Goodwill [Plainfield IN]

I've had a bad habit of neglecting the Plainfield Goodwill while I have showered the Avon Goodwill with attention during my numerous visits over the past couple years.  It wasn't intentional - the Avon store is right next to my hotel and I honestly forgot there was another one just a couple miles away.  I'd say that often times I was tired after working and didn't feel like driving over there but there were definitely some times the work was light and I had time.  But again, it just didn't dawn on me.

Well it did on this trip.  I found a junk heap of records stuffed into their bins and I dug them all, and even pulled a couple out.  And of course had to artfully line up all the Enge records I found.

When you have dug thousands and thousands of junk records you start to develop a skill to recognize the same junk you see again and again.  This is what allows you to move through 100s of records quickly.  Because I am not looking for the good records, I'm looking for the bad records, and ignoring them.  So things stand out easily, there is a huge contrast when you see something that doesn't belong with the same old thrift store junk.  When I found this Braziliaan record, it stood out for many reasons besides the artist name and cover art.  For starters, the record label logo was unfamiliar.  Once I removed it I noticed instantly the quality of the jacket stock and then the strange way it opened like a gatefold, but not to reveal anything but the record inside - only the spine held the jacket front/back together!  This seems like a great example of people trying to seize upon the Bossa Nova trend (it is dated 1969).  I say that because the musicianship isn't very good, and I qualify that opinion with the multitude of bossa nova albums I already have in my collection.  But it is almost in an endearing way and regardless I'm glad to have such an odd import in my collection.  I did some research on the group and can find almost no information about them, though I did locate a number of other releases which I also added to the db.

I also grabbed another Foursider, I have the Sergio Mendes edition which I picked up long ago and I realize now I have to keep my eye out for the Baja Marimba band release.  I already have just about every A&M release for each of these three artists and I'm surprised I never came across this one before.  Glad I was able to scoop it up.

Let Loose in Lexington

Had a solid block of downtime during a recent trip to Lexington.  I already outlined my visits to some other local stores but the exciting news is - there's more! I was able to hit two record stores as well, the second of which being a questionable distance to walk, especially in the heat, but I did it anyway.  And well worth it!  First up was Pop's Resale which despite the name is actually (mostly) a record store, though they do sell some other goods.  It was in the same strip mall as Goodwill and the Meadowthorpe Antique Mall.

It is kind of a sprawling layout with the meat of the record collection about midway towards the back of the store.  They had the 'snake' alphabetized layout that continues around corners, etc until you reach 'Z'.  The very back of the store has racks of clothes (???) and there looked like perhaps other mixed goods further in the corner.  Apparently I am not that adventurous as I did not dare break the threshold of the record racks to explore this area.

Not the first time I've seen this knid of art.  This was a larger collection but I am still partial to my friends way down in Texas.

Kind of an interesting way to price records, as you can see on my receipt below I walked out with a 'blue' and a 'black'.

I wandered around in there for quite a while, sans any other customers I had the bins to myself.  But I was having some serious trouble locating anything.  Seemed like what little I could recall that I actually wanted to dig for wasn't there.  Now that I scored my holy grail, I have another Joni album I'm looking for.  As it is mass market, major label I thought maybe they'd have it.  But they didn't have ANY of her albums at all! So I returned back to the 7" bins and was able to locate not one but two Parrot 45s I need! One from Enge (a promo, wasn't even in the database and pushed me to create this list) and one from Tom.

When I was done at Pop's, I took a look at my options.  It was early in the day and I had nothing to do.  I saw that CD Central wasn't exactly around the corner but I figured I could take an Uber.  I started out walking and figured I'd see how I felt.  Despite the heat, I ended up hoofing it all the way there.  As soon as I walked in, I was more than pleased to see some good local barbershop, which I found straightaway (and had to add to the db!)

I wandered around for a while and I pretty quickly got a hold of a Kai Winding Verve offering which I toted during my perusal.  Not that I wasn't excited by it, but it almost felt like it was too obvious a choice.  Something inside me longed for a deep cut, something special.  Soon after, I found it.

