About Us

In a city full of music lovers, Relic Records is a Brisbane‑born record store built on one rule: no snobbery, no gatekeeping… just music, curiosity, and the joy of collecting.

Relic began the way many good things do, with a leap.

After more than twenty years of crate‑digging, collecting, comparing pressings, and building a music library that spanned everything from Taylor Swift to Metallica to Miles Davis, Brendon had always dreamed of opening a record store. Life, as it tends to, kept getting in the way. But when we moved to Brisbane and he found himself stuck in a job that drained the life out of him, it became clear: it was time.

With a wedding on the horizon and a new chapter ahead, he took the leap, and Relic Records was born. (His now wife Bonnie works behind the scenes keeping things running, but Brendon is the heart of this place.)

A Record Store With No Ego

Relic exists because of one moment Brendon never forgot.

Years ago, he walked into a record store wanting to buy a Taylor Swift album and was laughed at. That tiny moment of gatekeeping stuck with him. Music is personal. It’s emotional. It’s yours. No one should ever make you feel small for loving what you love.

So at Relic, whether you’re hunting for a first pressing, a limited‑edition picture disc, a pre‑owned classic, or the album that got you through high school, you’re welcome here.

If it matters to you, it matters to us.

 

Built by a Collector, Curated for Collectors

Brendon isn’t just a record store owner, he’s a curator, a variant‑hunter, a perfectionist, and a man who can talk for hours about why one pressing hits different from another.

He’s the kind of collector who:

  • keeps multiple variants of albums he loves
  • builds a Top 100 Tracks list every year
  • hosts an annual “album night” ritual where we drop the needle and listen, one record at a time
  • can recommend a new artist based on a single track you mention
  • genuinely lights up when someone discovers something new

Relic is an extension of that passion, a store shaped by curiosity, care, and the thrill of the find.

The Mug That Started It All

Brendon bought his first record at Real Groovy in Christchurch, a store that sadly didn't survive the earthquakes, but lives on in the stories of every Kiwi music lover who grew up digging there. His old Real Groovy mug is still his favourite for morning coffee.

Relic carries that same spirit forward: independent, a little nostalgic, and built for people who love the hunt.

 

Curation Over Volume

Relic isn’t trying to be the biggest. We’re trying to be the most thoughtful. Every record, new or pre‑owned, is hand‑picked.

We stock rare and unique pressings, first presses, international editions, coloured vinyl, Record Store Day releases, picture disc and limited editions.

We source from private sellers, auctions, trades, record fairs, distributors, and labels. If it’s in our store, it’s there because Brendon believes it deserves to be.

 

Because Condition Matters

Every pre‑owned record is:

  • visually graded
  • audibly graded
  • cleaned using Spin Dr
  • re‑sleeved and prepared for its next home

We’re picky because it matters. Collectors deserve to know exactly what they’re getting, and that it’s been cared for properly.

 

What We Stock

Formats: Vinyl records (new + pre‑owned), CDs, cassettes.

Genres: Rock, pop, indie, metal, punk, jazz, soul, electronic, folk, country, hip hop, soundtracks, and a rotating selection of whatever Brendon is currently obsessed with.

 

Proudly Brisbane

Relic Records is proudly Brisbane‑based. You’ll find us at the Coorparoo Record Fair, chatting with collectors, trading stories, and helping people find the pressings they’ve been hunting for.

We love Aussie music, local collectors, and the community that forms around a shared love of sound.

 

Selling Your Records

If you’re looking to sell your vinyl in Brisbane, we offer friendly, fair, and transparent valuations. Whether it’s a single record or a full collection, we treat every piece with respect, and we’re always happy to help rehome music that deserves a new life.

 

For the Love of the Hunt

If you love the thrill of discovery, the hunt, the stories, the pressings that mean something you’ll feel right at home with us.

Explore the collection anytime or come and say hi at fairs.