/2005

This is the original location of Amoeba Records and their selection and prices simply canot be beat by any of the other record stores in the area. They have an amazing selection of all types of music in CD and LP format as well as a terrific selection of music (and some non-music) DVD's and videos. In my experience they pay the best buyback prices in the area for your used recordings. Be sure and chek out their bargain bins for some rare and unusual finds at rock-bottom prices. Also, watch for in-store performance by your favorite artists here and at their San Francisco location. PROS: The San Francisco Bay Area's best record store. CONS: If people don't quit downloading pirated stuff their days are numbered. more
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One of the best Music Stores out there 6/29/2005

Amoeba is close to the holy grail of music stores. They have low prices and a great used, vinyl, and new collection. You can find plenty of obscure treasures here. The used collection is wonderful, most of the rare out of print cds can be find there. If are looking for a rare release, start here. more
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Music as Anti-Depressant 6/22/2005

If you're laid off and broke, chances are you have time to kill and no money to spare. Amoeba, by it's very nature, is a great place to just go and throw down your hard-earned cash on the best and most vast selection of music in any US music store. Unemployment begets creativity though and those dollar disc bins can really become your ally. Sure, 90% of what's to be found there consists of A Clay Aitken Christmas, but that remaining 10% are gems to be unearthed by the truly patient. Decent prices on used CDs too. more
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My favorite record store. 6/20/2005

I actually perfer this one to the San Francisco Amoeba. Same harsh atmosphere, but also the same incredible selection. Rock, Jazz, Hip-Hop, Electronic, Country, Folk, Experimental, DVD's, Tons of vinyl and a great used section. Although this isn't as big as the San Francisco Amoeba (it's slightly less colassal) I find it's selection is less picked over. If you are a die hard record collector this is the place to be. PROS: Massive selection. Hard to find gems. CONS: more
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Fantastic Music Finds 6/6/2005

At first, you may not want to go into this horribly lit, warehouse style, dingy looking record store - but you will not regret it. Amoeba has almost any album you could ever want , all filed in their rather eclectic filing system. They also pay good prices for used CDs and do trade-ins. Their discount bins often have gems, but be prepared to spend awhile hunting as they have hundreds and hundreds of discount CDs. Anything foreign has a very high price (like most music stores) and you would usually be better off buying from the label. But Amoeba offers competative deals on pretty much everyhing else. PROS: huge selection CONS: warehouse more
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They have it all 6/5/2005

The staff is knowledgeable and seem to be everywhere. The store is huge and every genre is available. Collectable albums and other items are in abundance as well. New and used music in albums, cd's, and tapes. It is noisy and crowded but that just adds to the music store ambience. more
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great place for rare, old and new music 5/26/2005

This store has a awesome selection and variety. If you can't find what you are looking for in the 'new' section, then you can more than likely find it in the 'used' section. And above all the custome service is excellent. more
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Amoeba is great 4/21/2005

Amoeba is a great place to find the music you like, no matter your tastes. You'll find both obscure and mainsteam music here and the staff is very knowledgable and will surely be able to assist you.\r \r One of the great things about Amoeba music is the selection of used CDs, which are available at cheap places. Someone once told me that you should judge a record store by the size of their used CD section, and by that standard Amoeba Music beats everyone else! PROS: Staff, Selection, Used CDs CONS: Parking (you'll end up walking a few or more blocks) more
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Owner Message

  • Founded in 1990, Amoeba Music is a one of the leading chain of music stores that serves customers throughout the state of California. The company provides the music of various genres, including rock, jazz, soul, hip-hop, electronica, experimental, reggae and roots. Its stores feature a collection of CDs, DVDs, and video and audio cassettes. Amoeba Music offers albums of various artists, including Ashanti, Chris Brown, Jewel, Radiohead and Yoshida Brothers. The company also auctions a variety of items that includes memorabilia, collectables, promotional items and concert tickets. It also provides gift certificates of various denominations. Additionally, Amoeba Music organizes various in-store live show events and operates an online video library. In addition, the company also buys music records, posters, prints and laser discs. Amoeba Music maintains one of its locations in Berkeley, Calif..


    • 33-Rpm

    • 45-Rpm

    • 78S

    • Audio Cassettes

    • CDs

    • Cassette Tapes

    • DVDs

    • Posters

    • Records

    • Sales

    • Tapes

    • Videos

Editorial

  • Buys and sells new and used records, CDs, tapes, videos, collectibles and posters.

  • 10/15/2004 Provided by Citysearch
Additional information
  • Hours: Monday through Saturday ; 10:30 a.m. - 11 p.m. Sunday ; 11 a.m. - 9 p.m. Our used buying counter closes at 9 p.m. ; Mon - Sat. and 8pm on Sundays.
  • Payments: Master Card, Visa
  • Neighborhoods: Elmwood
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