Val’s Halla Records

I went in with my girlfriend, who is also a vinyl enthusiast. Both of us have been collecting vinyl for over a decade or more. The owner, Val, is rather chatty. She asked us what we were looking for, but the whole point (and the enjoyment) of record shopping is to go through the records as I see fit, in the hopes of finding that gem or something new and interesting. If I knew what I was looking for, I would buy the damn record online. I go record shopping for pleasure and to be left alone while I do it.
There is some decent new re-​issued vinyl, but nothing I don’t already have – very common stuff. The used vinyl is pretty haggard and the crates underneath are apparently «duplicates.» Why take up all that space with more junk that doesn’t sell? Clear out the clutter of crap, including cassette tapes that nobody wants. We both spent about an hour or two going through everything and came up empty. Again, Val asks if we are looking for something specific, so just to humor her, I say, «Do you have any Billy Bragg albums?» knowing full well she doesn’t. She actually replied, «Yes, there are some in the rock collection, at least there were yesterday.» I went over to look, and surprise, surprise, no Billy Bragg. Somehow I find it hard to believe there were any there «yesterday.» Val comes off as not only annoying, but full of hot air. Val’s doesn’t have as bad a selection as Oak Park records, but the fact that Val is so annoying makes this place just as bad an experience. As we walked out with nothing, I said, «Have a nice day.» She seemed really annoyed and grumbled, «goodbye.» I will not be back, not only for the reasons above, but also because I now feel weirdly obligated to buy something there because of her getting so offended we didn’t buy anything on this trip. At least at Oak Park Records, the guy left us alone to find nothing.

Though went a few years back at the one on South Blvd, It’s a small but pretty good place. The owner can be interesting, When it comes to musical genre or knowledge…

they had laser discs for only $ 5!!! woooo hoooo! great selection of all types of music and friendly people working there!

The last of the GREAT old time record shops. Very rare items and decent prices… and an Elvis shrine too! What else could a music lover ask for?

Disheveled look actually hid the fact that there was lots of new/​reissue vinyl. Used selection wasn’t worth the trip, imo. Limited and overpriced for the condition and not much desirable stuff. Lots of cassettes.

Never going back. Tried a few times. Was told that since I like jazz and classical she had everything. Every piece or artist I wanted might «be in back» or was sold last week. Nothing of interest. Asked if she knew where to get a copy of a rare Ray Charles/​Count Basie recording I was told it didn’t exist, yet found it the next day at the Jazz Record Mart.
Asked if she had any Husker Du, and was told I had bad taste in rock, great sales tactic.
Can’t just go here to shop because between the terrible selection and nagging with fake stories, you can’t focus.
Maybe this is why the place is always in financial trouble.

Finally decided to pop back in this place. Things are much better than the last visit.

If you’ve ever wondered about the meaning of life, you may find a clue to the answer here. This is true even if you don’t like records. It’s because Val, the 4+ decade owner of this shop, carries the aura of someone who found meaning for herself.
Four decades is a long time to be doing the same thing, but on my first visit here a couple months back Val made the time for a half hour conversation about lifetimes of musical discovery, the local music scene, and the life-​work balancing act of musicians. On each of these topics she carried both the unbridled enthusiasm of a teenage newbie and the depth of wisdom of an ancient sage… without the bitterness and resignation of someone doing something too long. Also I once read a pseudo science article about how really smart people have wild hair because there’s a lot of zinc in their hair… Val’s Einstein-​like shock of wild white hair would make this seem true.
While this may not be the go-​to place for new releases, the geographical and historical depth here is pretty staggering for such a small shop. When you’re done digging through the 60s/​70s/​80s in the crates below, and jazz from the 20s and 30s, the classical selection is probably the biggest strength here and is where I may go when I’m ready to travel again. I wouldn’t know where to start. But if I needed a time machine operator who could not only suggest where to go next but get me excited about the destination, I’d go with Val.

