I go through this problem even at thrift stores... I have been after this thrift spot owner for like over a year now... I scooped a hot Anita Kerr Singers there so he should have some good jawns plus he had a recordless Los Angeles Negroes joint so I think he may have some more hot spanish records... maybe somthing that VIC is not up on!...
the back room is always where all the hot shit is, everyone knows that.
can't look at it = shit hot
short story: when I was in college years & years ago I was friendly with this guy that worked at a record store, his boss was mental & had stuffed all the behind-the-counter areas of the store for 20 years with anything that was decent; 13th floor elevators psych, bluenote microgroove jazz, cosmic jokers kraut, takoma folk, you name it. of course the owner would never sell any of it. not one record. the guy I was friendly with eventually got to hating his boss so much that he would basically let me roll through there & grab anything I could carry.
Early 90's I'm in a store in Nashville.....it was one of a chain of 2 or 3 stores....I think it was called Great Escape??
As I'm looking through the racks and finding 4-5 things I notice two employees moving a record rack....the way the rack was placed it overlapped another rack and had entombed about 200 LP's in the sliding doors on the bottom, for what appeared to be a very long time.
Found about 20 killer local Garage and Rock LP's and paid the 10-20 year old sticker prices.
at a known flea market I popped into a gospel cd/dvd/bootleg movie/mix cd stall because I saw a few records. I found one worthwhile record - a pretty rare 12" among tons of old (bad) hip-hop stock and current gospel LPs. I struck up a conversation with the proprietor, who eventually revealed that he used to own a store. Behind a curtain held roughly 40 boxes with Lyn Collins, more copies of said 12", a few copies of another rare 12", and doubles of a local loner folk rarity (among other less notable-but-good records).
Paid the years-old 1.99 cut out price on all of them.
There are some places where it is actually too easy to talk the owner into letting you look at the records hidden in back, so that all the good stuff is actually on the floor. cause the enterprising diggers are always trying to hit the 'forbidden' shit first, ya dig?
Interesting thread...I've commented on this type of thing before. I remember Raj brought up "Gold's Millions", a shop in Bala Cynwood Pa. This dude has been talking about his million piece "basement" stash for over 10 fucking years now.Last time I was there he brought up a box of like 50 Osmonds records.I shit you not.
A million terds is not impressive.
Also,there is a thrift store right around the corner from me.I asked about records about 2 years ago,they told me they have thousands and I'd be the first one they'd call when they "bring them up". I've tried to stay on top of the situation but they got real pissed when I asked about the records one too many times.It's like why the fuck are you going to tell me about these records if you have no intention of selling them.Completley retarded.
saw the basement about 10 yrs ago. he did have quantity on things like love-forever changes, which impressed me at the time, but probably nothing that would impress the strut.
The other thing to remember is that all the records in the back are mine. Why should I sell them to you if you wont let me paw through and collection and buy whatever I want.
As someone who never but never gets to see the "back rooms" of places, I can relate to the frustration of having money and being unable to discern whether there are records back there that you want to spend it on. I have enough respect for the dealer (as misplaced as it sometimes is) to think that if they have records for sale, they are going to be on the floor. While I'd love to hustle and sneak my way into some private stash of records that the seller has (in my opinion) undervalued, I'm just as happy looking at what's out and if there's something I like at the right price, I buy it.
What really irks me, though, is when there are things out on the floor with everything else that are not for sale. Not "not priced yet", just "not for sale." Then put it away or put a big "not for sale" sign on it. Ass.
I hear you J. I am actually really amazed how many people think I have a "secret stash" in the back of my shop. Of course, I have my records, the ones that I listen to and consider part of my personal collection; but the rest, save for maybe three boxes of fresh stuff (to be put out over several weeks, as DOR mentioned) is pretty common crate filler stuff that's already out on the floor. There's one cube of "emergency" raers if a baller comes through and cleans the wall off but that's it - and for obvious reasons, those aren't for sale (yet).
There is a funny perception, probably fueled in part by threads like this (!), that every record store, no matter how shitty, has a shangri-la of raers behind the curtain, if only they would let us back there. I find that to be a myth more often than a reality.
