Established in 1969, Kellys Records is now an institution in town
Located on the upper balcony of the famous indoor Cardiff Market, Kellys Records is the heaven for every music maniac. The store is composed by three packed stalls, a long shelf on the front filled with bargains and even a barber shop.
Walking up the stairs, a life-size Elvis Presley statue gives his greetings. Hundreds of vinyls, many of those true rarity at a very small price, lie alongside racks containing thousands of CDs, a DVD section and an indistinguishable memorabilia.
Kellys opened its doors in the far 1969. It was founded by Phyllis and Eddie Kelly, both of them obsessed with music. They masterly rode the wave of the vinyl revolution, quickly leading their shop to success.
In 1991 Allan Parkins, their nephew, took the reins. He has been here ever since.
“In the ‘90s, when CDs took over, not many vinyls were produced or sold. We thought that was a disaster for us. Then, luckily, there was another boom for vinyls,” explained Allan, a big smile coming from behind his face mask.
Now Kellys, which celebrated the 50th anniversary last year, is stronger than ever. “All the big bands that play in or around Cardiff come to the shop,” he said.
They stock every type of music. From classic, to rock, folk, disco, reggae and even traditional Welsh artists. Here, every taste can be satisfied.
Even though the reputation as the world’s oldest record store goes to Spillers, another Cardiff gem, Kellys claims to be the oldest secondhand vinyl shop of all UK. Or “vintage vinyls” as Allan prefer to say.
As its website states, they are indeed specialised in selling preowned rare and collectable vinyls. “We do have lots of originals,” pointed out the friendly Allan.
Cannot make it to Cardiff? That is not a problem. They have also an online shop that sells their products all over the world.
So, do yourself a favour and go to check them out! When it comes to music, Kellys will not let you down.