Amoeba Music

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1855 Haight St
San Francisco, CA 94117

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(415) 831-1200
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Amoeba Music - San Francisco, CA
Amoeba Music - San Francisco, CA
Reviews
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( 24 )
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Best

I don't know if Amoeba is an independent record store, small chain or something else but it feels very non-corporate and has a great election whether it's used out of print Jazz o...

Worst

All reviews seem positive

Editorial review from Citysearch 6/12/2013

these guys are the worst! I've had the worst experience with these guys having once being accused of re-sealing product, told to go elsewhere when questioning pricing and finally banned after being accused of being an ebay seller. No kidding! banned!!!I After 10 years!!! I have been harassed and ridiculed by management prior to this as well asked NOT to use customer coupons and even asked to ""give others a chance"" when the jazz managers noticed I was buying more jazz lately. As well unfortunately Amoeba is not the store it used to be focusing now on (pop) rock and used. Also demographics dictate a decline of obscure musics. So NOT the store it used to be. From what I understand Amoeba has had a BAD reputation for some time losing/forcing longtime customers out! more
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Cool! 3/12/2009

I am spoiled living in San Francisco with the little shops I tend to take for granted. Last weekend, I finally came across a record store that allowed me to trade in my CDs I'm bored with, and walk out with credit to buy more stuff in the future. Cool and highly recommended. So much better than the overpriced book stores, and so on. more
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Good selection but no bargains 9/27/2008

Amoeba is known for their huge selection and they don't disappoint in that respect. Few of the titles are really incredibly rare things, though, and I generally find their prices high, especially on used items. I've been a music shopper most of my life and have never seen so many $10-$11 used CDs anywhere else. They can get away with this markup because of their location in the Haight. Nonetheless, I enjoy browsing there and I usually walk away with at least a couple of things worth the prices. more
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Last of the Independents? 8/1/2008

I don't know if Amoeba is an independent record store, small chain or something else but it feels very non-corporate and has a great election whether it's used out of print Jazz or the most esoteric contemporary stuff. more
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Music Warehouse 10/5/2006

Amoeba Records has both CD's for my dad and his sixties music, and new albums for my sister and I. It's filled wall to wall with albums, all organized alphabetically and really easy to find. If you're looking to save a buck, they also sell used copies, but you may loose out in the long run-- sometimes the merchandise is warped. Other than that, they sell everything at a really reasonable price, and you can almost always guarentee you'll find what you're looking for! PROS: AMAZING selections!!!, pretty affordable, used or new copies, music & DVDS CONS: questionable neighborhood, used items may be damaged more
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Awesome... 10/1/2006

There is such a huge collection of music at Amoeba. I love the people who work there because they seem to know exactly where everything that I ask for would be. You never find that at target. PROS: You can find tons of soundtracks. CONS: Spend too much time in this store. more
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Amoeba 9/30/2006

If you ask my brother this is the best music store in the city .You can find great deals on old and new music. I have a cousin that lives in Philadelphia and on every trip that he makes to San Francisco, Amoeba is the first place that he wants to go, he's an Opers singer and always finds great deals on the music that he is looking for. more
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Who doesn't love Amoeba 9/29/2006

By far the best music store I've have ever been in. Unbelievable selection of new and used cd, LPs, dvd, posters and 45's. They have weekly free concerts in store... where I have seen many top notch bands playing live.. for FREE. They also buy and trade cds, dvds, etc. Make sure to get pick up a flyer as you leave for Escape from New York Pizza. The flyer gets you a free drink with purchase of slice. more
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New, Used, EVERYTHING! 11/29/2005

I went by here with my mom looking for some cheap CDs. I walked in and was swamped with millioins of CDs. They have used CDs starting at a few dollars! I ended up spending hours in there. If you wanted to just try out a CD I suggest Amoeba because you can buy something for a dollars and see if you like it. If you dont, throw it out. If you do, go and buy more! more
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best music store in san fran 11/28/2005

They have an excellent selection of music for everyone. If you are a vinyl digger this is the place for you. I suggest looking through the clearance records to find good deals. If you are trying to make money off your vinyl take your records somewhere else. Depending on who works there you may only get a few bucks for 30+ records that are worth and easy $100. more
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Great 11/27/2005

You can find many types of music here at this place. They have a wide selection to choose from. If you need help with anything, the employees will be glad to assist you in your needs. They are very nice and helpful. The prices here are reasonable and are not too high. more
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Huge Selection, Terrible Service 11/26/2005

