Used Books and Vinyl at McKay's: What to Expect from Chattanooga's Largest Used Media Store
McKay's occupies 29,000 square feet on Brainerd Road and functions as the regional anchor for used media collecting in Chattanooga. This guide covers what inventory actually lives here, how its organization serves different browsers, pricing relative to other local options, and which sections justify a dedicated trip versus a quick stop.
The store stocks approximately 200,000 used books across fiction, nonfiction, local history, and textbooks. Vinyl runs to roughly 15,000 records. CDs, DVDs, and video games fill the remaining retail space. The scale alone distinguishes McKay's from independent bookshops downtown or in North Shore; you are walking into a warehouse operation, not a curated selection.
The Book Inventory and Pricing Structure
McKay's prices used books between $0.50 and $8.00 for most hardcovers and paperbacks, with rare or collector editions reaching $15 to $40. This undercuts new paperbacks at Amazon or Barnes & Noble by 60 to 75 percent. A hardcover literary novel typically runs $1.50 to $3.00. The trade-off is that stock turns quickly. If you enter looking for a specific title, you may leave empty-handed. Repeat visits yield different shelves.
The fiction section sprawls across the back quarter of the store, organized alphabetically by author last name rather than by genre. This matters if you browse by mood. A thriller reader searching for psychological suspense will pass Lee Child, Ruth Ware, and Tana French without thematic grouping. Nonfiction divides into biography, history, business, and regional sections. The regional history area includes substantial coverage of Chattanooga's Civil War role, industrial past, and riverfront development. Finding a specific book on the Battle of Chickamauga or the early days of the Tennessee Valley Authority takes minutes rather than the 15 minutes you might spend in a smaller shop without systematic shelving.
Textbooks occupy a dedicated alcove. College students routinely find course materials for half the bookstore buyback price. If you attend University of Tennessee at Chattanooga or Chattanooga State Community College, checking McKay's before paying full retail makes financial sense, though selection depends on current semester demand.
Vinyl, CDs, and the Collector Experience
The vinyl section occupies roughly 4,000 square feet and splits into categories: rock, pop, jazz, classical, country, soul, and world music. Records range from $1.00 to $12.00 for common albums and $20 to $60 for rare pressings or first editions. A used original pressing of a 1970s soul record or punk LP will cost less than the same title reissued on vinyl in the past five years. This attracts serious collectors and casual listeners differently. Someone building a Motown collection from scratch should budget differently than someone hunting for a specific mono pressing of a Miles Davis album.
The condition labeling system uses five tiers: mint, near-mint, very good, good, and fair. Records labeled "good" or "fair" may have surface noise or visible wear; McKay's staff physically inspect inventory, so the descriptions hold up in practice. You can request to hear a sample if a $8.00 record seems suspicious, though this requires asking an employee. The store stocks both popular reissues and genuine vintage finds. A mid-range '80s indie rock record or a complete Fleetwood Mac discography in original covers typically sits on the shelves.
CDs run $0.75 to $5.00 depending on title and condition. The CD section draws less foot traffic than vinyl, which means deeper back catalog availability. Jazz CDs, in particular, include out-of-print recordings by smaller labels that streaming services omit.
Practical Navigation and Store Layout
The Brainerd Road location exists in a high-traffic commercial zone near Eastgate. Parking is direct; you do not circle a lot. The store opens at 10 a.m. Monday through Saturday and noon on Sunday. Weekday mornings before noon experience lighter foot traffic than evenings and weekends. If you plan to spend two hours grazing rather than hunting specific titles, arriving mid-week in the morning yields uncluttered browsing.
The store accepts trade-ins for all media categories. You receive store credit or cash (at a lower rate). This matters for budget-conscious readers who rotate through inventory regularly. Unlike consignment models, where you wait weeks for payment, McKay's evaluates and credits or pays immediately, typically offering 25 to 40 percent of the asking price for books in good condition.
Comparison to Other Chattanooga Options
The local independent bookshops in North Shore and downtown Chattanooga operate on a different model. Places like the independent used sections at local retailers stock 2,000 to 5,000 books with higher per-item markup and more curation by genre and condition. Prices run 20 to 30 percent higher than McKay's. Choose these if you want staff recommendations or a narrower, themed selection. Choose McKay's if you want volume and lowest unit cost.
For vinyl specifically, McKay's has no true local peer at this scale. Smaller record shops exist but carry 500 to 2,000 records. McKay's breadth makes it the only place in Chattanooga where you can walk in with no target and spend an afternoon discovering.
What to Bring and Realistic Expectations
Bring a phone or notebook to check titles against your personal collection before buying. The store lacks a computer system for customers; you cannot ask if a title is in stock before visiting. Bring cash for small purchases. The register process moves faster with bills. The store can feel overwhelming on first visit. Set a time limit or focus on one section to avoid decision fatigue.
McKay's functions best as a regular stop rather than a destination. Each visit reveals different inventory, making repeat browsing worthwhile if you collect books or records. Budget $15 to $30 per trip if you browse without a list; budget more if you hunt specific titles and pay for the convenience of finding them here rather than across multiple shops.
