Thrifters At Work: The Full Story

[Zed Simon]

I'm just back from a great day of thrifting with a couple workfriends and their roomie. Just about all of us found great things at just about every store.

Our forst stop was a Goodwill. One roomie found a Star Wars watch. Digital, Star Wars band, hologram on the back. Roomie #2 went home with a tie, and I, being conservative thinking something better awaited at the Salvation Army we were headed to, got 2 cassettes: Total Devo and a Japanese copy of  Thomas Dolby's Flat Earth.

At the Goodwill, "Santa's Sectional" was all decked out with a tree next to it and all kinds of stuffed animals on top. I knew this would be a good visit when I saw a bunch of LaserDiscs from the window as we walked in. I asked about them...and was told they were $1.49 each. Deal! Here's what I got:

Rocky I, II, III and IV
Lethal Weapon 1, 2, and 3
The Doors
Freejack
Ghostbusters (Criterion Edition)
2001: A Space Odyssey (also Criterion)
Ghost
Tango & Cash
Backdraft
Born On The Fourth Of July

I might even get a few more. For $1.49 each, why not?!

We broke for Roy Rogers, talked a little, and headed back up north to Selden for some more record hunting. One of the roomies got 4 or 5 LPs, including Dark Side Of The Moon. He was kind of taken aback that they asked him to go to the back of the store to have an unpriced disc priced. Another roomie had to get a disc priced. It was a Super Hits of the '70s disc in rough shape with no cover. The price? $2.99 - for a disc I wouldn't pay 49 cents for. He wisely passed.

For the grand finale, another Goodwill. And what a finale. One of the roomies bought the most bizarre thing I've ever seen in a thrift: a bulletproof vest! They had 3 of them, all class III-A, which is pretty serious protection. One seemed to be kid-sized. Rougher area than I thought!

We'd all love to do this again, and probably will. Loads of fun for everyone!

[SeSo_Says_So]

It sounds wonderful! What a great thrift day. I am totally impressed with the Japanese Thomas Dolby. Totally.

And you really cleaned up on the Laser Disks. Are you planning any Friday night at the movies at your place during the cold New England winter,lol?  You are certainly all set!

Pink Floyd? What a blast from the past. I saw the Dark Side tour in 1975--76? It was a beautiful freak show.

[akbjr]

Wow, that sounds like an awesomely fun day. And SeSo, you saw Pink Floyd "Dark side of the Moon" live? wow, wow, wow!

[superiorgirl]

Who would donate Dark Side? That is just wrong. Glad to hear your team restored it to a position of respect and that you had a fun time!

I would like to thrift with friends, but it just doesn't work. I have a quick eye for things and either have to hold back waiting them to discover the goods, OR if I pick-up the goodies, then they get annoyed. It's just not worth it to me, so I thrift alone and miss out on the relationship connections that could be made - or for that matter, lost.

Again, good job on the haul!

[Jay2TheRescue]

You ever listen to Dark Side while watching The Wizzard of Oz?  It will blow your mind.  They deny it, but I think they wrote that album while stoned and watching that film.

-Jay

[superiorgirl]

Great. Now I need to coordinate Oz and Dark Side. In the day I would have had to do that the way they claim it was written, but now I adminster a drug and alcohol testing program, so there'll be none of that going on!!! Oz and Dark Side? really?

[Jay2TheRescue]

Replicating the effect
 This section may contain original research or unverified claims.
Please improve the article by adding references. See the talk page for details. (June 2008)

Real or imagined, the effect is usually created by pausing a CD of the album at the very beginning, starting the DVD or tape of the film with the TV volume muted, and un-pausing the CD when the black-and-white MGM lion roars for the third time. (Note some versions have a color lion also. The black and white lion is the right one to use for the sync.) A minority of devotees argue that un-pausing the CD on the first roar produces a superior alignment. The effect can be repeated during the film by restarting the CD when the 'Cowardly Lion', during his initial scene, roars for the third time.

Most users have explored this phenomenon using the original or 1994 re-issue editions of the album in CD format.

Another factor that could affect the quality of the perceived synch is the version of the film used. The NTSC version, used in the United States, runs 101 minutes while the PAL version, used in Europe, runs 98 minutes (due to the system's transfer rate of 30(NTSC) rather than 25(PAL) frames per second). Most users who have made websites touting the effect appear to be based in the USA. When using a PAL version of the DVD, digitally speeding up the album by 4.16% prior to starting fixes any problems with syncing.

[Big Daddy Audio]

Jay is right - and I've done this.  It's extremely trippy.

There is also a guy on the net who has a full RUSH program set up to synch up with Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (The Wilder Film).  I think you can Google Rush Wonka Project to get the details.

Selden Thrift has been known to charge outrageous prices for LPs.  They were doing that back in 2002 before we moved to AZ.  And it's not like we're talking about mint condition examples of rare pressings, either.

About the kevlar vests - I used to live in Selden, and I'll bet the Goodwill was the one just east of 97 on Middle Country Road - Centereach is DEFINITELY a place where you need kevlar for your school-age children.  The crowds at the nearby White Castle can get completely out of hand on a Friday or Saturday night....

SYNT
BFN 

[Zed Simon]

Yump, that's the one...and I'll bet the Island Thrift in Brentwood's no picnic either around that time. Only the White Castle there has the added attraction of a Church's Chicken in it. I'd take the Checkers up the street instead...and brush up on my Spanish.

But anyway...

I'm happy to report more LaserDiscs from the Patchogue Salvation, still $1.49 each:

Eight Men Out
Kelly's Heroes
West Side Story (Criterion)
An American Werewolf In London
JFK
The Time Machine
Time After Time (see a theme here? Or two?)
Silence Of The Lambs
The Hunt For Red October
Patriot Games

The last three, plus a couple Lethal Weapons from Tuesday's go-round, go to laser-lovin' friends this weekend, since I already have them.