Entry No. 5 — the Des Moines file — filed under: records
Ratt's Underground Records
Buried in the east end of Merle Hay Mall, Des Moines's oldest and emptiest mall, this is described as one of the weirdest record-store experiences in the Midwest: 50,000+ vinyl records plus vintage VHS, magazines, original concert posters, hundreds of vintage band shirts, old stereo gear and stray Hot Wheels. The owner is known for being friendly, not pushy, and happy to cut a deal.
The story
You don't expect to find one of the Midwest's most unvarnished music dens tucked into a quiet wing of Des Moines’s oldest shopping center. But at Suite 922 in Merle Hay Mall, Ratt's Underground Records sprawls across nearly 3,900 square feet of dense, unfiltered physical media archive. Started by owner Ratcliffe with a heavy leaning toward metal and punk, the place feels less like a modern retail shop and more like an obsessive collector's basement that swallowed a mall storefront whole.
The inventory is massive and unpretentious: upwards of 50,000 vinyl records crammed alongside stacks of cassettes, CDs, yellowing music magazines, original concert posters, hundreds of pre-loved band tees, vintage stereo gear, and stray Hot Wheels cars randomly dotting the shelf corners. It is the antidote to sleek, overpriced record boutiques—no glossy display cabinets or sterile alphabetization, just sheer volume and deep-cut subgenre history waiting in plastic sleeves.
What keeps local crate-diggers returning is the atmosphere at the register. Ratcliffe runs the shop with zero pretension or pressure, happy to let you dig through the racks uninterrupted for hours and notoriously willing to cut a deal if you bring a stack of records, tapes, or shirts to the counter.
What it's like
Park on the east side of Merle Hay Mall and enter near Ross to walk straight down the quiet corridor to Suite 922. Inside, the sheer density hits you immediately: rows of record crates stretching deep into the footprint, walls blanketed in vintage band shirts and gig posters, and bins of obscure VHS tapes resting under dusty clutter. Weekday afternoons offer the calmest crate-diving environment. Budget at least an hour to wade through the overflow bins, bring a few extra dollars cash for bundle deals at the counter, and make sure to double-check their hours before driving out since they operate on mall-tenant schedules.
The move: Make a scavenger-hunt of it: each of you picks a $5 budget and has to find the other a record (or a band shirt, or a weird VHS) that says something about them, then go listen to your hauls.
📍 Before you go It's tucked into the east end of Merle Hay Mall, Des Moines's oldest shopping center, near Ross at Suite 922; from the lot, enter on that side and follow the quieter corridor instead of wandering the whole mall. Parking is free and plentiful. Weekday afternoons tend to be calmest for digging, and you'll want to budget real time to crate-dive through the bins rather than rushing. Bring cash and patience; the owner is known for cutting deals. Confirm the store is actually open before driving out, since it keeps mall-tenant hours, then pair it with a coffee or meal elsewhere in the mall.
- 📍 Merle Hay
- 💸 $
- ⚡ Up for anything
- 🌗 Indoors
Where: 3800 Merle Hay Rd, Ste 922, Des Moines, IA 50310
Hours: Inside Merle Hay Mall; check mall/store hours before going
Pair it with
- Curioso Antiques & Uniquities — Keep the weird hunt going less than a mile away at a Beaverdale home packed with gothic and art deco curiosities.
- Skylabs — If sifting through old vinyl and stereo gear sparks an audio itch, head to Valley Junction to test out Skylabs' restored golden-era hi-fi setups.
- Backpocket Pin & Pixel — Trade crate-digging for retro arcade cabinets and duckpin bowling under ten minutes away in Johnston.
Good to know
Where inside Merle Hay Mall is the store located?
Look for Suite 922 on the east end of the mall, near Ross. Parking on the east lot lets you enter directly into that quieter corridor without walking the entire mall.
What kind of inventory will I find besides vinyl records?
In addition to 50,000+ LPs, CDs, and cassettes, the shop stocks vintage VHS tapes, back-issue magazines, original concert posters, hundreds of vintage band T-shirts, old stereo receivers, and random oddities like Hot Wheels.
Does the store specialize in specific music genres?
While you will find classic rock, pop, and obscure odds and ends, the store's roots and deepest crates skew heavily toward metal, hard rock, and punk.
Are prices negotiable?
The owner is known for being deal-friendly, especially if you assemble a stack of items or pay with cash.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: merlehaymall.com · Yelp · desmoinesregister.com · viewfindergv.com · Reddit
last checked: 2026-06-06