the owner charges you $5 dollars just to look through the records. If you buy something, then you get your money back. However, before agreeing to this obsurd policy, you cant see what his stock is priced at... Godspell sndtrk: $18 Needless to say, upon learning of this bullshit, I never returned to his store.
Is this for real?
I'm sorry, you now owe me $5 for the time it took me to type this reply.
What's your paypal info? (do you charge for using paypal?)
Oh, I wouldn't say that. There are enough new discoveries to go around, and the broader your taste, the more discoveries there are that will excite you. I mean, sure, it's not like when all this shit hit 10-15 years ago and people were discovering records that now are considered old hat; but I can think of several records over just the past year that I have either found or been hipped to that are or were pretty much unknown.
I'm not talking about personally finding things that you don't know about, because that's always going to happen. Hey it's what makes music great, nobody can know everything. I'm talking about objectively genuinely new and good things being put out. Being the first few people to rediscover "soul heart transplant" n shit. The well isn't dry yet, but it's getting there.
No, that's what I mean - genuinely unknown records. I mean, I'm just a small fry, but even me... just in the last 12 months I've had BOTH of the 2 known copies of a certain disco rap 45, a very rare reggae-rap 12" (which is apparently known but only ID'd by one collector so far), an absolutely horrendous but endearing (and totally unknown) childrens' stage band soul/funk record, a very rare and incredible disco 12" that is only known by a few collectros, an unknown gospel psych-soul record I'm tracking, an unknown lounge/folk thing I'm tracking, that Polygamy record... and I keep buying records like the Mike Selesia, Sims Sisters, etc that are real "discoveries". Unknown 80s-90s rap records are starting to pop up now too. I heard a record the other day that had to be a mid-to-late 90s thing, total underground backpack style but completely unknown! I was IN that scene, so for me to not know a record like that was really something. When I worked at Sandbox every no-name bedroom rapper's tape, 12" or EP came through. Matter of fact, that dude Wafflerock needs to bring that record back here so I can take notes!
I don't think the well is dry, unless you limit yourself to a type of music that's already been exhumed for the most part. But you do have to work a lot harder!
I don't think you can really compare it to when people started re-discovering soul, funk, and jazz by the pallet and box, but still. It's happening...
Bananas, St. Pete FL. This dude has records but I'm so tired of the "Japanese come here every month so I charge top dollar" look shit up in a catalog and then go get it for me wakkness.
Really? I can't really speak on their storefront, but their mail order game is definitely on-point. Rapid fire shipping of Medium Raer in pristine condition. One of the better dealers I've bought from.
I'd have to say Rasputin's in Downtown San Fran is one of the worst stores I've been to, strictly since I never find ANYTHING there. Truly picked over.
No, that's what I mean - genuinely unknown records. I mean, I'm just a small fry, but even me... just in the last 12 months I've had BOTH of the 2 known copies of a certain disco rap 45, a very rare reggae-rap 12" (which is apparently known but only ID'd by one collector so far), an absolutely horrendous but endearing (and totally unknown) childrens' stage band soul/funk record, a very rare and incredible disco 12" that is only known by a few collectros, an unknown gospel psych-soul record I'm tracking, an unknown lounge/folk thing I'm tracking, that Polygamy record... and I keep buying records like the Mike Selesia, Sims Sisters, etc that are real "discoveries". Unknown 80s-90s rap records are starting to pop up now too. I heard a record the other day that had to be a mid-to-late 90s thing, total underground backpack style but completely unknown! I was IN that scene, so for me to not know a record like that was really something. When I worked at Sandbox every no-name bedroom rapper's tape, 12" or EP came through. Matter of fact, that dude Wafflerock needs to bring that record back here so I can take notes!
I don't think the well is dry, unless you limit yourself to a type of music that's already been exhumed for the most part. But you do have to work a lot harder!
I don't think you can really compare it to when people started re-discovering soul, funk, and jazz by the pallet and box, but still. It's happening...
It's happening, but I know you put some serious work in. Finding music for you is not a casual affair! And this is what Dante is I think getting at. You have to be a rather serious, enterprising young record head to have a good crack at finding anything interesting. The market has taken unique music product outside of the accessability of the typical music lover. Which is too bad.
