Record Fairs : Classic or Dud?

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Went to my first record fair in seven years, Reading Rivermead.

No-one does live tapes anymore shock horror, not even that many live/rare CDr's, but a load of DVD live things for £15 to £20...

And "God Save the Queen" for £20. Now obviously it's a 'reissue' but I remember seeing an original for sale at the reading record fair back in 1981 or thereabouts for £80... (I didn't get either in case you were wondering)

― mark grout (mark grout), Monday, 15 March 2004 12:46 (twenty-two years ago)

I'd imagine the internet has sufficiently shrank the world to the extent that Record Fairs are now a bit moot. I still goto the WFMU record fairs, but they're truly tragic affairs now. Once upon a time, though, (before you could find heretofore Holy Grail-like items on the internet for a third of the price you could prize them at mom'n'pop shops and record fairs) they could be quite fun.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Monday, 15 March 2004 12:50 (twenty-two years ago)

it's been done!

record fairs - c/d ?

― piscesboy, Monday, 15 March 2004 12:52 (twenty-two years ago)

I remember those days, when to be a buyer on ebay was to find untold bargains. Now, to sell is to get rich quickly, while stocks last...

― mark grout (mark grout), Monday, 15 March 2004 12:52 (twenty-two years ago)

xpost yeah but that was Feb 2003. A lot has changed since then...

― mark grout (mark grout), Monday, 15 March 2004 12:53 (twenty-two years ago)

I always found Record Fairs to be really horrible places, really soul-sapping, kill-your-love-of-music places, even comics conventions were friendlier and nicer! The dried sweat of a thousand grubby fingers accumulating on the plastic wraps of some old giffer's "PUNK" section - nothing but Spear Of Destiny and the Bollock Brothers as it turns out - NEIN DANKE.

Of course I still kept on going to them but aside from New Order's "Technique" on tape from the first one I ever went to I don't recall buying anything.

Market stalls doing CDs though = CLASSIC.

― Tico Tico (Tico Tico), Monday, 15 March 2004 12:53 (twenty-two years ago)

I got a video of Kate Bush doing "Rocket Man" for Amber, and a Blur CD from the observer. Total price = £6 punters...

― mark grout (mark grout), Monday, 15 March 2004 12:55 (twenty-two years ago)

always found Record Fairs to be really horrible places, really soul-sapping, kill-your-love-of-music places, even comics conventions were friendlier and nicer! The dried sweat of a thousand grubby fingers accumulating on the plastic wraps of some old giffer's "PUNK" section - nothing but Spear Of Destiny and the Bollock Brothers as it turns out - NEIN DANKE.

HAHAHAHAHAHA....Tico is so OTM here I can't even fathom it. Record fairs were always an olfactory trial.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Monday, 15 March 2004 12:57 (twenty-two years ago)

Remember that last scene in Trading Places when Dan Akroyd and Eddie Murphy sell all the orange juice stocks, and there's people getting trampled and crushed? That's sorta how I feel at record fairs. So I don't go anymore. Who needs it?

― roger adultery (roger adultery), Monday, 15 March 2004 13:10 (twenty-two years ago)

...Though I WILL say the three years I WORKED the WFMU record fair = CLASSIC

― roger adultery (roger adultery), Monday, 15 March 2004 13:10 (twenty-two years ago)

100000000 bootleg cds of bands you don't like, but the only cd boot of (say) van der graaf generator is something like thirty quid. spend all day trawling through RUBbISH before you find the single rekkid you actually want except the price on it is so astronomickal that you nearly faint away. Thee only thing they were ever good for = cheap bootleg cass ov thee (eg) OMD gig u were at last night, but they don't seem to do that anymore. DUD, dad.

― Pashmina (Pashmina), Monday, 15 March 2004 13:19 (twenty-two years ago)

tom's description depressingly OTM. there's one near my area which has an entry charge! I only went once, and bought albums by salako and tindersticks (i wasn't too keen on either, but i felt that seeing as i'd paid the entry charge, i should try and eke a bargain out of it). i dislike both records and play them rarely.

dud.

