Headed out west...

Headed out to St. Charles for a quick weekend getaway and made a couple stops.  Made the same trip about a year ago and stopped at Goodwill Glendale Heights and picked up my 300th LP.  Just under a year has passed and I'm past 500! But first up we stopped at a Goodwill in St. Charles that somehow was missed even though it is less than a mile from the hotel.

It is rare that I run into anyone else that dominates a record bin like these two did.  The female was just lounging around with not a care in the world, not even looking at the records at all.  Her man (presumably) was going through them but he was inspecting about every 5-7 records and I can tell you after many, many Goodwills....there is no bin that good, anywhere.  Finally they got out of the way and I got down to it...ran into the same damn Glen Campbell album that I again and again put back, today was no exception.  It's that damn font, makes me want it! So I ended up walking out empty handed, oh well.

After an awesome night, many beers and a good sleep we hit breakfast then headed back.  We made sure to stop in Glendale Heights on the way.  I had only been to this stop once before a year ago and never came back.  I found a really nice promo last time, what I could find now?

I saw it about 20' away, first record in the middle stack, half obscured but there was no mistaking it.  Total score! Better yet, the center label is autographed by Buzz.  I wasn't sure if it was just printed on there but its on side 2 and not side 1, and also every other picture I find online does not have it.  Unbelievable score.  Especially since I picked up their other album a while back - now I have both!

The bin was so full of junk and refuse it was like a garbage heap.

I came across another barbershop chorus album (as partially seen, above right), I just found another one a couple days ago over at the Pink Elephant (I didn't buy anything and didn't blog about it).  Not surprised to find all this local barbershop stuff when I am right in the area (Aurora and Lombard are both on the same North Ave. corridor).

Best of all when we were checking out my girl asked me if I had checked the cookbooks for volumes from the 'The Good Cook' series by Richard Olney I have been collecting for a long time.  I hadn't - so I'm glad she asked.  Would you believe I found one ('Fish')? Because I can't.  Staggering good luck.  Guess I should mention I grabbed another Ray Price record and also another Baja Marimba band.  Only two BMB LPs left...some of the recent ones have been really beat down but this one is still in the plastic, still has the original A&M inner sleeve, total score.  That makes 12 Ray Price LPs, not counting comps.  Hard to believe that is barely half.  I passed on this one previously during a joint hunt with my girl and let her scoop it.  Glad to grab one myself - wonderful shape to boot.

the 'softlines' items are pants and shorts my girl bought for herself

Salvation Army, Morton Grove

I don't get up this way often but so I made a point to see what I could see during my afternoon up north.  This Salvation Army is pretty large and had a giant record rack of an odd design.  

                         

The front and back were separated by a wire cage.  Perhaps used to protect yourself from atrociously bad releases? It was probably only at about 50% capacity and contained a number of interesting and strange records.

I found a multitude of marimba albums from Guatemala, this one included.

Initially I considered grabbing one but in the end I couldn't decide which so I left them all behind.  I actually carried one half way to the cashier before I abandoned it on top of a dresser I was walking past.  Of course, I now carry a modicum of regret but without regret there would be so self control and then the floor would fall through in my humble home. showering down vinyl upon my neighbors heads as they slept.  I also found an outrageously dated picture sleeve 7" and a unique album from Greece.  Interesting multi cultural cross section.

I found a Monkees album for my girlfriend which I see often in horrid condition.  This one was quite nice and she was happy to recieve it.  Besides the marimba albums, I did not toy with much and was having trouble finding anything I was seriously interested in at all.  I finally came upon a Decca 'Phase 4' album that caught my eye due to the interesting cover design.  I bought one of these Phase 4 albums last fall as a consolation prize at a garage sale and ended up being very pleased with it.  Decca used really nice glossy card stock for the gatefolds and this album also had the original plastic lined paper inner sleeve which further pushed me towards a purchase.  Even after a bit of quick research, I wasn't totally sure what the style of music even was but I was willing to roll the dice.

