Mills Record Company

Very friendly staff, and plenty of knowledge when it comes to all things music. Their new arrivals for the used section is always exciting to browse. Make sure to stop in!

One of the best used vinyl selections I have ever dug thru!!! All the discs I pulled were quality and in pristine condition… Not over priced at all $ 6 – 10 dollars, all in plastic sleeves! 2 Japanese imports from Phil Collins and Journey, a hard to find Janet/​Rhythm Nation for $ 12 and an unopened A-​ha Scoundrel Days album, original pressing for $ 16… The staff was very interactive, the guy i interacted most with (can’t remember his name) had a slight Jack Black in «High Fidelity» quality about him, and i mean that in the 100% best way! I was corrected on my perceived value of World Destruction by Time Zone… and yes, this is the first time I was moved to post a review in Unilocal!That good…

Loved this place. Visited here while on vacation. Judy and Sean were sweethearts and very helpful and the whole store just had a pleasant vibe. Pretty decent digging in the used section. Found some gems in the new section that id been looking for for a little while. Plus some surprises.
Wish I had the time to check out some more spots in KC, but very happy I made it in here.

I’ve only been here on Record Store Day. But for being slammed with a line of customers the staff was still very friendly and patient. From what I saw they had a good selection of vinyl. I’ll be back to check them out.

LOVE LOVE LOVE. I am an avid record collector, I love finding new places to buy vinyl. This is the place to go in KC. They are super nice and helpful, they took care of helping me find a record I had been looking for FOREVER. They tracked it down and offered to ship it to their shop and check it out for me and call me when they got it. They are all around great. They have old music, new music, cheap record, and the pricier ones. They have music for anyone and everyone. Love going here!

First time checking out the record stores KC has to offer. This was the first stop of the trip and it wasn’t disappointing. The store is split into two equal sections one for new records and the other for used. I really only buy used records but at least saw some interesting new/​reissues that i would have maybe picked up had the used selection not been so thorough. I appreciate any store that has a soul and RnB section as well.
Great store, solid selection, friendly non-​pretentious staff and seating for the wife when she tags along makes this place a 5 star stop.

The store is very clean and well organized. Just make sure you are willing to pay TOP DOLLAR for most albums. They do have a few deals in their second room but most albums are pricey. The owner seemed very nice.

This place is great. They’ve got a great vinyl selection which has been pretty well covered throughout the rest of the reviews. Selection. Quality. Staff. Top Notch.
But this review is specifically about an incident that I had which has made me a life long customer. My boyfriend and I bought a suitcase record player from this place and some records right before Christmas. Over Christmas, we used the player several times and found it would only work with one of our 10 albums. The rest of the albums would skip. The brand new Adel 24 album I got for Christmas would barely play at all. I took it back to this store and spoke the with owner. Judy was dismayed, said she bought it from someone else used. She was hesitant to take it back because she said she’d have to just throw it away and eat the cost. She mentioned this is why she doesn’t like returns on players, especially cheap ones (under $ 100 usually) because they’re almost always faulty. As a former small business owner myself, I know how much that hurts, having to eat the cost like that. She did it, though. She gave me my refund and gave me some sage advice on record players. She showed me what she carried, told me what I should and shouldn’t look for. She was honest and frank, but kind. I respect her and the business that she runs because she does it well. I will buy from that type of owner any day of the week and this place has my business until the end.

There really isn’t much to say besides my 5 stars but I will share a couple of things that I love about this place. Firstly, the staff including owner Judy are always so polite and helpful. I think on every visit (and there have been many over the last 2 years) I have been asked if I’m looking for a new release or need help finding a genre. Secondly, I love the new addition of used records (through the side door into the next door) as there is a great selection of vintage 50s/​60s/​70s country, blues, soul, jazz, bluegrass, rock.
Mills usually does a great job of stocking up for new weekly releases and of course if they are out of a copy they will happily add you to a list and call you when your requested record arrives. Furthermore, from my experience Mills has an unusually good inventory of punk, metal, rap, and indie alternative records.
Lastly, a few tips:
–Mills also usually throws an extravaganza for Record Store Day including free breakfast food, coffee, and free outdoor concerts
–From time to time you can find concert tickets on special when purchased through Mills (this was the case for Sleater-​Kinney earlier this year) so be sure to check their Twitter of Facebook feed!
–Be sure to join the loyalty customer email list as you check out

This is a great record store — if you are looking for more recent, rock music. Their selection of older records and other genres isn’t so great. But the staff is super friendly and helpful. The records I did buy here were in very good shape and looked like they had been cleaned /​well maintained.

