thrift store scores and other better-than-sex delights

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So, what's your greatest musical find in an unexpected place: thrift store, Salvation Army, Church rummage sale, yard sale, Mom and Pop used record store, library, etc.? Mine definitely has to be finding a copy of Xenakis' "Metastasis/Pithoprakta/Eonta" on vinyl at a thrift store next to an old job on vinyl for 99 cents! I think the main reason this sent my head into a spin - not just because it's Xenakis, not because it's rare in any format, let alone a first ediiton almost mint vinyl copy - is because I live/lived in a small, decidedly quiet rural area. *Who* had this amongst their Mozart and Brahms when they died so that their kids dumped them all off at the thrift shoppe? Why weren't there any other oddball selections mixed in? The mind boggles...

― Jess, Thursday, 9 August 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

It was a record store, but an indie/punkrock place in Mpls. called Oarfolkjokeopus, and the day after Christmas 1991 (I was 16), I went in there and found a brand-new copy of The History of the House Sound of Chicago on BMG. This thing was a 12-LP box set import, but it cost only $50--one of the discs was missing. The vinyl was wafer-thin and it sounded like crap, but it's still the coolest fucking record I own.

― M. Matos, Thursday, 9 August 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I got a Perry and Kingsley record, and "Strings Aflame" by Esquivel for 10 cents each. Not brilliant records, but interesting, and both worth far, far more in a collector's store.

― Sean, Thursday, 9 August 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I've had pretty good luck with thrift stores and swap meets. I found a copy of Gang of Four's 'Solid Gold' for a dollar last year, and a few weeks ago, I snatched a copy of Pink Floyd's 'Piper at the Gates of Dawn' LP for a dollar at the Salvation Army.

― Clarke B., Thursday, 9 August 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Found a Prince-related rarity (the never-released "M.P.L.S." CD single) for $1 in a used store. Sold it on eBay for $75. Couldn't believe it was just sitting there waiting for me. Being someone who just wants to hear the music, and doesn't care much about if it's an original issue or import vinyl or anything, I was happy to make a copy and sell the original.

Adding to the Floyd find before, I found a Japanese pressing of "Dark Side Of The Moon"with a full color picture book inside for a couple of bucks. I was in high school in the mid-80's and thought I'd found the Holy Grail, or something.

Long before the recent re-issue, I'd been looking for Shuggie Otis albums. Found "Freedom Flight" at a record show for $8, and felt like I was getting away with murder. There ain't nuthin' like that thrill of flipping through albums and having something leap out at you and make your pulse jump.

― Slappy, Thursday, 9 August 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

A copy of Slayer's Seasons In The Abyss on tape in WHSmith for 99 pence.

― Kodanshi, Thursday, 9 August 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Disco Inferno's mind-blowing "Second Language" EP.

Fifty cents in the used racks of Newbury Comics.

― Ian White, Thursday, 9 August 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Not a total rarity, but I found a cool looking Ministry "Halloween" Remix 12" on Wax Trax! for a dollar in a Goodwill. It was surrounded by loads upon loads of Barry Manilow albums, heh who knew?

― JC, Thursday, 9 August 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I found a near-mint Free Design LP in Village Thrift for a dollar. It looked as if it had never been played. This was *after* all of the Free Design hype, too, when these LP started selling for zillions on ebay. I haven't been able to part with it yet, even though I could get quite a bit, as I could with all of the Moog albums I've found when I lived in Nebraska.

I also found a bunch of oddball new wave 7-inches on indie labels in a huge batch in Nebraska - a Blue Orchids single among them. Good stuff. I also found a Bollywood LP & single from the sixties - never seen one since. Tons of things, actually, but those are the ones that come to mind. I could also talk about the wonderful 8-tracks I've gotten, but maybe 8-tracks are too low-class here. Oh, and "Space Jazz", of course. :)

― Kerry, Thursday, 9 August 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I got a beautiful Farfisa organ for $10 (ie $5 US) in a thriftstore, perfect order, and really loud! I never found any collectable records, all my friends get to the record bin before me and go 'hey look maryann, I just found a copy of your favourite song Let's Dance by Chris Montez on single and now I'm going to buy it for 5 cents.'

― maryann, Friday, 10 August 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

78s of Sacre de Printemps pressed in europe. 5 bucks. Sally Ann.

― anthony, Friday, 10 August 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I loved my FZ's Freak Out for 2 bucks, perfect shape in a accoustic guitar/vintage amp store. In The same purchase I also got a scratch free version of Ziggy Stardust and great copy of Tonights The Night.

― zacko, Friday, 10 August 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

12"s of My Legendary Girlfriend by Pulp and the Manics' Suicide is Painless cover for about £3 each. (Them being worth about 4 times as much). The Laughing Knome on 7" - more than anything, THAT impressed me!

But I always feel so guilty when other places would be charging so much.

bill

― Bill, Saturday, 11 August 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Fresh kill from the pillage i just did appx less an hour ago: 1) Lee Mace's 'Ozark Opry' 2) Jo Basile & his Accordian Orchestra 'Accordion De Paris" 3) Lionel Richie 'Can't Slow Down' 4) Howard Ruff 'Songs of Country, Money, Family Love, and Inspiration' I'm itching to get them home and give them a good listen...

― Jason, Saturday, 11 August 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Most recent good one - Ash Ra's "New Age of Earth" for 50c. in South Dn. Cool 'cause I wouldn't've bothered to buy it at record shop prices (prob'ly be $15 - 20 2nd hand, $30+, maybe 40 for a new imported repress copy?) 'cause I would've been like, oh their late stuff's supposed to suck isn't it...but it's actually good.

― duane, Sunday, 12 August 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Jason i want that copy of Howard Ruff.

― anthony, Sunday, 12 August 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

four years pass...

i like that jo basile album a lot, jason

― terry lennox. (gareth), Friday, 14 October 2005 18:52 (twenty years ago)

i totally found a herb alpert record in g/vg condition!

actually, i did totally score the syd barrett madcap laughs/barrett double lp at a local thrift store for a dollar. that's probably the greatest find. oh, and i found a batch of MSR records, the infamous "song poem" record label, in a thrift store in the town near the entrance to joshua tree natl. park. they're not good bad ones though. just bad bad ones.

― andrew m. (andrewmorgan), Friday, 14 October 2005 20:27 (twenty years ago)

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