But I had a small issue.  Recently, my money was turned away at an independent thrift store in Wisconsin because the record I wished to purchase did not have a price tag.  This was their fault, essentially even by their own admission.  But it is their firm policy and they refused to let me purchase the release.  When I entered this store on this day, I overheard the cashier giving another customer the same speech.  Alas, the album I had in my hand did not contain a price tag! This only made me want it more.  Initially I tried to remove an entire plastic wrap (with price tag) from an Eddie Rabbit album but I could not get it off.  Even if I had, it would have been unrealistic to think that I'd be able to slide my record inside without shredding it.  But I was getting frantic.

Eventually I just picked a tag off of another record and stuck it on.

  Of course it looked horrible, it was all torn but I didn't know what to do.  As I was walking to the counter I noticed that it was half peeling off as the adhesive had been left behind.  So I licked my finger and smeared it down...I was about 10' and closing at this point and getting ballsy.

I get to the counter after trying to decide which album to put on top. I put it at the bottom, she rang up the Monkees album then paused instantly at the ragged price tag on my record.  The woman who was apparently her boss - and also apparently about 70 and a heavy smoker - was on the phone 2' away.  The cashier kindly asked me to hang on a second.  The phone call finally ended and with a wave of the old woman's hand, I was home free!

                       

Garage Sale, Elmwood Park

gsalr.com said 'moving sale' so I was thinking garage sale.  I rolled up and found the address...no signs, no action, nothing.  I was creeping in the driveway and checking my phone to be sure I was at the right place when I saw someone approaching.  I asked it this was 'the place' and he invited me in.  I thought maybe it was his house, but it wasn't...just another fella in search of the goods...

I got inside to find this was an estate sale.  These things always depress me.  I did my best to get in and out...I was led into a back bedroom where I found a nice heap of vinyl stuffed in a lower cabinet below a stereo and turntable (considered making an offer on the turntable).

I found a copy of the Mothers debut which made no sense since the rest of the collection was largely Greek Orthadox religious recordings and other junk.  I would have grabbed it but it was missing one of the two albums.  I also found a copy of the Turtles greatest hits which was also a bit out of place.  In the end I grabbed a weird comp as a consolation prize and headed to Nottoli for a sub and then a nap.

Affordable Thrift, Wood Dale

This place is just a couple miles from my work....I had noticed it but I believe they either changed the name or at least the sign.  I paid it no mind because it said 'pawn shop' and a place like that likely won't carry records.  But everytime I would use Google maps to look for something, my history would cause Google to recommend it because of the (new) name: Affordable Thrift.  I was plotting a route (non-record related) and when it came up again, I just picked up the phone and called to ask if they had records.  After a brief pause, the person on the other end answered 'yes'.  I said I was on my way.

While it may not be marketed as a pawn shop any longer, some old habits die hard and I had to be buzzed in like in the movies.  I don't know if I've ever been in a real pawn shop but if I have I was not buzzed in.  Anyway, I made my entrance and asked to see the records.  I fat crate was produced from the secretive back room and I got to diggin'.

I pulled out three awesome scores (one for my girlfriend, as I was on the way to her house):

Jeff Beck - Wired

This is just as exciting and excellent as I had hoped.  It can only be described as 'frantic', hammering music that just does not relent.  The cover drew me in but the music is the payoff.  I will definitely be looking for more Jeff Beck now.  Excellent fusion that is guitar-centric but not overtly so in terms of extended solos and pointless displays of fretboard prowess.  Excellent stuff.

Robin Trower - Bridge Of Sighs

My uncle played me the title cut many, many years ago and I've been hooked ever since.  I don't generally like blues but this isn't quite straightforward blues....I have yet to explore the rest of the record but will soon.

I also grabbed my girl an Alice Cooper record I knew she was dying for.  It is not 100% complete but close enough, at least until the day she can come up on another copy.

I asked how often he turns his records (he mentioned he has a 'regular' that comes in to buy up anything that has been sitting once in a while) and he said the best thing to do was just call, and he gave me a card (as usual, scanned below).  Nice guy and a nice store.  $6 for three classic records in real good shape is a success my by standards.