Thrift Store Digging

[Russ Vickers]

I have lived in the US for nearly 2 yrs now. When I got here I could not drive to work or back without stopping at every Thrift Shop along the way. I have travelled a lot too & again, stopped at Thrift Stores along the way, much to the annoyance of my family. After hearing all the stories of Thrift Store 'finds' over the years from both Americans & Brits I thought I might at least find some interesting things....................but no, bugger all, not a bean..................like that wise old sage once said 'Russ, you are the worst record finder in NATO ????' & I think it might be true.

Has anyone actually ever found a Rare Soul Record in a Thrift Store in the last decade ????.

I have tracked down local artists, covered the Antique Malls, phoned the radio stations, visited the local Flea Markets, found one or two local collectors & DJ' In the hope I might get a lead. I have visited record shows & collectors fares........................& yes, you guessed again, bugger all really.

In desperation, I am going public to appeal to you guys out there, where are all the records, I need advise please . Im not greedy either, if I find any I'll share em, honest. Oh & BTW when people go on about only being able to get records thru 'contacts' these days, were do you make these contacts, these contacts seem to be harder to find than a Frank Wilson in a Detroit Junk Shop . I dont expect my records handed on a plate, I like to sweat for em a bit, but this is getting ridiculous, I dont expect personal contacts that people have worked hard for, but any clues would be really helpful. Thank you.

Signed frustrated. (Russ)

Russ

Edited July 4, 2006 by Russ Vickers

[grant]

maybe just bad luck Russ - keep looking mate and something will turn up! surpised that with the amount of flea markets, shops etc that you have visited you havent turned up as much as a bean. Is it down to the fact that when you look at the amount of yanks sellling on ebay now that thye have been there long before you?? thanks to ebay/internet info on northern they are as knowlegeble on northern/rare soul as we are in the UK an dsee it as making a fast buck

[Cheapsiderecords]

I have been in Canada for 7 years now and have had mixed luck in Thrift Stores, Flea Markets etc. but my best scores have been through getting to know the local dealers who sell at the fairs and it is amazing what can turn up but over all the purchases against hours spent searching dont really make it worth while.

I get a call now and again to look through their new stuff and last time out scored a load of Canadian Warner Bros including Ben Aiken - Satisfied for $1C each

I do find lots of cheapies that sell OK on ebay, multiple copies of stuff like Winstons, Mel Torme, Little Carl Carlton, Flirtations, Ronnie Love etc etc but rareties are a different matter.

I have turned up things now and again like Anne Heywood, Linda Lloyd on Canadian Columbia, 2 copies of Doug Banks, 3 copies of Mickie Champion, The Dynells on Atco and all for no more than $2 each.

I have expanded my record buying to Garage 45's which seem to sell well and generates more cash to buy Soul 45's.

Keep trying Russ, I am sure that big score is out there some where.

[Russ Vickers]

I have been in Canada for 7 years now and have had mixed luck in Thrift Stores, Flea Markets etc. but my best scores have been through getting to know the local dealers who sell at the fairs and it is amazing what can turn up but over all the purchases against hours spent searching dont really make it worth while.

I get a call now and again to look through their new stuff and last time out scored a load of Canadian Warner Bros including Ben Aiken - Satisfied for $1C each

I do find lots of cheapies that sell OK on ebay, multiple copies of stuff like Winstons, Mel Torme, Little Carl Carlton, Flirtations, Ronnie Love etc etc but rareties are a different matter.

I have turned up things now and again like Anne Heywood, Linda Lloyd on Canadian Columbia, 2 copies of Doug Banks, 3 copies of Mickie Champion, The Dynells on Atco and all for no more than $2 each.

I have expanded my record buying to Garage 45's which seem to sell well and generates more cash to buy Soul 45's.

Keep trying Russ, I am sure that big score is out there some where.

Thank you buddy, I enjoy the seach/chase so wont ever give in, just needed advise encouragement & enjoy listening to other peoples advise & experiences........so keep em coming .

Russ

[Dave Moore]

I have lived in the US for nearly 2 yrs now. When I got here I could not drive to work or back without stopping at every Thrift Shop along the way. I have travelled a lot too & again, stopped at Thrift Stores along the way, much to the annoyance of my family. After hearing all the stories of Thrift Store 'finds' over the years from both Americans & Brits I thought I might at least find some interesting things....................but no, bugger all, not a bean..................like that wise old sage once said 'Russ, you are the worst record finder in NATO ????' & I think it might be true.

Has anyone actually ever found a Rare Soul Record in a Thrift Store in the last decade ????.