Mills Record Company is truly what a record store should be! Amazing knowledgable staff, and the willingness to go above and beyond for their customers. I am from St. Louis, and this is the only store where I buy my vinyl!

I come to Mills every time I visit KC and I have to say it is one of my favorite places to stop and I always look forward to it after a 6 hour drive! Great selection in both new and used and probably some of the most helpful and overall cool staff any crate digger could ask for! This place is clean and organized and they just added on! Great vibe and art everywhere.
I always score here and it is not hard to spend my limit every time. This is a MUST stop for any music enthusiast traveling within KC.

Kansas City went a very long time without a record store, much less a good one. In the past few years, however, that has drastically changed. Now, within just a short distance from each other, you can find at least four shops specializing in vinyl, with another few stops on the tour through the area providing just enough stock to make it worth your while to stop in as well.
Mills Records has led the charge out of the dust-​covered, faded Kenny Rogers/​Perry Como/​dad rock crap that killed the vinyl industry in the first place, and into the new generation of wax enthusiasts. While the store has recently expanded its used collection into the space next door, the store really shines in its selection of new, contemporary releases.
if your tastes extend to indie rock, metal, folk, or some of the more well-​known, better distributed hiphop or electronic releases, then Mills will probably have you covered. They offer special ordering as well. Granted, you are not going to find a huge selection of obscure German dub techno 12’s or flavor-​of-​the-​day rap singles at Mills. The used selection is going to be the standard jazz/​blues/​70s/​80s it is everywhere else.
I have taken records in a couple of times to sell also, and have been treated fairly by the staff, including Ms. Mills herself. I appreciated the time that was taken to talk about the records, get a litlte history and really dig into their valuation. She gave me options on a few rare pieces that would have been better for me to explore financially, but I was appreciative of her expertise and service and I knew she could get them in the much-​more appreciative hands of a new owner faster than I could. I didn’t feel ripped off or like my transaction was going to be the one that made or broke the business’ bottom line if it didn’t go her way. Standing on the hobbyist side of the desk, that’s about all I can ask for.
The store features in-​store performances, contests, and give-​aways quite regularly and, thanks to its location just east of Broadway on Westport Road, is situated to be a cornerstone of Westport for years to come. Sometimes, in Kansas City at least, it’s easy to look back at the glory days of youth, to names like Music Exchange, Recycled Sounds, Groove Farm, Spiney Normans, or even worse, just defer west to Lawrence, and lose sight of how important it is for the younger generation of today to have those same formative experiences — a huge thank you to Judy Mills and the folks at Mills Records for making that happen today!

Since I sold my vinyl collection years ago I had no need to go to Mills Records until today. I heard they had $ 20 Sleater –Kinney tix that are normally selling for $ 37. It was a Record Store Day special. As soon as I entered, I was approached and greeted and genuinely asked if I was looking for the Record Store Day specials and was given a brief tour. The store is clean and sleek, not cluttered or overwhelming.
I was truly impressed when I asked what I was hearing and was not belittled for not knowing nor lectured as why they are the greatest band ever… I was actually asked my opinion of the music and what I knew of the band.
I only bought some concert tickets and some cool event flyers. But wished I still owned a turntable so I could keep going back… hmmm?

