record collecting flashback

[Djr]

 

was going through some boxes in my basement recently, and found a number of Discoveries magazines and a Lew Staley auction list in one of them. 

the Lew Staley auction has 2 pages of label scans and 3 pages front & back of 45s up for auction. 

Just having a flashback of record collecting before the internet.

anyone remember the days of bidding on auctions through the mail? a money order or cash through the mail if you won?

[The Yank]

I remember those days well- getting Goldmine and Discoveries and placing my bid and then waiting a month to find out if I won the 45 auction.

        There were also dealers who had monthly set sales lists- you would mail in your money order and hope your letter got there before another persons did.

           Now waiting a week after buying something on line seems to be too long!

 

[Tomangoes]

What date range are you talking about? 1980 to 1996?

Ed

[Samplat]

Used to do it in the seventies. I had to go to the bank and get an IMO and send that off. 

[Mick Holdsworth]

Had a regular auction list from Canada in the late seventies, early eighties. He had a wonderful range of records, all genres, and all for auction. Over abuut three or four years, I picked up a few good 'uns, nearly all blind buys.

Fortson & Scott on Pzazz, was, in retrospect, probably the best buy (for $3 Canadian), whersas with Darlene Love - Stumble & Fall, which was deemed to be very rare at the time, I got outbid at $12 Canadian.

The man was a relocated Londoner by the name of Bayliss, possibly Tony, but, not sure on that. I was put on to him via Martin Kopell, must have been a mailing list swap. He did tell me. but I can't remember now.

Anyone else remember him?

[Samplat]

Used to deal with somebody called Lenny in Ashtabula Ohio who did a list every month and American music corporation who I think were in Pasadena California 

[Mick Boyle]

A little off topic but I once stayed at Lou Stanleys house and trod on a Hyperions. 
 

Edited July 26, 2022 by Mick Boyle

[Modernsoulsucks]

54 minutes ago, Mick Boyle said:

A little off topic but I once stayed at Lou Stanleys house and trod on a Hyperions. 
 

I shook his hand once.

Still can't feel my fingers !

[Mal C]

14 hours ago, Djr said:

 

was going through some boxes in my basement recently, and found a number of Discoveries magazines and a Lew Staley auction list in one of them. 

the Lew Staley auction has 2 pages of label scans and 3 pages front & back of 45s up for auction. 

Just having a flashback of record collecting before the internet.

anyone remember the days of bidding on auctions through the mail? a money order or cash through the mail if you won?

It was a blind auction wasnt it, but he had the tracks, so you did it... got some good records from Lew, at pretty good prices... the trick, let the big sharks fight over the BIG titles, and nip your bids into the nicer but more obscure things...

[Julianb]

Bought the remaining stock of 'Swoop down on you' from Original Sound around 1971

[Tlscapital]

Much greater days for sure. Was not rich enough to "participate" on specialized 'rare soul' auctions most of the times. But worldwide set sale lists where a great and cheap source as well next to the more desirable psych, prog, punk, rock'N'roll, doo-wop or rockabilly collectable listed prized gems

But crate digging was truly a treat to unveal and discover new sounds. Until 2 UK price guides popped in the hands of all your regular record hunters. I have no love whatsoever for the internet. Use it a lot in many ways not to be left-out but I would turn back the hands of time if it was only up to me.

[Rick Cooper]

As a little nipper I'd have to queue up at the post office for a postal order to send off to F L Moore , Contempo or a couple of UK dealers. When I was allowed to get a bank account ( would it be age 16 or 18?) could then queue up at the bank for an IMO (International Money Order). I have a vague memory of having to show a passport but that could be for taking cash out of the country. Then there could be a wait of around a week for UK and months for US orders. 

I used to order a box of 100 mixed singles from a place in New York in the early 70s. Sent off the IMO then a box would finally turn up about 7 or 8 weeks later. Got some reasonable stuff but probably had Beat Ballad, RnB, Popcorn, Netherlands and Japan records but didn't realise it then.

All this may have been a hassle but now you can sit at home with a laptop and credit card then 2 or 3 days later your record arrives. Where's the fun in that?

[Rick Cooper]

4 hours ago, Julianb said:

Bought the remaining stock of 'Swoop down on you' from Original Sound around 1971

.......then got Dave Godin to plug it in Blues and Soul.

Bought one from you , great record and really pleased to get it.

[Djr]

15 hours ago, Tomangoes said:

What date range are you talking about? 1980 to 1996?

Ed

I was active from the late 80s to the late 90s. Buying records from dealers across the USA who had their small square ad in Goldmine or Discoveries and then you would get on their mailing list for their future auctions or sales lists. I also bought a number of UK mod revival & related records in the early 90s from a dealer in Canada from one of those listings, everything in great shape, some sealed.