That's definitely true - and most dealers I know would rather take chances on ebay with unknown stuff than put a price on it... but also, at this point, you have so many "casual diggers" - dudes who basically buy strictly at record stores - that the only way you're going to get unknown stuff is buy getting into raw collections, storages, etc. It is indeed very tough to find rare records - let alone unknown ones - in record shops these days because there are just so many people looking, in every area of the country.
Jon and Andrew are both on the money with their comments, but I didn't have rare soul, jazz, rap or funk in mind when I posted last night.
I was thinking more a young dude that merely wanted to hear something like Sweetheart of the Rodeo or Truly Fine Citizen, but have been denied that opportunity because the browsers are bare. If they have never heard those records, they would in fact be "new discoveries" to that particular person.
Selection = Expansion = New Blood = Better for all in the long run.
Jon and Andrew are both on the money with their comments, but I didn't have rare soul, jazz, rap or funk in mind when I posted last night.
I was thinking more a young dude that merely wanted to hear something like Sweetheart of the Rodeo or Truly Fine Citizen, but have been denied that opportunity because the browsers are bare. If they have never heard those records, they would in fact be "new discoveries" to that particular person.
Selection = Expansion = New Blood = Better for all in the long run.
No doubt - that's why it's so important to stock punk as well as breaks as well as loft disco as well as gangsta rap and so on. Turning a funk guy on to Tommy James or a rocker on to Ghostface. A disco dealer was in here once and "chelsea girl" was playing... the comment was "that bird's got a nice voice, wots this then?" Priceless.
The award goes to GOLD MILLION RECORDS in Bryn Mawr, PA
cosign. the owner is one of the worst human beings around. i worked at Plastic Fantastic circa 96. lasted a month or two before i quit with a 'fuck you'. dude isn't really hurting for money though. i think he still drives a porsche. thing is anywhere there are records you have a chance to pull out some heat. and i've got some good stuff there and even at the new spot for cheap.
ive never really had a problem with jerry's. probably not going to find crazy fire but the turnover rate is amazing compared to most record stores and almost nothing is more than 8.99. havent been in a while though. Ive never left the place salty.
Shop was opened in the 80's by a long-time NYC doo-wop collector/dealer who was a trip and a half.....claimed to be Born Again and would preach to anyone who would listen, yet he kept Gay Porn in full view on the front counter so he could "legally keep kids out of his store" (Huh??).......Door was always locked and he would have to buzz you in only after he looked and made sure you were someone he wanted in his store.
Stock was plentiful with old school rares at top prices....and for about a 2 years stretch he refused to let any "locals" in the store because they didn't spend as much as the "Japs" as he would say.
Sold the store a few years ago to a collector who simply took everything he wanted and sold the store a month later.
Sold it to a guy that has been discussed here that would let folks dig but never sell them the records....whatever was pulled would be on ebay the next week.
Store was sold again within the last year to a guy so clueless it's mind boggling who now has a store full of worthless records and chants the "Northern Soul sells for alot on ebay" mantra. Too bad he doesn't have any.
Shop was opened in the 80's by a long-time NYC doo-wop collector/dealer who was a trip and a half.....claimed to be Born Again and would preach to anyone who would listen, yet he kept Gay Porn in full view on the front counter so he could "legally keep kids out of his store" (Huh??).......Door was always locked and he would have to buzz you in only after he looked and made sure you were someone he wanted in his store.
Stock was plentiful with old school rares at top prices....and for about a 2 years stretch he refused to let any "locals" in the store because they didn't spend as much as the "Japs" as he would say.
Sold the store a few years ago to a collector who simply took everything he wanted and sold the store a month later.
Sold it to a guy that has been discussed here that would let folks dig but never sell them the records....whatever was pulled would be on ebay the next week.
Store was sold again within the last year to a guy so clueless it's mind boggling who now has a store full of worthless records and chants the "Northern Soul sells for alot on ebay" mantra. Too bad he doesn't have any.
I guess he used the "Japs" line with all of us, haha, what an ass. Didn't he sell it due to health problems? Seems like I saw he had it listed at 1 point for $250k.
