Used Kids Records wins 231 votes for Best Small Business

Used Kids Records has been named the best small business in The Lantern’s 2026 Best of OSU special edition. The shop at 2500 Summit Street received 231 votes from Ohio State students and community members for its continued commitment to physical music formats.

The store operates as a hub for vinyl records, CDs, and audio equipment. It also serves as a venue for live music, hosting listening parties and artist performances. Owner Greg Hall stated that the shop’s model focuses on the energy of handling physical products and discussing music in person. He described this approach as a blueprint he has followed for many years.

The business has a long history in Columbus, tracing its roots to 1986. It opened on North High Street as a sister store to School Kids Records. Hall purchased the shop in 2014 and relocated it to its current Summit Street address. Since School Kids Records closed, Used Kids Records has filled the gap on that block by expanding its inventory of new records.

Events at the shop often draw large crowds from the local community. Hall noted that a listening party for the band Twenty One Pilots required two back-to-back sessions to accommodate attendees. The first event held 225 people, while the second session drew approximately 200. A stage transferred from the original location doubles as a workspace for employees to sort records.

Staff members emphasize the diversity of the shop’s audience and inventory. Associate Jimmy Buttons, known to customers as a “Record Jerk,” described the shop as an amalgamation of Columbus’s music scene from the 1950s through the 1990s. DJ Raymond Schwab said the store plays records from various genres, including soul, punk, and metal, depending on the mood of the employees. The shop also supports local venues such as Rumba Cafe, Skully’s Music Diner, and Newport Music Hall.

The business supports the local food system through donations to the Mid-Ohio Food Collective, which is identified as Ohio’s largest food bank. Used Kids Records hosts fundraising events where it matches the money raised by attendees. Hall expressed that the shop aims to remain accessible to all students, whether they are browsing collections or attending free events.

Hall said the legacy of the shop involves more than selling records. He cited the importance of talking about music and booking both local and major bands. He described his role as carrying on a legacy that existed before his ownership. Buttons advised that new listeners do not need to buy a record player before purchasing records, noting that the goal is to support music.