Princeton area: significant Beatles collection hits PREX

You must have had Beatle blinders on. Usually I'm like "hmmm...new releases, gotta check that out. And look...more dollar bin piles to go through".

And then suddenly I'm there all afternoon.

 

Yep was just checking new Beatles arrivals

 

Exhibit A! This is right now at PREX

 

Im guessing most of the good stuff went because all that is left are mostly bootlegs. With ridiculous asking prices. IMO. Didn't come away empty handed though. Japanese gatefold Yesterday and Today and a Zapple pressing of Life With The Lions.

 

Any of the higher priced Beatles vinyl still left in the display case or behind the counter?

 

The picture of the store looks exactly as I remember it. First picture must be the center aisle about halfway back in the store. Second picture is looking to the left to CD shelves on the left wall (as you face the back of the store).

The white sticker that is prominently seen on the Chad and Jeremy album in the picture is "exactly" as I remember the stickers on the albums I bought there in the '90s. Those big white stickers are what are on the cheap albums, and were (and are?) difficult to remove.

The more expensive items tended to have smaller stickers that were MUCH easier to remove. I don't see any of them in this picture but I did see one in the video that was posted in the first couple posts of this thread. Usually for more slightly expensive items (let's say around $30), the cover would be in the bin (as seen in the picture) and you would have to take the cover to the counter to get the vinyl and inner sleeve. I imagine that anything beyond a certain price threshold --- everything (cover, vinyl, inner sleeve if applicable) is behind the counter.

 

I've been in/out of PREX in maybe an hour or so during times I've been passing through and don't have a ton of time because my dogs are in the car.

When left without limits, though, it's a good 90 minute visit for me. I spend 99 percent of my time on the bargain CD bins and it takes a while to scan those!

Thank God they put them spine-out - it's much easier to scan visually without having to flip-flip-flip...

 

No doubt a bunch of stuff ended up on the floor to make room for all that (and they did have some spare floor space in the rock vinyl aisle that's been empty for some time). Which means, even more shoppers squatting on the floor.

 

Well, if it's Apple label or later and has a rifle in the trail off, it's true stereo.

 

Blutrane - even the last few times I was there (a few times in the '00s), the vinyl bins on the floor that you have to squat/sit to go through -- they weren't always full.

 

Rifle mentioned in this post also looks like a wine glass if you look at it from a different direction. These were true stereo Y&T Apple LPs manufactured at Winchester, VA. (think of the Winchester rifle)

More than likely anything Y&T marked as "stereo" that has the '60s Capitol rainbow label (not to be confused with '80s Capitol rainbow) or the 1969-1971 green "target" Capitol label is duophonic.

Beyond that, it starts to get complicated. By that I mean that some of the later LPs (not the Winchester ones) might have one side true stereo and one side duophonic. I don't believe there is any way you can tell what is what (without listening to the vinyl).

 

I mean, a bunch were totally empty this time - almost an entire row. So they were well placed to absorb a big collection. That space changes back and forth a lot over time.

No, that's the right wall (if you're walking in). Both pics were taken facing the front of the store, from the same aisle.

 

There was a small amount of higher priced vinyl in these same racks. But it was only about 20 LP's. Going for anywhere from $75-$100.

When I checked out I asked the clerk if they got slammed with the Beatles crowd earlier. He replied: "Kinda busy. Sold a couple hundred dollars worth." That led me to believe that they really didn't sell a whole lot.

And based on the selection I saw; it may be justified. Over 50% of the collection were mostly bootlegs. Kinda disappointing in all honesty.

 

What are they asking for "The Lost Lennon Tapes" boots?

 

$15-20

 

OK,
Jethro Tull Songs From the Wood
Grand Funk Railroad Closer to Home
Yes Going for the One
Genesis the Lamb Lies Down on Broadway
Traffic Shootout at the Fantasy Factory, John Barleycorn Must Die. Low Spark of High Heeled Boys and Heavy Traffic
Steely Dan/greatest hits

Just finished cleaning them. I would say they range from good to near mint without playing them yet. The GFR and Traffic albums look brand new after cleaning. All for like 45 bucks! Nice! This would have cost me 200 bucks easy at Scotti's or Vintage Vinyl and the records would be in worse shape. I'm pretty stoked, and will definitely be going back. Thanks for the tips guys. Also ran into a fellow SHFite there, but can't remember his tag lol. Shout out if you see this bud

 

I was there from 3:15-4:30. Other than the pushy hipster mothers with the carriage it wasn't too bad for a Saturday and it wasn't like there were loads of people lining up to go through the Beatles Collection they got in. Grabbed a few more U.K. McCartney 12" singles. I always try to snap them up lol.

 

Scotti's is SO overpriced! I went a few times this year. I think because its located in a well to do area he knows people will pay his asking price.

 

I was there probably 2ish to 3, then got lunch with the wife and came back for another hour or so. Talked a guy into buying a few Steven Wilson Tull remixes on vinyl as my good deed for the day lol

 

I'm done with Scotti's. The owner is a smug little schiit. I sold him a Mofi Exodus a while back and every time I go in he has to comment how he paid me too much for it. One time I brought up this forum and he was very dismissive of the info gleaned here...

Don't get me started on Vintage Vinyl, they won't even let you look at the albums anymore until you bring them up to the counter. Every time I see near mint or very good on the cover, I get them up to the counter and there's a giant scratch all the way across the side. Glad I found PRX...

 

Those bootlegs don't have many fans any more. Based on what I've seen, the NM mono pasteover for $999 and the very nice mono ad back Introducing the Beatles for $599 are the two that I think are really nice items.

 

Why is everybody so impressed by this record store.
A collector has passed on am I correct and will be missed

 

Because the store bought his collection which was over 1000 LP's and offered them for sale to the public.

 

Princeton Record Exchange is impressive irrespective of anyone's passing.

Note to self: Punctuation is our friend!

 

Why? Because most people will tell you it now stands as the second best record store in the States, after Amoeba, in terms of scope, selection and size. They price below book value and their used titles have the best price/condition ratio ANYWHERE. Constant turnover, you can go twice a week and make a nice haul. Cheap CDs as well. It makes the aforementioned Scotti's, also in New Jersey, look like a joke. And the other local biggie, Vintage Vinyl, while having a larger space, has always priced their records as if they don't want to sell them. In fairness, when CD was king, VV did have decent prices. And I've lived in L.A., Amoeba's used vinyl selection doesn't come close to PREX (again, price/condition ratio, not actual square footage).

So that's why everybody is so impressed with this store.