They still do, and 'kids' of all ages should be pleasantly surprised at just how many places in this city they can still buy records from. So this is our one-stop guide to the fantastic record shops of Greater Manchester, from the 'Vinyl Valley' that is Oldham Street in the Northern Quarter, to the windswept streets of Bolton, Lancashire. Browse the menu on the right hand side and go shopping! 
Visit Manchester
| Address | Sharston Books, Unit 15 Wearlee Works, Longley Lane, Sharston, Manchester M22 4WT |
| Opening Hours | Monday to Sunday 10:00 – 17:00 |
| Phone | 0161 945 8604 |
| books@sharstonbooks.com | |
| Website | http://www.sharstonbooks.com |
| Sells: | Primarily books but two rooms of used Vinyl and CDs. assorted genres. |
Oh brother where art thou….well I’m actually on an industrial estate in Sharston standing in an old shipping container digging through a few of the many boxes of old and worn vinyl looking for that elusive Ze album. Ok, so this is off the beaten track and since this is principally a bookshop you may well wonder why we are including it. Truth is in our philanthropic way we feel obliged to make sure all haunts, including our own “secrets” are included and I have dug out a few gems from this place over the years. Having said that the owners know the score so rarity wise it’s going to be on the underground and undiscovered tip for it to get through but hey we all know that’s part of the joy.
The shop deals only in used stock and probably over two thirds is heavily used but nonetheless it’s worth a rummage through the two rooms dedicated to vinyl and the shelves of CDs. It’s pretty much ninety percent car boot stock and ten percent intriguing or interesting. A lot of standard rock and pop fare, but also had some nice disco bits and some interesting 70s rock. It’s worth noting that the vinyl is split between an upstairs room in the warehouse and the aforementioned shipping container in the car park. This split appears to be on the basis of better (and pricier) in the warehouse and cheap and a cheerful (all a £1 each) in the car park.
There is no listening post and the shipping container experience is for those of a hardier disposition, take some wet wipes and knee pads! However the guys will do a deal and you can usually haggle a fair reduction, particularly on the upstairs stock.
If you’re passing through this southern most tip of our fair city then pop in and if you want a cup of tea my mum lives around the corner!!
Got to add I recently spoke with one of the owners, a lovely fella who is clearly a vinyl lover and shares the joy and passion. The records are a diggers experience and you never really know what you will find which is all part of the game. As for the bookshop it’s an outstanding and magical place!
25th January 2011
Visited Sharston Books today and there were only two boxes of records upstairs.
The owner said that there had been a break in and that a containers worth of books and vinyl had been taken!
Bad news.
He did stress that they would be getting more vinyl in.