Found Sound

I’ve been back a lot. Even though they sell Crosleys. I usually get some jazz or classic rock. They have good selection, good prices, good turnover. Just good not great. If I lived in the neighborhood I’d be there at least once a week. But I’m about a half hour away so I go there about once every two months. They are on my good list.

Amazing selection at awesome prices. Found records here that I could not find in other cities. Cool staff and easy layout to find what you are looking for!

Found Sound has a lot to dig through, including new and used records, and a pretty decent selection of new Indie. The best things I’ve found though, are used punk records (I picked up Wire’s 154 for a good price, in good condition!). I’ve found a few decent blues and jazz records too, but the rock section is pretty standard.
I have overpaid for a few records here, but I don’t mind a few extra dollars for a local business (sometimes).
I see some really excellent records up on the walls — The first pressing of Hootenanny? Are you kidding? That’s so cool. Of course, I can’t afford it, but it’s great that these guys are able to get records of that caliber.

Found Sound has become my favorite record store in the Metro Detroit area. There’s a wide variety of new and used vinyl records the majority of them priced correctly unlike other stores it seem to have the prices a wee bit too high. The people that own and work at the store don’t treat you like you’re an idiot if you don’t know what you’re talking about and I genuinely seem to care about what they do.

The husband was super excited about the records! He will go back as often as possible. Really glad that theres bicycle parking nearby!

I always leave with buying a record. I always find something. I think they have a huge variety. The prices are good, to me. I find good records at $ 3, $ 4 and $ 6.00 that go on ebay for double.
They are the reason why I’ve returned to vinyl.

Ever since Record Time closed its doors in Ferndale I’ve been pretty bummed about the lack of great record stores there. Last weekend I got to check out Found Sound for the first time and I’m impressed!
The store has a great vibe when you walk in. Make sure you look up at the awesome ceiling!
I found a lot of albums to be reasonably priced. Of course there were some expensive ones, but that seems to be the par for the course in all record shops nowadays, especially for new vinyl/​reissues. They also have a section with a lot of music-​related books, which is something I appreciated. What’s better than reading about the music you’re listening to?!
It’s a little bit of a hike for me but Found Sound is going to be put in my regular record store rotation.

I was having dinner a few blocks away when I checked Unilocal to see if there were any record store near by — EUREKA!!! problem was that it was 8 minutes before closing when we got there. I made a beeline to check out the few things I’m REALLY looking for .
There were a few other people shopping and after a bit I figured that we were all playing dumb that we didn’t know that they were suppose to have closed 15 minutes ago. At 8:30, as I rummaged through the discounted CD’s — they’re below the main CD section, in genre labeled boxes — I apologized to the guy behind the counter that I was keeping him. He genuinely made me feel welcome to browse at my leisure — I’m sorry but this simply does not happen in American anymore, at least I don’t see it… or maybe it’s us angry/​hurried NYers. It wasn’t like I was going to pay his light bill for the month with my purchases, he was just happy to make some customers happy and maybe make a few bucks. Too cool !!!

I took my younger brother here recently — his first visit to Ferndale — and he was really excited to check out Found Sound. We were the only two people in the store, and neither of the three employees (immersed in conversation behind the desk) greeted or acknowledged us as we walked through the store, nor did they offer any assistance. At one point, my brother was trying to explain a new artist to me, and played 15 or 20 seconds of a song from his iPhone. The staff responded by turning up the volume of the music played throughout the store (I watched the girl reach toward the sound system and turn up the volume) and then turning it down again when my brother had silenced the song on his phone. It appeared as if they increased the volume in the store so they wouldn’t have to suffer listening to any «outside» music.
My brother had 4 or 5 records in his hands and put them all down.
Apparently we were too bothersome that day — wanting to spend money in their store and all (how dare we, right?). Sorry that we annoyed you with our business. Don’t worry, we won’t be back.

