If you enjoy a proper dig, The Vinyl Frontier is the kind of shop where a quick look can easily turn into a much longer browse. Four rooms spread across two floors on Holton Road in Barry, with vinyl at the centre and plenty of other music, film and pop-culture finds waiting around the next corner.
Background / History
The Vinyl Frontier Ltd was incorporated in July 2015, and the shop opened at 39 Holton Road the following month. Alan and Alison Storey have been behind the business since the beginning, building a welcoming independent shop around vintage and used music while also running an extensive online store. It gives local listeners somewhere to browse in person, compare notes and follow an unexpected sleeve, while collectors further afield can explore the stock from home.
The business remains active at its long-standing Barry address, with the telephone number and website current. That makes The Vinyl Frontier a valuable part of the local record-shop community and a good place to start if you are exploring the Vale of Glamorgan or the wider South Wales area.
What You’ll Find
The main attraction is pre-owned and vintage vinyl, with albums and singles spread across a wonderfully broad range of styles. You can move from rock and pop through soul, Motown, funk, disco, punk, post-punk, new wave, indie, electronic music, reggae, jazz, blues, folk, country and classical. There are also soundtracks, hip-hop and Welsh-interest releases, along with dedicated sections for 7-inch singles, 10-inch and 12-inch singles, picture discs and shaped records.
The larger formats have plenty of room to make an impression. A substantial 12-inch selection is complemented by a downstairs 7-inch section that includes 1980s electronic music. CD albums and singles, cassettes, 8-tracks, music DVDs, VHS tapes, programmes and brochures add even more to the browse. Then there is the wider collection of band merchandise, badges, patches, mugs, clothing, accessories and music-related gifts, so a visit can just as easily end with an unusual present or piece of memorabilia as with another record for the shelf.
Experience / Atmosphere
The layout is part of the fun. With four rooms across two floors, including a front room, back room and downstairs section, there is time to settle into the search and let one discovery lead to another. The genre range works for mixed tastes, and the variety of formats means there is usually another section worth a look. It has the familiar pleasure of a proper second-hand record shop: browse at your own pace, follow the artwork and see what turns up.
Why Visit
- A broad, friendly browse through used and vintage vinyl
- A strong 12-inch selection and a downstairs 7-inch section with 1980s electronic records
- CDs, cassettes, 8-tracks, music DVDs and other physical formats alongside vinyl
- Four rooms across two floors, including a front room, back room and downstairs area
- Music and film merchandise, memorabilia and gifts beyond the record racks
Summary
The Vinyl Frontier is a well-established, owner-run Barry shop with plenty of room for curiosity. Bring a want-list, come looking for a gift or simply start at the first rack and see where the browse takes you. With deep vinyl categories, several physical formats and a generous merchandise range, 39 Holton Road is a rewarding stop for collectors, casual listeners and anyone who enjoys sharing in the life of a local record shop.
Massive thanks to Sharon (@sonicshaz on Instagram) for the photos! See her post from her visit here for more on this fantastic shop.
