In Calgary’s Inglewood neighborhood, tucked along 9th Avenue SE on one of the city’s oldest commercial strips, That Old Retro Store has built its identity around a single obsession: vintage stereo equipment and vinyl records. Since 2006, the shop has specialized in buying, selling, and recycling secondhand audio gear, turning what might otherwise end up in a landfill into working, tested components for a new generation of listeners. The inventory reads like a roadmap of home audio history, including amplifiers, equalizers, integrated amps, pre-amps, receivers, reel to reel decks, speakers, tuners, and turntables, alongside smaller essentials like replacement cartridges, styluses, and cleaning supplies to keep older gear running properly.
Records are just as central to the business as the hardware that plays them. The store carries more than 10,000 used vinyl records spanning genres from rock and jazz to soul and classical, plus a rotating selection of new releases for collectors who want current pressings alongside decades-old originals. Browsing the shelves tends to appeal equally to lifelong audiophiles hunting a specific cartridge and newcomers picking up their first turntable.
What sets That Old Retro Store apart from a typical secondhand shop is its repair and restoration arm. Vintage stereo components do not always work reliably straight out of someone’s basement or storage unit, so the shop’s technicians diagnose and service equipment before it ever reaches the sales floor, and they offer the same repair expertise directly to customers bringing in their own gear. Every piece of equipment sold is described as thoroughly serviced, and repairs carry a 90-day warranty, a level of accountability that is not always standard in the used electronics world. That combination of retail and hands-on technical service has made the shop a go-to resource for Calgary residents trying to keep older amplifiers and turntables alive rather than replacing them outright.
The Inglewood location, at 1314a 9th Avenue SE, sits within one of Calgary’s most walkable historic districts, known for its mix of independent shops, cafes, and music venues, making a visit easy to pair with an afternoon exploring the rest of the neighborhood. The store keeps a tighter schedule than many retail businesses, open Thursday through Saturday from 10am to 6pm and Sunday from 11am to 4pm, and closed Monday through Wednesday, so planning a visit around those hours is worthwhile for anyone making a special trip. A separate phone line is listed for repair inquiries, letting customers route service questions directly to the technicians handling that side of the business rather than the general sales desk.
For collectors, this is a shop built around the idea that good audio equipment deserves a second life rather than a trip to the landfill, and that a record collection is best explored in person, one crate at a time. Anyone restoring a childhood stereo receiver, hunting a rare pressing, or simply looking to build a first turntable setup will find both the gear and the expertise to make it work here. That Old Retro Store in Calgary’s Inglewood district is a specialty dealer and repair shop for vintage stereo equipment and vinyl records, offering serviced, warrantied audio gear alongside an inventory of more than 10,000 used records.
