After experiencing record digging in Japan, it has set high expectations for me. I did a fair bit of research to look for record shops in Taipei around my hotel – I was unable to venture far as I need to consider my family-in-tow. I stayed at Hotel Relax which is located within walking distance from Taipei Main Station, the transportation hub. I was there from 1 to 5 April 2024, and yes, I experienced the intense earthquake on 3 April 7.58am in my hotel room, the most intense I have experienced. Even though the building was just swaying left-right without major tremors up-down, the sway intensity is quite huge and you wonder if the building would be able to sustain the quake or would it just give way and collapse. Once the quake was over and the building safe, I knew that we would be good and there would be nothing to worry after that.
Used records in Taipei are generally more expensive than Japan but that was not unexpected. I did not buy any used records but I had a good haul of Hong Kong and Taiwan-pressed Chinese records that are generally harder to get outside these territories and more expensive due to lack of international shipping options. For international records, many of them are even more expensive than from Amazon or closely-priced. I had little incentive to rush into purchase given I have very little cost savings.
I did buy a few international records because of their rarity. My most significant haul would have to be the Yiruma: The Rewritten Memories. I had spent over a year searching online and offline for a decent-priced listing (forget eBay). I recalled searching in the Taiwan online record stores like Eslite and Chia Chia but not available. Then when I was at Taipei, I did a search again and found that Chia Chia Record listed as available. I rushed to the Hanko store but they said the stock was at the Zhonghua (Ximending) main store, so I asked them to reserve for me and walked there quickly. It was the last one, and I left the shop feeling accomplished. It was sold at NT$1049 (S$44.37 deducted from my Trust credit card with a zero forex conversion).
Here are the record stores I went and my impressions.
Chia Chia Records
https://www.ccr.com.tw/Store.php
When I worked in Taipei in 1995, Chia Chia Records was my favourite CD haunt. Glad to know that they are still operational after 40 years. The Hanko outlet is just a small basement unit with a rather small section of vinyl – probably less than 200, but they have different stock from the main Zhonghua outlet which has 2 floors. It has more variety, like Jazz and Classical audiophile titles. I recommend going to both stores to search for a wider variety. To save your trouble, go search on their website and then ask for them at the counter to speed up your purchase.
Five Music
There are three stores in the Taiwan island but only one in Taipei. They have moved to a new location in May 2024 which is still within the Taipei Main Station area. I went to their old store at a basement in April and was impressed with their catalog. Five Music seems to attract a lot more traffic from the young generation. Again, I find they carry a different set of titles from the other shops so I had a good time browsing. They do sell Chinese titles below retail. For instance, Valen Hsu “If the Cloud Knows” was retailing at NT$1498 but they sold at NT$1398.
Eslite – Spectrum Songyuan Store
https://meet.eslite.com/tw/tc/themepavilion/201802230003
There are many Eslite outlets but based on my research, the outlet with the most comprehensive collection of music is at the Songyuan store, located at the Taipei City Hall station (not to be confused with Taipei Main Station), which is the same station as Taipei 101. But this Eslite store is located at the north-west while Taipei 101 was at the south. It is quite a walk, probably about 15 minutes. It would have been a nice walk in cool weather, but despite the heat, there was some shelter.
I spent quite a long time here, as it offers quite a large catalog of Chinese titles as well as International. The fun thing about browsing various stores is that you can uncover old titles that are sitting on the shelves. For instance, I found this Shocking Blue “Scorpio’s Dance” repress in 180-gram pink, by Music On Vinyl. I had this original press sitting on my shelf. I didn’t buy it though, and I wonder if there are collectors out there searching for this.
DaTao Vinyl Records Store 大韜黑膠耳機專賣北流店
https://www.facebook.com/DaTaoVinyl, https://www.ruten.com.tw/store/jimjim0413/
Located at Taipei Music Center, they claimed on their webpage as the largest vinyl record store in Taiwan. There is another outlet at Taoyuan Zhongli district but I’m not sure if it’s as big as the one at TMC. It was about 15 minutes walk from the nearest Kunyang MRT. It is just three stops after Taipei City Hall, the TMC stands in the middle of a sparsely-populated area, giving good vibes of outskirts compared to Taipei City.
The store is narrow but long, stretching about 50 metres. The store started with the new vinyl section, then flowed to used International Pop titles, then Jazz, then a small collection of Musicals, then Classical. Finally, bargain section. The wall of vinyl they displayed showcases their massive collection. I was not attracted to browse the used titles as their condition was not that good. Japan used records look way better condition and they sell at a much lower price. I can even get better pricing from Japan online stores like CDJapan. Go read my article on Japan vinyl shopping and you will know.
I enjoyed browsing the vinyl in this store, because the shelves are properly designed, there were no adhoc boxes to dig. But I had to bend low to browse the lowest shelves. When I entered the store, I was the only one, but gradually, the place was filled with customers. I joked with my family that we always bring crowds to the shops.
I had a hard time deciding what to buy because the International titles were not cheap enough. I ended up buying Mandarin titles as they are more expensive to buy outside the territories.
Conclusion
I would not recommend visiting Taiwan specifically for record digging, but if you happen to be there for vacation, it’s definitely good to visit them and to buy Chinese titles. You might also be able to find old titles that did not interest the Taiwan locals but could be a gem to you.