A good record store, but not a great one. That said, I’ve spent a fair amount of money at this place and have had a consistently good experience, so I will continue to stop in from time to time to see if they have anything I want.
If you’re expecting something with a selection on par with Dusty Groove or Reckless in Chicago, forget it.
On the other hand, if you’re looking for stuff that not every other twentysomething hipster or fortysomething Dad is looking for, you can find deals if you’re willing to dig. I’ve picked up semi-​obscure post-​punk and college rock LPs here in excellent shape for very reasonable prices. I’ve also managed to find good deals on used CDs occasionally, though their CD selection can be very hit or miss. The good stuff tends to get picked over very quickly. On the new vinyl front, Found Sound’s prices are fair and on-​par with most online dealers. For example, $ 27 for a MOFI Silver Series LP reissue is very reasonable when MOFI themselves charge $ 25 + shipping for the same title.
If I have any complaints, it’s that their selection of used and new R&B/Soul and Reggae could be a lot better. Most of the used LP titles in these categories were in rough shape and I’d expect to see more classic titles or at least some good reissues of classic titles in the racks.
UPDATE:
After shopping here over a period of time, I’m going to raise my 3 star rating to 4 stars. I have found a fair amount of gems here that have kept me going back. Unlike some stores, the «good stuff» seems to actually go out on the floor and not straight to online sales.
One thing I would say is that there seems to be some inconsistency in the pricing and condition of used records I’ve seen in the bins over the last year or so. I’m guessing this is down to employee training since I’ve seen more than one person in here pricing records. It’s pretty obvious that they are using Discogs/​eBay to gauge prices like every other store out there today, but I don’t think an LP should be priced at the middle to upper end up of the pricing range if it has a few nasty looking scratches or a cut corner on the jacket. I’ve seen LPs in here that are priced at $ 10−15+ that should be dollar bin material based on the condition.
Another point I’d like to bring up is the new jazz vinyl. Please stop stocking those terrible bootleg European Public Domain «reissues» of classic jazz albums. None of the artists’ estates get paid, and the audio is just ripped off CDs. Labels like Original Jazz Classics still have a ton of great titles from the 50s and 60s in print today at good prices, so there is no reason to be filling the racks with bootleg level stuff. I’m sure that the owner didn’t order this stuff with full knowledge of what it was but it doesn’t give the store a great reputation with jazz fans.

By far the best selection in multiple genres I’ve seen. I spent a couple of hours last week and came away with albums in old country, folk, classical, jazz and rock. Great vibe, extremely friendly staff. My only pricing complaint is that a bunch of the albums in the «2 for a dollar» shelf are records I already have and love. Apparently I do not have expensive taste. Great store — I will be back.

Depending on your exact musical tastes, the prices at Found Sound vary from sweet deals to unpalatably bitter. Iconic albums invariably fall into the bitter category, dashing my dreams of ever owning their copy of Dark Side of the Moon. The rest of the selection seems to vary according to genre though, depending on when I visited, the same genres seemed to change pricing tier according to a mysterious someone’s personal algorithm. Indie rock, newer punk, and jazz standards consistently rank among the more expensive. Luckily, my taste in vinyl has been veering more toward bossa nova and harmonica covers and I’ve been able to walk out with handfuls of three to four dollar records, all in workable condition. They’ve always been willing to haggle with me on the price of damaged records which is, in itself, an interesting but fading art akin to spinning vinyl.
The selection rotates, contracts, and expands fairly regularly, depending heavily on the number of other record stores in the process of closing up shop. The few initially underrepresented genres — hip-​hop and post-​punk, particularly — have been steadily growing in the last year. If you, like myself, enjoy the pure joy that comes with discovering new music but are in a committed relationship with indecision, try out one of the dirt-​cheap mystery packs available near the register in the back. Sorted by genre, opening one of these bargain packs is the closest you’ll get as a maladapted adult to the childhood feeling of opening a pack of trading cards. On the negative end of the bargain, you might, at great expense to yourself and to the joy of your smart-​mouthed friends, end up with multiple copies of The Police’s Ghost in the Machine in your record collection.
The listening room has a fairly comprehensive setup and, of all the records I’ve had to sample, only one or two have turned out to be less than desirable in quality. The owners and employees are friendly folk who take a hands-​off approach to letting you select your records. Once you engage them in a little chit-​chat, however, they ooze recommendations and cool cultural artifacts. Where else in the concrete realm can you have an in-​depth conversation about Neil Hamburger?

My fiancé played a show here during the summer and I was immediately anxious to come back and browse through their huge selection of vinyl. I definitely wasn’t disappointed on my second trip and really enjoyed taking my time browsing the selection, and quite a selection they have. I generally like to go to Solo Records on Woodward for my record shopping but I plan to make trips to Found Sound more frequently. They have basically any genre you could want, and also carry a lot of new stuff on vinyl as well (which solo doesn’t really do). Their prices are pretty spot on and they definitely don’t over price anything (like UHF in royal oak does IMO). Aside from vinyl they carry, cds, old video games, and an assortment of other goodies. The only thing I wish they had was a dollar section which is my favorite thing about solo records… I sometimes would find some awesome stuff there. Anyway, I spent a little over twenty buck and walked out with 6 records, not too shabby.