There is a funny perception, probably fueled in part by threads like this (!), that every record store, no matter how shitty, has a shangri-la of raers behind the curtain, if only they would let us back there. I find that to be a myth more often than a reality.
The moment Paycheck become a record store owner, he stopped being trustworthy. The record store owner society made him swear to secrecy and I suspect the reality of the backroom situation is opposite what he says. No secret backroom? Yeah right. I have it on good authority that at Good Records a select few get into the VIP room where short people serve single malts while you select from crate upon crate of sealed raer all at a third of ebay prices.
As someone who never but never gets to see the "back rooms" of places, I can relate to the frustration of having money and being unable to discern whether there are records back there that you want to spend it on. I have enough respect for the dealer (as misplaced as it sometimes is) to think that if they have records for sale, they are going to be on the floor. While I'd love to hustle and sneak my way into some private stash of records that the seller has (in my opinion) undervalued, I'm just as happy looking at what's out and if there's something I like at the right price, I buy it.
What really irks me, though, is when there are things out on the floor with everything else that are not for sale. Not "not priced yet", just "not for sale." Then put it away or put a big "not for sale" sign on it. Ass.
Even worse: the record store dealer I once met who had a mess of goodies on the floor - unpriced. I take what I want (maybe ten 45's?) up to the counter, he tells me one by one what everything costs. It's a little out of my range, so I just roll with two. Angrily, he sez "well then, why did you bring the records up here?"
I'm sorry; I know quite a few of y'all are gonna side with the store owner, but I don't give a flying rubber fuck. Had he priced the records that were on the floor, then we wouldn't have had this problem.
it is my dream to open a record shop with illness upstairs and when someone comes in looking for an Air Supply records ima tell them its in the basement, but they cant go down there
What really irks me, though, is when there are things out on the floor with everything else that are not for sale. Not "not priced yet", just "not for sale." Then put it away or put a big "not for sale" sign on it. Ass.
JRoot
This happened to me this afternoon at Cosmos.
Why is it on the floor if I can't buy it?
It wasn't even 'funky-blackman-soul-breakz-samplez' shit.
It was Paul Chambers' 'Go' on a later pressing Vee-Jay.
i have never had the "this isn't for sale" shit happen to me at a store, if it did i would walk out without buying anything else and never go back. that's ridiculous.
i have never had the "this isn't for sale" shit happen to me at a store, if it did i would walk out without buying anything else and never go back. that's ridiculous.
If you were to take a stand against every shitty/weird/eccentric thing done by arecord store owner/employee, you wouldn't have any record stores left to shop at.
The buyer has no choice to deal with wacky seller behaviour sometimes.
i have never had the "this isn't for sale" shit happen to me at a store, if it did i would walk out without buying anything else and never go back. that's ridiculous.
If you were to take a stand against every shitty/weird/eccentric thing done by arecord store owner/employee, you wouldn't have any record stores left to shop at.
The buyer has no choice to deal with wacky seller behaviour sometimes.
oh i agree, and i would never take a stand against every shitty/weird/eccentric thing, just this one.
at the shop i used to work at the basement contained thousand upon thousand of overstock 25 cent and dollar bin titles.. im talking racks of phil collins no jacket required, fogelbergs for DAYS....
MASSIVE quantity... then one day the basement flooded and i understood why the owner had them all down there... INSURANCE WRITE OFF!!!
What really irks me, though, is when there are things out on the floor with everything else that are not for sale. Not "not priced yet", just "not for sale." Then put it away or put a big "not for sale" sign on it. Ass.
at the shop i used to work at the basement contained thousand upon thousand of overstock 25 cent and dollar bin titles.. im talking racks of phil collins no jacket required, fogelbergs for DAYS....
MASSIVE quantity... then one day the basement flooded and i understood why the owner had them all down there... INSURANCE WRITE OFF!!!