Fun selection of new, vintage and of course rarities. Val special ordered impossible to find Rammstein on vinyl for my daughter who just started collecting, which was super nice of Val to do. If you are going to camp out for record store day, this is where I would tell you to start! Anyone visiting Chicago should visit Val and keep the legend going. Very reasonable prices.

I recently found some vinyl including Sinatra Live at the Sands, rarities from Elvis (she even has an Elvis shrine), The Clash’s London Calling & Satchmo Live.
Re: CD’s, I recently purchased Nirvanas Nevermind and The White Stripes Elephant for $ 8 combined. (Later realized I already own both but hey, it was $ 8)
I’ll sum it up like this. If u like good selection at reasonable prices with a proprietor that could teach a 20^th century music appreciation class, this is the place for you.

First time and I didn’t have a great (or even a good) experience, and I won’t be back.
Decent records, but the owner is arrogant, & rude.
She got mad at me for asking to listen to a modest stack of records? … Isn’t that why you have a listening station? Told me that I needed to narrow down my choices … Hey Val, Its sunday afternoon & the store is empty? … Im at a record shop, I want to listen to some records … Im trying to buy your records. Being rude to your customers isn’t the smartest idea. .and we were really excited to come & dig your store, and you totally ruined it by being rude & a know it all, and you didn’t even know what I was talking about.
Then some bratty kid comes in and is stepping on the records to reach VHS tapes … But she says nothing?! … WTF? …
I found some Lithuanian jazz funk, a few private press psych folk LP’s, some gospel funk, and a sealed rare soundtrack … For anybody that says they didn’t find anything here, look harder.
To Val … Kiss my ass. You suck! …

My first visit to Val’s today. Wonderful, artsy neighborhood but with limited street parking. Owner (Val) stays open late on the 3^rd Friday of the month so she was very nice and accommodating when I arrived 30 minutes past the scheduled closing time.
This is the problem with record shops that have been in business forever — they get a core stock that doesn’t sell and gets fingerfucked by customers year after year to the point where the covers are bent/​creased/​worn/​split and the vinyl’s full of fingerprints.
There’s a few of the new 180g classic rock reissues on hand. The used selection was merely fair. I did find a couple 1980s Joe Cocker albums for $ 4.50 in superb condition… plus a great mid 70s Ted Nugent album for $ 5.50 which I later determined to be a 80s reissue (my fault) but still plays great… plus a Dion DiMucci album in superb condition for $ 2.50.
I saw a couple other interesting pieces but the covers were trashed with good records or vice versa. I was a little timid to inquire if the prices were negotiable, so those didn’t come home with me.
8-​tracks? Yep. Cassettes? Yep. Not too sure why they’re still there, but they are.
45rpms, too, but the filing system for them is chaotic and didn’t appear worthy of a scavenger hunt.
Val is helpful. The door barely closed behind me when I entered before she asked me what I was looking for.
The disadvantage to the store is it’s 35 miles away, and requires travel on I-​88/​I-​290 from my home which are FRICKIN’ PARKING LOTS during the late afternoon. I’m talking road-​rage bumper-​to-​bumper bullshit traffic. I merely mention this for those who read this and are required to travel. Also including the cost of those bastard tolls (round trip was over $ 6), and buying off eBay is not that bad of an option.

