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St. Petersburg is home to a record collection so big that the people who run it admit they get overwhelmed by it too. Collectors drive in from other states, leave with armloads of albums, and start planning the next trip before they reach the car.
Across three nearby buildings, this operation holds more than two million records, from hard-to-find jazz pressings to crate after crate of old 45s. Keep reading to learn where it is, how the shelves are organized, what a haul might cost, and the one simple tip that can save you a steep climb up the front stairs.
An Unflashy Address With a Giant Secret
On paper, the address looks completely ordinary, and that is a big part of the fun.
Bananas Records: Vinyl Warehouse sits at 2226 16th Ave N, St. Petersburg, FL 33713, in the Tampa Bay area of Florida. It is a record store in the most literal sense, a working warehouse built for digging rather than for display.
Nothing about the outside begs for attention. There is no glossy showroom or clever decor, just shelves and shelves of albums packed into a no-frills space.
The warehouse is one of three Bananas Records locations clustered close together. The company also runs a large retail storefront on 22nd, next to Mazzaro’s, which covers more modern titles and suits casual shoppers.
That split is worth knowing before you go. Newer releases and familiar favorites tend to live at the storefront, while the warehouse leans hard into older, lesser-known, and deep-catalog vinyl.
For a Florida day-tripper on a budget, the location is easy to fold into a bigger St. Pete outing. The storefront and the other warehouse are only a short hop away, so one parking stop can turn into a full afternoon of crate hunting.
Just do not expect to be in and out in twenty minutes. The building may look modest, but what waits inside has a way of rearranging the rest of your schedule.
Three Buildings, One Family, Two Million Records
More than two million albums. That is the headline number spread across the three Bananas Records locations, and it explains why this family business keeps landing on the radar of serious collectors far beyond Florida.
The retail storefront alone holds about half a million records. The warehouses carry the rest, and new collections keep rolling in faster than anyone can comfortably keep up with.
Staff members have openly admitted that the incoming stacks keep them hopping and sometimes overwhelm them. That honesty says a lot about the scale of the operation.
Doug, the owner, is often on site, and his son is part of the team as well. On Doug’s side of one warehouse, records are not perfectly alphabetized, but they are grouped by genre, which is no small achievement given the sheer volume.
That same space also holds a slew of vintage audio equipment and some remarkably old vinyl. Collectors who appreciate music history tend to slow down here and take it all in.
Across the street sits the third warehouse. Its stock is alphabetized, and it houses a singer-songwriter section that tends to pull people back for a second visit.
Moving between the buildings becomes part of the experience. Each one has its own personality, and together they form one of the deepest record stashes anywhere.
The 45 Hunt That Eats an Afternoon
Bring snacks. Seriously.
Collectors who come looking for 45s often call this the biggest selection of vinyl singles they have ever seen. The little 7-inch records fill row after row, and a casual browse can quietly stretch into hours.
Singles are a special kind of treasure hunt. Many songs from the 1950s through the 1970s were never collected on albums, so the 45 is sometimes the only way to own a particular track on vinyl.
The warehouse makes that search realistic instead of hopeless. With hundreds of thousands of records on hand, the odds of finding that one elusive single are much better than at a typical shop.
Even a stash this size has gaps, though. At one point, a well-known 1960s Motown girl group had no singles in stock, a reminder that inventory shifts constantly as collections come and go.
Listening turntables are available for a quick test spin before buying. They are basic machines, so a record will likely perform better on a good setup at home than it does on the in-store decks.
The smartest approach is to arrive with a want list and plenty of patience. Those who treat the 45 bins as a slow, steady dig tend to walk out with the best finds, along with a strong urge to come back.
Order in the Stacks, With Room to Dig
Plenty of giant record warehouses exist. What sets this one apart is how carefully the stock is sorted.
Many shoppers find what they want, or confirm it is not in stock, within about five minutes. There are no endless boxes of filler to wade through before reaching something worthwhile.
Most sections run alphabetically, though some areas still call for real digging. Setting aside extra time is a good idea, especially in the genre-grouped corners.
The sweet spot here is older music. The warehouse focuses largely on titles from before 1980, with classic material from roughly the 1950s through the 1980s in heavy supply.
Genres range widely. Jazz, rock, hard rock, heavy metal, and plenty in between all have a home, so a mixed group of music fans can split up and still stay busy.
Condition is something to watch. The average copy tends to grade closer to VG+ than NM-, which means lightly played rather than pristine.