― weasel diesel (K1l14n), Monday, 15 March 2004 13:19 (twenty-two years ago)

Duddest of the dud

― Dadaismus (Dada), Monday, 15 March 2004 13:51 (twenty-two years ago)

There's a ridiculously good one every year in Auckland

― Mr Mime (Andrew Thames), Monday, 15 March 2004 13:53 (twenty-two years ago)

Is that Zone 5? (Londoncentric joke)

― Dadaismus (Dada), Monday, 15 March 2004 13:54 (twenty-two years ago)

i´d say CLASSIC since you can find a lot of cheap postpunk here in Sweden. although the last one was more of a dud because i havent the money to spend

― Jens L, Monday, 15 March 2004 14:06 (twenty-two years ago)

I say classic cuz the ones i have gone to are filled with people searching for gems that they can sell on ebay or whatever and i make out like a bandit in the dollar bins buying weird disco/rock/rap records that nobody else wants.

― scott seward (scott seward), Monday, 15 March 2004 14:12 (twenty-two years ago)

The one that is or was on every month round my way used to have an incredible stall that flogged vast unending expanses of review CDs for £3 a pop, or less if they were without sleeves. This is before I started getting review stuff in the post and the idea of Kranky or Planet Mu sending stuff out for free was too alien to even contemplate. Anyway, that was great and then one day it went away and this record fair has sucked pretty much without letup ever since. Like we seem to agree, not only bad but depressing.

― DJ Mencap (DJ Mencap), Monday, 15 March 2004 14:29 (twenty-two years ago)

I disagree Alex, I think the WFMU Record Fairs are hardly "tragic" and have in fact improved.

For example, there are still the creepy record collecting types who go, but I think it is much more women and family friendly.

Also, I am like scott in that what I like is usually what's leftover in the dollar bin, so I admit we might be looking for different things at these events.

― tokyo rosemary (rosemary), Monday, 15 March 2004 15:01 (twenty-two years ago)

Ha ha ha, also last record fair, geeta, Carey, and I found old magazines with record reviews by one Mr. Alex in NYC.

― tokyo rosemary (rosemary), Monday, 15 March 2004 15:03 (twenty-two years ago)

Ye gods....was it the New York Review of Records?

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Monday, 15 March 2004 15:09 (twenty-two years ago)

Yes, I think so.

― tokyo rosemary (rosemary), Monday, 15 March 2004 15:11 (twenty-two years ago)

Ancient artefacts.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Monday, 15 March 2004 15:12 (twenty-two years ago)

the wfmu record fair is the most convenient place to pick up a new steve keene painting. and now that he's doing statues too - i heart the steve keene neil young that's staring at me as i type -- i'd say the wfmu event is a can't-miss.

― fact checking cuz (fcc), Monday, 15 March 2004 15:20 (twenty-two years ago)

If you are lucky you might catch Philadelphia legend Stinky Steve outside the FMU fair hawking records out of his station wagon. I think he's actually banned from the fair itself.(as he is banned from most record stores in Philly) He's a wiry little guy and the record dealer that your mother warned you about.

― scott seward (scott seward), Monday, 15 March 2004 15:23 (twenty-two years ago)

I bought a dress last fall's record fair. I think that was my best find.

― tokyo rosemary (rosemary), Monday, 15 March 2004 15:26 (twenty-two years ago)

I can't remember the last thing I bought at a FMU fair....tho' I think it was a super geeky fanboy record collector dork-o bit of tchotchke like a Radio Birdman t-shirt or something.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Monday, 15 March 2004 15:35 (twenty-two years ago)

I enjoy them, though I agree completely that there is a v. depressing cloud hanging over these things. Here they're always in bad hotel convention rooms, which makes them even more grim. There's one guy who has a booth of videos & he looks like some fried Black Sabbath roadie, and he's always drinking a Bud Light at 10 or 11 am when they open. You can find out-of-print books that were remaindered cheap.

― Mark (MarkR), Monday, 15 March 2004 15:44 (twenty-two years ago)

I went to a small one yesterday. I don't mind them despite the 31 varieties of body odour that you tend to encounter at them. I can usually find a few things to make it worth my while. Just as much as I'd find if I took the time to drive around to five or more individual shops in one day. It's also a good place to talk to people about stuff you're interested in, even if it does mean having to put up with dealers constantly telling you shit you already know.