Most record stores don't have a polka section.  Those records get mixed into 'ethnic' or 'world', if they aren't just chucked into the bin.  Well not only did CD Central have a polka section, I instantly found the record in front (I placed it there for the pic, the discovery wasn't quite that sweet) and knew I'd be putting the Kai album back (I did).  Even more appropriate that I personally added the LP to the database a few months ago.  I guess on some level I knew I'd find it!

this old pup was just curled up on the floor taking a nap

Rod waved me goodbye.......

After all this good fortune, the best I could do was wander to a gas station and grab an iced tea - I had walked a few miles at least at this point - and figure out the public transportation system.  I found my bus stop and tracked the next bus, soon after I was dropped off not 1/4 mile from my hotel where I took a well deserved rest, scores nearby.  Thank you Lexington!

add this to the list of places that have custom brown bags

Last 10 Records, June 2017

I've been trying for a while to figure out how can I use this tool which is mixcloud.com the best.  I've done mixes of my records many times there but I needed something that gave it a sense of duty and allowed me to share my insights on why I wanted these records as well as share the music.  And I needed a way to make myself do them with more regularity.  Well I came up with an idea and I'm pretty happy with it.  I have some room for improvement but I'm happy with this and I hope you are too.

Meadowthorpe Antique Mall [Lexington KY]

Just spittin' distance from Goodwill I found a treat in the Meadowthorpe Antique Mall.  And antique malls ALWAYS have vinyl.  It may be overpriced - it may be junk, but vinyl nonetheless.  And I'm no snob.

There isn't much out there that is more fun that wandering through an antique mall looking for records and other interesting things, especially when you are in from out of town and have time to kill.  This place was big enough that it becomes difficult to make sure you cover it all and don't miss a back corner or something.

Magazine racks are often jammed with a handful of old platters, you have to keep your eyes open at all times so you don't miss anything!

When you're at the end of the supply chain, I understand that you are going to mark up your products highly to stay afloat.  I also understand that many people that shop in places like this will allow ridiculous prices (and even pay them) when something is considered (in their mind) as an 'antique'.  You can't zoom in enough here, but that picture disc is marked at $30.  On 10 copies sold over two years in the discogs.com marketplace: $5.97 Average $4.19 Median $16.17 Highest $2.57 Lowest.  So WOW.  And that picture sleeve can currently be had for 70 cents on discogs as well!

I'll save you the accounting analysis and breakdown on this release after you sat through it on the picture disc above.  I'll also save you $6 by telling you to go down to your local Goodwill and get this for $1 like I did so long ago.

This one is intriguing.  It was inside of a glass case, hiding in the corner.  I can't find out much about the artist besides that he put out this single and a full length as well.  I think he is also a Christian musician also but I might be wrong.

Goodwill [Lexington KY]

I've been through Kentucky a number of times over the years.  I have been in and around Louisville a few times, though at least one of those instances was long, long ago, before this blog existed.  I drove through Kentucky on my way back from Mobile Alabama a while ago and stopped in Louisville again where I found at least one score.  I was on a 10 day road trip that took me through Carrolton and Ghent earlier this year.  And last November I flew to Lexington where I was picked up by a colleague (who was coming from Louisville) and then we both drove out east to Pikeville. He dropped me back in Lexington again afterwards where I flew home the next day.

So on this trip I was working in nearby Versailles which made lodging and a flight yet again to Lexington convienent.  I hit up a number of spots on my day off throughout the city, the least worthy of mention was the Goodwill on Leestown Road.  They did have a nice cube of vinyl stacked up and ready to go but I found nothing worthy of note.  But as I sit here days later recounting the trip, I questioned why I didn't check anything out last November.  I was digging through Google Photos looking at all the photos I have ever taken in Kentucky and found that I actually did check out a Goodwill (a different one on the other side of town) but I never posted about it! I didn't find anything there either, apparently.  But here you go, over a half a year later, the junk vinyl at the Goodwill on Clays Mill Road: