FAQ

Welcome to our Frequently Asked Questions Page. Find out everything you need to know about shopping at Amoeba Music stores right here.

Where Is Amoeba Located?

Amoeba Berkeley 
2455 Telegraph Ave. (at Haste)
Berkeley, CA 94701
Map

Amoeba San Francisco
1855 Haight St. (at Stanyan, just east of Golden Gate Park)
San Francisco, CA 94117
Map

Amoeba Hollywood
6200 Hollywood Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90028
Map

What Are Your Store Hours?

Amoeba Berkeley
Wednesday – Sunday: 11:00 am – 7:00 pm
Closed Monday & Tuesday

Amoeba San Francisco
Monday – Sunday: 11:00 am – 8:00 pm 

Amoeba Hollywood
Monday – Thursday: 11:00 am – 8:00 pm
Friday - Sunday: 11:00 am – 9:00 pm
Our used buying counter closes at 7pm every day.

Where Can I Park? Does Amoeba Validate?

Amoeba Berkeley
There is street parking available around the Berkeley store, but be careful to look for tow-away zones and other parking restrictions. There is also the Sather Gate public parking garage at 2450 Durant Ave (we do not validate, but it's free for the first hour).

Amoeba San Francisco
We validate one hour free parking with purchase at the Kezar Stadium lot (at Stanyan St. & Beulah St). There is street parking available around the San Francisco store, but be careful to look for tow-away zones and other parking restrictions.

Amoeba Hollywood
Our new location at 6200 Hollywood Blvd is in the “El Centro” complex, which has a large, well-managed parking garage and we'll validate for the first 75 minutes with any in-store purchase.

There are also many parking meters on all three of the surrounding streets (Hollywood, Argyle, and El Centro), as well as a few public lots (Eastown, LA fitness, W Hotel, Fonda Theatre) within a short walk.

Which Public Transportation Can I Take To Get To Amoeba?

Amoeba Berkeley
BART: From the Downtown Berkeley BART stop at Shattuck, walk four blocks east on Haste Street to Telegraph Ave.
Bus: The #40 AC Transit line comes up Telegraph Ave from Oakland and stops in front of our store.

Visit the Berkeley public transportation planner for assistance with your trip.
 

Amoeba San Francisco
Bus: The #7 and the #71 Muni bus lines go up Haight Street and stop directly in front of our store. Call us for other bus routes. The N Judah train, which is great for those taking BART, runs parallel to Haight Street. Get off at Carl & Stanyan and it’s just a short downhill walk to the store.

We have bike parking.

Visit the San Francisco public transportation planner for assistance with your trip.

Visit the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency for information about parking, street closures, and general transit alerts.


Amoeba Hollywood
The new location at 6200 Hollywood Blvd is just across the street from the Hollywood/Vine station on the Metro Red Line. The 217 bus stops one block west, on Hollywood between Argyle & Vine.


Visit the Los Angeles public transportation planner for assistance with your trip.

Visit Navigate Hollywood for info about parking, street closures, public transportation and general transit information for the city of Hollywood.

What Types of Items Do You Sell In Your Stores?

We have thousands of new, used, and collectible CDs & vinyl, DVDs & Blu-rays, books, posters and merchandise including Amoeba t-shirts, canvas bags and other cool Amoeba swag available for sale in our stores.

What Is Your Hold Policy?

We can hold up to 6 items for 24 hours (until closing the next day). You can have items held for you over the phone or in person. We cannot hold wall item records or collectible items. Items that are not retrieved by the appropriate day go back onto the sales floor. On weekdays, if needed, you can extend your hold (one time only) for one day.

Which Forms of Payment Are Accepted at Amoeba Store Locations?

We accept cash, debit cards, credit cards (Visa, Mastercard, Discover), Apple Pay, Google Pay and traveler's checks in US dollars. Credit cards must be accompanied by valid photo ID. We do NOT accept personal checks or American Express credit cards or gift cards (American Express traveler’s checks are OK).

What Is Your Return Policy for Items Purchased at Your Stores?

