Cosmos Records

First time visiting Cosmos Records, and it instantly felt like stepping into a time capsule of jazz, soul, funk, and disco. The walls practically hum with history. Every bin is loaded with vintage gems and first pressings. Yeah, the prices are on the higher side, but that’s the tax you pay for quality and authenticity. These are serious collector pieces, not reissues you’ll find at the mall. Still, it gave me a moment’s pause.. but I get it. The gentleman working was friendly, knowledgeable, and genuinely kind. No snob vibes, just pure love for music. The space itself has that quiet, lived-in record store energy: warm lighting, packed but well organized, and the faint cigarette smell of used vinyl that only real collectors know. I’ll absolutely be back when I’m hunting for that elusive soul, funk, or jazz pressing that’s worth paying a premium for. Cosmos is the kind of shop that rewards patience, passion, and people who truly listen.

Great selection. Prices wayyyy too far off. And all the previous reviews about the service are correct — very impolite.

Great used vinyl record store with alot of selection of all genres, some rare and hard to find vintage records. Definitely worth coming here to check it out. Store owner is friendly, knowledgeable and appreciates your business.

Cool records shop! Enjoyed browsing through and seeing what covers stood out to me. ☺️ Lots of city pop, jazz, disco, and rock music here. There were record players, which I think you can use to listen to the records (they were sealed, so I think you need to ask the shop owner for permission!)

This place is the bees knees. Funk, soul, they have a breakbeats/drum breaks section even, sampled section. It's just a really neat spot and always bringing in more , all the time. It is a must when record shopping in Toronto especially if a funk and soul fan.

Cosmos Records is one of my favourite places to take guests on my tour. I know that Cosmos is guaranteed to have the best selection of original pressings and hard-to-find records. As a personal collector, there is no better place in the city for funk, soul, jazz, hip-hop and Brazilian.

Cosmos is a full of gems! Always fun to dig here, finding singles, classics and beats. Have loved the back section organized by records sampled from producers. Rarities can be found but it can come at a price. They import from Japan and years ago the owner even gave me suggestions for record shops to check out when I was traveling to Tokyo. Appreciate the catalogue, their energy and the space.

The best record store in Toronto. The vinyl selection is well curated. I found Japanese pressings and jazz, international music, and even some old Edison sound recordings. Amazing! The jazz section is not only organized by artists but also by instruments. Also appreciate that the classical music is actually showcased and not just thrown in the discount bin, as with other record stores. Staff is also super friendly and offered to help with any questions.

The best record store in Toronto. The vinyl selection is well curated. I found Japanese pressings and jazz, international music, and even some old Edison sound recordings. Amazing! The jazz section is not only organized by artists but also by instruments. Also appreciate that the classical music is actually showcased and not just thrown in the discount bin, as with other record stores. Staff is also super friendly and offered to help with any questions.

I found this to be the crown jewel of record shipping on Queen Street. With signatures in the wall from legends like Jazzy J, Pete Rock and The Alchemist you know right away this spot is legit. Nice selection of records. Staff was super friendly and knowledgeable

Dreamy little spot with gems upon gems. Lots of jazz and Japanese sleepers. Great prices, and an abundance of Canadian presses which I was looking for. Definitely take some time to dig in the back, hip hop, city pop, and 70s rock.

I'm trying to contact their Queen St East store but their phone # is not is service? Do they have a new # or are they still in business? Tks Ron

Really fantastic record store with cool vinyl selection and a helpful store owner with an encyclopedic knowledge of music. I'm not a DJ. I'm not a huge collector. I'm a regular gal who loves music and enjoys finding gems, those rare diamonds that you can listen to over and over. You should check it out.

