- Attraction: Princeton Record Exchange
- Location: 20 S Tulane St, Princeton, NJ 08542
- Industry: Music Store
- Website: https://prex.com
Picture this: a 68-year-old landscape architect who’s been hunting vinyl for over half a century, still making regular pilgrimages to the same store where his collection began.
That’s the kind of loyalty Princeton Record Exchange inspires. Founded in 1980 by Barry Weisfeld—who started by hawking records from his Chevrolet van at flea markets and college campuses—this iconic shop has evolved into one of the country’s most celebrated independent record stores.
Rolling Stone, CNN, USA Today, and The Wall Street Journal have all ranked it among America’s finest, and after 45 years in business, PREX (as locals affectionately call it) continues thriving in historic downtown Princeton.
The store relocated to its current South Tulane Street location in 1985, expanding into a sprawling 4,000-square-foot space that houses an ever-rotating inventory of over 130,000 LPs, CDs, and DVDs. Current owner Jon Lambert, who’s been with the store for 37 years and took ownership in 2016, has witnessed the dramatic vinyl resurgence firsthand.
Fifteen years ago, CDs accounted for 70% of sales; today, those numbers have completely reversed as music lovers increasingly seek that tactile, immersive experience of physical media.
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Keep Exploring →The Treasure Hunt Experience
The Vinyl Selection: You’ll find yourself drawn into what regulars describe as an authentic treasure hunt. The store purchases thousands of items weekly, ensuring fresh inventory constantly flows through the bins.
Genre tags hang from the ceiling to guide you through sections spanning classic rock, jazz, blues, hip-hop, psychedelic, punk, metal, and soul. Budget-conscious collectors will appreciate titles starting at just $1.00, while serious enthusiasts can discover rare collectibles at reasonable prices.
New Arrivals & Rare Finds: The perpetually refreshed selection means every visit offers something different. Past finds include an ultra-rare early edition of David Bowie’s “Diamond Dogs” with controversial cover art—so collectible that Bowie’s tour manager called the next day trying to buy it (too late!).
You’ll discover albums unavailable on streaming platforms, obscure regional pressings, and records you’ve been searching for decades.
The CD Collection: Don’t overlook the extensive CD section, which remains impressively deep despite vinyl’s resurgence. You’ll encounter bargain bins where CDs sell for mere dollars—perfect for building your car collection or discovering artists without breaking the bank. The classical selection, though slightly diminished from its heyday, still offers substantial choices for aficionados.
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Discover MoreDVDs & Beyond: Film enthusiasts will appreciate the DVD section, where you can find titles ranging from $1.99 up to $7.00 on average. The foreign film selection particularly stands out, offering options you won’t easily find at big-box retailers. Some pricier collectible DVDs command higher prices, but patient digging almost always yields gems.
Atmosphere & Layout
The Visual Feast: Walking through PREX’s doors feels like entering a time capsule—in the best possible way. Explosively colorful shelves line every available surface, bright genre markers dangle overhead, oversized artist posters cover the walls, and the sticker-bombed checkout counter adds authentic character. The aesthetic is overstimulating in exactly the right way for music lovers.
The Browsing Culture: This isn’t a grab-and-go establishment. Lambert’s business philosophy embraces lingering—you’re meant to stay awhile, leafing through bins, making discoveries, experiencing that irreplaceable thrill of physical music shopping. The nostalgic atmosphere transports you to a pre-digital era, even if you weren’t alive then.
Space Considerations: The store packs an enormous inventory into its 4,000 square feet, which means you’ll find yourself in cozy quarters during busy periods. Saturdays can get particularly congested with Princeton University students, local collectors, and visitors from across the East Coast.
The tight quarters are part of the charm, though navigating crowded aisles requires patience. During peak hours, you might occasionally step on someone’s metaphorical toes while reaching for that must-have album.
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Keep Exploring →Other Considerations
Pricing Philosophy: You’ll find PREX’s prices remarkably fair compared to online marketplaces and big-box competitors. The store’s appraisers—many with over 30 years of experience—consistently check condition, ensuring you get quality for your dollar.
Used records are priced to move rather than gouge collectors, and the inventory ranges from budget-bin bargains to reasonably priced collectibles. The value proposition is excellent, especially considering the curated quality and instant gratification of walking out with your purchase.
Buying & Selling: If you’re looking to thin your collection, PREX offers competitive rates for used media—either cash or store credit at a higher percentage.
The store purchases thousands of items weekly and maintains an A+ Better Business Bureau rating for fair treatment of customers selling collections. Note that they occasionally pause buying when they receive a particularly large influx of inventory, but these pauses are temporary.
Parking & Access: Downtown Princeton presents typical college-town parking challenges. Street parking can be tricky, particularly on weekends, so plan extra time. The location is easily accessible by car, train, and bus, sitting conveniently between the bustling Nassau and Witherspoon Street retail districts. Consider visiting on weekday mornings for a more relaxed browsing experience.
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Discover MoreThe Crowd: PREX attracts remarkably diverse demographics—a dramatic shift from decades past when middle-aged men dominated.
Today you’ll encounter everyone from Gen Z vinyl enthusiasts to seasoned collectors in their 70s, Princeton students grabbing study break discoveries, serious audiophiles making pilgrimages from neighboring states, and casual browsers drawn by curiosity.
The store welcomes all music lovers, whether you’re hunting a specific rare pressing or simply exploring.
Entry-Level Gear: Beyond media, the store stocks basic turntables—both component models and Bluetooth-compatible systems—for those ready to start or upgrade their vinyl journey. These typically sell quickly due to high demand, but the rotating inventory means checking back if they’re temporarily out.
Record Store Day: Mark your calendar for the store’s biggest annual event, when crowds sometimes stretch from the entrance all the way to Witherspoon Street. Devoted fans have been known to camp out starting at 5 p.m. the previous day, waiting 12+ hours for exclusive releases and limited pressings.
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Keep Exploring →The atmosphere during this celebration of independent record stores is electric, with customers making friends in line and sharing their passion for physical music.
Princeton Record Exchange
📍 20 S Tulane St, Princeton, NJ 08542
