Cosmos West Records

Dropped by for my first time Saturday - left with a GREAT Japanese Blue Note 1979 pressing - The Magnificent Thad Jones - impeccable condition. An amazing selection of Jazz classics - fair market prices and the young man working at the shop has a great depth of knowledge about Jazz records / which pressings are best selection. Highly recommended. Will return next time I’m in town with a longer shopping list.

my favorite record store in the GTA. some pricey pieces but also some really good steals, some even $5! Owner was great, and even had a super friendly dog. Knowledgable staff and great selection. Will pop by every time I’m downtown!

***As a preface, I rarely write any kind of detailed review, but if you are a vinyl collector, kindly read on understanding I’m not a noob collector and have a good understanding of how things work*** A happy accident happened when my spouse wanted to purchase some jazz records for my birthday armed with just knowlege of some of the artists I liked. She came home with 5 copies of NM Japanese records which I did not have and honestly were not even on my radar. Not because I didn't want them, but I simply did not know much about them. She presented me with several titles, and I was excited to have some new titles to explore. She did tell me that if I had anything I wanted to exchange, that I could return even without the receipt. The day after my birthday, I was mostly intrigued to go to the shop as the selection that was curated for her was very impressive based on the limited information she provided. I entered with the records and met Aki who remembered selecting the titles for my birthday and we started a discussion about pressings and artists. In 15 minutes, I learned more about Japanese pressings (Kings vs Toshibas for example) which one would not expect at a record store. I slightly adjusted my birthday presents for alternate pressings and added 2 more records! One I'm pretty sure he even threw in because it was my birthday. I have fairly good relationships with all the core record stores around the city and I thought I had all of them covered. But I was wrong and I'm extremely happy to have added Cosmos and Aki to my list. If you are a jazz collector and MUST have that Japanese pressing, you must visit this store. Be warned you may get anxious once you see how many core collection titles are there, but you won't regret your purchase here. Thanks again Aki and I look forward to seeing you soon!

Agree with the general sentiment of the other reviews. This is by far the best vintage jazz collection in TO, but expect to pay a premium. Prices are at least 20% more than what you'd pay elsewhere in town. However, if you MUST have that Japanese version of whomever, then this is the destination. Personally I treat this place more like a museum.

Best store for vintage jazz records in Toronto. Great selection of near mint Japanese pressings. Contrary to other reviews, I find the prices to be better than most online options (after currency exchange, shipping, etc.).

This is one of the best record stores in Toronto especially for Jazz titles. Very well organized and cared for selection. Vinyl collector prices but you get what you pay for. No bargains to be had here.

By far the best store in Toronto for serious Jazz/Latin vinyl collectors. Unbelievable selection, rare titles, more vintage Blue Notes than all the other stores in Toronto combined. And the Queen st store has the best selections of vintage 12" single, Hip-Hop, Disco, etc

Largely just a jazz record store but some psych, rock, etc.. Prices are on the extreme side for common, popular rock titles. Not really worth a stop unless you're looking for Jazz or want a classic rock record pressing that day and don't mind paying a > 25% premium.

Hands down the best record store and staff I have had the pleasure of dealing with. The only place where your wildest dreams can come true in Ontario, that is if you have a few bucks to get you there... The owner, Aki, is among the most knowledgeable record aficionados in North America and a genuine dude. I have been visiting Aki and Cosmos for almost ten years, the amount of information I have absorbed from the extraordinary customer service has been extensive and invaluable when it comes to records. For fans of all kinds of music, Cosmos has two locations that cater to every collectible genre with a focus on hard-to-find original pressings. Pricing and condition, two of the biggest complaints I have personally heard about Cosmos. When dealing with something so personal as record grading and pricing, Aki and his staff are more than reasonable to deal with in my experience. It is 100% the responsibility of the buyer to do their research before purchasing, records have so many variables that even things that cannot be seen by the naked eye can affect the playback, sound quality and condition. If you don't like the price, talk about it! Any pricing or condition issues I've raised were dealt with on the spot, sometimes even after a purchase. Cosmos have always gone out of the way to make sure I'm satisfied. STAY AWAY from misinformation, this is the best record store in Canada. There isn't anywhere else where you'll find the records you've been looking for all your life. Check condition, don't be afraid to ask questions about the price and you'll always have a great experience!