What’s that I smell? It’s 50 years of music industry pretentiousness.
I’ve given Val’s Halla a shot now on several occasions and I can honestly say that I have no reason to ever return again. As a vinyl enthusiast with very specific tastes, I recognize that crate digging is more or less a crap shoot for me. Leaving empty handed has never disappointed me. Half of the fun is the chase and element of surprise the Chicago area record stores offer. That being said, the fact that I’ve never found anything at Val’s that has peaked my interested is only a small reason I’m writing this review today.
Yes, the selection as many have mentioned here is old, dated, and doesn’t seem to rotate much. Over the 2 year span that I’ve visited this store, I’d say 80% of the vinyl remains the same. Like the collection, the store could use some sprucing up itself. It’s sparsely decorated with a few falling posters and faded window displays. If the stock was more exciting, I’d have focused less on the ambiance. I guess I got bored. For a comparison, take a look at nearby Oak Park Records. I can’t recall a thing on the walls and it’s probably been years since someone took a bottle of Windex to the place but I’m always impressed at what that store has hidden away amongst it’s bins. And instead of bragging about the inventory you bring in daily (as I’ve heard Val do on several occasions), they actually show it by having a regularly revolving selection.
And this brings me to the shop owner herself, Val. It’s clear that Val has years of experience in the music industry … She can’t stop talking about it to every person she strikes up a conversation with. And instead of being drawn in by her wealth of knowledge, it comes off as extremely condescending and pretentious. She constanty disagrees with you and corrects you as though she’s some «grande dame» of music theology. She is very forward and approaches everyone to either 1.) Ask if you are searching for something, 2.). Talk up her store of 30,000 albums and how things are not organized as they might be at other stores and 3.) She’ll probably slip in that she worked for Capitol years ago as a validation for her vast musical knowledge. If you’re lucky, she’ll cover all of the above and if you don’t engage her or provide her with a taste of what you’re looking for, she’ll be back 15 minutes later when you haven’t found anything yet. It becomes more than a little uncomfortable. During my last visit I was scolded for looking through the overstock below because everything below could be found above. I hate to tell ya, Val, but that wasn’t the case on quite a few albums in the short time I looked. I also overheard her criticize a customer checking out because he couldn’t find more that what he was purchasing in a store of over 30,000 albums. Perhaps he could have in a store with better selection.
There was a recent article written about Val’s Halla and how it’s been struggling financially. The community was coming together for a fundraiser to save this store and help Val pay her bills. I had little sympathy for the financial woes expressed in the article. The article spoke to the number of improvements the store needed to make to stay competitive with other used record stores in an already difficult industry. I agreed with all of them; increasing online presence, shipping more titles, and expanding the use of the small performance space in the store. She’d like to turn the place into a destination; a hot spot for cultural discussions. In theory, a good business owner would have put these elementry plans in motion years before debt was so high that it became a struggle to pay the electric bill. The Chicago-​area music community is amazing, however, and I understand the cause here; saving an Oak Park legacy from the pits of financial ruin. That said, little has changed since the fundraiser took place. And while things can’t change over night, over a month later and the store looks and feels just as it has for years. Perhaps a move to its new location (coming soon according to the poster on the entrance) will turn this place around. Unfortunately, it will take more than a new location to bring me back to Val’s Halla.

Oh Val
Val’s has been around for about 7000 years. I believe when Noah (of Ark fame) did his record with the T-​rex (Sorry baby you missed the boat and my love); Val’s had the single.
It is old, musty, dusty (even in the new location), and sort of dis-​jointed.
The music is always loud, and often eclectic just to be eclectic and odd.
The collection is strange, wacky, and they have more than one laser disc.
The staff is fussy, socially awkward, and self involved.
AND I LOVE IT.
Unlike many record stores I am not inclined to jump over the counter and kick the shit out of the assclown behind it.
The staff has a massive knowledge of music. Val worked in the record industry for years, so she knows the business, not just a record store snob.
Val owns a business, and has for years, not just some kid with an attitude working at a record store, while living in a crap apartment with four other wasted fucksticks touching themselves over Kim Gordon posters.
Shane seems to have actually evolved from the store itself, like he is a living, breathing part of the store.
They also like people, children, and dogs. They will have insanely long conversations about music with people who obviously have no fucking idea what they are talking about.
They educate the young, ignorant, and the plain stupid.
Their prices are good, and the quality is very good. When it comes to used records, you do not have to worry if your getting something good, you are.
They do not have a great deal of new releases on hand, but if you want, all you have to do is walk your immediate gratification ass up to the counter and order it. Then you have to use something called patience, and wait. Soon thru the wonder of the
U. S. postal system, and the telephone your purchase will arrive.
I have ordered many things (wax or CD) and gotten them with 7 days, and they will hold it as long as you like, because you pay for it up front. They also seem to have some secret stash in the darkest regions of the world, because they can find stuff, stuff I have looked for on the interweb, and came up blank.
The other wonderful part is the surprises, if you look you can find some really amazing things, not all the time, just some of the time. If your a record store junkie you know that is part of the fun.
Once I was in there, looked about, did not see anything that caught my eye. I was about to walk out, Shane (the employee with curly hair) looked up from something self absorbing and said «you better turn around and walk over to that folk section», then went back to his activity (most likely the crossword). What followed as a time period filled with many «holyshit», «are you kidding me», and various other expressions of joy.
This is only one of the many times i have been guided by the staff here to some wonders hidden in the stacks of records.
40 years people, that is something to be admired, cherished, and shopped at.