I have tracked down local artists, covered the Antique Malls, phoned the radio stations, visited the local Flea Markets, found one or two local collectors & DJ' In the hope I might get a lead. I have visited record shows & collectors fares........................& yes, you guessed again, bugger all really.

In desperation, I am going public to appeal to you guys out there, where are all the records, I need advise please . Im not greedy either, if I find any I'll share em, honest. Oh & BTW when people go on about only being able to get records thru 'contacts' these days, were do you make these contacts, these contacts seem to be harder to find than a Frank Wilson in a Detroit Junk Shop . I dont expect my records handed on a plate, I like to sweat for em a bit, but this is getting ridiculous, I dont expect personal contacts that people have worked hard for, but any clues would be really helpful. Thank you.

Signed frustrated. (Russ)

Russ

He He! Ask Mark Bicknell about record shops and flea markets!

I remember having this discussion with you Russ as you arrived. Thrift store finds are few and far between Mate. Even most dealers have now become off limits for me due to the fact that they think all the records marked at 20UKP in JMs book are ACTUALLY worth that amount. I end up leaving stuff now that 5 yeras ago I would have swept up for a buck and sold for 5 bucks. Having trawled Bananas etc in Florida 20 years ago I can't be arsed paying $15.00 for $20.00 45s. Just not worth it.

Have you tried the obvious:

Ad in local paper (Had 2 results in 10 years)

Actually setting up a Record Fair yourself

At least your further up North where there's more locations to go at. You wanna try it here in the land of the coffin dodgers!

Bring some $$$ to Hitsville Weekender in September and we'll see what we can find.

Regards,

Dave

www.hitsvillesoulclub.com

[Russ Vickers]

He He! Ask Mark Bicknell about record shops and flea markets!

I remember having this discussion with you Russ as you arrived. Thrift store finds are few and far between Mate. Even most dealers have now become off limits for me due to the fact that they think all the records marked at 20UKP in JMs book are ACTUALLY worth that amount. I end up leaving stuff now that 5 yeras ago I would have swept up for a buck and sold for 5 bucks. Having trawled Bananas etc in Florida 20 years ago I can't be arsed paying $15.00 for $20.00 45s. Just not worth it.

Have you tried the obvious:

Ad in local paper (Had 2 results in 10 years)

Actually setting up a Record Fair yourself

At least your further up North where there's more locations to go at. You wanna try it here in the land of the coffin dodgers!

Bring some $$$ to Hitsville Weekender in September and we'll see what we can find.

Regards,

Dave

www.hitsvillesoulclub.com

All good advise Dave & soooooooooooooo true, I'll have sales & hopefully $$$$$$ buddy, some good stuff last year, both private deals in the DJ Villa (still makes me smile ) & a few results at the Record Show, worth the trip for this alone & boy was there some heavey dealing going on. Hope that the SS ers will be there in force, what a week end......cant wait.

Russ

[Russ Vickers]

All good advise Dave & soooooooooooooo true, I'll have sales & hopefully $$$$$$ buddy, some good stuff last year, both private deals in the DJ Villa (still makes me smile ) & a few results at the Record Show, worth the trip for this alone & boy was there some heavey dealing going on. Hope that the SS ers will be there in force, what a week end......cant wait.

Russ

An ad in the paper is a good shout tho buudy & something I have been considering for a while, any thoughts on this route anyone ???'

Russ

[Cheapsiderecords]

Russ/Dave

I am making the trip to the week-ender as well so hope to swap stories then as well over a beer.

Kevin

[Russ Vickers]

Russ/Dave

I am making the trip to the week-ender as well so hope to swap stories then as well over a beer.

Kevin

Hopefully Kev, I'll look forward to meeting you again mate.

Russ

[Steve G]

Has anyone actually ever found a Rare Soul Record in a Thrift Store in the last decade ????.

Russ

Last decade no. I think in the 70's they were a great source for unwanted vinyl - now a complete waste of time. Hope all is well with you Russ.

Steve

[Guest Kevin J]

I have heard, and have tried this with some luck myself, that dropping into places like barber shops, bbq restaurants, any place that old black folk hang with a few flyers or business cards can turn up a few things. I think all of the records at the moment are in collections of local old-timers, who dont necessarily care about the records, buthave them. Best bet is to get out there and talk to the locals. I bet you turn up something, and hear some fascinating stories in the process.

