Kim’s Video & Music

Caminando por las calles de Manhattan encontré este lugar de casualidad, que para todo fan y coleccionista de discos y películas es más que un sitio genial. Kim’s Video & Music tiene toda la onda y por sobre todas las cosas ejemplares raros que no se consiguen en cualquier tienda de NY. Tienen vinilos y blu rays bastante extraños, mucha cosa de culto, onda que entras y te la pasas horas revolviendo a ver que tienen entre tantas cosas.
Otra motivo genial para amar a Kim’s es que venden bastantes cosas usadas y en excelente estado y teniendo en cuenta que los ejemplares nuevos que venden están un poco más caros que el precio promedio en Amazon, estos usados son una gran ventaja, más que –como dije– están en muy buenas condiciones y revisando se pueden encontrar cosas más que interesantes. Un lugar que recomiendo bastante, para ir una y otra vez.

I’m always pleasantly surprised by the records I’m able to dig up at this cool little shop.
It’s not my favorite shop in the city, but there are also far worse options.

The day I went here the place was closing /​going out of business. I have been here before when it was full. It was not bad. They had a lot of rare items but they were so expensive. When I saw the going out of business sign I wasnt surprised at all.

Between the vinyl, insane collection of DVD and blu ray (with the best organization I’ve seen anywhere, genre then director) and CDs… hours could be spent going through it all. I would list the unique items one could walk out of Kim’s with, but I’ll choose to let my fellow Unilocalers go check it out. Lets just say I left with the Japanese movie Ichi the Killer on Blu Ray and Skrillex More Monsters and Sprites.

I always like stopping by Kim’s, although I do my ‘new’ buying elsewhere, and the used cd section is apparently on its last breath. But, it is a record store, and there are scores to be found in the used vinyl. I generally can’t afford dvd’s, and I’m not sure what good prices are, but I did complete the 5 movie series of the Yakuza Papers, the unbelievably fantastic epic by Kinji Fukasaku, all for 10 bucks.
The staff is nice enough, and it is nice that if I ever did need a hard to find film, I know I could find it there. I like the window display, too.
There used to be a couple who sold books on a table on Avenue A, and they would also invite you up for coffee. This has not much to do with Kim’s, but like the original Kim’s locations, it’s a memory of the East Village that I wish I could relive, if but once.

Although this place really hit it’s stride in the 90’s, Kim’s Video is an East Village institution. Everything is impeccably organized. They have music of all kinds, on vinyl, CD and even cassettes! As far as movies, you will find anything that you’ve been after, like 60’s surfer movies or vintage 80’s flicks. In fact, there is even a section called «Horror Sexplotation.» Yikes!

Kim’s Video & Music is a bit on the expensive side (not uncommon to see DVDs go for close to $ 40), but I suppose that is somewhat understandable, considering how fantastic their selection of movies and music is. Very strong in regards to rare/​hard to find/​imported products (particularly their movie section). Feels like an old-​fashioned record store, with new stuff always playing (a few weeks ago they were playing the new Boards of Canada).
In my opinion, despite their great CD and vinyl (and even cassettes!) collection, their real strength is their enormous supply of DVDs. Great avant-​garde, exploitation, and documentary sections, and films are organized based on which country the director is from, which is neat.
Kim’s is the kind of store you can spend literally hours in and not get bored. If you plan on purchasing anything, it may be a bit pricey, but then again what isn’t nowadays?

Was excited when I walked in an they were playing «Night of the Living Dead on all their screens? However– that was the highlight of my experience there. I went to Kim’s this evening to look for some rare OOP DVDs. I had no luck finding anything and the majority of the movies are simply way over-​priced!!! They do have many titles Best-​Buy etc do not carry, but you can get most everything they have online for much cheaper. I was told they would carry many OOP titles, but I ran down my want list and they had nothing…

Great selection of movies!!!

MEH. Back in the 90’s, the Kim’s stores were awesome, the place to find a lot of the underground and indie movies and had cool down-​to-​earth people working there. sadly, not the case now. I walked in, planning on looking for some stuff and also putting up some flyers for an upcoming event that I’m having, Kim’s has always supported it in past years. Anyway… I was greeted my a completely snotty and rude twentysomething counter girl who absentmindedly stood there picking at her face for a few minutes and then asked me in a very bored tone «can I help you?» I started to mention my flyers and got «oh whatever they can go over there», pointing to a big mess of newspapers and stuff in a corner… I didnt even get out my question about the movie before I was dismissed in favor of more face-​picking. I left, I’ll find it on amazon. Don’t waste your time here.

