The Diggers' Guide To London, Part 1: Central London

London - a digger's paradise...

London. One of the world's most important, or self-important, cities, depending on your point of view. Home to over eight million people of all origins and from all continents, it'll come as no surprise to discover that London is one of the best venues in the world for serious record collecting.

The upside is that the variety of records available can rival that of Tokyo; the downside is that there's inevitably a price to pay, either in terms of legwork or the typically wallet-busting prices that go hand-in-hand with running a record shop in one of the most expensive retail space environments in the world.

In this feature, the first in an occasional series of articles on second hand record shops in the London area, we'll be taking a look at some of the legendary, and some of the relatively undiscovered, places to find good vinyl in the central London area. Our route will take us around the West End, through the City and onto the fringes of the East End.

The Vinyl Vulture Tour Of Central London

Our tour starts at Tottenham Court Road tube station. It's right in the centre of London, underneath the Centrepoint skyscraper and on the Northern (black) and Central (red) tube lines. While you're here, if you're after some new kit to listen to your vinyl then you could do a lot worse than spending half an hour haggling with the excellent selection of electrical goods suppliers on Tottenham Court Road. Before getting going, you could even pick up one of the new Vestax portable turntables from the DJ supplies shop next to Virgin!

Your guide to our guide

A trip to London for most people involves inevitable time pressure to fit everything in, so we've arranged this part of the London guide to correspond roughly with Zone 1 of the London Transport tube map. Conveniently, most of our destinations sit along one or other branch of the Northern Line (black) so we've provided a suggested route between each destination.

Our intention is not to cover every second hand vinyl shop in London. There are many stores dedicated to styles of music that don't appeal to the mainstream Vinyl Vulture user. This guide is aimed squarely at reliable spots that are guaranteed to yield a good selection of funk, soul, jazz, rock, psych, soundtracks or any associated genre. There are many good shops that don't make this guide that only stock CDs or new releases - post to the Forum if you're looking for tips.

Take your wants list, and take anyone else's wants list that you can get hold of. London turns up amazing and unexpected gems every week, occasionally with prices to match. Looking for that monstrous Hungarian folk-funk break? The fantastic big band funk album by that obscure Australian? Some English prog-funk rarity? It'll turn up in London sooner or later. Make sure you're the one who turns up that diamond in the rough by being well prepared.

Digging for black gold in London

Digging in London is a little different from provincial digs for many reasons. Here are some recommendations to ensure a hassle-free day's fun in the crates.

Secret Spot?

Get real. You really think you're onto a secret spot with a population that big? There are occasional hot spots when a new place opens somewhere in the suburbs, but London is riddled with dealers and collectors so anything good is usually stripped bare within hours, never mind days. There is no such thing as a genuinely secret spot in London - secrets don't stay secret for long.

Fair trade?

All second-hand vinyl shops in London thrive on trades: it's how they get most of their best records. Don't take the contents of your reject crate - take the prime cuts from your trades and make sure that their condition is excellent. You may be better off taking rarer records even if the condition is a little less-than-perfect, since rarity is all-important in the London market. Remember that these places are used to dealing records well into the tens (if not hundreds) of pounds, so that spare James Last ain't gonna scratch their itch. However, do bear in mind that prices in London are quite regularly twice those of prices in other UK areas, especially for sought-after black music or rare albums, so your rare trades should get you more in London than you could expect from your local shop. Some dealers run their business purely by sourcing rarities from outside London and selling to specialist London dealers so learn from their example.

Daunting decks?

One of the downsides of London digging is the sheer number of people you're competing with. Most of the central London shops do not provide listening facilities and Reckless Records even goes as far as to put up a bad-tempered message on the walls to the effect that if you don't know what the record sounds like, don't buy it! The upside is that almost all of the reputable places are happy to play something for you, provided that you don't do this mid-afternoon on a Saturday.

By the book?

London prices are generally high and always by-the-book or even more. Cash matters - a wall piece might come down by up to a third if you haggle with a fist full of greenbacks.

Service With A Smile?

Most of the shop owners are used to time-wasters and tourists so steel yourself for poor service, especially from the busier Music Exchange and Reckless outlets. You'll get the cold shoulder if you ask to hear one ten quid album. The smaller specialist outlets are generally much more pleasant and will often recommend other items based on what you've picked out.

Stagnant shelves?

Due to the high 'footfall' in every vinyl store in London, stock turnover is usually much faster than elsewhere in the UK. Don't expect to be able to go back the next day and pick up that rare LP you're not sure about - someone will usually get there first. Stagnant shelves are not usually an issue. Most of the shops we talked to buy ten or more sizeable collections per week, so you'll always find something new so check out.

Under the counter?

Unless you're a 'name' DJ, don't expect any under-the-counter or personal service from most places. Again, the smaller specialists win out here and will often reserve items for you if you ring beforehand. Supplying wants lists to dealers (unless they're highly specialised) is largely useless as turnover is so high that shop owners can sell the records without the hassle of searching through a million scraps of paper.

Pound Land?

You're unlikely to find records for pence in most places. Try the charity shops (of which there are many, all used by dealers and diggers regularly so you need to be a frequent visitor), and, most importantly, the excellent bargain basements in many Music and Video Exchanges (particularly Berwick Street). Occasionally you might find records for a pound or two in the smaller shops' sales, too.

Writing On The Wall?

Always. Every shop in London maximizes its display space by whacking the serious records on the wall, usually at the back of the shop by the counter to prevent people nicking them or their covers.

Grading Guru?

Generally, London vinyl grading is left to you to decide. There's too much stock and too little time for the staff to spend hours checking each record. The busier outlets generally put out records in worse condition (and still charge near mint prices) than the specialist dealers, so be very careful when buying and insist on checking the vinyl closely before purchase.

Now that the provisos are out of the way, print this out, stick your trades and the wants list in a record bag, buy yourself a one-day travelcard for Zones 1 and 2 (currently £4.10 from any station) and let's get busy.