The Great Escape

06/18/2007 Posted by recordhunter

The first stop on my June 15 Nashville record buying adventure was the 2 Great Escape locations on Broadway. I first visited their outlet store, known as the Half Price Or Less store. You can't expect gold for 50 cents per LP, but I found some really good albums and bought a big bag full of stuff for just over $10. They greeted me as I walked in and it was an enjoyable shopping experience. Then I walked down the street to the main Great Escape store, which just celebrated 30 years of being in business. They once had a store full of exciting vinyl, and they still have lots of vinyl, but after looking through hundreds of LPs in their new arrivals section it was much of the same stuff I always see. I was hoping for a few things that would knock my socks off. I did purchase 2 records from this section. I perused their other sections and found a few more records I bought. They have a 99 cent section of LPs in this store, and here I did find some local Nashville music from the eighties that was very cool. It's hard to figure out why the original record store in Nashville has so many mediocre records these days- I don't know if it's that they just don't get in as much cool vinyl as they once did, if the great stuff sells before I get there, if most of the better vinyl goes online instead of in the store, or if there is just nobody left working at this store who gives a lot of attention to vinyl anymore. They have a great selection of DVDs, comics, and the CD bins are full, but I wish they would return to their roots and focus more on what made them great from the start- VINYL. This is still a great place to shop for records, and always worth a stop when in Nashville, because you never know what you'll run across in their racks. Sometimes it's just better than other times.

Pros: Great selection of DVDs, CDs, Comic Books, open long hours

Cons: Record selection is not as great as in years past

01/18/2007 Posted by shadestn

The Great Escape on Broadway is a good place to go if you are a buyer. If you are a seller make sure you bring a bucket load of patience with you along with your wares. I have been selling off my entertainment collection little by little for many years so I have had many dealings with the Great Escape as well as Phonoluxe and CD Warehouse. Great Escape is always so SLOW when buying your items. This past week it took them over an hour to go through my things and decide what they wanted and how much they wanted to offer me. One of the major problems is that they are not computerized. They still look through notebooks & card catalogs! The other problem is that the staff just can’t be bothered. While in the middle of looking through your things they are not focused on the task at hand. They stop to talk to their friends, their coworkers, talk on the phone, etc. I always go to CD Warehouse first because they are fast, friendly & efficient. I only go to Great Escape to sell the things that no other store in town wants.

Pros: Good variety

Cons: Slow service, indifferent employee attitudes, hard to find parking

12/13/2005 Posted by awhofan

Great Escape has 3 record stores in Nashville / Madison. Main store off Broadway has many rare records. Good selection of rock and country. Some promos at times. Sales are often and twice a year blowouts. More on the common side on CD's. Half Price store is open Friday's and Saturdays only. Great deal, if you come early. Some Ebay sellers are there at opening. $1 records and $1 CD's up to $4. Best place to find record deals in Nashville. Madison store has good deals but the better selection is at Broadway. By the way Bowling Green, Kentucky has a Great Escape too.

Pros: DEALS, Selection , Price

Cons: Parking, Instore music (bad), Cramp store.

12/03/2002 Posted by GMSLegion

I make it from Atlanta to Nashville a couple of times a year and the three Great Escape locations are big reasons I keep coming back. Their CD selection is amazing, and they frequently have sales on old comic books. Park in the larger lot behind the "discount outlet" location on Broadway and walk three blocks to the main store after you've cleaned up on $3 Prince and R.E.M. CDs.

05/21/2002 Posted by PatrickRains

A pop culture mecca. Used albums, books, comics, games, the Escape has it all. Good place to sell CDs. You can get a decent price. Parking in the side lot is kind of tight. Go behind the store and park at a meter.

Pros: selection

Cons: parking