Planet Records – 144 Mt. Auburn, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138 Open
In it’s (newish) home on Mt. Auburn, Cambridge’s Planet Records has been in business since 1983, surviving fires, floods, hail and locusts (ok maybe only a fire) that would have put many lesser shops out of business. Featuring a nice assortment of new and mostly used records of many genres, it is routinely found on Best of Boston lists for the best record stores in Beantown, including Boston Magazine’s Vinyl Sightings: Boston’s Top Record Stores which can be found on our list of Best Record Stores Open Today. And what other store offers you a Bachelor’s Degree in Record Collecting from the University of Vinyl?
Wanna go? You can find Planet Records on our Record Stores Map
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What The Press Is Saying
Here’s an interview with John Damroth, the store’s owner, that appeared in the Boston Voyager, “Meet John Damroth of Planet Records in Harvard Square” on May 22, 2017. The article pictures John proudly holding a King Crimson album, describing the store and its history.
More recently, the Glide Magazine published 41 Years & Going Strong: Planet Records In Cambridge, MA Keeps On Spinning (VINYL LIVES). They happily report that Planet Records is still going strong in 2024. In the article, John reports on what has allowed the store to stay in business for so long. And some of the rarest records that passed thru it – including Margo Guryan’s lone long player – Take A Picture (1968). A sunshine pop classic, with complex arrangements and layered harmonies, it rarely sells, and when it does, it can command between $500 – $750. Indeed Discogs reports it once sold for $2600. Rare indeed. And quite good.