I think I went to this place: large basement shop, huge selection of records, all piss-poor dollar bin/thrift tripe? With a huge selection of nice stuff organized behind a counter, where you are allowed to look through a book and pick titles, but they will be DOUBLE ebay value?
THAT would be the worst record store I've ever been to... the kind of place where you leave angry... and all I wanted to do was give them money for records, which is what you'd think they're there for...
Shop was opened in the 80's by a long-time NYC doo-wop collector/dealer who was a trip and a half.....claimed to be Born Again and would preach to anyone who would listen, yet he kept Gay Porn in full view on the front counter so he could "legally keep kids out of his store" (Huh??).......Door was always locked and he would have to buzz you in only after he looked and made sure you were someone he wanted in his store.
Stock was plentiful with old school rares at top prices....and for about a 2 years stretch he refused to let any "locals" in the store because they didn't spend as much as the "Japs" as he would say.
Sold the store a few years ago to a collector who simply took everything he wanted and sold the store a month later.
Sold it to a guy that has been discussed here that would let folks dig but never sell them the records....whatever was pulled would be on ebay the next week.
Store was sold again within the last year to a guy so clueless it's mind boggling who now has a store full of worthless records and chants the "Northern Soul sells for alot on ebay" mantra. Too bad he doesn't have any.
I guess he used the "Japs" line with all of us, haha, what an ass. Didn't he sell it due to health problems? Seems like I saw he had it listed at 1 point for $250k.
Yeah....I spoke to him about a month ago....diabetes and failing sight were behind him selling the store but I don't think the dude was into it anymore and had stopped buying stuff a while back. Before he sold the store he sold his EP collection which included just about every rare 50's EP and covers known.
worst? as late as 2002 or so he had an Unknown - Pad Out 45 on OA behind the 60s U card. I've got a handfull of things from him but that, which vinylneck pulled ;(, is the most notable thing found at Sgt Richard's.
Most memeorable Connoisseur lines:
Customer: "hey, is there a restroom I can use?" Richard: "Well, is it number one or number two?" Customer: "What?" Richard: "(Sigh)... Ah yeah, I guess. Go ahead."
Richard: "I don't ship records overseas anymore after 911. The postal service opens all my packages looking for AMtracks and scratches the records in the process."
Next sentence...
"Hey, you're not gonna find what you're lookin for over there. I ship all the good soul and jazz stuff to Japan. You can always get the most money from the Japs."
have you been to either locations in the last year....worst doesn't begin to describe this room of dreck.
yep, I went when Sl*c*m first reopened it and got some medium rare.. well probably just medium 45s out of there.. actually they were closer to being well done now that I think about it. I went back a second time after that, which I'm not proud of, and that is when I encountered the full on dreckatude.
I think I went to this place: large basement shop, huge selection of records, all piss-poor dollar bin/thrift tripe? With a huge selection of nice stuff organized behind a counter, where you are allowed to look through a book and pick titles, but they will be DOUBLE ebay value?
THAT would be the worst record store I've ever been to... the kind of place where you leave angry... and all I wanted to do was give them money for records, which is what you'd think they're there for...
thats the one. and the records they sell for insane prices are only for sale if they have doubles.
Shop was opened in the 80's by a long-time NYC doo-wop collector/dealer who was a trip and a half.....claimed to be Born Again and would preach to anyone who would listen, yet he kept Gay Porn in full view on the front counter so he could "legally keep kids out of his store" (Huh??).......Door was always locked and he would have to buzz you in only after he looked and made sure you were someone he wanted in his store.
Stock was plentiful with old school rares at top prices....and for about a 2 years stretch he refused to let any "locals" in the store because they didn't spend as much as the "Japs" as he would say.
Sold the store a few years ago to a collector who simply took everything he wanted and sold the store a month later.
Sold it to a guy that has been discussed here that would let folks dig but never sell them the records....whatever was pulled would be on ebay the next week.
Store was sold again within the last year to a guy so clueless it's mind boggling who now has a store full of worthless records and chants the "Northern Soul sells for alot on ebay" mantra. Too bad he doesn't have any.