All returns are for store credit only and must be accompanied by a receipt within 7 days of purchase. If an item is defective, we will replace it when in stock. If we can’t replace it, you will receive full store credit (for items over $1). If you want to return/exchange an item that is still sealed you will receive full store credit (for items over $1). You can also return anything (non-clearance and over $2) for any other reason and get 75% store credit. This is our “insurance policy” which allows you to take a chance on an item and still get most of the value back if you don’t care for it. Our return policy is also written at the bottom of every receipt.

Can I Take My Return To Any Amoeba Store for Exchange or Store Credit?

Yes. Remember, all returns must be done within 7 days with your receipt, and are for store credit, not cash. Call the store to make arrangements if you need to extend the time for a return.

Where Do I Return Items Inside the Store?

All exchanges and returns are done at the Buy Counter (head straight down the ramp when you walk-in our Hollywood location, to your right when you first enter San Francisco; in Berkeley the buy counter is directly inside the front door to your left). Remember, all returns must be done within 7 days with your receipt, and are for store credit, not cash.

What Kinds of Things Does Amoeba Buy?

We buy CDs, DVDs, LPs, 45s, 78s, Blu-rays, collectible music & movie posters and prints, books, box sets, music collectibles, laserdiscs, VHS and cassettes – just about any format or anything music-related. Occasionally there are genres or formats that we are overstocked in and we will stop buying them for a time. Call the buy counter first if you are hoping to sell a lot of something that is pretty easy to come by (like cassettes, VHS). Click here for Amoeba's General Buying Policies.

How Much Cash Will Amoeba Give Me for My Stuff?

An item’s worth depends on the artist, title, popularity, condition, and amount of stock we already have. You can opt for cash or get approximately 30% more in store credit. Click here for Amoeba's General Buying Policies. We cannot give price quotes over the phone without actually seeing the product. It's always best to just bring your items to the store’s buy counter.

Where and How Do I Sell My Stuff to Amoeba?

Bring your items to the Buy Counter. A qualified, knowledgeable buyer will assess your product and make you an offer. You will always get more money if you opt for store credit, rather than cash, but the choice is yours. You must have a current government issued ID to sell. The Buy Counter is open 11am to 7pm every day in all three stores (our Berkeley store is closed Monday & Tuesday).

How Do I Sell My Large Collection to Amoeba?

If you have over 500 CDs or over 1,000 vinyl LPs to sell, please call the store first and find out whether we can do the buy in the store and if so, when. If you are interested in having us come out to your house to buy your collection, please click here to fill out our Collection Form. We rarely do this except for large collections of excellent titles. If you can't access our online Collection Form, please call the store and leave a message for our Collections Buyer with a brief description of your collection.

I'm in a Band and I Have CDs to Sell. Will Amoeba Stores Buy My CDs?

Amoeba Hollywood does not have a consignment program in place. Amoeba Berkeley and Amoeba San Francisco continue to do consignment. Please note: each store makes its own buying decisions and consignment must be set up in person at each location.

 

Amoeba SF and Berkeley are interested in carrying music by unsigned local artists. Of course, we have very tight space constraints, and we usually have to start by carrying 1 or 2 copies of a self-released title until we see whether it sells strongly enough for us to carry more. Most titles we consign – we carry them for three months and pay for the ones that sold at the end of that time. We can pay outright for titles with a strong proven sales record. Call your local Amoeba store to make an appointment with someone who does consignments, or just bring your CDs to the buy counter and we'll see what we can do.

 

How Can My Band Book an In-Store Performance?

Please keep in mind that Amoeba is NOT a regular music venue. We book a show or two a week, generally for label-supported artists in conjunction with a new release. If you are interested in playing at one of our stores, please email a press kit and digital file to [email protected]

How Can I Tell If My Item is Used or New?

Items with white price tags are new. Items with a yellow, green or red price tag are used. Items with white price tags that have a blue line across the top are in their original shrink-wrap (i.e. unplayed) but we were sold to us over the counter rather than from a distributor, so are part of our used inventory (and therefore cheaper than new).

Can I Listen to a CD in the Store Before I Buy It?