Wonderful service, oodles of personality, and a mecca for those who still think of music as more than just a digital file.

Val’s Halla suffers from having a average /​mediocre collection of used records. While most record stores compensate by providing an extensive collection of newly pressed records, Val’s doesn’t really have that either.
After thoroughly looking through their collection I came out empty handed. To add insult to injury, I was treated with condescension or perhaps passive aggressive attitudes because I spent so much time there and found nothing that I actually wanted.
I’m sorry that most of your records are overpriced and mostly rejects from the 70s and 80s. I’m sorry that the records I might have wanted, I already have. I’m sorry that I had a Groupon. My bad. Or is it yours?
Unfortunately, I have to go back. Hopefully the experience will be better.

Well, what can you say about Val’s that could possibly be appreciated by anyone that doesn’t know her… it’s tough, but here goes.
I think the best way to describe Val’s in response to some of the negative reviews regarding her personality is «if you can’t take the heat then get out of the kitchen!»
Val has been in the music business longer than most of her customers have been alive.
You have to love the fact that when she was forcibly moved from her old and great location because of a building renovation, that instead of packing it in and opening up an Ebay business, she chose the monumental task of moving thousands of records and cd’s to a new location — taking on a new lease in a very uncertain economy and even more uncertain business.
I truly believe that Val is a music first person and business 2^nd. She has given her constant support to local bands and even has in-​store events with live musicians.
As far as the comments from the e-​morons out there about how you can order things yourself from Amazon instead of letting Val do it for you, well congratulations on doing your part to destroy the music business in Chicago. Of course you can order on-​line, and you should if that is what you like to do, but don’t stop going to Val’s just because you can get somehting cheaper on – line.
The Val’s experience is about browsing her large and very comprehensive stock of used LP’s and maybe even finding a cd or two that you would never have come across while your eyes were bulging from shopping on-​line.
Shop smart, but also shop local. Val’s IS Americana.

Val is amazing. She’s super knowledgeable, and it’s all spawned by her obsessive love of music. That, and she’s just plain cool.
Their folk selection is particularly deep, and the prices are very reasonable. The average price for used vinyl is probably $ 4 – 5.
The shop has a stage and is incredibly supportive of the local music scene.
Even if you hate music, come to meet Val.

Val’s is one of the last remaining gems of a retail industry moved mainly online. Val herself is one of a kind.
I love that I can bring my dog here, and I love even more that I can sing a song to Val and she can tell me what it is. I appreciate the kitsch, but am sad that things have changed since they had to move.
They don’t have the best selection of new releases, but I like to think of this as an antique or thrift store, or one that caters to that special nitch crowd of true music lovers.
If you’re looking for vinyl, indie, or that hard to find used item, check here. If you’re not quite sure what you’re looking for, Val will happily help you figure it out.

I was raised in a used bookstore, in an area where such a place can no longer possibly remain in business, so my love stems partly from that nostalgia.
I nearly never find what I desperately want, but there’s always something cool to be found at a steal. The Elvis bathroom is kitchy, but worth a chuckle.
I like Val and the other people who work there — proof that you don’t have to be an asshole to work in a music store.