records

[Mattie]

I went thrifting today and found five country/folk/bluegrass LPs.  Occasionally I find one or two, so this was a bonanza:  Susan Raye, the Hee Haw Gospel Quartet, a Breck Shampoo promotional hootenany compilation, the Maddox Brothers and Rose, and Earl Scruggs.  The Earl Scruggs record is the soundtrack to Where the Lilies Bloom, a 1974 movie set in Appalachia.  I'm vaguely familiar with the story (I may have read the book when I was a kid) but I never knew there was a soundtrack to the film.  I googled it and came up with "unavailable" or "wanted" on all the record websites so I think I got a winner for 95 cents.

Any other record collectors here?  I'm not a serious collector; I buy old country LPs if I think they're unavailable on CD or if the cover art is interesting.  I also refuse to pay more than a dollar or two and I won't buy if the record looks unplayable. 

[Good Buddy]

Cookie and I collect LP's. I collect soundtrack stuff, especially Bond, James Bond. Cookie collects Bellydance records and we both buy anything that strikes our fancy.

I've noticed that some thrift stores sell albums for $2-$4 each, yikes!
I never pay more than a buck for a record, unless it's a must have..

[SecondhandSophisticate]

Mattie, Congrats on your score. Your musical taste is educating me; I'm especially intrigued by the HeeHaw Gospel quartet.  Are they from the TV show "HeeHaw"?  I wish TV stations would rerun that show...I'd love to see it. Every time I go into our "Cracker Barrel"  here, I think of that show.

DH and I buy records. We love them...but only if they are in perfect condition and we love what's recorded on them. Our tastes: 50s-60s jazz, "Rat Pack" music, classical, maybe some stuff we listened to as teens. But mostly stuff of the Beat 50s/Rat Pack 60s, you know "Mad Men" (on AMC) music.  I love some Ray Coniff singers stuff(their "S'Wonderful" is just fabulous) DH loves old country western music (hard to find); he found some old Johnny Cash Sun records a while ago.

Also love old Motown/soul music, again, very hard to find.  Have not been able to find one Miriam Makeba or Mahilia Jackson album that has not been horribly damaged.

We also love old Christmas/holiday music (Coniff's "Christmas Bride" is sooooooooo JFK/ New Frontier!)   

An observation:  If we are looking for rock music from 60s-70s, the albums appear to have been ice skated upon with a very sharp blade.  IOW, the owners did NOT take care of their records.  However, about 99% of the classical albums are in VG to Near Mint condition.   

At most, we pay one buck for the album. Our library sale is in a few weeks, and they charge .25. But they have not gotten fresh donations in a while. DH is better at buying records than I am at as a rule, as he can really see the damage. But I am getting better.

SeSo     

[Big Daddy Audio]

I collect records.  The records I buy should fall into one of two categories: 

1) Stuff I want to listen to and play
2) Graphics on the cover that are so bad that the shock-value alone is worth the price (think along the lines of "Saturday Night Feidler")

I've been seeing some weird trends - last week, in three different stores, I found tattered and torn copies of Yes'  - no other Yes albums - just that one - and all were beat to hell.  With rock records, keep in mind that the original owners were probably enjoying a 4:20 moment, burning the chronic, flying a bird, or to put it simply, smoking reefer - when they were listening, and care of the actual vinyl took a back seat to the overall experience.

I've found that the highest probability of finding really well cared for albums comes with Windham Hill records.  Their owners just seemed to take better care, had better equipment, and enjoyed a nice listening experience.  I've also found that finding anything  remotely valuable (quality jazz, rock, etc.) is close to impossible.

Think about this:  if a record is so good that you want to play it over and over again, of course it's going to wear out.

Keep up the good work.

That is all     

[eddieb]

i collect records as well.. but 95% of my record purchases are done at an actual record store, due to the fact that i DJ...these records of the HOUSE and DOWNTEMPO variety, but i also collect all things 80's/New Wave, some disco (but not as much as i should be collecting)

However i also purchase records from thrift stores, i buy all kinds of records, but the ones i mainly pick up at thrift stores are spoken word (storybook records), instructional records and the like, i use these for samples when i'm performing with my band...

[Mattie]

I'm especially intrigued by the HeeHaw Gospel quartet.  Are they from the TV show "HeeHaw"?   

Yep.  Buck Owens, Roy Clark, Grandpa Jones and Kenny Price.  Hee Haw even had its own record label!

An observation:  If we are looking for rock music from 60s-70s, the albums appear to have been ice skated upon with a very sharp blade.  IOW, the owners did NOT take care of their records.  However, about 99% of the classical albums are in VG to Near Mint condition.         

