Amoeba Music

Amoeba Music is a large independent record store at 1855 Haight Street in Haight-Ashbury, San Francisco, California, near the entrance to Golden Gate Park. The store occupies a former bowling alley, and its high-ceilinged floor is organized into aisles of new and used vinyl, CDs, DVDs, cassettes, posters, music books and memorabilia. Unlike generic shopping, the stock is very deep and genre-diverse, covering rock, jazz, soul, hip hop, classical, world music and film soundtracks, and the used section is a draw for collectors seeking out-of-print records. Staff are known for deep music knowledge, and the store posts staff picks. Quality is high for a record shop: items are graded by condition, and authentic pressings dominate, with very few novelty souvenirs, though T-shirts and tote bags are sold at the counter. Prices range from a few dollars for used discs to higher sums for rare vinyl. Bargaining is not part of the culture, as items are priced individually. The store accepts cards, and also buys and trades used media, with payment in cash or store credit, so visitors with unwanted records can sell them on site; ID is required. California sales tax is added, and there is no tourist refund. The atmosphere is relaxed and browsing-oriented, with crowds on weekends and during in-store performances and signings, which the store has long hosted. There is no restaurant inside, but Haight Street has cafes, pizza and burrito shops within a short walk. A visit combines naturally with the vintage stores along Haight Street and a stroll into Golden Gate Park. Because the stock is so large, many visitors allow an hour or more for browsing, and items can be sampled at listening stations in some departments. Opening hours are typically late morning to evening, and the store's website lists current times and events.