For vinyl aficionados, Cosmo West Records is a great place to find hard-to-music. For lovers of jazz, soul, rock, psychedelic and blues, this little shop is a must stop for collectors but be warned: you can easily spend a fortune here. I know, I've done this. Its owner, Aki Abe, is a true vinyl fan who knows his product and scours record shops locally and around the world, buying quality records. He is an encyclopedia when it comes to the type of record, its stamp, the issue, etc. His friendly and welcoming personality invites his customers to ask him questions and once he gets to know your style and interests, he'll even suggest artists that you might like, which is a great salesman tactic. While I have heard some people mention that the prices listed at Cosmo West are on the expensive side. Much of their items are rare and limited editions, but it's certainly competitive to other shops in the area. It's also a good place to find that one-of-a-kind gem you've been looking for. Be sure to also check out its sister store down the street for hip-hop, soul, and rap records.

I stopped in Cosmos on a 5 hour whirlwind tour of record shops in Toronto today (went to Pandemonium, Good Music, Cosmos, and both Kops). This is a five-star shop except for a few issues. They have records that nobody else has. First pressings of Andrew Hill's Blue Note albums. Japanese imports of free and soul jazz. Private pressings with Don Cherry as a player... what!?! I bought two records (I didn't ask how much the Andrew Hill records were, just to avoid the temptation). One was a Hannibal Peterson Japan-only release for $60. That's cheaper than you can get it on Discogs or Ebay once you factor shipping, and I got to listen to it before buying. So really it was a good deal. The other was a $20 Mal Waldron Trio record, import from Germany on Enja. That's a very reasonable price, I've paid $30 and more for similarly rare Enja releases. The only reason I don't give the fifth star: 1. If an album is over $50 then I'd like to have it cleaned. He has a record cleaning machine and the really expensive stuff had been washed from what I could tell, but I'd like to see $50 as the threshold for a nice cleaning. 2. Some records were more than I would expect given the pressing. A United Artists era pressing of Jackie Mclean Demon's Dance was about twice the Popsike average. 3. The turntable at the listening station had some issues. The cuing lever was not functioning, so I had to hand cue. I trust myself to do this (I do it at home), but I hate to think of how many records have been gouged by others.

Best record store in the city by far! Thank you Aki for all of the help throughout the years!

This store among many others in Toronto that offer a wide range of Vinyl. Store is clean and organized and staff are helpful. However, be prepared to pay Tokyo Prices, meaning it's $$$$$$$ If you are a seasoned collector you may get turned off by the sticker shock but if you are the odd one time buyer, it should not affect you. Check it out anyway.

Way over priced for the condition they are in. Better off going to Ebay or other local record shops

Expensive, yes. But I found titles just not available anywhere else in the city and I visited EVERY vinyl store over the 5 days I was in TO this summer. I will be back here again.

Great store, great owner. Lots of records priced under $10. Was able to find a couple records I have been looking for, for a long time. Owner was very helpful and even gave me a few bucks off. They also have a large selection of single records. Only complaint would be no AC, on a hot day i wouldnt want to spend to much time in the store.

Cosmos is far and away the finest record store in Toronto. Owner Aki Abe is a stand up guy and consistently stocks his store with top shelf, hard to find records. You will pay more for records here than most other stores, but as a loyal customer for over 10 years I can assure you that his pricing is absolutely fair. I have paid top dollar for records at Cosmos over the years, but I never felt as though I have overpaid. I am an avid collector of 50s/60s jazz from the Blue Note, Prestige and Riverside labels and am quite certain that Aki is the only guy in Toronto who is importing high quality Japanese pressings of these labels. Truly the next best thing to the original U.S. pressings. He also has many original pressings if you have deep pockets. Aki's stock is also constantly changing so you will almost certainly see completely different titles each time you go. My advice? Save up some cash, do a bit of research and walk out of Cosmos with some amazing records that will almost certainly go up in value. Many of the titles I have bought at Cosmos are worth a lot more than I paid. Forget about all these "high quality" 180-gram vinyl reissues you can get at most record stores, go for the real deal.