Dude was definately a freak...but he did sell me a sealed copy of S.O.U.L for 10 dollars and this was on 9/11..
This is a tough one - reflex makes me want to say Nuggets, a Boston "institution" that has been around forever, and still has many of the same records in the bins that were there when I was an employee, 18 years ago[/b]! Still, I took a chance in there the other day and copped a few decent albums, like a sealed Tyrone Davis OG on Dakar for $8, so I'll give them a pass...
...I'll have to go with "DISCoveries," which is a combo book & record store out in Alston, MA - owned & run by an endearing but insane old Filipino woman, she has piles and piles of trashed albums, puts Bob Seger "Against the Wind" LP's on the wall for $12, slaps $20 price tags on beat up split open Martha Reeves & the Vandellas "Greatest Hits" 70's pressings, and I have yet to find ONE ALBUM worth buying in that morass ... in fact, I would love to hear just one "I scored ***** at DISCoveries" story, if only to give me hope enough to make it worth going back in there sometime...
i've actually pulled tons and tons of good stuff out of Nuggets... including my copies of Screaming Target by Big Youth (og trojan) and African Dub Vol 4 by Joe Gibbs (og jamaican). they were 15 dollars each, which, while not cheap, is about half market rate on both records... also, got tons of solid stuff there for 1.99 and 2.99, like "solid rock" by the temptations, "get it togther" by the j5, and Ramones Leave Home (w/ "carbona not glue")
as for Discoveries, i've only been once and i got the "here comes the judge" LP by Shorty Long, mint, for 8 bucks, which i was happy about...
Boston has (or "had" at this point) a lot of bad/below average record stores, but no real stinkers along the lines of that oldies store on Carmine St (where their cheapest records are their "5 dollar bin special", which is full of Herb Alpert records, copies of "a star is born" OST , and other 25 cent thrift store classics... ) Second Hand Rose must be mentoined as well... the people running that will have a fun time in hell... most stores in Boston have something if you stop in long enough.... there are plenty of stores in NYC that i've been in 10-20 times and MAYBE bought one thing.... (that store on the second floor on 8th St,across from Elecric Ladyland, btwn 6th and Broadway) , Subterranean (Richard Hell's used syringe, only 50 bucks!), Bleeker Bobs (got the Automator "better tomorrow" EP there for 5 bucks back when it was out of print, and a couple things in the dollar bin..., but besides that i feel like they add an extra zero onto all their prices... average james brown records are 70-100 bucks... if you knw people working there, their prices go down, but seriously...), actually fuck it, basically every store in the village/west village area.... they all stink pretty bad.... oh, and how bout Final Vinyl? that guy is out of his fucking mind.... want an 80's pressing of some Bob Dylan record? 15 bucks...
Luckily, there really isn't any shops in Chicago where the owners are complete assholes. Old insane men, yes, but the only real shop I can think of that the owner is a dick, is Vintage Vinyl in Evanston (Supposedly the basis for the movie High Fidelity). The shops are 70% shit selection wise in Chicago, but most of the people who run them are cool, or at least courteous. Some places have their off days though.
worst stores... cheapos- they pulled some bullshit on me with 45s. the dude there who found those stark reality 45s like four years ago wouldnt let me look back at hte stacks.i had to tell him everyone i wanted. fair enough. we found 3-4 hits and instead of pricing them for me, he listens to them (cause he didnt know them) and then wouldnt sell me any. plus, i was begging all of them to sell me the coffey stk empty sleeve they had in the stairwell and they werent having it. a shop in seattle had one in the window and just gave it to me.
this is a textbook example of knowing how to roll... my point is, if you go into these stores like a fucking mercenary, just trying to pull out rare shit to flip, these guys will see right thru you...
TripDub is no mercenary, no one is going to mistake him for one.
I think some towns have good record stores, Portland, Chicago, Toronto. Other towns have all these nut cases you are talking about. Stores with fresh good stock priced fair and a friendly staff create a large clientel for records. Wierdos who wont sell you records force people to switch to CDs. Seems like most towns have one type or the other. Towns with the wierdos tend to have few stores. Towns with good stores, have lots of stores.
"I sell to the Japanese." News flash, the Japanese economy tanked in the late 90's. Dealers still come through, but they are no longer buying everything with no regard to price and condition.