Stopped by on my daughters birthday to get her some new wax
Found a few fun albums — and was helped by the super nice, but not pushy staff.
They also had a band playing — fun times :)

Mills is the record store Kansas City, Missouri needed after Recycled Sounds went out of business. Located in the heart of Westport, it fits in perfectly not only as a source for reasonably-​priced music but also as a music venue.
The store owner, Judy, is a badass, who is inextricably linked to and woven into the local music scene in KC. She attends and supports local shows and one can automatically see that she is passionate about music.
From the moment I first walked in, I felt at home. If she’s there, she’ll chat with you; not in a «just chatting so you’ll spend more» but legitimately will remember you from your last visit. Chances are, she’s heard whatever it is you’re buying. And she’ll have an opinion about it.
I also appreciate that you can spend hours in there and 1) you will find gems you didn’t even know you needed and 2) the staff has never made me feel rushed or that I’m a bother, even if I’m digging in the dollar bins.
Be not worried about price-​gouging, which is a common fear when dealing with vinyl (and especially in a physical store). This ain’t Urban Outfitters. Mills prices it’s records very fairly — I know because the first few times I went in, I Googled to compare. It is indeed a benefit to Mills that they are priced competitively.

This is the main store I go to for vinyl. The staff is great, first and foremost. If they don’t have it, they will do their best to find the album you are looking for. Their metal selection is the biggest and most expansive selection I’ve seen anywhere in town.
Prices on their records vary greatly, but are generally in line with what you would find at any other retailer, in store or online. If I can get it at Mills, that is where I will spend my money. I recommend it to all of my friends.

I was totally intimidated on my way to the store. I felt like Jack Black’s character from High Fidelity was going to mock me for anything I wanted to purchase. I have to say about five seconds into the store the feeling of possible unworthiness vanished. The owner came up and introduced herself, her dog and the store to me. It was an excellent first shopping experience.
I forgot how much I love looking through stacks of records. The thrill of flipping through almost perfectly alphabetized albums is so much fun. Yes, I’m a bit geeky for organization. I was told they are expanding the shop to include a larger used section as around the beginning of September.
It’s definitely a great place to start buying vinyl again or take a newbie. Mills Record Company will be my first stop when looking for something new or used.

Because no one truly needs physical media anymore, we certainly don’t need record stores, right? Wrong. Vinyl sales have actually increased year over year (up 32% from 2012 to 2013) and have hit 22-​year all-​time sales records. I could throw more stats at you, but that wouldn’t really answer why you need to go to Mills.
I’ve been to a handful of record stores in KC and some of then tend to be plagued with the problem of just TOO much. Like, I could spend hours in there sifting through used and new records. Some may not have a problem with that, but I can’t spend two hours in a record store. Mills, has a great selection, but doesn’t suffer from that overload problem.
The selection consists mostly of new records as opposed to the majority of other local stores which have a lot of used vinyls, but relatively little brand-​new offerings. And it’s a good mix at Mills: rock, alt, hip-​hop, electronic, pretty much everything you would need. I assume they have country and polka, too, but I never venture outside of my musical comfort zone.
Mills even has gift cards that are the shape and size of full-​size records. I, for one, would be excited to get one of these as a gift.
Customer service here is great too. They always help me to find what I’m looking for and will hold records when I call, as well. Also of a benefit, to me, is their weekly blog post with updates as to what’s new in the store.
The one complaint I do have is Mills tends to shove too many records into a single row. This makes it a bit hard to see everything that’s in the row as there isn’t much space to move the vinyls around. Also, it took me a couple trips to realize they have bins underneath all the rows with even more stuff in them.
Overall, this is the record store of my choice when I head out for some new vinyl to spin at home.

I just thought I’d add this little experience.
I walked in 15 minutes until close and the first thing I did was alert the gentleman who was working that I knew what I was looking for and I’d be fast. He looked at me and said, «Well we’re open another 15 minutes so take your time.» Nice.
I was looking for a release as a gift for my brother. After doing some digging I didn’t see it so I asked if they might be getting it soon. After looking up the release the clerk said they’d have it in about 10 days and asked if he could have my name and number so he could call me when it arrived. That doesn’t happen too much any more so I was more than happy to oblige.
Then after making small talk about Record Store Day, the clerk alerted me to a release that I’ve been searching for.
I’m sold.
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