Music & Video Exchange

Like having a browse there, though the records I sold I only got a fiver for them, one was Led Zeppelin 3, the same LP is for sale for £130

If you’re after second hand CDs, records or DVDs then head on down to Music & Video Exchange. They operate through members of the public bringing in their unwanted items. The staff then evaluate your items and offer you a price in cash or if you are happy to spend your money in store they offer a trade for instore vouchers which are usually double the value of the cash offer ie if they said your items were worth £10 cash you could either accept that or £20 vouchers. Its worth heading in if you haven’t the time or inclination to list everything on Ebay plus it saves you queueing up in the Post Office.
Due to the increase of downloads their stock seems to have dwindled in recent years now its less music and video and more comics and books as they have had to diversify.
There are generally plenty of bargains to be had but some items you can buy for the same price in the sale at chain shops.
I have bought records, books and DVDs from here as well as sold CDs and DVDs. If you’ve got time on your hands then it well worth having a good rummage in here as sometimes there are hidden gems to be found. One of my best buys was the Swing Kids discopgraphy on CD for £1!

As a Unilocal scout one of the requirements of my role is to focus on the best in independent business that Birmingham has to offer. You’re going to have to forgive me on this one though as I was very impressed with Music and Video Exchange and decided it needed a mention, plus it’s only a small chain so we can make an exception. At this store you can buy and sell everything from cd’s and dvds, through to photographs and memorabilia. In an age where cash is at a premium, stores such as this one are a very valuable commodity as it allows you to trade in your old stuff for a bit of cash and put it towards buying more items. As with many second hand stores in Birmingham, a few gems can be found although as is the case in most places you might have to have a root around. They have a bargain basement here to for the real penny pinchers amongst you, so there’s no reason not to have a mooch around and see what you can find, you may well be pleasantly surprised.

This shop is one of the only few remaining 2^nd hand record stores in the city. It’s part of a small chain that operates in London and has about 15 shops dotted about the capital. Despite that, and because of it’s business model, each shop is very much a local concern.
Here’s how it works: Members of the public take in their unwanted records, CDs, Videos, DVDs, Books and Comics and the expert staff provide a valuation. If the seller accepts this valuation they either take cash or exchange vouchers and their stuff immediately goes into the shop’s stock. Each item is individually priced based on it’s book value and likelihood of selling, so for example 2 identical records may go out at different prices if one is slightly marked, or if one or the other is an original pressing. Once the stock goes out on sale it then gets periodically marked down in increments of £1 (usually on a fortnightly basis), so each price sticker will show what it was originally put out for, and also how many deductions have happened. A few years ago I got an original pressing of a Faces LP for £4 — it had originally started at £40 and had somehow been missed by other record-​buying Brummies for several months until I came along.
Once stock reaches a point (usually 50p) at which it hasn’t sold, it goes down into the bargain basement. Down there you can get 7“s for 10p, 12“s for 50p and LPs for £1 — and there are a LOT of records down there, so give yourself a few hours.