Dante, in towns like Portland kids can still start collecting and discover the Byrds and Leadbelly and JJ Cale on a budget on their own, no problem. The record store is not dead.
"...He is not a good businessman." No record store owner is a good businessperson. A good businessperson would go into something more profitable and dependable.
Some stores are provincial in behavior because they have a steady customer base, people they deal with who they dole things out to on the regular. Everybody knows this - you all have local spots where you are cool with the staff and they let you get early bird styles and hook up discounts whatever. So if you roll into that spot out-of-town style and start asking for shit that local dudes kind of have to work their way into, you can see why this might not work out.
Not speaking on the TDub situation directly, since I don't know how that went down. Just saying, "mercenary" seems a little extreme, but anyone can see why you might find restricted access at a spot you don't frequent.
worst stores... cheapos- they pulled some bullshit on me with 45s. the dude there who found those stark reality 45s like four years ago wouldnt let me look back at hte stacks.i had to tell him everyone i wanted. fair enough. we found 3-4 hits and instead of pricing them for me, he listens to them (cause he didnt know them) and then wouldnt sell me any. plus, i was begging all of them to sell me the coffey stk empty sleeve they had in the stairwell and they werent having it. a shop in seattle had one in the window and just gave it to me.
this is a textbook example of knowing how to roll... my point is, if you go into these stores like a fucking mercenary, just trying to pull out rare shit to flip, these guys will see right thru you...
TripDub is no mercenary, no one is going to mistake him for one.
well, i'll just say this... the normal routine at cheapo's is anything on the wall from the 60's is 4 dollars and anything from the 70's or newer is 3 dollars... so, if he didn't get that treatment, he must have done something to spook the owner... i say this based on multiple peoples experience (the only time i went in there in the last 4 years was the time he gave me the 100,000 45's and he didn't know me from adam...). if you're going to go into a place and ask for some rare shit out of the book, at least have the smarts to camoflauge it with some James Brown and Stax Volt...
i will admit, i don't know Tripdub at all, wasn't there, etc, etc... but,. from my experience that guy is totally fair, unless he thinks you're trying to pull something. of course, he's also a nut, so his bullshit detecter could be faulty...
lastly, SoulOnIce raises a good point... for local record stores to stay in business, they have to sometimes refuse to sell shit to the guy they've seen once in their life (or once every 6 months) in order to sell it to the guy they see every week or so... there are plenty of dealers/store owners who refuse to sell on Ebay, b/c they feel like they'd rather make a little less on a certain record in exchange for return business.... which makes total sense... (and helps foster the record store/cubhouse thing Mr. Paycheck was talking about...)
Pe*e, on the Cheapo's thing - you're forgetting the dude that works there that does pull that shit. OT had a story about finding good records in the new arrivals, and this dude trying to pull some you-can't-have-these-I-promised-em-to-my-boy bullshit. That's why I say I can't speak on that scene, cause shit can get weird in Cheapo's, although they are always straight with me.
Pe*e, on the Cheapo's thing - you're forgetting the dude that works there that does pull that shit. OT had a story about finding good records in the new arrivals, and this dude trying to pull some you-can't-have-these-I-promised-em-to-my-boy bullshit. That's why I say I can't speak on that scene, cause shit can get weird in Cheapo's, although they are always straight with me.
Al*n pulled it? or the D*v* kid?
or someone else?
hmmmmmm..... well, OT does seem a bit shady...
kidding...
anyways, yeah, record stores... GRRRRRRRR....
but, yeah, i mean i shopped at cheapo's on and off from like 93-2001 and everyone there was always straight w/ me...
honestly, i think every record store does something that some custemer could find questionable...it's the nature of the busness: alot of freaks on both sides of the counter...
There's a flea market guy who has a year round store on some legit stuff (i.e. his 'dollar bin' {the majority of the shop} is $.89 plus tax)at Zern's in Boyertown, PA. Talk about a guy who knows absolutely nothing. I overheard him telling a woman that Bob Marley CDs are hard to find because they didnt re-release a lot of his original stuff. This is no exaggeration. Someone asked for Sublime and he asked if they were heavy metal.