Sorry, due to COVID protocols listening stations have been removed.

Can I Special Order Music or Movies That are Not in Stock?

If our stores do not stock a particular item you're looking for, you can place a special order at our Information Counter or front registers (not offered at Amoeba Hollywood). If the item is available for ordering, we will ask for a $5 deposit to place the order. When your order arrives, we will call you directly and hold it for you. Unfortunately, we are unable to order out-of-print items, as well as most imports and vinyl, and we prefer not to order items that are easily available used.

Does Amoeba Sell Turntables?

Yes. We generally carry Audio-Technica, Denon, Crosley and Music Hall turntables, although each store has its own selection of turntables. See each store’s turntable display for current models.

Does Amoeba Sell Posters?

Yes. We have thousands of music posters, movie posters, limited-edition print posters, Fillmore posters and more. All the posters on our walls are for sale and most we sell new for $12-15. They can range much higher than that, particularly for rare, old, original edition posters (usually framed or in plastic sleeves). Tell the cashier which poster you’re interested in and they will get it from our back stock or pull it down from the wall when necessary. We also have racks of less expensive used posters that you can flip through. Browse our online poster inventory here.

What Are Those Records on The Wall?

Those records are collectible vinyl because they are limited edition, rare, out-of-print, or original pressings. They usually sell for over $20 (often much higher). We often refer to them as wall items. Ask any Amoeba floor staff if you want help with a wall item.

Do You Have a Public Restroom?

Sorry, none of our Amoeba stores have public restrooms.

Does Amoeba Sell Gift Certificates?

Yes, we sell two different types: gift certificates for use in our stores and gift codes for Amoeba.com.

Store gift certificates can be purchased in-store or online, are available in any amount and do not expire until they're used. Store gift certificates can be redeemed at any Amoeba store location, but cannot be used on Amoeba.com.

Amoeba.com gift codes can only be purchased online, are available in any amount up to $300 and do not expire until they’re used. Amoeba.com gift codes can only be redeemed online and are not redeemable at an Amoeba store.

I Have a Store Credit/Gift Certificate. Can It Be Used at Any Amoeba Store Location?

Yes. Amoeba credit slips and gift certificates are good at all three stores.

If I Don’t Use All of My Gift Certificate, What Happens to the Balance?

If you are using a store gift certificate, you will be issued a new credit slip for the remaining balance. This credit does not expire but we are not able to retrieve it if it’s lost. So make sure to hold onto it!

For Amoeba.com gift codes, your balance will stay connected to the original gift code (if you are not logged in/registered with Amoeba.com) OR if you are logged into your Amoeba.com account it will be applied to your account and will be available to you the next time you make a purchase using your account.

Can Store Credit Be Used For Purchases on Amoeba.com?

No. Store credits are for store redemption only, as they are "trade credits" and we do not offer trades via Amoeba.com.

Is Amoeba.com's Inventory the Same as Your Store Inventory?

No. Our new inventories for physical goods (CDs, vinyl, etc) are roughly the same, but used inventories are different across each store and Amoeba.com. The physical goods available for sale on Amoeba.com are a reflection of our stores' constantly changing inventories and many items are rare or one-of-a-kind. Some of the harder to find items listed are subject to availability. We will do our best to fill all orders placed, and will offer an immediate 100% refund for pieces that may have sold out prior to placed orders.

What is Your Return/Exchange Policy for Items Purchased on Amoeba.com?

All sales are final. However, if an item is defective we will do our best to replace it whenever possible. If we are unable to replace the item, we will issue a refund. See our full return policy for Amoeba.com. Please email us at [email protected] if an item you purchased on Amoeba.com is defective.

Can I Get Free Shipping on My Amoeba.com Purchases?

Yes, all music and movies (CD, LP, 7”, 10”, 12”, 78, DVD, Blu-ray, cassette) ship for free to US addresses with no minimum purchase required. T-shirts, posters, books, merch, accessories, and international orders do not qualify for free shipping.

Shop Amoeba Merch Paypal Music & Movies Ship Free at Amoeba From Our Friends at Guayki We Buy Large Collections
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