This place is TERRIBLE!!! I would give Kim’s Video & Music zero stars if I could. The people that work there are a bunch of elitist movie snobs who still think that it’s 1992 and couldn’t care less about their customers.
I bought a record here recently that turned out to be a really poor quality bootleg. The record was mastered at the wrong speed and sounded very very muddy. It was basically unlistenable. When I went back the store to exchange the record for something else, the guy at the counter just blew me off and said it wasn’t their problem.
I tried to explain that the record sounded really bad and that I just wanted to get something that I could listen to. He just kept telling me that they don’t take returns and that the record sounded fine to him. He told me that they might buy it back for a few bucks but that they wouldn’t give me anything close to the $ 20 that I paid for it. To top it off, he said that I’d have to come back another day since he wasn’t the vinyl guy.
I was shocked. I understand that they need to have a return policy but this was ridiculous. He made no effort to see things from my perspective. The record was opened when I bought it and I was bringing back in the same condition. It’s not that I wasn’t happy with the music. The sound quality was awful. Now I am stuck with this unlistenable record that I wouldn’t even sell to someone if I could because I’d just be ripping them off like Kim’s did to me.
What’s most surprising is that while lots of music shops are going out of business, these guys insist on being rude to their customers. I can’t imagine this place will last much longer. If you are looking for records in NYC, DON’T GO TO KIM’S. You should go to Other Music. Trust me they are much more considerate than the clerks at Kim’s.

For a little store it’s a nice find, it’s not horribly expensive and it has a lot f character. Even if you don’t buy anything it’s a lot of fun just going through the vinyl new and old. You can tell that the people that work there are really in to their music, if you want something new and you don’t know what to get they are really chill with helping out.

Okay, this place is mostly overpriced. A lot of the DVDs you can find online for much much cheaper. But if you’re lazy, then come here.
They have a big record selection and their on sale record selections is pretty good.

This place has a really impressive selection of movies, from all genres ranging from 70s-​80s horror to foreign films, children’s movies, underground/​independent films, musical documentaries, you name it they have it. Pricewise, Best Buy they are not, but if you’re looking to have a more personalized and old school shopping experience then Kim’s Video is your place.
When I was younger they used to be on Alphabet City, the space at this location is definitely smaller, but everything is just as well… if not better, organized. The people that work here definitely know their stuff and are (for the most part), hipster film buffs (I’d apologize, but I’m just callin’ it as I see it!) who will answer any questions you have to the best of their abilities, or help you find the answer.
I don’t come here often, but about 2 months ago I did swing by with my guy and his friend to pick up his movie (*SHAMELESS PLUG ALERT* «Rudyard Kipling’s Mark of the Beast») and I picked up LCD Soundsystem’s Shut Up and Play the Hits — something tells me that James Murphy would be pleased that I picked up their doc here and not at a chain like Best Buy or PC Richards :).
I would definitely recommend either coming here after some research and picking up what you want or browsing for inspiration for a gift or something, but with at least a preliminary idea of a genre/​film type so you’re not walking around this small-​midsize store in circles for hours… because I can definitely see how someone could spend hours in here and not even realize it… which is definitely a good thing and speaks volumes for what Kim Video contributes to a neighborhood that’s been (somewhat) marred by fancy names, large businesses and *cough*NYU*cough*.

Like many other reviewers, I also remember going to the old location on St. Mark’s Place & when they had rentals. I never rented from there (since I never lived in the area) but I do remember coming from CT and buying used DVDs at that location. Unfortunately, the prices for used DVDs increased while quality & selection decreased. This was long before the move but it’s definitely the place to browse. I also remember seeing an indie film on the shelf here that someone I know through a contact was involved in. That gave me a freak out moment.
Yes, they have a decent selection of titles & if you’re looking for a rarity this is a place to consider. However, I didn’t see the selection of indie films they used to have. I know for a fact about certain indie films that aren’t on their shelves. I’m not sure if they still have region free players but that was something they sold at the old location.
The two stars are for ungodly pricing & customer service (or lack thereof). It’s a fun place to browse but the prices are a total turnoff from buying here. I also beg to differ on supporting small businesses that aren’t providing the customer service experience or engaging in pricing so absurd, it could be called price gouging. This is the type of high pricing we’re talking about here, not a mere couple dollars here & there.
I also remember them having a decent amount of porn but that’s also been downgraded since the move. If you’re looking for something you can’t find at Best Buy or the average big box store, this is the place to go. If you want to see what the latest title you ordered looks like, also a good idea to come here. Finally, you can check out the imports.