My dad had a heap of mostly garbage LPs get water-damaged in our own basement... he got a LARGE check from the insurance co! I couldn't believe it...
the one time i had to deal with a "this isnt for sale situation" (they were talking about a whole box) i pulled the one thing i did want out, cleanly pulled a cheap price tag off another record, stuck it on, and brought it up
risky business, but the dude didnt seem to notice. wasnt really worth it since i found the same record a couple days later at a thrift store, and see it pretty often now (loading zone, a long time ago.)
ive seen alot of back rooms, basements, attics, etc. most of the time is just crappy backstock of titles the store already has out on the floor. one guy ive become pretty buddy-buddy with claims hes got 10,000 records at his house, says there under his front porch covered in tarps and shit. he doesnt sound too intrigued by letting me come look though
Comments
then it will begin to pile up.
moving 15,000 records sucks.
pricing and cleaning 15,000 records really sucks.
the disco calls... not to mention seeing your ultra hip coffe table
amen, emphasis on the some
the back room is always where all the hot shit is, everyone knows that.
can't look at it = shit hot
short story: when I was in college years & years ago I was friendly with this guy that worked at a record store, his boss was mental & had stuffed all the behind-the-counter areas of the store for 20 years with anything that was decent; 13th floor elevators psych, bluenote microgroove jazz, cosmic jokers kraut, takoma folk, you name it. of course the owner would never sell any of it. not one record. the guy I was friendly with eventually got to hating his boss so much that he would basically let me roll through there & grab anything I could carry.
I still have most all those records too.
As I'm looking through the racks and finding 4-5 things I notice two employees moving a record rack....the way the rack was placed it overlapped another rack and had entombed about 200 LP's in the sliding doors on the bottom, for what appeared to be a very long time.
Found about 20 killer local Garage and Rock LP's and paid the 10-20 year old sticker prices.
Paid the years-old 1.99 cut out price on all of them.
---
saw the basement about 10 yrs ago. he did have quantity on things like love-forever changes, which impressed me at the time, but probably nothing that would impress the strut.
Dan
What really irks me, though, is when there are things out on the floor with everything else that are not for sale. Not "not priced yet", just "not for sale." Then put it away or put a big "not for sale" sign on it. Ass.
JRoot
There is a funny perception, probably fueled in part by threads like this (!), that every record store, no matter how shitty, has a shangri-la of raers behind the curtain, if only they would let us back there. I find that to be a myth more often than a reality.
The moment Paycheck become a record store owner, he stopped being trustworthy. The record store owner society made him swear to secrecy and I suspect the reality of the backroom situation is opposite what he says. No secret backroom? Yeah right. I have it on good authority that at Good Records a select few get into the VIP room where short people serve single malts while you select from crate upon crate of sealed raer all at a third of ebay prices.
Even worse: the record store dealer I once met who had a mess of goodies on the floor - unpriced. I take what I want (maybe ten 45's?) up to the counter, he tells me one by one what everything costs. It's a little out of my range, so I just roll with two. Angrily, he sez "well then, why did you bring the records up here?"
I'm sorry; I know quite a few of y'all are gonna side with the store owner, but I don't give a flying rubber fuck.
This happened to me this afternoon at Cosmos.
Why is it on the floor if I can't buy it?
It wasn't even 'funky-blackman-soul-breakz-samplez' shit.
It was Paul Chambers' 'Go' on a later pressing Vee-Jay.
If you were to take a stand against every shitty/weird/eccentric thing done by arecord store owner/employee, you wouldn't have any record stores left to shop at.
The buyer has no choice to deal with wacky seller behaviour sometimes.
oh i agree, and i would never take a stand against every shitty/weird/eccentric thing, just this one.
MASSIVE quantity... then one day the basement flooded and i understood why the owner had them all down there... INSURANCE WRITE OFF!!!
Was this at the new store?
My dad had a heap of mostly garbage LPs get water-damaged in our own basement... he got a LARGE check from the insurance co! I couldn't believe it...
It's bananas. It's not really open yet. Hence maybe why stuff out on the floor wasn't priced.
It's about 4 times the size of the other store. It's about a block away and it's called Cosmos West.
The basement/backroom is filled with some crazy shit. Once it's done it will be one really nice store.
risky business, but the dude didnt seem to notice. wasnt really worth it since i found the same record a couple days later at a thrift store, and see it pretty often now (loading zone, a long time ago.)