Entry No. 127 — the Chicago file — filed under: records
Bric-a-Brac Records & Collectibles
The store's own tagline is "Punk, Junk, and Rock n' Roll!", which is roughly the shelving system: new and used vinyl and cassettes on one side, VHS tapes, vintage movie posters and 80s/90s toys on the other, plus whatever pop-culture ephemera came in that week. It has been going since 2013 — the twelfth-anniversary party in June 2025 ran live bands from 2pm with Damon Locks, Humdrum and Dumbsucker — and it moved into a bigger Avondale space on Milwaukee Ave. Free all-ages in-stores keep happening (Kate Fagan played a Saturday afternoon set in August 2025), and the shop hauls crates out to the CHIRP record fair at Pitchfork and DJ nights at Podlasie Club. They buy and trade, so the used bins turn over fast. Open every day of the week, which for a shop this size is unusual.
→ Three more vintage, record & maker shops in Chicago — never the same twice
The story
Bric-a-Brac opened in June 2013 — a six-year anniversary weekend in June 2019, a twelve-year party in June 2025 — and spent its first stretch in a small storefront at 3156 W Diversey Ave in Logan Square before moving to a larger room at 2845 N Milwaukee Ave in Avondale. The tagline is "Punk, Junk, and Rock n' Roll!" and the shop calls itself a one-stop shop for all the necessities that no one really needs, which is about as honest as retail copy gets.
The floor is split down the middle by that idea. Records are filed with real discipline — used stock alphabetised A–C, D–I, J–O, P–S and T–Z, with separate runs for rock/pop/punk/electronic, soul, funk and R&B, hip hop, soundtracks, compilations, seven-inches and cassettes. The other half is organised by franchise rather than genre: Polly Pocket, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Star Wars, Star Trek, Ghostbusters, G.I. Joe, Masters of the Universe and She-Ra, Power Rangers, Simpsons, Robo Force, Super7, plus original posters, enamel pins and a permanent Halloween and horror corner. They buy constantly — 80s and 90s toys, horror, action and comedy VHS, vinyl and cassettes judged on condition and current stock — which is why the used racks move.
It also behaves less like a shop than a small institution. There is an in-house label, BAB Releases; there are free all-ages in-store shows that have hosted touring bands from Portland, Wisconsin and Norway alongside Chicago acts, with Kate Fagan playing an afternoon set in August 2025 and the twelve-year party fielding Damon Locks, Humdrum, Dumbsucker, Body Shop and Casualshrine. Beyond the walls they run 21-plus DJ nights at Podlasie Club, haul crates to the CHIRP Record Fair at Pitchfork, and throw an annual costumed Halloween party with the Brewed — one year at Revolution Brewing's taproom, on the theme of critters.
What it's like
The shop is open noon to 7 p.m. every day of the week, which sounds generous until you notice how early 7 p.m. is; this is an afternoon errand, not a nightcap. Inside it is one bright room where the record side and the toy side face each other, so couples naturally split at the door and reconvene with incompatible finds. Prices sit low enough that a browse rarely ends empty-handed, and the staff will happily take a movie recommendation request. If a band is playing, the floor space disappears — in-stores are free and all ages, but check the events page first if you wanted a quiet dig. Selling is a different visit: the owners do the buying, usually Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays, and you must bring photo ID.
The move: Get there around 5pm, split up at the door — one of you to the toy and VHS shelves, one to the used bins — with a $15 ceiling and thirty minutes to find something for the other. Compare hauls at 5:30 before they close at 7, then walk it south down Milwaukee for a drink and argue about who did better.
📍 Before you go Open daily 12pm–7pm — it closes early, so this is an afternoon or early-evening move, not a late one. They buy and trade quality goods, so bring the records you've stopped playing and walk out even. Check the Upcoming Events page before you go; in-stores are free and all-ages but they eat the floor space. The 56 Milwaukee bus stops out front; street parking on Milwaukee is metered and tight after 6.
- 📍 Chicago
- 💸 $
- ⚡ Low-key
- 🌗 Indoors
Where: 2845 N Milwaukee Ave, Chicago, IL 60618
Hours: Added 2026-08-26 — confirm current hours before you go.
Pair it with
- The Insect Asylum — Effectively next door at 2870 N Milwaukee — pinned beetles and a taxidermied giraffe five minutes from the Polly Pocket shelf, and the two have collaborated before.
- Bucket O' Blood Books and Records — The other half of the Avondale record run, a mile east on Elston, and open until 8 — which neatly solves Bric-a-Brac's 7 p.m. curfew.
- Elastic Arts — A ten-minute walk to a second-floor room off Diversey for improvised and experimental music, if the afternoon's crate-digging left you wanting something played live.
More weird in Chicago
Good to know
What are the hours?
Noon to 7 p.m., seven days a week, holidays and event days aside. It is one of the few record shops in the city open every single day, but it also shuts earlier than most, so build the rest of the evening around it.
How do I get there without a car?
The shop is at 2845 N Milwaukee Ave, on the diagonal, and the CTA 56 Milwaukee bus runs the length of that street past the door. The Blue Line's Logan Square station is a walk of roughly half a mile south. Street parking on Milwaukee is metered and gets tight in the evening.
I want to sell my records and toys — how does that work?
They buy and trade vintage 80s/90s toys, horror, action and comedy VHS, and vinyl and cassettes depending on condition, genre and current stock. Email or call to set a time, or drop in when an owner is working — typically Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday. Bring your ID; they will not buy without it.
Are the in-store shows free? Do I need a ticket?
In-stores are free and all ages, no ticket. Off-site events are the exception: DJ nights at Podlasie Club have run 21-plus with a small cover, and benefit shows have asked a $10–15 donation at the door. The events page lists what is coming.
Can they hold something for me?
Call the shop on 773-654-3915 or email [email protected] — the same channel they use for record hunts, collection buys and, per their own contact page, movie recommendations.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: Official site
last checked: 2026-08-26