Our Story
The Vinyl Crate started the way most good things do — with a love for music that couldn't be satisfied by streaming. In 2019, we opened our doors in a converted warehouse on Wax Avenue, smack in the middle of Brooklyn's music corridor. The idea was simple: create a space where vinyl isn't a commodity but a conversation.
We're not a museum. Our records are meant to be played, scratched, loved, and eventually passed on. Every crate has something you won't find on an algorithm — because our staff actually listens to what they stock. No robots, no recommendation engines. Just crates of music and people who care.
Whether you're hunting for a first pressing of Kind of Blue or just want something new to play on a Sunday morning, The Vinyl Crate is your spot. Pull up a crate. Stay a while.
Meet the Crew
The people behind the picks.
Amara
Owner & Buyer
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Started collecting at 14, worked at Dusty Groove in Chicago, opened The Vinyl Crate in 2019. Will talk your ear off about Ethiopian jazz if you let her.
Marcus
Floor Manager
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Former DJ and producer. If you hum four bars of a song, Marcus can name it, the B-side, and tell you which pressing sounds best. Runs the Live Sessions.
Desmond
Vinyl Archivist
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Desmond can tell you the pressing plant by looking at the run-out groove. Quiet, intense, and genuinely scary record knowledge. He runs Crate Diggers Anonymous.
Mara
Social Media & Events
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If it's playing on the shop speakers, Mara probably picked it. She curates New Release Friday and handles our Instagram. Come to her for anything released after 2010.
Our Philosophy
We believe the best music finds you when you're not looking for it. That's why our crates are organized loosely by genre — not alphabetically — so you stumble onto things you didn't know you needed.
Every record in our shop has been listened to by at least one member of our crew. If it's on the shelf, someone here stands behind it. That's the deal.