record stores in Pittsburgh?

[Ljblanken]

anyone know anything? have to go there for work this week. 

 

 

[Philippe]

Jerry's Records, though I think he sold his 45's collection last year.

[Tomangoes]

The TREX is impressive at the airport.

Saw this advertised yonks ago..

Ed

 

[Frankie Crocker]

Barren ground I'm afraid. Been there the last five Octobers. Jerry has no 45's now. The Attic has a lot of records but virtually no Northern Soul as it's been picked over so many times. George's Songshop in Johnstown, an hour away is worth a visit, but pricy and low on stock. Geo's in Youngstown has a tiny number of 45's, mainly unsleeved. The Flip Side in Hermitage is worth a visit but very expensive - I left behind small pile of duplicates to sell on but someone who has not got them might fork out... Cleveland has a decent selection of record stores but all well and truly picked over.

That said, all stores stumble across stuff every now and again so you should try them - just don't expect to find much.

[Ljblanken]

thanks guys!

[Chris Anderton]

I would start at the Attic and ask Fred or his son who else you should see. He might be able to hook you up with somebody else in the area. Fred is a really nice guy, he would be happy to help I am sure. 

Ten years ago Pittsburgh was great for records but a lot has changed in those 10 years!

I would give Johnstown a miss, it's a couple of hours away and the guy is hard to work with, he gets suspicious when you want to buy something!

Chris

[Rob Wigley]

Echo all the above,  well picked through, I was there last year, got a few small bits but nothing to shout about !

Not like the 80s eh !

Rob

[Tomangoes]

Are there still rarities to be found?

At the LA 2004 event, I spent about 20 minutes looking through GWEN OWENS collection she had for sale. 

Not a Velgo label in sight. In fact no rare soul at all by the time I had trawled through them.

But amazingly she did have a bunch of BEATLES singles..

If only she had kept a few of her own stuff!

Ed

[Pedro FOLEY]

Been to various cities in the states always with a vinyl hunt planned and agreed with my other half, come to the conclusion that John Manship shouldn't be allowed to sell any publications in the USA. The times shop owners pulled it out was unbelievable. I was advised by a black guy who collected jazz and jazz funk was to get a local free newspaper wherever you are stopping find any church/thrift drives preferably in black neighbourhoods you got a chance doing that than crate hunting...just a thought 

[Frankie Crocker]

2 hours ago, Pedro FOLEY said:

Been to various cities in the states always with a vinyl hunt planned and agreed with my other half, come to the conclusion that John Manship shouldn't be allowed to sell any publications in the USA. The times shop owners pulled it out was unbelievable. I was advised by a black guy who collected jazz and jazz funk was to get a local free newspaper wherever you are stopping find any church/thrift drives preferably in black neighbourhoods you got a chance doing that than crate hunting...just a thought 

The Priceguide works in your favour if you don't have an encyclopaedic knowledge of all records as you can identify 45's in stores without a record player. Many stores such as Jerry's and the Flip Side only have early editions so are behind the times. These days, Popsike and Discogs inform the dealer of going rates, more so than Manship's books. Ultimately, John's guides have encouraged more dealers to dig deeper and collectors to cash in by selling obscure records they stumbled across. So, on balance, I'm pro Manship Priceguides and take one to the States two or three times a year - you can always keep it in the trunk and fetch it into the store when a dealer quotes a silly computer based figure!

[Pedro FOLEY]

These trips were a few years ago so JM Guides were prevalent and used by record stores, granted with websites are used now for the latest prices. My point was tongue in cheek having chatted with record store owners and those loved the fact that us Brits knew more about their local music culture - labels and artists than most of the locals. To sum up record stores are aware of the value of vinyl so other avenues could be explored if you have time like: thrift/charity/church jumble sales. Happy hunting soulsters. 

Edited July 8, 2017 by Pedro FOLEY

[Frankie Crocker]

1 hour ago, Pedro FOLEY said:

These trips were a few years ago so JM Guides were prevalent and used by record stores, granted with websites are used now for the latest prices. My point was tongue in cheek having chatted with record store owners and those loved the fact that us Brits knew more about their local music culture - labels and artists than most of the locals. To sum up record stores are aware of the value of vinyl so other avenues could be explored if you have time like: thrift/charity/church jumble sales. Happy hunting soulsters. 

If you are tripping over from Europe, there's not much time to visit yard sales, thrift shops etc. If you live in the States, then these sources are viable, especially if you're inner-city savvy. The best places to visit are the well maintained stores run by knowledgeable owners who have sometimes done the digging for you - OK, the records may not be cheap but head to Primark if you want to save money. Not only do we know way more about the music than most locals, we know what's unknown if that makes sense. There are still plenty of good, obscure and unlisted 45's to be sampled and bargains to be had in this realm.

[Pedro FOLEY]

Fair play you have valid points l just love visiting out of the way nooks and crannies and been lucky enough to have family living in SF and the Bay Area so had time to explore and investigate. Trying to find an Aladdins cave full of soul, R&B and Jazz. The times I have been lucky enough to sift through thousands of records mainly C&W and various rock singles makes its more worth it when picking up the odd gem. All the best.