Best Place To Buy Vinyl

For years Hallandale's Yardbird Records was a local fave for snagging rare vinyl treasures, making the shop's closing in late 1998 a sad day for the turntable set. With little fanfare however, Yardbird owner Michael Dean has renested behind the counter of the Beach's Esperanto Music. He's also taken over the backroom, filling it with his still-sprawling assortment of tough-to-find jazz, soul, outré Sixties folk, and Seventies prog-rock -- most at affordable prices. Don't be shy about pestering Dean for his recommendations; asking his opinion on an out-of-print Fred Neil album not long ago produced some fabulous tales of Coconut Grove late-night hippie madness back in the day, as well as the realization that Neil's bike actually was on the premises. Esperanto's heavily trafficked Lincoln Road locale means it's only a matter of time before some wealthy out-of-town record collector stumbles across this mother lode of vintage platters, and, after he picks up his jaw from the floor, simply writes out a check for the whole lot. So what are you waiting for?