― maypang (maypang), Monday, 15 March 2004 15:51 (twenty-two years ago)

I think I'll probably go to the WFMU one (maybe even volunteer) if only to (gulp) complete my GBV collection, find some version, any version of a certain record on the Stranded discography, and try and got some avant records. But filing through stack after stack of overstuffed record bins surrounded by throngs of agressively elbowy people, looking for stuff that I *know* they don't have (WFMU has always been miserable when it comes to anything electronic, dance or rap, though maybe that's changed.) -- all that stopped being fun right about the same time that I started getting most of my obscurities from Napster and its clones.

It gets depressing when you think about the lives these records have led and will continue to lead for the forseeable future: if we're *lucky*, we're going to see these records change hands from collector to collector to collector, with each cycle bunging up (or just utterly destroyed, if by accident or venality) even the most pristine record until some point in the far future when they've turned into exactly the kind of artifacts you see in museums, stuff completely snipped free from an intelligible context, or physically fragmentary beyond meaning to anyone not a scholar. (Thanks to digitization, music encoded in the grooves will of course lead a much different life.)

― Michael Daddino (epicharmus), Monday, 15 March 2004 17:28 (twenty-two years ago)

Don't fret Michael, It will take a long long long time, but every record will eventually become so brittle that it snaps like a twig if handled incorrectly or handled at all in some cases. We will be left with the covers. Even more free of intelligible context.

― scott seward (scott seward), Monday, 15 March 2004 17:55 (twenty-two years ago)

I think I'll probably go to the WFMU one (maybe even volunteer) if only to (gulp) complete my GBV collection,

is it even possible to complete a gbv collection anymore?

back in the day when i thought it was possible, and when the wfmu fair was in the east village, i went there needing two gbv records to top my collection off, and not only did i find both of 'em there, i also found gbv themselves rummaging through the records. first i found a 7-inch comp, which i immediately took to robert pollard to have him autograph it (which he kindly did). then a bit later i found their rare (and not very good) debut ep, "forever since breakfast," which i would've much rather have he signed, but by then he was gone. still, not a bad day.

in later years, they started making bad records and i stopped collecting them, but that's a different story for a different thread.

― fact checking cuz (fcc), Monday, 15 March 2004 18:03 (twenty-two years ago)

is it even possible to complete a gbv collection anymore?

I've come quite close. Actually, I'm not seeking a complete record collection as so much a complete MP3 collection -- though I do own just about every legit release (and some semi-legit ones) in some form or another. I lack some songs from Benefit for Winos, about four MP3s offered by the new Napster (I'll buy them last), and the live version of "Cheyenne" on a whorish collector-scum-o-rama limited-to-666-copies single. I'm also limiting my pursuit to stuff credited to GBV and not any of Pollard solo or quasi-solo efforts, making it kinda easier for me, I guess.

― Michael Daddino (epicharmus), Monday, 15 March 2004 18:56 (twenty-two years ago)

Working towards a complete collection of mp3s just seems so wrong for some reason.

― maypang (maypang), Monday, 15 March 2004 19:13 (twenty-two years ago)

is it even possible to complete a gbv collection anymore?

I've suckered suckered myself into most of the Fading Captain Series, but some of it's right tight.

― christoff (christoff), Monday, 15 March 2004 19:18 (twenty-two years ago)

Working towards a complete collection of mp3s just seems so wrong for some reason.

Gulp.

― Michael Daddino (epicharmus), Monday, 15 March 2004 19:21 (twenty-two years ago)

What aspect of it is so troubling -- does it not seem like a "real" collection the way a collection of vinyl records or CDs would, or does it imply sheer greedy thievery on my part?

― Michael Daddino (epicharmus), Monday, 15 March 2004 19:24 (twenty-two years ago)

The Bop Shop Record Show

Sunday May 2nd - 10am until 4pm Free admission!