This is the original Cosmos location and thank God it was not destroyed during that massive Queen Street fire (it was only two shops away from getting hit). There's a reason they opened a second, larger location as this little nugget is incredibly tiny. Popping up the stairs to the two listening stations can get very cozy when you're sharing the space with another crate-digger. This shop is mainly for the collectors and DJs out there. Many famous people have rolled through in the past years, including Madlib and MF Doom who were featured on The New Music during their visit. The people who work here are no joke -- they know their records and they know them well. You're not likely to get much of a deal here and if you are looking for some classic funk or soul expect to pay from $40 to $300 dollars for a single record. I have bought many great classic hip-hop 12-inches here though for about $10-15 which is completely fair. They have dollar bins but those records are in there for a reason. On the lower shelves they have some nice albums but usually in poor condition. But if you're not obsessed with near-mint copies this is your chance to get some Al Green and Curtis Mayfield for under 10 bones. Staff are amazing. They will usually be playing new arrivals on the sound system so you might hear some great tunes in the process. If you get to know the staff well enough (which is not hard for repeat customers) they will throw you some tax-free breaks if you pay cash. Be knowledgable though... Don't drop $100 on a record unless it's worth it because Cosmo's (like most record shops) are notorious for jacking up the price because there's always going to be some young chump willing to drop a bill on a Dilla sample.

Best record store in town. Among the best on the continent actually. Aki, the store owner is a record connoisseur. I wish i knew where he sourced his vinyl from. Private estates I bet. I think he actually flies around doing deals. Anyway, the place is pricy, but where else are you going to find an original pressing of "Weldon Irvine - Spirit Man" or "Bill Mason - Gettin off" on the shelf? I've picked up some of my favorites albums at this place. Things like: Rusty Bryant - Friday Night Funk for Saturday Night Brothers Clifford Coulter - East Side San Jose Jimmy Mcgriff - Stump Jiuce among others. Keep in mind, these records were picked up 5-10 years ago when you couldn't get these albums on CD. I mainly go there for jazz/funk records but he also specializes in all kinds of obscure latin jazz, soul, funk and hip hop stuff. Check it out. Yet to check out the new store. I will have to one of these days.

I bought a product over the internet as a gift for a friend and I am extremely satisfied. Excellent service, preserved products and a great collection of music, including Brazilian music that was what I was looking for.

Just down the street from hipster-haven, AKA, Rotate This, you'll find Cosmos. Two locations actually: The original and the new one down the street. Unlike Rotate, this place is about music rather than image or snobbery. if you want an education, you'll get one here - without eye-rolling, snickering or any general try-hard bull shit you'll find at Rotate. This place is basically mecca for soul,funk, psyche, brazilian, latin, afro, jazz and hip hop collectors. It's world renowned in fact. But even given its international repertoire, you'd never know it based on the friendliness of the staff. Zero attitude. Always. But, truth be told,this is likely not the right fit for an amateur collector. Yes, the prices are high. BUT, that's what these records are worth. They're rare. So the prices reflect that. But, if you're a huge nerd like me, and records are basically your heroin, Aki is the most reliable dealer in town.

Awesome selection. One of the best I've ever seen. I'm partial to their selection of rare groove, funk, soul and hip hop so I immediately fell in love with this place. I however wasn't in love with their prices. Certain records were priced okay but overall they were too expensive. I still picked up a couple things and I'm sure everyone could find something but it's definitely not a place I could frequent often.

Cosmos specializes in old and rare vinyl in all genres, and has particularly good finds in DJ genres like disco, boogie, and funk. The dollar bins are particularly filled with gems. If you're not looking at DJ genres you'll like the prices better than if you are, as they cater a bit to collectors. If you want to know anything about old music, the staff are a friendly wealth of knowledge. One of my favorite weekend stops is in to see Pooyan to hear him pass on the storytelling tradition of how some known old music was recorded, the stories of the old guard of the music industry.

If you're looking for Hip-Hop, Funk, Soul and Dance music in Toronto than this is the spot. As with West, at Cosmos original location staff are always friendly and knowledgable. Always check condition and talk about your purchase to make sure you're satisfied. If you're looking for something you can't find anywhere else, come here! Check out my other review for Cosmos West for greater detail. Fantastic spot for big, medium and dollar-bin purchases!

The only store in Toronto for the serious collector of Jazz/latin vinyl. Lot's of rare items, original pressings, more Blue Notes than all the other stores in Toronto combined. It's not a store for $5 records. Rare items can be expensive but the prices charged are completely fair. A couple of years ago I passed on a $500 record. About a year later I started seeing 2 or 3 copies a year on eBay selling for over $1000. I checked back 6 months ago and he had sold it. A copy sold about a month ago on Discogs for !750 euro. Darn. Should have bought that at Cosmos.