So i took a stack to him...Kurtis Blow 12", a Bill Withers, some jazz...nothing major. He wanted $15 for a half-beat Bob Dylan Desire. i told him i wouldn't go more than $4 for anything except a Duke Ellington / Johnny Hodges Verve release. (Stepping Out? i'm at work, sorry). He looks at me and looks at my stack and says, "Why don't you pick out the stuff that you really want and i'll price that." Becuase he was pricing everything out of his record guide. He practically convulsed when i asked him how much he wanted for Plastic Ono Band (the only Beatles that i really have any vinyl interest in, purely pleasure). I didnt even wait for him to figure out what he wanted to do about it and literally got it the next day for $2.
I have to keep going back because he has no clue what he's doing and will surely put raers and fire into the $.89 section without a clue, but conversation with his guy is like an ice pick to the gut. Cheap 45s and a few boxes of unsorted records too, but the level of frustration i reach everytime i go in there makes him an every-other stop at Zerns (a place that i am slowly picking clean anyhow).
Dr joel
Zerns as a whole has seen its day. Music Mania is terrible!! Never found any 89 cent heat, evar.
Been there a few times... That place depresses me.
Comments
What's your paypal info? (do you charge for using paypal?)
No, that's what I mean - genuinely unknown records. I mean, I'm just a small fry, but even me... just in the last 12 months I've had BOTH of the 2 known copies of a certain disco rap 45, a very rare reggae-rap 12" (which is apparently known but only ID'd by one collector so far), an absolutely horrendous but endearing (and totally unknown) childrens' stage band soul/funk record, a very rare and incredible disco 12" that is only known by a few collectros, an unknown gospel psych-soul record I'm tracking, an unknown lounge/folk thing I'm tracking, that Polygamy record... and I keep buying records like the Mike Selesia, Sims Sisters, etc that are real "discoveries". Unknown 80s-90s rap records are starting to pop up now too. I heard a record the other day that had to be a mid-to-late 90s thing, total underground backpack style but completely unknown! I was IN that scene, so for me to not know a record like that was really something. When I worked at Sandbox every no-name bedroom rapper's tape, 12" or EP came through. Matter of fact, that dude Wafflerock needs to bring that record back here so I can take notes!
I don't think the well is dry, unless you limit yourself to a type of music that's already been exhumed for the most part. But you do have to work a lot harder!
I don't think you can really compare it to when people started re-discovering soul, funk, and jazz by the pallet and box, but still. It's happening...
Really? I can't really speak on their storefront, but their mail order game is definitely on-point. Rapid fire shipping of Medium Raer in pristine condition. One of the better dealers I've bought from.
I'd have to say Rasputin's in Downtown San Fran is one of the worst stores I've been to, strictly since I never find ANYTHING there. Truly picked over.
SG
It's happening, but I know you put some serious work in. Finding music for you is not a casual affair! And this is what Dante is I think getting at. You have to be a rather serious, enterprising young record head to have a good crack at finding anything interesting. The market has taken unique music product outside of the accessability of the typical music lover. Which is too bad.
Jon and Andrew are both on the money with their comments, but I didn't have rare soul, jazz, rap or funk in mind when I posted last night.
I was thinking more a young dude that merely wanted to hear something like Sweetheart of the Rodeo or Truly Fine Citizen, but have been denied that opportunity because the browsers are bare. If they have never heard those records, they would in fact be "new discoveries" to that particular person.
Selection = Expansion = New Blood = Better for all in the long run.
yup. no records in pittsburgh, none.
No doubt - that's why it's so important to stock punk as well as breaks as well as loft disco as well as gangsta rap and so on. Turning a funk guy on to Tommy James or a rocker on to Ghostface. A disco dealer was in here once and "chelsea girl" was playing... the comment was "that bird's got a nice voice, wots this then?" Priceless.
cosign. the owner is one of the worst human beings around. i worked at Plastic Fantastic circa 96. lasted a month or two before i quit with a 'fuck you'. dude isn't really hurting for money though. i think he still drives a porsche. thing is anywhere there are records you have a chance to pull out some heat. and i've got some good stuff there and even at the new spot for cheap.
record-rama = instant headache
ive never really had a problem with jerry's. probably not going to find crazy fire but the turnover rate is amazing compared to most record stores and almost nothing is more than 8.99. havent been in a while though. Ive never left the place salty.