The Bop Shop at the Village Gate Sq. 274 N Goodman St

Bop Shop Records will host its 40th Record Show and Sale Sunday, May, 2 2004 at the Village Gate Square 274 N. Goodman St. Over 30 dealers will set up over 60 tables of merchandise ranging from rare and collectible records, tapes, and CDs to autographs, posters and other music related memorabilia. You‘ll find rare imports, picture discs, and much, much more! This is the largest show of its kind in western New York! If you’re searching for that one certain group or song, you need to visit this incredible show. Take advantage of great deals on over one quarter of a million rare and collectible records, CDs, tapes, and more! And while you’re there, visit the Bop Shop and find an amazing collection of rare and hard-to-find jazz, blues, soul, and rock records and CDs. It’s the Bop Shop Record Show on Sunday, May, 2 2004 from 10am to 4 pm at the Village Gate Square 274 N. Goodman Street. Best of all, admission and parking are FREE!

hmmm

― LITTLE LAMB [Jon Williams] (ex machina), Monday, 15 March 2004 19:27 (twenty-two years ago)

Yeah, I guess I'm a bit skeptical of mp3 collections since they're pretty much worthless. It's a bit like having a collection of movies that you taped off of TBS or something. But whatever, if it's just the music that you're into then it probably shouldn't matter what format it comes on. I just can't see myself ever having any sort of personal attachment to such a thing. I mean, I feel dirty enough having them around in the first place.

I don't care about the thievery aspect either since I'm as guilty as the next when it comes to downloading crap, but I tend to view mp3s as just being placeholders until I can afford or find the stuff in a (yes) "real" format.

― maypang (maypang), Monday, 15 March 2004 19:42 (twenty-two years ago)

eight years pass...

Like a lot of you I’ve been reading the news reports about the slow demise of HMV and for some reason it got me thinking about Record Fairs and I have developed a bit of an itch to go and check one out again, it’s been about 8 years or so since I visited one of the big ones at London Olympia, pretty much when this thread was started, since then it just hasn’t occurred to me to return.

I used to absolutely love going to fairs especially in Glasgow when I was in my teens, then the Wembley, Bloomsbury and Pimlico ones when I moved to London.

Some weekends an old flatmate and I used to drive around to a couple of the smaller more localized ones in North & West London.

Here is a portion of a circular email for UK record fairs that I get covering this weekend.

Saturday
2nd BRIDPORT - Bridport United Church, East St - vinylsaturday.co.uk
2nd EDINBURGH - Cafe Camino, Little King Street - voxboxmusic.co.uk
2nd CHELMSFORD - Shire Hall, Tindal Square - Bionic Promotions
2nd LONDON - St Marks Church Hall, Compton Rd, Wimbledon - Soundbite
2nd LONDON - Westminster Central Hall SW1H 9NH - VIP Events
2nd DERBY - Guildhall -MVF Music
2nd ROMFORD - Trinity Church Hall Angel Way RM1 1JH - Colin 07889426157
2nd WINCHESTER - Royal Hotel, Winton Room, St Peter Street SO23 8BS - USR Fairs
2nd HUDDERSFIELD - YMCA, Laund Hill, New Hey Rd. HD3 3XS - Premier Fairs
2nd GUILDFORD - Guildhall, High St - bensrecords.com

Sunday
3rd ORPINGTON - Crofton Halls, York Rise, Crofton Road - Bionic Promotions
3rd BIRMINGHAM (Moseley) - St Columba Church Hall, Chantry Rd - Moseley Record & Book Fair
3rd WATFORD - Bushey Academy Site, BYCC Hall, Falconer Rd Colin 07889426157
3rd RICHMOND (Yorks) - The Station DL104LD. - Adrian 07882 809056
3rd GALASHIELS - Abbotsford Hotel - G&S Duncan
3rd LINCOLN - Assembly Rooms, Cathedral Quarter LN1 3AR - Premier Fairs

I kinda fancy attending the Westminster one this Saturday, £3.

Does nobody care about or attend Record Fairs on ILM?

― shouting in a bucket blues (MaresNest), Thursday, 28 February 2013 11:29 (thirteen years ago)

What's this email of which you speak, and how do I get it?

I noticed a record fair advertised at the Brighton Centre the other day and remembered I went to one there two years ago to shift a load of unwanted VHS/vinyl; also went to one in Lincoln, ruinously hungover after a wedding, and came out with some lovely artifacts iirc.

