Step into AFK Books and Records in Virginia Beach and the first thing many customers notice is Jazz, the shops certified retail therapy dog, greeting regulars before they even reach the record bins. Open since 2011, this roughly 5,000 square foot storefront has built its reputation on sheer depth of inventory: more than 12,000 vinyl records spanning nearly every genre, upwards of 10,000 CDs, and a rotating stock of cassettes, mixing new pressings with carefully graded pre owned copies. Jazz collectors tend to linger here since the shop maintains one of the more focused jazz vinyl sections in the region, though rock, hip hop, soul, country, and soundtrack listeners all find plenty to dig through as well.
Music is only half the story. AFK devotes a substantial share of its floor space to books, with sections covering fantasy, science fiction, horror, comics, manga, teen fiction, childrens titles, history, classic literature, biography, and philosophy. New books are typically discounted 10 to 30 percent off cover price, while pre owned copies run 50 percent or more below retail, making the shop a budget friendly option for readers who might otherwise default to a big box chain. Beyond the shelves, customers find turntables, speakers, posters, puzzles, and other music related gifts and accessories, plus a corner devoted to anyone assembling or upgrading a home listening setup.
What sets AFK apart from a typical used media shop is its trade in culture. The store buys vinyl, CDs, and books every day it is open, giving local sellers a straightforward way to turn a closet full of old records or a shelf of paperbacks into cash, and that steady flow of trade ins is part of why the selection stays fresh rather than static. Special orders are also available for customers chasing a specific pressing or title the shop does not currently stock.
AFK has participated in Record Store Day since the event began, turning its Virginia Beach location into a yearly gathering point for collectors hunting exclusive releases, and the shop regularly hosts in store listening events and meet and greets with visiting musicians and authors, typically announced through its social media channels. Dogs are welcome in the store with advance notice, an unusual but appreciated policy among Virginia Beach shoppers who like to bring a four legged companion along while they flip through the bins.
The shop sits within reach of the citys resort area and surrounding neighborhoods, drawing a mix of longtime vinyl collectors, students building a first record collection, and casual browsers who wander in for a book and leave with an armful of both. Staff regularly restock based on what comes through the trade counter, so the crates and shelves shift week to week rather than sitting static, which is part of the appeal for regulars who stop by often just to see what turned up.
For anyone in Hampton Roads looking to sell a record collection, track down an out of print novel, or simply spend an afternoon browsing shelves stacked floor to ceiling with physical media, AFK Books and Records offers one of the more varied selections of vinyl, CDs, cassettes, and used books in the Virginia Beach area, backed by a daily buy and trade program and a community following built over more than a decade in business. In short, AFK Books and Records is a Virginia Beach shop where music lovers and readers alike can buy, sell, and trade vinyl records, CDs, cassettes, and books spanning nearly every genre under one roof.