My favorite video store in NYC isn’t dead after all!
I know the prices are high, and they don’t have the selection they used to since the infamous bootleg raid, but Kim’s is second to none when you’re looking for imported titles, foreign releases, complete director filmographies, exploitation/​cult titles and rare releases.
If none of what I just mentioned interests you, please, keep shopping at Best Buy.
This is a store for serious film aficionados, and the staff is plenty helpful if you’ve got any questions about their releases. I had one about a title and the cashier went above the level of service I expected to get me the answers.
Look, I know that many of the titles found here can be purchased for far less on Amazon, but brick-​and-​mortar stores like this are on borrowed time, so do yourself (and them) a favor and drop a few extra bucks every now and then to insure a place like this thrives and stays alive. It’s the least you can do if you’re an old-​school bin hunter who misses the days of scouring stores looking for choice titles.
Bonus: they’ve got a Unilocal check-​in deal good for 20% off all imported Blu-​rays and DVDs. Score.

As others have noted their collection is fantastic — films in particular. Criterion titles are well-​represented (although they are also at Criterion list price), both in specific shelf ranges and scattered throughout the store. DVDs are organized for the most part by country of origin and director, with other specialized areas like foreign imports and avant-​garde cinema alongside the usual television, new releases etc.
CD and vinyl selections are decent and they have a vinyl listening station. There are even a few books hidden on the ends of the stacks, which are interesting if not plentiful.
I’ve only ever been to the present location, so I can’t speak to its quality relative to the old store. But I’m glad that it’s around.

For some reason my general search for music stores in NYC on Unilocal did not come up with Kim’s, so imagine my surprise when I just happened to be walking on 1^st Avenue and there it was. Used CDs, DVDs, vinyl, 7″ … pretty much all sorts of media entertainment awaited behind the loud advertisements on the front windows. Had to go in and see.
Well, first off I kick myself for not having been to Mondo Kim’s as written about by previous reviewers. That must have been quite a place. This version of Kim’s still looks like a treasure trove of time consumption and price gaggling, so expect to spend some time here if you are one to pour over everything for something hidden and excellent.
I didn’t peruse the DVDs and vinyl so much, so I can only say there were quite a bit of them (especially the DVDs). The CDs were my main focus and I noticed that the new discs cost between $ 11.99 and $ 15.99. That’s a typical city rate for the most part, though finding anything new for $ 11.99 in New York could be considered a deal based on other places.
The used section was what really grabbed my attention as it seemed like a lengthy, wide ranging collection of discs. Again, I shake my head for not having seen Mondo Kim’s epic quantities, but this Kim’s still had a good selection to spend a lot of time flipping through. Used discs primarily ranged from $ 4.99 to $ 7.99, with a high count of indie and classic rock as the main focus. The hip hop section only had about 30 – 40 choices and the reggae section was a paltry 8 or so CDs. As decent as the prices are, it can be a little disappointing if you’re into a certain genre and get stiffed on opportunities.
As for other aspects of the store, the guy at the front desk with a surfer-​like dialect was quite accommodating, there is a tucked away adult DVD section in the back right corner, and there is a ton of DVD collections on older entertainers near the front.
Bottom line is that if I were into movies and TV shows I would definitely make this a stop. For those into CDs it is a good place to check out, though I’m not so sure it’s a must destination.

A friend of mine introduced me to this little gem in St. Marks. They have movies from different countries, Criterion movies, rare movies and music. The staff is very knowledgeable too. Some of their DVDs are pricey (I guess because they’re rare) but worth it if you’re a film buff who wants to expand their movie collection.

One of the last in a few record stores left in NYC. Reminds me of days of yore when St. Marks had punks sporting DYI clothes rather than mass produced threads. Kim’s has had several locations in its history and this is the saddest of them all as the record industry isn’t what it was by a long shot.
If you are a music fan/​buff, Kim’s should be a must on your list. You will be able to spend hours in here as my rocker/​music buff husband can. Just send your wife to St. Marks or if you know the city well, she can join the throngs of fashion victims and tourists in Soho which is close by.

I was thrilled when I saw Kim’s was going to be taking over the old space of Kurowycky Meats on 1^st Avenue. (The space in the back where the meat locker used to be is now home to blaxploitation flicks.)
When I saw Harold and Maude was out-​of-​print, I had to buy it. They have old TV shows, like the Richard Pryor show and Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman. And a cool selection of records, including vinyl. (Clara Rockmore on the theremin!)
No, it’s not the same as the 5-​story Mondo Kim’s on St. Mark’s Place; nothing will ever match that. The world is turning to shit, but at least we still have this Kim’s store. Yeah, and no more rental, but all things must pass.