I think BDA is correct.  And even if the owners of those rock albums weren't lighting up, they were most likely kids or teenagers - not the kind of folks who took pristine care of their possessions.  Your classical records, on the other hand, were probably owned by adults who cared about sound quality and therefore took good care of their vinyl.

the ones i mainly pick up at thrift stores are spoken word (storybook records), instructional records and the like, i use these for samples when i'm performing with my band...

Great idea! 

Does anybody remember when David Letterman would play soundbites from his record collection?  I doubt it he actually collected records; I think his staff bought them for their comedy potential.  There are a couple YouTube videos; check them out - they're hilarious.

[pop_ pirate]

i, too, collect albums...finally got a turn table...portable and with a "tone" knob...love it...  i buy what pleases me...beatles, joni mitchell, just bought a great rod stewart at the library book sale this week...sooo, then i also look for true kitsch-- saturday night fiedler, clooney does disco, aweful album covers...if you enjoy kitsch, you'll love horrifically bad album covers, a book that not only displays the worst of the worst, but the author is a hoot!

http://www.bizarrerecords.com/book.html

my  fave to collect are the Ronco and K-tel albums...purely nostalgic...

pop pirate off to play her mint doris day vinyl...

[Zed Simon]

2) Graphics on the cover that are so bad that the shock-value alone is worth the price (think along the lines of "Saturday Night Feidler")

Ah, Saturday Night Fiedler...so far, the only album I've managed to find on LP, cassette AND 8-track! Let's see if I can show you the cover:



I'm a sucker for albums like that. I recommend Frank LaRosa's site if you actually dare to hear albums like this. I have an alarming number of the records he has on his site.

[thrifty hippie]

i collect vinyl , mostly i buy them at actual record stores , but im starting to get a good collection of opera and classical records from thrifting so i guess its not that bad.

[mccoysnina]

Don't reallly collect LPs.  Nothing to play them on.
I did buy one record last summer.  My BIL, now pushing 60, played in the late 60'searly 70s with a local  rock band. Apparently they cut a record.  I found it in a rack with other records at a local thrift.  Paid $.25 for it.  I gave it to my niece who had never seen it before.  She works for a company tha manages concert tours. She hung it in her office. Now she has her own "rock god" for a dad. 
Other than that, unless the cover were of some interest, I pass the records by.
Jeannie

[Big Daddy Audio]

Picked up a few sides late last week (plus a really awesome find, but that's in another thread).

Adventures in UTOPIA by Todd Rundgren and Utopia
Reckoning by R.E.M.
Live 1975-1985 (5 LP set) - Bruce Springsteen (forgot I had one - now I have two!)
Tapestry by Carole King (I can't believe I didn't already have this one)

See you next time
Bye for now.

[foutchie]

Oh, I LOVE Todd Rundgren!!!!  - and REM (and Bruce of course) - great finds!

[DJ Phonoboy]

Hi, I'm from Switzerland and I do collect all kinds of records, various musicstyles. My favourite is old stuff that still is playable of needs to be playes. I like the "bourlesque-sound", the sound that is a bit garage-like... (sorry my english). I will fly to the US next month and would like to go to goodwill/thrift stores. how is the easiest way to find thrift stores when I try to look it up on google map? or is here a complete list that does mark all thrift stores that have records (cheapos)? thanks for a help. check out my homepage if you find time.

[mccoysnina]

Hi, I'm from Switzerland and I do collect all kinds of records, various musicstyles. My favourite is old stuff that still is playable of needs to be playes. I like the "bourlesque-sound", the sound that is a bit garage-like... (sorry my english). I will fly to the US next month and would like to go to goodwill/thrift stores. how is the easiest way to find thrift stores when I try to look it up on google map? or is here a complete list that does mark all thrift stores that have records (cheapos)? thanks for a help. check out my homepage if you find time.

When you get here, grab ahold of the Yelloe pages, the phone directory of local businesses.  Look under thrift shops, resale shops, charity shops, second hand stores, used record stores.  There should be listings of any that have phones. 
Also, if you have access to a comouter, Google thrift shops in New York City, or wherever you are.  Also if you are staying with someone,
look in the classified ads for week-end yard, garage, or estate sales. Good lcuk and have fun.
Jeannie

[Zed Simon]

Don't discount craigslist either. You'll find good garage sales and people who give away free records (maybe even in Switzerland - there's a craigslist there, too). And if you haven't already, check out the thrift store database right here on this very site!