Battle Records is the latest fixture on Dundas West for lovers of vinyl and music memorabilia.

Owner, Bryan Ulrich is a renowned autograph collector and music-head. "I have devoted almost my entire adult life to collecting records and music autographs. I curated my collection with the goal of having a store like this in mind," says Ulrich. 

Ulrich's veteran status is apparent within minutes of speaking to him.

Names such as Michael Jackson (a late friend of Ulrich's) are dropped as casually in conversation as comments on the weather. For the store's opening this past April, Ulrich brought in members of the infamous hip hop group, Public Enemy.

@thegentries Could this be one of Toronto's BEST vinyl record stores? 🎶 @tpatzz sure thinks so! 🤩 Check out Battle Records at 1164 Dundas St. West 🙌 #foryou #Fyp #Fy #Toronto #ontario #Canada #TorontoOntario #TorontoCanada #OntarioCanada #Record #Records #RecordStore #BattleRecords #Music #publicenemy #Rapper #ProfessorGriff #DJ #TerminatorX #BryanUlrich #Vinyl #VinylRecords #vinylrecordstore #shopping #Haul #ShoppingHaul #memorabilia ♬ original sound - theGentries

The storefront near Dundas and Ossington appears unassuming from the outside. Walking in, I was struck by the black and yellow, bumblebee interior and museum calibre artifacts covering the walls. 

These were not limited to a black Epiphone electric guitar signed by Ozzy Ozbourne, a white skateboard deck signed by Dr. Dre and countless autographed posters and records from rock 'n' roll royalty, such as Blondie, The Clash, David Bowie, Pink Floyd, Bruce Springsteen and more. 

"My stuff definitely blows people’s minds," Ulrich told me.

Top genres at Battle Records are hip hop, R&B, soul, funk, rock, jazz and punk. "I try to keep it diverse," says Ulrich. 

Flipping through the hundreds of records, I noticed each was sorted by genre and subdivided by artist. Prices ranged from $15 for unsigned records to $8000 (the most expensive item in the store) for a signed Miles Davis record. 

"I definitely price things to sell," says Ulrich. "It’s nice for things to go to other people."

Each purchase comes with a "Letter of Authenticity" to verify its legitimacy. "That’s basically insurance for the item. You’re never not going to be able to sell it," explains Ulrich. 

"I have an incredible reputation across the world," he adds. 

When I asked Ulrich to play his favourite record currently in stock, he put on an lesser-known album sampled in the better-known song "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'" by Micheal Jackson.

Ulrich aims to bridge the gap between the older and new generations. "That’s a big part of the store: passing on knowledge. There’s no elitism here with the music. It’s all about learning and educating," he says.  

While Ulrich's expertise was evident, this did not feel like somewhere I would be asked to name five songs after claiming to like an artist.

Battle Records is a place for vinyl aficionados and amateurs alike. The store's immediate success speaks for itself.

"This Dundas-Ossington strip has three record stores within 30 seconds of each other and they're all doing well," says Ulrich. "If you build something good people will come."  

Battle Records is located at 1164 Dundas St. West.