I’m openly biased. And I can’t help it. Ray, Chris, Bean & the young ladies working there are like extended family to me. Ya see, (cue string concerto or somber sonata) all my family lives out of state & not only does Found Sound carry records ranging from 5 for a $ 1 to big $$, but these are good people who listen & share an enthusiasm for life that is contagious & fun to be around. I traded in 10 boxes of vinyl for credit & bought all kinds of new & old records, dvds, cds, etc.
They put on concerts at the beginning of the month & are just the kind of people Earth needs. Also, Chris is singer in a band Pink Lightning — check ‘em out!
Oh yeah, take a chance on there mystery record sets — you never know what you might find…

I was so happy to stumble upon this record store, located in the old MF Vintage space. Ferndale needs a record store to fill the void of the loss of the Record Collector.
The staff was super friendly (we didn’t realize what time they closed, and he let us stay a few minutes after closing to finish up our purchases). The space is a little sparse — but they’re new and it’s a record store — so I’m sure before long, we’ll be climbing over boxes to view the selections.
The only downside is that I found them to be a bit pricey. There were items priced for $ 8 or $ 9, that were at Solo Records for $ 2 or $ 3.

I loved the atmosphere at Found Sound. The décor was funky with purple walls. The great thing about this place is that the records were placed at the proper level so customers didn’t have to bend over to look through the sections of records. A lot of thinking went into the store design and it shows. There was a huge screen down at the end that could be pulled down, so I imagine that the play actual footage from live concerts and there is a section where a band can set up and play right there at the store. They are trying to sell their records and entertain their customers. I hope this record store succeeds where so many others have failed.

The bulk of the other reviews have it right– space is huge, selection is small, price can be a little unreasonable. That will about sum it up. They have so much space to really stuff the place chock full of music but it’s a bit sparse. Though they have a good variety of genres with a mix-​in of old, new, and local, it’s still sparse.
I do, however, want to add that I stopped into the store because I was interested in three posters that hang in the display window. one in particular– one that i would have offered a VERY attractive price for– and still would. i stopped in my tracks when i saw this poster and beelined to the counter to ask them how much. i would have about paid anything. they refused to sell it to me.
i was very, very disappointed. i feel like it’s a safe assumption to think that anything in the display window is for sale, or that merchandise in the store is generally for sale, but i’m wrong. it’s more important to decorate the store to make it look like they sell certain things rather than sell them to me. those posters i want still sit in the window, teasing me and mocking me every time i pass. i don’t bother to step in these days. a store that doesn’t really sell things? i don’t know.
i assume they want my money. and i want to give them my money. i’m vey willing. i’d be happy to fork over money for stuff that’s in their store, but they won’t really meet me halfway on that. i probably sound like a very difficult customer from this review but a store that doesn’t sell stuff in their display window makes little sense to me.

They’ve only been open a few months, so I’m willing to go back later and re-​review. For now, they do have a nice array of local vinyl, but overall their selection is not great, the prices are really high. In fact, I’ve found identical titles in the dollar bin at Street Corner going here for $ 6 – 9, in the same condition.
With the upcoming demise of the always mediocre Record Collector across the street, Found Sound will be the only source for music in Ferndale. I hope they improve and plan on checking in again later this year. Until then, I’ll be hitting up Street Corner in Southfield, and Hello in Corktown for most of my vinyl needs.

May I start by saying: Found Sound, welcome to the neighborhood! I’m very glad Found Sound popped up in the space that used to be Mother Fletcher’s vintage shop. It’s a great space in a great town, Ferndale. I love record shops and am happy that the digital realm of music hasn’t killed them all off.
I was somewhat disappointed with the selection at Found Sound in comparison to another shop of its kind in Royal Oak… perhaps it’s a new business thing. Maybe they just haven’t fully stocked their shelves yet, but it felt sparse. I’d go back and give it another chance just solely based on the feeling of the place– which was good. I liked the area in the back with all the album covers and seating. It gave the place a welcoming feeling, like you’d want to just hang out there for hours browsing and hunting for some good new vinyl.
It has potential. Keep filling those shelves, Found Sound. I’ll be back!

Stopped in today for the Grand Opening of Found Sound — and wasn’t the only one, that’s for sure! The store lay-​out is conducive to browsing, as evidenced by the many bodies flipping through records looking for a treasure to add to their collection. Their inventory selection is great — The staff was friendly and excited to welcome everyone into their new business — The pricing is on par with what you would expect. Their «normal» priced merchandise is in the bins, and there is a wall of $ 2 treasures like the sweet Culture Club record that I am now a proud owner of. :) They had records (Both LPs and 45s), CD, books, t-​shirtsand various other items for sale. If you are a fan of a good record shop, come check them out.
If you’re reading this today (7÷21÷12) — they’re having a bunch of bands at 9Pm tonight for their Opening party. :P