Jack’s Record Cellar
The Verdict
"Founded in 1951 and run by Wade Wright since 1961, this record shop at 254 Scott opens only Saturdays 2pm to 7pm. The specialty is out-of-print 78s and 45s. The storefront looks abandoned even when it's open."
What you need to know
What’s There
Jack’s Record Cellar is a small record shop at 254 Scott Street that opens only on Saturday afternoons. It was founded in 1951 at 400 Haight Street by a promoter named Jack. Wade Wright and Norman Pierce bought the stock in 1961 and moved it to the current Scott Street location. Wright still runs the shop. The store specializes in thousands of out-of-print 78s and 45s alongside other vinyl.
The shop is small and crammed, with stacks of records in varying states of organization. Most of the actual business runs through eBay during the week. The Saturday opening is the in-person part of the operation.
The storefront looks abandoned even when it’s open, with a small faded “RECORDS” sign. Check the door. Hours aren’t always guaranteed.
If Jack’s is closed when you pass by, Amoeba Music is a few blocks east in a former bowling alley, and the Haight Street Art Center has a museum devoted to rock concert posters.
Visiting
Address: 254 Scott Street, San Francisco (near Haight Street)
Cost: Free to browse. Records priced individually.
Hours: Saturday only, 2 PM to 7 PM. Closed all other days. Even those hours aren’t always guaranteed.
Best time to go: Early Saturday afternoon for the best selection.
What to know: The store looks closed even when it’s open. Check the door.
Getting There
Transit: Muni N-Judah to Cole and Carl, then walk 5 minutes south to Haight. Bus 6-Haight/Parnassus or 7-Haight/Noriega runs directly along Haight Street.
Parking: Street parking on the residential blocks off Haight. Metered spots on Haight Street, competitive on Saturdays.
Walking: One block south of the Upper Haight commercial strip. Near Amoeba Records, Buena Vista Park, and the Panhandle.