Bric-a-Brac Records & Collectibles

Wonderful and quirky shop! Excellent prices and a constantly rotating selection of fun doodads!

Nice space good to be back in the city and get a different vibe. The owner we did an interview spotlight about all the collectable items owned it takes you back to your childhood days. This space is so fun filled with so much cool items from your childhood where you can take your munchkins, the bakery items delicious, everything great, the lattes were delish, and tried pistachio so good. The service is cold.

To be clear I’m giving it four stars because as a record store, it’s just ok, but it also has lots of cool collectibles (figures, toys, DVDs, tapes) yo look at in a media museum sort of way. As a record store there’s not much stock and most of it is fairly overpriced. But they do have tons of tapes and even 8-tracks and laser discs! So if you’re searching for some of that ephemera this is a fun place to spend a few minutes.

This place is beyond too cool oh and the stuff is very friendly and really cool awesome people to have a place like this and please don't forget the coffee shop next door that apart of this amazing collectables and records

really nice staff and super cool selection of toys & figurines, collectibles and music! really loved it here! can’t wait to go back again!

Great place brings me back to my childhood with all the fun collectibles for sale. Also has some great photo ops and decent vinyl collectible

Sold some Hot Wheels here that I had to get rid of. Staff were friendly and I loved the puppy. Thanks again and I hope you will turn a good profit from them.

One of the best collectible record/video/toy stores in all of Chicago! I purchased three high-quality band tees at an reasonable price. Friendly, helpful employees and a great place with an authentic, nostalgic feel.

This is such a cool little store! I picked up some fun magnets and figures for my collection. I'd to come back and pick up more fun tchotchkes

Bric-A-Brac Records is fantastic! Here's a poem for how great they are! Looking for a record Stop on in to Bric-A-Brac! Selections so good you'll have a heart attack! Beatles to T-Rex Oh goodness what's next!? Stop on in today!

Great record and toy store! Lots of new curated records and plenty of used records. LPs, VHS, Cassette tapes, posters, & toys. Even some cds now. Enough ephemera to brighten your day by just visiting. They have niche horror/punk/garage items all over the store. If you collect VHS they are very friendly with their pricing - even on obscure titles. Majority being 2 bucks or under $10.

Excellent selection of vintage vinyl and collectables for your music library. Outstanding customer service and satisfaction.

We scored a slew of old school cassettes and had ourselves a retro music bash, today. Well curated and a nice selection of every music genre. Clean and moderately friendly.

This is a 80s/90s kid's nostalgia paradise! I'm not an expert on records, but when I saw the 90s cat woman poster in the window, I knew I had to check this out. The place is NOT a pristine, organized collection, so be ready to dig through some bins if you want to find a gem, but that's half of the appeal. The shelves are filled with a wide variety of collectables at all price ranges, qualities, and genres. Some highlights were an entire glass case of original Star Wars action figures from the 1970s kenner collection. They also had some boxed figures from the Star Wars prequels, ninja turtles, and power rangers to name a few. There also seemed to be a ton of He-man stuff from several eras. There was a dollar bin of toys including open small action figures from the 90s, and random happy meals toys including batman and more. I snagged a cool Digimon figure that I had as a kid. Overall, a fun place to look around, feel nostalgic, and maybe walk out with a hidden treasure that you didn't know you needed.

So many fun things to look at in here. Great murals all over the store and decent selection of media.

I've never done a review of a place before... but this place deserved it. Never have I ever felt so out of place in a record store. I have zero idea who is picking the music, but all of it was clearly catering to a specific demographic and I was clearly not it. I more than likely answered my own question, but music stores should be welcoming to ALL. Highly suggest they re-evaluate. Again, the selection was extremely limited. Prices for the vinyl was okay.

*pre covid review* My BF and I were walking through this neighborhood last winter and we decided to walk into this cool record shop. We looked around at all the records, trinkets, movies, cassettes etc. They have so much stuff to look at you could probably spend an hour just looking. We ended up buying a few small items but I just thought this place was so cool it deserved a good review!