[Russ Vickers]

I have heard, and have tried this with some luck myself, that dropping into places like barber shops, bbq restaurants, any place that old black folk hang with a few flyers or business cards can turn up a few things. I think all of the records at the moment are in collections of local old-timers, who dont necessarily care about the records, buthave them. Best bet is to get out there and talk to the locals. I bet you turn up something, and hear some fascinating stories in the process.

Kev

Sounds like a plan to me mate....................gonna get on me bike & get around the bizarres........................thanks for the advice, much appreciated.

Russ

Edited July 4, 2006 by Russ Vickers

[Russ Vickers]

Last decade no. I think in the 70's they were a great source for unwanted vinyl - now a complete waste of time. Hope all is well with you Russ.

Steve

Hey Steve

Im good mate, family are cool too, just getting frustrated at the amount of effort I put into the vinyl with very little reward, Im sure my last year will be fruitful tho'.

I hope you are well, we'll have to have a beer when I get home next year.

Best Russ

[Guest]

The only junk shop records I've bought are a 60's Decca Tom Jones album for 50p. When I fall In Love by Nat King Cole (78rpm) for 10p with origianl cover I might add - the same day I bought the Carl Robeson Ole Man River 78 LOL.

I've also attained a Frank Ifield and Can Can album together with South Pacific - again, for the collective price of 50p when purchasing a fantastic record player for a pound at a car boot. The record player was a pre 52 His Masters Voice - I know that becuase the gold crest inside talked about His Majesty the King!

I loved that record player - the stylus was beautifully chromed and it worked on valves. My ex husband kicked it to pieces when delivering it to me upon our divorce

Edited July 4, 2006 by ♫ Soulgirl ♫

[Simon T]

The only record I know of that was suposed to have turned up in a real thrift store in recent years (about 3 or 4 years ago) is some copies of Greater Experience, by a lad who was a PhD student into the beach scene records. I spoke to him at lenght about the find, and he claimed he was staying with his relatives during term time at xxxx (can't the town remember now) a town close to Danville. Found half a dozen of them at a few cents each and stuck one on ebay, and sold a few other to the next bidders. Mine doesn't look like the ones that Ian Clarke turned up years ago and so I was a bit suspicious at the time. However, I've not seen any up on ebay, etc since.

[Guest soulfulmouse]

found a sam dees acetate and a few okeh 45s a few years ago in a thrift store in las vegas.

[Chris Anderton]

Russ,

For gods sake mate dont start finding records now. Its always one of the highkights of our trip when we phone you to tell you what we have found! Dont spoil our fun....please!

As the saying goes "If you fell into a barrell full of tits, you would come up sucking your thunb"!!! I think it was one of us who said you were the worst record finder in nato?

Allentown in September mate, are you up for it? Maybe even turn up when theres some records for sale this year eh?

Chris

[Chris Anderton]

Agree about the thrift stores though Russ...we cant pass one either, the only things we ever found were;

Douglas Banks Guyden

Gene McDaniels

Bay Brothers

It does`nt stop us looking though........

Chris

[SteveM]

the same day I bought the Carl Robeson Ole Man River 78 LOL.

His brotherPaul had a big hit with that.

[Guest]

I know.. that's why mine's so rare

I'm such a stupid fucking bint really I am!

See.. I've even got the fucking record yet I STILL can't get it right!

[SteveM]

I know.. that's why mine's so rare

I'm such a stupid fucking bint really I am!

See.. I've even got the fucking record yet I STILL can't get it right!

[Guest]

Next I'll be telling you all about my Monica Monroe picture disc

[Russ Vickers]

Russ,

For gods sake mate dont start finding records now. Its always one of the highkights of our trip when we phone you to tell you what we have found! Dont spoil our fun....please!

As the saying goes "If you fell into a barrell full of tits, you would come up sucking your thunb"!!! I think it was one of us who said you were the worst record finder in nato?

Allentown in September mate, are you up for it? Maybe even turn up when theres some records for sale this year eh?

Chris

Chris

Keith & Max are over mate, so may bring them up to Allentown too.

Great crack last year......................again tho', no records for me thanks.

Russ

[Djr]

I almost never find any 45s at the thrift shops in my area, let alone soul 45s. Although, last summer, I was surprised to actually find a mix of decent condition 45s at a thrift, from doo-wop to soul to blues. I ended up buying them all and selling the doo-wop and blues stuff. The soul titles were Judy Freeman and Blackrock on RCA (not 'Hold On'), Sam Dees on Chess, Fred Hughes 'Don't Let This Happen To Us' demo. Nothing rare, more of a pleasant surprise.

As mentioned earlier, if record shopping at thrifts, it is probably best to expand what you buy - sometimes there are titles that can be purchased & sold for a decent profit.