If you want to buy a CD by your favorite artist (last 50 years), you'll most likely find it here. This place sells new and old CDs/DVDs/records. Be sure to check out the clearance section, where you can get 4 CDs for the price of 3. I must emphasize that you will receive little or no help from the staff. I was brushed off several times when I asked for help finding a CD. The staff members seem to enjoy chatting amongst themselves. The price is reasonable for most items. The store buys back your older CDs. Their checkout system is unique because you pay for the item(s) and the cashier will hand your purchase to you beyond the anti-theft detectors. more
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Large selection, nice concerts 11/19/2005

This well-known music store in the Haight has a large selection of new and used music on CD and vinyl. One of the best things about the store is the free concerts that they often have on a small stage in the store. Sometimes they even have big acts like M.I.A. Associates are not exactly warm or friendly. This is one of the best places in the city to get used indie rock or electronic music. more
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Great selection of music 11/16/2005

I went to there to spend my $20 gift card. The store was filled with every kind of entertainment. Lots of selections and music. There were lots of music to listen to from hip hop to country, everything you can find in one store. This store isn't crowded and waiting in line isn't a hassle. Would recommend this place for music lovers. more
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fun store 9/12/2005

I love this store because there's tons of stuff you can listen to. They have lots of different types of genre for everybody. I especially love how you can scan a cd and listen to it just like that! I've never seen any other music store do that. The place to great when you have nothing to do. more
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overwhelming selection 9/9/2005

Located at the end of San Franciscos hip Haight Street, this place has a ton of music CDs. In fact, the selection can be rather mind-boggling. They sell both new and used CDs so the prices are pretty good. There are listening stations where you can listen to the CD before you buy it (very handy). There is also a smaller room for DVDs. more
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World's Best Music Store! 8/30/2005

Amoeba Music is such a great place to shop for music-related items that Rolling Stone magazine wrote an article about it, calling it a "shopper's paradise and declaring that Amoeba Music just might be the World's Greatest Record Store. This is an independent store, so it stocks anything and everything, from all music genres, from rock to jazz to classical. All of the store's employees are involved in music in some form, and most are musicians. The San Francisco location is one of two, with the other, original store located across the bay in Berkeley. PROS: Great selection, can find anything here! CONS: None more
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crazy cool 8/8/2005

This is the only place you will ever need to go to get ANY music, whatsoever. They carry literally thousands and thousands of any type of genre imaginable. Being the music lover that I am, I love to spend my afternoons there just browsing to see if they have a certain LP that isn't sold in other stores and jumping up and down in joy when I find it. The workers are friendly and the atmosphere is relaxing. Don't let the size or HUGE selection scare you the first time you step in..after a few minutes you'll fit right in. :] PROS: huge selection CONS: more
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The best music shop in SF! 7/29/2005

Amoeba has it all. It's entirely possible to spend hundreds of dollars in minutes or to spend hours browsing their huge selection. Great deals, collectors items, live bands/djs, dvds and videos, an excellent used section and new listening booths where you can listen your potential picks all make this SF institution the tops. more
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Everything you're looking for 7/24/2005

This store is great, you can find just about any record or movie you're looking for. The store has a great selection of old titles and it's a great to just go and wonder for hours. more
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Owner Message

  • Established in 1990 in Berkeley, Calif., Amoeba Music is a store offering various artists and categories of music, including jazz, international folk and popular music, roots music, classical music, rock and soul music. The store offers CDs, DVDs, lasers, videos, tapes, and posters. Amoeba Music offers a large selection of more than 100,000 used CDs in each store. It supports local independent musicians by carrying their CDs, and also maintains an inventory of innovative noncommercial music. Amoeba Music is one of the leading retail outlets in the Bay area for experimental computer and electronic music. Amoeba also carries recordings by composers and musicians at area institutions, such as Mills College and Stanford. Amoeba Music also offers gift certificates to its customers redeemable at its three stores, including Berkeley, Hollywood, and San Francisco, Calif..


    • 33-Rpm

    • 45-Rpm

    • 78S

    • Audio Cassettes

    • Buying Services

    • CDs

    • Cassette Tapes

    • Cds

    • DVDs

    • Dvds

    • Posters

    • Records

    • Sales

    • Tapes

    • Video Games

    • Videos

Editorial

  • In Short
    Born from a bowling alley, this music lover's haven houses tens of thousands of recordings--pop, jazz, lounge and indie releases, along with meaty selections from virtually every...

  • 11/8/2005 Provided by Citysearch
Additional information
  • Hours: Monday To Saturday From 10:30 AM To 10:00 PM Sunday From 11:00 AM To 09:00 PM
  • Payments: Discover, Master Card, Visa
  • Neighborhoods: Central, Haight
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