One of the most fun record stores in Chicago. Always something fun to look at between LP's, toys, VHS tapes and other goodies. Reasonable prices on new and used vinyl with a great niche selection of punk / garage and horror soundtracks. May they become an institution in years to come!

Kitschy fun nostalgic toys galore. The best thing this space does is promote and provide space for local and touring musicians. The vinyl and tapes they sell are average quality - the kind that sat in your weird uncle's damp basement - and priced well above discogs. The only real issue with Bric-A-Brac is the rude/patronizing attitude of one of the staffers.

Do you like music? Do you like vinyl? Do you like totally Rad 70s/80s/90s Ephemera? Rarities, New, Used, Rad, Awesome, Knowledgable owners/staff! Grab a tiki drink next door! Enjoy the day! Go here! You will thank me.

Wow is all I can say at first. I saw this event for a free Comedy Show and it was BYOB. Well what's not great about that!!! We almost didn't go because we had the wrong address but it was good that Uncharted Books knew exactly where the venue was and it wasn't that far away. I'm so glad we didn't decide to call it a day and we went to this gem of a store for a funny night filled with some great comics. I truly got more than I expected when I walked into Bric-A-Brac Records. The old school toys, knick knacks and posters plus so much more...You should just go and step into a world of a simpler time. I know I enjoyed myself and will be back to just shop. Who ever had the idea to bring in the comics plus BYOB they were a genius. Especially, since I had never heard of this place it gave it a voice and an opportunity to get more customers. They had a little dog in the store and every time we clapped or laughed he barked but not in a vicious way but like he was doing his own dog version the Aresenio Hall "Woot Woot" The comics had a back in the day theme to follow and I laughed my head off...Next time I'm going to get names...lol It was so much fun and so welcoming that I can't wait to go back! Enjoy!!!

This is a neat little spot that has vintage toys and records. It's more records than toys but that's implied in the name of the store, no? I enjoyed looking around and found a few things to buy. The girl at the counter was nice enough, not very chatty but still polite.

Don't let the size fool you. The record inventory is always fresh, new toys every time I stop in. Super friendly staff. I'm a soundtrack fiend and they always have what I need with the best prices. My absolute favorite record store in the city.

This is an eclectic store with good collectibles. The prices on the collectibles can very from reasonable to pricey. I'm a collector myself so I stay on top on the secondary market which prices flux from every week or month depending on item. I've bought several items from here before to my satisfaction. The owner can sometimes negotiate a price on certain items while most prices are as is so it's overall reasonable. I dont mind the corgi, I love the corgi actually.

Small and not impressed. They have some unique stuff here but over all they don't have a great selection with variety.

This specialty storefront microthrift is a sparse but coherently curated record and junk store which feels like the personal yard sale of someone who grew up in the '70s and '80s and is now selling their entire childhood toy and record collections to pay the rent. There's a table full of My Little Pony toys, a shelf of vintage Star Wars accessories (including puzzles), and even a functional 8-track player (for only $30). The record collection is small but balances specialized punk (I'm not an expert here) with fairly mainstream but decent collections of comedy (Steve Martin, Cosby, Prior), pop and rock (Hall & Oates, the Doors, INXS), old country and rock n' roll (Chubby Checker, Chet Atkins) and the occasional surprise like a compilation of '60s hypnotic Morrocan tunes... ranging from battered $1 thrift editions to mint shrink-wrapped releases. There are countless other things here- such as Freddie Krueger figurines and vintage Mad magazine- that fit the general vibe. Personally I already achieved apartmental bric-a-brac saturation many years ago and hammered the last nail in the coffin of my 70s/80s heritage. But, I credit this place for effectively bringing unnecessary goods from the past to new generations of consumers as yet unfamiliar with the unnecessariness of these vintage goods. And in my opinion, music is one of those unnecessaries which is truly necessary and some day soon I may be walking home from this place elbowing a few records to my side.

