Crate Digging for Vinyl

Very true, in terms of if you are not picky with artists you can find many clean records. But tell me when was the last time you saw a clean Beatles, Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin or Miles Davis album in the dollar bin? If this exists tell me what store so I can go there before they run themselves out of business.

 

You mistook the word “show” for “store”. I’m referring to the record shows that come to various cities on the weekends where collectors sell their stock. There are usually several individuals there that only sell through these shows, others that also sell through discogs / eBay and I imagine some that sell at flea markets, antique shops etc. The last show I went to I picked up The Who, multiple John Mayhall, Santana, Neil Young, Ike & Tina Turner, multiple Little Feat, Arlo Guthrie, Joni Mitchell, Leo koettke, Stevie Wonder, Leon Russell and more, all for 1,2 or 3 dollars each. All the vinyl was in good shape. Some of the covers weren’t but in my way of thinking that simply adds character to it. I don’t collect to display, I collect to play.

 

There are so many great artists beyond the RS, LZ, PF, Beatles, MD and the few others that are in such high demand that the going rate is inflated. If I come across one of these at a buyers price I might pick it up but they aren’t what I crave. I picked up 5 or 6 Beatles and A mono Pet Sounds when I bought a box of records from an antique dealer and paid $75 for about 80 records. I find the other records from that box a lot more interesting, the mid-60s Columbia release of “sounds from the Drag Strips” and the Dave Clark Five records for instance. I got a late career Miles Davis along with a bunch of other records at a consignment shop for $1 a piece, but you know I was a lot more excited about the Buck Owens, Rickie Lee Jones and Homer & Jethro I got on that trip. I picked up LZ II, LZ movie soundtrack and The Long Run for $4 each at a comics shop and that was nice but I also got a nice bluegrass album and a Mike Cross at the same time. I’ll probably play those last 2 a lot more often than the Eagles and LZ.

I guess my point is that popular demand, if you aren’t into record collecting to pay your bills, shouldn’t be the driving force. If it just so happens that what is in high demand is also what you really like then you’re unfortunately at the mercy of the market.

 

It’s in high demand because people including myself enjoy those artists. I’m not really into a lot of those brags you mentioned but a lot other aren’t either and that’s why they are dollar bin fodder. But since it’s what you enjoy that works out for you!

I enjoy Elvis records and that’s the one artist I find affordably

 

I’d estimate that the fair market value for about 85% of the used records out there is $3 or less. Do you think that’s accurate?

That’s not to say that many of them aren’t priced significantly more at brick and mortar and on eBay but that they are acquired for much less if shopping elsewhere or they eventually are marked down when they gather dust.

 

Found in crates at a pawn shop, all clean, in varying degrees of NM to VG+ condition, $1ea:

Jazz And Swinging Percussion, Bill Berry Quartet
At The Speed Of Sound, Wings
Don't Shoot Me..., Elton John
Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, Elton John
Silk Degrees, Boz Scaggs
The Magicians Birthday, Uriah Heep
Seconds Out, Genesis
Brain Salad Surgery, ELP
Welcome back, my friends..., ELP

It pays to look through every crate.

 

Nice finds! I’ve never tried pawn shops. A new destination!!!!!

 

I also find used vinyl, CD's etc. at the larger used book sales, the ones that include other media. Where to find these book sales easily? There's a website that keeps track of these things:
Book Sale Finder

 

Nice! Thanks I have saved that link.

 

The vinyl resurgence of the past several years has its pros and cons. One of the cons is definitely the price of new vinyl. But a pro is it's so easy to find albums I'd actually buy sitting right on the shelves brand new and sealed. When I was in college a little over a decade ago the used bins were pretty much only classic rock, big band, swing, and classical, etc. So I'd often spend more time 'digging' than 'listening' since there was very little of interest to me but I'd search high and low anyway. Now I pretty much only listen and spend as little time as possible looking.

 

I saw 3 clean original Columbia Laura Nyro LP's today at GW for $.69 a piece. I passed but went to another town a half hour away and hit a few B&M's and they had the same LP's for $20,$15,and $12. I stopped back to the GW on the way home and they were still there so I picked them up. I'm not a big fan but I've never had clean copies of any of her LP's. Also,at an antique shop, picked a John Phillips-Wolf King Of LA in decent shape for $3. Only the second one of those I've seen over the years.

 

M- only:

Great titles... $1 to $2.

Maybe $3 for outrageous.

 

I have been picking up her albums recently and like them. You certainly found a good deal since even if you don’t want to keep them you have something to trade or sell down the road! One thing for sure, you pay premium prices at B & Ms. I tend to only buy at them when there is a specific album I want and am willing to pay that type of money, still looking to replace my ruined Nebraska and Steal Your Face.

 

I checked out a charity thrift i’ve had good luck at in the past. They are always $1 with a senior discount of 10% on Wednesday. Slim pickings but I got Judy Collins-Judy, a David Sanborne, a Sammi Smith with Help Me Make it Through the Night, and two from some English (Big Band?) leader named Ted Heath.

 

Went to a show yesterday and only pulled out my phone a few times to see if I had it in my collection.
Sometimes I didn't even have to, as I knew from memory that I didn't have it in the collection.
Discogs is great for this. Beats the hell out of carrying a notebook.

Darryl

 

Same here. I have a pretty good visual memory, but have picked up dupes because of different album art in the past. Discogs is good for this.

 

I was at my local shop yesterday and went through their "Mark Down" bin and found GOLD. High On Fire - Lumerfious (sic) 11.99, Mudhoney - Piece of Cake (MOV reissue) $8.99, David Bowie - Aladdin Sane (Silver vinyl) 12.99, & Beatles - Let It Be 2009 remaster $12.99. All new and sealed. I have no idea why they were marked down aside from the Bowie & Beatles lps had a bit of creased sleeves in the corner but nothing I haven't seen before AND still paid full price for similar condition elsewhere. Super lucky I was.

 

The record show came to Raleigh Sunday so I made the hour trek to the big city (Where Barney goes to Party) to dig through the dollar bins. I ended up splurging and getting 7 records at $3 each, 2 Canned Heat, 2 Mayall, 1 BB king, 1 Lonnie Brooks, & 1 The Woods. The Woods did the original version of Battleship Chains, written by their drummer Terry Anderson. The remaining 60 records came from the $1 boxes on the floor, even got $5 off one seller when I bought37 from him. I picked up some Joni, Linda R. , Dave Mason, Dan Hicks, Cash, Merle, John Hartford, Peggy Lee, Sinatra, Poco, O’Jays, Marvin Gaye, Chet, Ray Charles, Steely Dan, Livingston Taylor, Jo Jo Gunne, Dizzy G., Mammas & Pappas, Dave Clark 5, Chubby Checker, Lovin’ Spoonful. Lots and lots of variety.

Other than those few rare collectors items I think with patience records can be acquired at very reasonable costs, especially if you don’t demand pristine covers. Sellers have to turn over inventory to make room, heck sometimes so they don’t have to haul as many boxes home from a show. Eventually many of those $12, $8, $5 records find their way to the $1-3 boxes on the floor. Even what moves fast for high dollar today will be out of favor later and they’ll be sitting on multiple copies that people keep passing over.

 

Even 15 years ago, classic rock titles from the late 60s and early 70s would be priced relatively high in record stores. There was no 100 for $50 titles here. More like $6-$20 each.