Zzz Records

I have been hitting this place for several years. It is a fun stop. The selection is pretty decent, and they do have a nice vibe for odd discs and a few really unusual things mixed in. They do have a bargain bin, and that is always worth picking through. The other good thing is they have a decent selection of used CDs and some tapes as I recall. The other shops in town are not located near here, so they have the area to themselves. There has never been a problem getting parking here. The area is pretty tame and nothing hairy going on. The prices are actually very good. The quality of the vinyl is generally in the VG+ to NM level. There are possibly a couple of things that might have been overpriced and several that were underpriced (I bought a few!) but mostly this place grades and prices very fairly. I have certainly gotten a few keepers in my collection from this place. They sponsor the main Des Moines record show as well, so after I hit this place for cheap decent CDs for the ride home. Worth a visit.

Zzz Records made my day. Top drawer import copy of Dark Side, and a MFSL Master Record LP of Deja Vu. Backed up by Chip Davis’ boxed set and several other LPs’. Zzz Records shipped, and the albums arrived shortly there-​after in perfect shape. Worth hunting down if you have a turntable and collect LPs’. Thanks!

I don’t buy records or CDs much anymore, but when I do, I buy them at ZZZ Records. I have been fond of this store for a number of years and have found so much amazing music here.
I have bought a lot of hard-​to-​find records that I never thought I’d get from ZZZs. I have also gone out on a limb and purchase music I’d never heard and come up with some gold (and some less-​than-​gold records, to be honest).

This is a good store for Des Moines. I don’t know if they have a lot of competition but their prices are very reasonable. I picked up some great finds at a great deal.
They have a good selection of new records. Be sure to flip through their new arrivals. In the back area are the dirt cheap records. Kind of like going through records at goodwill, it will take some time but you find some gems.
The staff is pretty helpful and friendly.

I stopped on a recent trip from Minneapolis to catch a show at Wooly’s. This store had decent reviews, so I took a chance to browse the selection. I’ve shopped all over the United States from the east coast to west coast, and this store falls somewhere in the middle, kind of like Iowa. The store layout was easy to understand, recent arrivals at the front, new releases on the other side of the recent arrivals, and then alphabetical categorical rows of records to the left.
Browsing through, there were a lot of classics from the 70s and 80s, with a few 90s and 2000s used items mixed in. I can’t complain much, since the goal of shopping for records is the hunt for the one that completes the collection, or has been elusive for months and years. I walked out with a used copy of the Shins — Port of Morrow and a new copy of a Crystal Stilts LP that the guy at the counter said «I wonder if someone would buy this eventually» as he rang it up. I guess the Crystal Stilts aren’t that big of a hit in Des Moines. Prices were reasonable, maybe 10% more than I would have liked to have spent… but hey, it’s keeping it local!!!
I’m sure there is a nice revolving selection here since it seems to be the best store in the city based upon other reviews. I’ll stop back in if I am ever in Des Moines.

If you are not a record store person, stop reading. ZZZ or Triple Z as I like to call it is your quintessential record store. The ownership is super helpful and friendly, they carry a lot of new, old, rare, local and everything in between stuff. The greater Des Moines community it fortunate to have a record shop like this. Please support it.

Decent selection. Walked in with my 14 year old daughter, heard nothing but the «f» word pumped through the speakers. Rifled through several racks of LP’s, not once were we asked if we could be helped to find anything. She did find some older albums to listen too, at a very reasonable price.

friendly and helpful staff, I recommend checking out the local section

Great location with lots of parking nearby. Mostly older vinyl but a good well organized selection. Prices are reasonable and the staff is friendly. Decent selection of new 45’s. A good selection of CD’s as well. They also sell record mailing supplies which is great.

Great record store set up very well. Employees know their stuff. The only reason for the missing 5^th star is it does not have a huge selection but trust me it does it’s job and you certainly can find some hidden gems.

Favorite record store in Des Moines. Dan and Nate are always super helpful. I’ve been collecting records for almost 10 years now and I love stopping in here once or twice a month to check out new arrivals. Every April this is my go to spot for Record Store Day — unless I am out of town.
Miss the old location in the East Village — it’s interior had a more classic record store vibe — the current location feels like a bedroom in your parents house with posters on the wall — not a horrible thing, just a little stale, but it doesn’t hinder the quality of records they take in and great place to buy local records.
5 stars.

My journey through the jungle of recorded music started in this record store. I continue to travel music’s peaks (and valleys) with regular stops here. Though the foliage can be dense and the dangers many, I always find my way home with a new treasure in hand. Do yourself a solid and visit ZZZ.

ZZZ is a fantastic stop if you are a fan of vinyl records! Always new arrivals worth skimming through!
A great staff who are happy to order you something new coming out!
Also one of the only places in town with a great local music selection on all formats! Worth the stop if your in Des Moines from out of town!

ZZZ Records used to be a place I shopped at over my lunch hour when it was at the Masonic Temple. Before Starbucks came along. I also patronized it when it was in the East Village, then boutiques came along. Now I see ZZZ has settled into a spot on Ingersoll Avenue. I stopped in to purchase a t-​shirt and they didn’t have my size. I tried on a Medium and it didn’t work. (I may be the only person who has been shirtless here.) I’ll have to order online when they get more stock in to show my support for this great locally owned shop.
True Story: I was living in Portland, Oregon a few years ago and was at a Fred Meyer grocery store (out there they’re not just jewelry stores) and a kid had on a ZZZ shirt. We talked for a few minutes.
** Unchain & Support Local Businesses **

A top-​notch source for music in several formats. Zzz is especially good at stocking local music and records. You can tell that the selection is chosen carefully. There’s no worthless junk. The CDs are labeled so that you can flip through quickly while hunting. The Conway Twitty LP selection almost made me drool. Almost. I still regret not getting Louisiana Woman, Mississippi Man. I settled on death metal and Babyface covers of James Taylor songs instead.
I gave the cashier an opportunity to bash a chain bookstore and he didn’t. Class act all the way.

ZZZ is a staple of the Des Moines music scene, an established record store celebrating 11 years in business, you can always find something to write home about at this store. They have a great selection of new records that don’t overpower the used vinyl, and they are more than willing to track new albums down for you at the best price they can find. But the real kicker with this place is the bargain section, where you can find anything from Stevie Nicks’ Bella Donna to The Beatles debut album for $ 2, $ 1 if you indulge in the 8/​$ 8 deal! They also have a small selection of posters, t-​shirts and moderately priced used (and new) c. d’s. ZZZ Records is worth checking out, and frequenting, if you’re ever in the Des Moines area.