Shop was opened in the 80's by a long-time NYC doo-wop collector/dealer who was a trip and a half.....claimed to be Born Again and would preach to anyone who would listen, yet he kept Gay Porn in full view on the front counter so he could "legally keep kids out of his store" (Huh??).......Door was always locked and he would have to buzz you in only after he looked and made sure you were someone he wanted in his store.
Stock was plentiful with old school rares at top prices....and for about a 2 years stretch he refused to let any "locals" in the store because they didn't spend as much as the "Japs" as he would say.
Sold the store a few years ago to a collector who simply took everything he wanted and sold the store a month later.
Sold it to a guy that has been discussed here that would let folks dig but never sell them the records....whatever was pulled would be on ebay the next week.
Store was sold again within the last year to a guy so clueless it's mind boggling who now has a store full of worthless records and chants the "Northern Soul sells for alot on ebay" mantra. Too bad he doesn't have any.
I guess he used the "Japs" line with all of us, haha, what an ass. Didn't he sell it due to health problems? Seems like I saw he had it listed at 1 point for $250k.
I think I went to this place: large basement shop, huge selection of records, all piss-poor dollar bin/thrift tripe? With a huge selection of nice stuff organized behind a counter, where you are allowed to look through a book and pick titles, but they will be DOUBLE ebay value?
THAT would be the worst record store I've ever been to... the kind of place where you leave angry... and all I wanted to do was give them money for records, which is what you'd think they're there for...
Yeah....I spoke to him about a month ago....diabetes and failing sight were behind him selling the store but I don't think the dude was into it anymore and had stopped buying stuff a while back. Before he sold the store he sold his EP collection which included just about every rare 50's EP and covers known.
worst? as late as 2002 or so he had an Unknown - Pad Out 45 on OA behind the 60s U card. I've got a handfull of things from him but that, which vinylneck pulled ;(, is the most notable thing found at Sgt Richard's.
Most memeorable Connoisseur lines:
Customer: "hey, is there a restroom I can use?"
Richard: "Well, is it number one or number two?"
Customer: "What?"
Richard: "(Sigh)... Ah yeah, I guess. Go ahead."
Richard: "I don't ship records overseas anymore after 911. The postal service opens all my packages looking for AMtracks and scratches the records in the process."
Next sentence...
"Hey, you're not gonna find what you're lookin for over there. I ship all the good soul and jazz stuff to Japan. You can always get the most money from the Japs."
have you been to either locations in the last year....worst doesn't begin to describe this room of dreck.
Funny that you have to be somewhat off center to hoard that many records. The more your hoard, the more off center.
Which doesn't bode well for my later years.
yep, I went when Sl*c*m first reopened it and got some medium rare.. well probably just medium 45s out of there.. actually they were closer to being well done now that I think about it. I went back a second time after that, which I'm not proud of, and that is when I encountered the full on dreckatude.
it's open in a new location now?
thats the one. and the records they sell for insane prices are only for sale if they have doubles.
i've actually pulled tons and tons of good stuff out of Nuggets... including my copies of Screaming Target by Big Youth (og trojan) and African Dub Vol 4 by Joe Gibbs (og jamaican). they were 15 dollars each, which, while not cheap, is about half market rate on both records... also, got tons of solid stuff there for 1.99 and 2.99, like "solid rock" by the temptations, "get it togther" by the j5, and Ramones Leave Home (w/ "carbona not glue")
as for Discoveries, i've only been once and i got the "here comes the judge" LP by Shorty Long, mint, for 8 bucks, which i was happy about...
