The sign above the window in Wilton reads £.s.d. Records, a play on pounds, shillings and pence, and it is a fair introduction to a second-hand shop that has kept its own rhythm while much of the high street moved on.
Background / History
Wilton is a small town a couple of miles west of Salisbury, better known for its abbey history, its carpet weaving and Wilton House than for record collecting, yet the white-painted building at 19 West Street has drawn vinyl hunters from across Wiltshire, Hampshire and Dorset for years. Trading as A & B LSD Records, the shop keeps deliberately short hours, opening on Thursday and Friday afternoons and all day Saturday, and puts the rest of the week into sourcing stock. Records, CDs, sheet music and hi-fi equipment are bought as well as sold, so what fills the racks turns over steadily rather than sitting still.
What You’ll Find
There are two floors to work through. The ground floor carries a rock and pop A to Z alongside blues, metal, hip hop, reggae, jazz, folk, soundtracks, classical, opera and spoken word, with boxes of 45s to flick through and CDs racked along the walls. Real strength lies in the 1950s through to the 1970s, and prog and folk rarities surface here more often than you might expect in a town this size. Upstairs is the £3 album section, a room of largely unsorted LPs for anyone who prefers the hunt to the tidy rack. Sheet music, autographs and music memorabilia sit alongside the records, and stereo equipment is sold, bought and repaired, older gear included.
Experience / Atmosphere
The interior is papered almost floor to ceiling with sleeves, posters and cuttings, a Penny Lane street sign among them, and the effect is closer to a well-kept private collection than a retail unit. Nobody rushes you. Staff know the stock, offer an opinion when it is wanted and are just as likely to put the kettle on while you dig. Regulars treat a visit as a Saturday habit, and first-time visitors tend to stay far longer than planned, particularly once they find the stairs.
Why Visit
- Two floors of second-hand stock, including an upstairs room of albums priced at £3 each
- Wide genre coverage, from rock, pop and blues through to jazz, reggae, classical and spoken word
- Boxes of 7in singles and genuine depth in 1950s to 1970s pressings
- Sheet music, autographs and music memorabilia sitting alongside the vinyl and CDs
- Hi-fi equipment bought, sold and repaired on site, vintage electronics included
- Unhurried, friendly service and a short trip out from Salisbury
Summary
L.S.D. Records rewards patience and a free afternoon. Turn up on a Thursday, Friday or Saturday, allow more time than you think you need, and take the stairs at least once. For collectors working the south of England it remains one of the more satisfying stops in the region, and for anyone still building a first shelf of records it is an unusually welcoming place to begin.