As soon as I stepped into this place I was brought back to my childhood and all the toys and do dads that I used to own and play with. Some friends and I came here for a comedy show, which was pretty good, most of the comics were hilarious. The theme for this nights show was back in the day, and I found it to be a great theme considering we were surrounded by things that reminded us of our childhood. Had I known that this place would have these wonderful nostalgic toys I would've brought more money. But needless to say I will definitely be back here, but much more prepared. And I definitely will return for another one of their comedy shows as well.

This is a great one-stop shop for old and new records + tapes, toys, accessories, games, and other memorabilia from the 80s & 90s! It is very obvious that the owners, Nick & Jen (and their corgi, Dandelo), put a lot of time and energy into curating their shop, and they really care about what they do. I really appreciate their support of emerging (local & non-local) artists by featuring free in-store shows, and the record and tape collection reflects this as well.

This is a really fun place to check out. Lots of records, retro 80's toys and collectables, odds & ends, etc. There's a stage for in-store events, which adds another cool dimension to the secret timewarp clubhouse feel of the place. It's a unique concept, and if you're into the above stuff, it really delivers. The guy that runs the place is really knowledgeable about music, and is a friendly guy. I first popped in here on a whim on Record Store Day, but have made it a point to return to check out records now and then. Highly recommended.

I decided to take in my record collection in to possibly sell or trade some. What transpired was like something I have seen in the movies. A tall gangly guy who initially appeared to be friendly and welcoming was quite the opposite.... I was in no desperation to sell my records but man did this guy belittle and left me questioning why I bothered to come here. He rudely remarked that my collection which he spent 10 seconds looking at was bound for the dumpster. Maybe this guy knows absolutely nothing about soul music that came out before his time and probably hes never heard before. This is what I would call a only hipsters welcome establishment, to bad it's my own neighborhood i grew up in

Love this place. I make sure to stop in every time I am in Chicago. They always have cool new stuff each time. I usually spend too much time and money here, but it is great.

I'd like to start , if I may , by talking about the owner of this fine establishment. Dandelo is a fun and funny Corgi dog , built a little wide , but close to the ground. Nothing gets done around there without his OK. he has his humans , Jen and Nick, and most customers , wrapped around his....paw. If he does'nt take to you , don't be offended. I'm practically on a first name basis with Dandelo , sometimes he'll let me pet him , and play fetch (He LOVES that.) , and , sometimes , he'll totally shine me on . That's just the way the D-Dog rolls. OK , you aren't buying it , are you? Well , those of us who know , love us some Dandelo. Bric - A - Brac has a large selection on Saturday morning cartoon - and related - toys , mostly of the 80's and 90's variety. But , being older than the average customer , these don't really bring back memories of eating cereal and pop tarts and drinking Tang on a bean bag chair ( Yes , I'm that old.). Saturday morning cartoons were largely in the shitter by the mid to late 70's , anyway , but , if the Reagan/Bush era kiddie culture is more your speed , Bric a Brac has the goods , with a presentation that would do Ted Frankel , the legendary "Uncle Fun" , proud . That being said , the store also contains the most impressive collection of memorabilia you're ever likely to see , on the man who saved Saturday Morning from mediocrity , Pee Wee Herman , SAY IT , DON'T SPRAY IT ! Their record selection is made up largely of carefully curated rare Punk and Garage reissues (Or "First timers" by cult bands that never released anything in their day.) , prime soundtrack LPs , sorta and very underground Rock and Post Rock , and the ubiquitous "Dad Rock " section (Lose the attitude and give it a look , you may be surprised.) and an amusing , yet impressive selection of Punk and Junk Rock on cassette , the Burger Records releases on new and golden age Garage Rock being particularly impressive. Theirs is probably the only store on earth to have carried all four album releases by Parma , Ohio 60's Garage Gods , the still active , and ready to kick YOUR Punk ass , Alarm Clarks. With that , a moderate selection of models and an expanding section of "Obsolete" music and movie technology and material, plus a plethora of wild and crazy buttons and patches from the good folks at Pork Magazine , make Bric - A - Brac a one stop shop for kitsch and craze , a relaxed hangout and even an active live music venue. Nick and Jen are not Hipsters , they are a real Rock'n'Roll Power couple. Like John and Exene were , like Lux and Ivy were , and like Billy and Miriam were. God , I'm gonna start cryin' , ovah hyeh. They Heart Rock'n'Roll , they Heart each other , and they Heart their boss . RAWF !!! ARRR - RRR !!! ROLF !