Edited July 6, 2006 by djr

[Guest Juddy]

The least enjoyable/most productive way to dig up stuff around these parts is to hit the estate sales - people who were buying in the '50s and early '60s are starting to (gulp!) move on to the all-niter in the sky, and their families often don't know what to do - or want to bother with - their collections.

Personally, it gets me really down to see somebody's collection laid out on a sitting room floor with estate-sale vultures going thru it, and I don't go. BUT, as a friend recently pointed out, the collector would probably rather have one of us pick 'em up than some guy who doesn't care and just slaps 'em all up on eBay, without even bothering to check into what they are...

Truth hurts,

juddy

pittsburgh

[Djr]

Russ - just caught this sentence:

I have travelled a lot too & again, stopped at Thrift Stores along the way, much to the annoyance of my family.

Glad to hear I'm not the only one driving my wife crazy stopping at every thrift shop along the way.

This summer I expanded the area I look in, stopping at yard sales and estate sales, still only finding LPs, if I come across records at all (low percentage of yard sales seem to have records). I seem to do better at flea markets, but that is still hit or miss.

Maybe a sign up where people can tear off your phone number at some local grocery stores or other places that have high foot traffic? You may get some calls, though, where a guy tells you about his rare Barbara Streistand records, like I did once........

[Russ Vickers]

The least enjoyable/most productive way to dig up stuff around these parts is to hit the estate sales - people who were buying in the '50s and early '60s are starting to (gulp!) move on to the all-niter in the sky, and their families often don't know what to do - or want to bother with - their collections.

Personally, it gets me really down to see somebody's collection laid out on a sitting room floor with estate-sale vultures going thru it, and I don't go. BUT, as a friend recently pointed out, the collector would probably rather have one of us pick 'em up than some guy who doesn't care and just slaps 'em all up on eBay, without even bothering to check into what they are...

Truth hurts,

juddy

pittsburgh

Hey Juddy

Great advise mate. I'm assuming the best place to find out about Estate Sales is in the local paper ???.

Pse could you elaborate on where you can get info on the sales.

Thanks

Russ

[Russ Vickers]

I almost never find any 45s at the thrift shops in my area, let alone soul 45s. Although, last summer, I was surprised to actually find a mix of decent condition 45s at a thrift, from doo-wop to soul to blues. I ended up buying them all and selling the doo-wop and blues stuff. The soul titles were Judy Freeman and Blackrock on RCA (not 'Hold On'), Sam Dees on Chess, Fred Hughes 'Don't Let This Happen To Us' demo. Nothing rare, more of a pleasant surprise.

As mentioned earlier, if record shopping at thrifts, it is probably best to expand what you buy - sometimes there are titles that can be purchased & sold for a decent profit.

I've even had a few sealed LP's from Thrift Stores, but its always a compromise. Thanks for the advise.

Russ

[Guest Juddy]

Great advise mate. I'm assuming the best place to find out about Estate Sales is in the local paper ???.

Pse could you elaborate on where you can get info on the sales.

Yeah - the local papers or, round here, the "Penny Saver" that most Yanks get in mid-sized cities and towns, which clues you in on garage sales, estate sales, etc.

Watch the neighborhoods - i've been to garage (ie car-boot) sales that advertised "1000's of records" in the wrong (ie rich & white) neighborhoods, and ended up sifting thru stacks of Bobby Vinton or (good god!) BEATLES records...

juddy

[Guest Kevin J]

Yeah - the local papers or, round here, the "Penny Saver" that most Yanks get in mid-sized cities and towns, which clues you in on garage sales, estate sales, etc.

Watch the neighborhoods - i've been to garage (ie car-boot) sales that advertised "1000's of records" in the wrong (ie rich & white) neighborhoods, and ended up sifting thru stacks of Bobby Vinton or (good god!) BEATLES records...

juddy

Russ,

There is also craigslist.org. Check the listings for the cities nearest you for estate/garage sales. Also, a quick search for "records" on that site will hasten your search.

Kevin

[Wilxy]

When I was out in Bradenton Florida last year staying with friends, I did the thrift stores and came up trumps with a fistful of 45's, the best find being Tommy Frontera-Your'e my leading lady on Hi-lite for 15 cents, also had some local contacts, through friends again who were very switched on to the Garage/estate sales.Also the Tampa Bay record fair (where I met Dave & Jan who were promoting The Hitsville Soul club) which turned up some nice pices albeit the dealers tend to refer To John Manships price guide, however near the finish time were willing to drop their prices somewhat. All in all I came home happy