The upside is choice. Popular titles can show up in ten or more copies, so comparing a few before picking a favorite is worth the effort, even if it takes a while.
A little patience in the aisles usually pays off in a cleaner copy and a better deal.
Prices That Make Collectors Double-Check the Sticker
Here is the kind of story that gets passed around among collectors: an album that cost more than $100 online turned up on these shelves for $7.99.
That is not an everyday outcome, but it shows what is possible. Regular shoppers often say they leave with four to eight records for what two or three would cost at a standard record store.
Fair prices are a recurring theme. Shoppers call them reasonable, manageable, and on point, which matters when a single visit can easily turn into a large stack.
Some of the inventory is listed on Discogs, the popular online music marketplace. Buyers can spot records there, then pick them up at the warehouse.
Those listings earn praise for accurate, detailed descriptions. Jazz buyers in particular have found records arriving in as good or better shape than described.
Selling works smoothly too. Staff look up the value of the albums people bring in and offer prices that sellers consider fair, especially compared with the hassle of listing everything online themselves.
Records the shop cannot use get donated to local nonprofit thrift stores. It is a small touch, but it means a closet cleanout can help both a collection and the community.
For anyone thinning a collection or building one on a budget, the math here tends to work out nicely.
Friendly Faces, Vintage Gear, and Live Sets
A shopper from San Antonio returned after a year, still hunting for rare Prince records. Before he had even gotten fully out of his car, a clerk asked if he had been there the year before.
That moment captures the mood. The team is known for being friendly, knowledgeable, and genuinely fun to talk to, with names like Doug, John, and Elliot coming up again and again.
One staff member also works as a DJ, and regulars happily spend half a visit chatting music with him. Conversations here tend to be part of the experience, not a distraction from it.
The warehouse carries old-school audio equipment alongside the records. The help goes beyond selling, too.
In one case, a customer brought in a cartridge from a turntable that had sat unused for about 40 years. Elliot offered a free secondhand cartridge, set everything up properly, and sent the customer home with a working machine.
The space has also hosted live local music. Fans could browse the bins between sets, a combination that makes for a memorable outing.
The crowd is broad. Hardcore collectors call it a top destination worldwide, nostalgia seekers track down albums from their childhood, and turntable newcomers get patient guidance.
Nobody needs to be an expert to feel welcome. Curiosity is the only real requirement.
Hours, Stairs, and a Smart Game Plan
Timing is everything with this place, because the doors are open only five days a week.
The warehouse runs Tuesday through Saturday from 10 AM to 5 PM. It is closed on Sunday and Monday, so weekend plans should center on Saturday.
Arriving close to opening is a wise move. Seven hours sounds like a lot until the 45 bins and jazz rows start competing for attention.
Accessibility deserves a heads-up. A big set of stairs leads up to the front door, which can be tough for anyone with mobility challenges.
The owners have a simple fix. Call the shop when you arrive, and staff will let you in downstairs instead.
That concern is also part of why the retail storefront on 22nd exists, since it is easier for people with disabilities to get around. Pairing both stops makes sense for many groups anyway.
A few other tips help. Browse the Discogs listings before heading over, bring a written want list, and leave room in the trunk for a bigger haul than planned.
Check the condition of each copy before buying, especially when several versions of the same album sit side by side. A few extra minutes of inspection can make a real difference once the record is home.
Plan for a full afternoon, and let the digging set the pace.
Why Crate Diggers Keep Coming Back
Some shops get one visit. This one tends to become a tradition.
Out-of-town collectors say they stop here every time they pass through St. Pete. Locals who have shopped the storefront for years often call their first trip to the warehouse an eye-opener.
The appeal comes down to a rare mix. A massive, carefully sorted inventory meets fair prices and a team that treats every customer like a regular, even on a first visit.
It is not a polished boutique, and it does not try to be. The front stairs are steep, the in-store turntables are basic, and not every record is in mint condition.
Those small quirks rarely slow anyone down. The depth of the stock and the thrill of the hunt more than make up for them.
For Tampa Bay residents, this is an affordable, close-to-home adventure that many neighbors still have not discovered. For visitors to Florida, it is a strong reason to carve out a Saturday on the Gulf Coast.
Arrive with a list, stay longer than planned, and expect to leave a few records richer. Chances are good that somewhere in those shelves, a long-lost album from years ago is waiting to go home with you, and the next visit will already be on the calendar.