Boston has (or "had" at this point) a lot of bad/below average record stores, but no real stinkers along the lines of that oldies store on Carmine St (where their cheapest records are their "5 dollar bin special", which is full of Herb Alpert records, copies of "a star is born" OST , and other 25 cent thrift store classics... ) Second Hand Rose must be mentoined as well... the people running that will have a fun time in hell... most stores in Boston have something if you stop in long enough.... there are plenty of stores in NYC that i've been in 10-20 times and MAYBE bought one thing.... (that store on the second floor on 8th St,across from Elecric Ladyland, btwn 6th and Broadway) , Subterranean (Richard Hell's used syringe, only 50 bucks!), Bleeker Bobs (got the Automator "better tomorrow" EP there for 5 bucks back when it was out of print, and a couple things in the dollar bin..., but besides that i feel like they add an extra zero onto all their prices... average james brown records are 70-100 bucks... if you knw people working there, their prices go down, but seriously...), actually fuck it, basically every store in the village/west village area.... they all stink pretty bad.... oh, and how bout Final Vinyl? that guy is out of his fucking mind.... want an 80's pressing of some Bob Dylan record? 15 bucks...
It's on Bowen North of Hwy 303.....East side of the street in a little strip mall.....good luck
TripDub is no mercenary, no one is going to mistake him for one.
I think some towns have good record stores, Portland, Chicago, Toronto. Other towns have all these nut cases you are talking about. Stores with fresh good stock priced fair and a friendly staff create a large clientel for records. Wierdos who wont sell you records force people to switch to CDs. Seems like most towns have one type or the other. Towns with the wierdos tend to have few stores. Towns with good stores, have lots of stores.
"I sell to the Japanese." News flash, the Japanese economy tanked in the late 90's. Dealers still come through, but they are no longer buying everything with no regard to price and condition.
Dante, in towns like Portland kids can still start collecting and discover the Byrds and Leadbelly and JJ Cale on a budget on their own, no problem. The record store is not dead.
"...He is not a good businessman." No record store owner is a good businessperson. A good businessperson would go into something more profitable and dependable.
Dan
Night Owl Record Show April 15th!
a steady customer base, people they deal with who they dole
things out to on the regular. Everybody knows this - you all
have local spots where you are cool with the staff and they
let you get early bird styles and hook up discounts whatever.
So if you roll into that spot out-of-town style and start asking
for shit that local dudes kind of have to work their way into,
you can see why this might not work out.
Not speaking on the TDub situation directly, since I don't
know how that went down. Just saying, "mercenary" seems a little
extreme, but anyone can see why you might find restricted access
at a spot you don't frequent.
well, i'll just say this... the normal routine at cheapo's is anything on the wall from the 60's is 4 dollars and anything from the 70's or newer is 3 dollars... so, if he didn't get that treatment, he must have done something to spook the owner... i say this based on multiple peoples experience (the only time i went in there in the last 4 years was the time he gave me the 100,000 45's and he didn't know me from adam...). if you're going to go into a place and ask for some rare shit out of the book, at least have the smarts to camoflauge it with some James Brown and Stax Volt...
i will admit, i don't know Tripdub at all, wasn't there, etc, etc... but,. from my experience that guy is totally fair, unless he thinks you're trying to pull something. of course, he's also a nut, so his bullshit detecter could be faulty...
lastly, SoulOnIce raises a good point... for local record stores to stay in business, they have to sometimes refuse to sell shit to the guy they've seen once in their life (or once every 6 months) in order to sell it to the guy they see every week or so... there are plenty of dealers/store owners who refuse to sell on Ebay, b/c they feel like they'd rather make a little less on a certain record in exchange for return business.... which makes total sense... (and helps foster the record store/cubhouse thing Mr. Paycheck was talking about...)
the dude that works there that does pull
that shit. OT had a story about finding good records
in the new arrivals, and this dude trying to pull
some you-can't-have-these-I-promised-em-to-my-boy
bullshit. That's why I say I can't speak on that
scene, cause shit can get weird in Cheapo's,
although they are always straight with me.
Al*n pulled it? or the D*v* kid?
or someone else?
hmmmmmm..... well, OT does seem a bit shady...
kidding...
anyways, yeah, record stores... GRRRRRRRR....
but, yeah, i mean i shopped at cheapo's on and off from like 93-2001 and everyone there was always straight w/ me...
honestly, i think every record store does something that some custemer could find questionable...it's the nature of the busness: alot of freaks on both sides of the counter...
Been there a few times... That place depresses me.