It never seemed a hassle, you just had to have some patience to wait for the auction end + a week or two to (hopefully) get the letter or postcard with any of the records you won. 

When the migration to eBay happened, I remember seeing some of those same dealers and buying from off of them on eBay. 

[Tomangoes]

Wonderful people as a huge amount of trust needed all round.

Was the option of phoning a bid in possible?

When I was buying off soul bowl and JM in late 70s I can only remember phone orders.

Calling the USA or Canada would have been difficult i guess.

Ed

[Modernsoulsucks]

23 minutes ago, Tomangoes said:

Wonderful people as a huge amount of trust needed all round.

Was the option of phoning a bid in possible?

When I was buying off soul bowl and JM in late 70s I can only remember phone orders.

Calling the USA or Canada would have been difficult i guess.

Ed

No we had payphones and house phones back then !

[Tomangoes]

I worked on a contract in Delhi 95/96...first time I'd used email, via AOL, I think. Had to pay a fee.

Cheap communications followed for sure.

Ed

[Paraboliccurve]

On 25/07/2022 at 23:26, Djr said:

 

was going through some boxes in my basement recently, and found a number of Discoveries magazines and a Lew Staley auction list in one of them. 

the Lew Staley auction has 2 pages of label scans and 3 pages front & back of 45s up for auction. 

Just having a flashback of record collecting before the internet.

anyone remember the days of bidding on auctions through the mail? a money order or cash through the mail if you won?

I used to ring up eg Pat Brady or Manship and bid over the phone.

[Solidsoul]

I got some good records from Bill Nadolny's (Paisley Haze records) auction. Also some mint Delettes etc, from Vernon Edwards at Little Rock, Arkansas.

In the early days Craig Moerer used have lots of great records at low prices. After the internet started just about everything went to UK prices.

Also Frank Merrell of Saturday Night Music had some great auctions.

If I got my note book out there will be many more. It was all more exciting then because you could get some great records at great prices. The internet spoiled a lot, but on the flip side I have had some great deals from the net as well.

Edited July 27, 2022 by Solidsoul

[Djr]

Going through another box, I found an old sales list from a seller I must have found through Goldmine or Discoveries, Social Insect Records from Danville, IL There was also another sales list from Lew Staley.

Funny that I don't have any of the magazines. I did find a Scootering mag from 2000. 

[Dogsarse]

Talking about Soul Bowl I once slept under the letter box to catch the thursday list, Then rushing off to the Telephone box to reserve, fatal if the line was engaged. On this day I bagged Larry Williams Too Late with pic sleeve for a tenner

Today collecting can ruin your wealth!!

[Still Diggin]

Remember sending Lew Stanley some funds via one of those crazy cash pick up things , moneygram or something like that, anyway I was unaware he had to drive fifty miles to pick it up, as that was his nearest outlet that provided that service. My next conversation with Lew resulted in me holding the phone some distance from my ear!On a more depressing note he landed one or or two copies of Emit Long 'Call me' he kept one for me. That same evening I drove off down the lake to get some fishing in, on the way back I got out of the van to shut the gate so the cows didn't escape, as I got back into the van to drive off the timeing belt snapped, I then had to inform him the next day his sale was off! I had to buy another van and no vinyl.

[Robbk]

On 26/07/2022 at 15:20, Tomangoes said:

I worked on a contract in Delhi 95/96...first time I'd used email, via AOL, I think. Had to pay a fee.

Cheap communications followed for sure.

Ed

Could you really trust the Indian postal service???

On 26/07/2022 at 14:43, Tomangoes said:

Wonderful people as a huge amount of trust needed all round.

Was the option of phoning a bid in possible?

When I was buying off soul bowl and JM in late 70s I can only remember phone orders.

Calling the USA or Canada would have been difficult i guess.

Ed

Or, at least costly!

[Robbk]

On 26/07/2022 at 02:03, Mick Holdsworth said:

Had a regular auction list from Canada in the late seventies, early eighties. He had a wonderful range of records, all genres, and all for auction. Over abuut three or four years, I picked up a few good 'uns, nearly all blind buys.

Fortson & Scott on Pzazz, was, in retrospect, probably the best buy (for $3 Canadian), whersas with Darlene Love - Stumble & Fall, which was deemed to be very rare at the time, I got outbid at $12 Canadian.

The man was a relocated Londoner by the name of Bayliss, possibly Tony, but, not sure on that. I was put on to him via Martin Kopell, must have been a mailing list swap. He did tell me. but I can't remember now.

Anyone else remember him?

I do.  I bought a few from him.  His name was Scott Bayliss, if I remember correctly.

[The Yank]

 I found this early issue of Goldmine- it was a good overview of the state of '70's U.S. record collecting (Doo Wop and Rockabilly were red hot). I thought this want list  was interesting-