― Background Zombie (CharlieNo4), Thursday, 28 February 2013 12:25 (thirteen years ago)

Hey Charlie, you can sign up for it here http://www.recordfairsuk.co.uk/

― shouting in a bucket blues (MaresNest), Thursday, 28 February 2013 12:47 (thirteen years ago)

two months pass...

Saturday
11th STAMFORD - St.Mary & St.Augustine Church Hall, Broad St - Stamford Audio 01780410060
11th LONDON - Catholic Centre, Dukes Avenue, Chiswick High Rd - Soundbite
11th LONDON - Old Spitalfields Market, Horner Square E1 6EW - USR Fairs
11th MANCHESTER - Sachas Hotel, Tib Street, Piccadilly M4 1SH - Premier Fairs
11th CASTLE DOUGLAS - Douglas Arms Hotel - G&S Duncan

Sunday
12th LIVERPOOL - The Old Police Station, 80 Lark Lane L17 8UU - Patrick Norris 07800708036
12th SOUTHEND - West Leigh School, London Rd Leigh On Sea SS9 2JB - Southend Fair
12th LEEDS - Brudenell Social Club, 33 Queens Road LS6 1NY - Chimp Fairs 07854148773
12th CROYDON - Oasis Academy - RW Fairs
12th GALASHIELS - Abbotsford Hotel - G&S Duncan
12th SKIPTON - Town Hall, High St BD23 1AH - Premier Fairs

― MaresNest, Thursday, 9 May 2013 08:31 (twelve years ago)

Saturday
18th CHELMSFORD - The Box, Post Office Social Club, Regina Road CM1 1AA - Marcus 07985 713792
18th LEICESTER- Bishop St Methodist Church - MVF Music
18th LEICESTER - Y Theatre, YMCA, East Street LE1 6EY - VIP Events
18th KETTERING - Parish Hall, Market Place NN16 0AL - Out Of The Past Records
18th FLINT - St.Mary's Club CH6 5BQ - vodmusic.co.uk
18th LONDON - Christchurch Halls, Redford Way, Belmont Rd, Uxbridge - Soundbite
18th NEWCASTLE-UNDER-LYME - Old Brown Jug, Bridge St ST5 2RY -rubbersoulrecords.co.uk
18th OXFORD - St Aldates Parish Centre, Pembroke St, St Aldates OX1 1BP - USR Fairs
18th YORK - City Screen, Coney St YO1 9QL - Premier Fairs
18th DUNKELD - British Legion - G&S Duncan

Sunday
19th BRISTOL - Unite The Union, Tony Benn House,Victoria Street BS1 6AY - USR Fairs
19th GT.DUNMOW - Foakes Hall - Fruit Tree Events
19th KIRKCALDY - Windsor Hotel - Allander Record Fairs
19th PEEBLES - Masonic Hall - G&S Duncan
19th RAINHAM - Mark Social Club - Recollect Fairs
19th BINGLEY - Bankfield Mercure Hotel - Criminal Records
19th DONCASTER - The Dome - Premier Fairs

― MaresNest, Thursday, 16 May 2013 08:12 (twelve years ago)

three weeks pass...

Friday
8th FALKIRK - Indoor Market - Allander Record Fairs

Saturday
8th FALKIRK - Indoor Market - Allander Record Fairs
8th CANTERBURY - St Thomas Church Hall, Canterbury Lane, Burgate - bionicrecords.co.uk
8th BURY ST EDMUNDS - The Centre, St Johns Street - Bury St Edmunds Record & Music Memorabilia Fair
8th MOFFAT - Buccleuch Arms Hotel - G&S Duncan
8th SHEFFIELD - The Workstation, Paternoster Row (off Sheaf St.) S1 2BX - Premier Fairs
8th BIRMINGHAM - National Indoor Arena, King Edwards Road B1 2AA - VIP Events

Sunday
9th BIRMINGHAM - National Motorcycle Museum. nr Birmingham M42 Junction 6 - Rod King
9th PERTH - Salutation Hotel - Allander Record Fairs
9th SOUTHEND - West Leigh School, London Rd Leigh On Sea SS9 2JB - Southend Fair
9th CRIEFF - Crieff Hotel - G&S Duncan

― MaresNest, Thursday, 6 June 2013 10:54 (twelve years ago)

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