I was glad I took the trip here. I came for the records, but thave have so much more. Most notable were the toys. So many cool toys. And a Simpsons upright arcade game! I played that so much growing up. So, i left with a stack of records like i always do. The guy at the counter was friendly, turns out he plays in No Bunny (who i saw the night before). Funny story, he only told me he played in the band after i told him that they played a great show. Worth another trip next time i'm in Chicago

Great new store run by cool people. Fun selection of toys, action figures, memorabilia and records. They have some really unique stuff; much if it is "thirty something" kitsch from the 80s. This is a perfect place for a spontaneous gift for someone, as they there is a good selection in the ~$20 price range. A unique and fun addition to the neighborhood.

this place was very charming. any and every toy or knick knack from the childhood of the 80's and a great selection of vinyl and cassettes. when we were there i even looked it up to check in and realized that they had closed 10 minutes ago and were just staying open for the two of us lingering around the shop. now that's customer service! good work bric-a-brac! you've won me as a returnee. not to mention their sinage on the door is amazing. keep it real

Great little place. Has records, t shirts, toys and even has mid day shows. The owners are super nice and not pretentious at all. Because the store is so small and has a limited amount of items rate it at 4 instead of 5 stars. A place you should really check out.

This is a really fun little record shop/ vintage / retro toy and collectible place. This is probably my favorite kind of retail establishment because it combines all the things I love to look at and buy. The window displays just pull me in like a tractor beam. Sadly I have been in here a couple times but didn't find anything I had to have. Though I was REALLY close to buying an old Return of the Jedi coloring book, that hadn't really been used. So you can find a very select / carefully curated range of vinyl records, 80s toys, and decor. Including old kids bedding sheets or fabrics, He-Man figures, etc.. The people running the shop seemed really friendly, and I hope they can do well enough to stick around for a long time. They don't have the quantity and range of retro toys like Quake in Lincoln Square has, so it would be pretty hit or miss if you were coming here for something specific in that vein. And the prices may be a little more than you would pay at Quake. But this is a different kind of place. Maybe their inventory will grow over time as they acquire new things. But it's actually nice that there is space to walk around. Anyway, it's fun if you are into retro stuff from your 80s childhood, or want to look through records, and are the type of person to make an impulse buy for something like a vintage Snoopy snow cone maker. The one thing they could use is some better signage and losing that currency exchange sign that's there currently. But I know it's all a matter of money.

Luv this record store. Always find something to buy. Makes my turntable happy. They even had the Best of the Challengers!!

Such a fun store with a friendly and helpful staff! The shop windows always bring a smile to my face! The experience of going there brings back great memories and always leaves me feeling happy! Plus I love the dog!

Solid. Heavy on 80s and 90s nostalgia in the toy dept. Decent cassette selection, discerning vinyl collection. Great spot for in-stores.

Love this place! It's so fun! They have stuff you'll never find elsewhere and the prices are right!!

found a couple of vintage he-man things for my boy. totally reasonable prices. the floors are painted a lovely turquoise and the woman working there was friendly but didn't hover. great for vintage toys and small housewares, records and free periodicals.