Goodwill [Plainfield IN]

I have been through this store and this area too many times to count at this point - I just created a new label to keep track of all these trips so you know it is getting serious!.  I pulled some scores out of here over the years and even when I strike out I enjoy the hunt.  That could be said of all places as I am an optimistic and realistic digger, but especially here in central Indiana as I am almost always in a great mood when I get the opportunity to travel here.

I am a sucker for 12" singles and I love alternate remixes and that kind of stuff.  So it was a no brainer to scoop up this guy.  At work we use this sometimes as a triumphant theme song when we complete a big job (even though it is actually a forlorn love song).  Both versions here are interesting to someone like myself who has long enjoyed and analyzed the song.

What an awesome record.  The vinyl itself was totally covered in cat hair and dust but the grooves aren't dirty, just surface filth.  Took that off easily with a microfiber rag and my custom 99% isopropyl/distilled water mix.  Nice to see that someone actually used an inner sleeve with a generic outer sleeve, often it seems like people think that because they don't have a legit outer sleeve it isn't needed.  Neglect! Ironically it looks like this did come with a proper outer sleeve, which leads me to believe (hope?) that this was used by a DJ or something somewhere.  The outer sleeve isn't beat up like it was abused, but the corners are so soft and worn it looks like it had been rubbed and touched and used thousands of times.  I just used it again to dub both sides and what a delight they are! The instrumental is truncated and is really more of an instrumental of the remix on side A than the normal LP cut.  Also pretty awesome that I was only charged for a 45 so I saved a few cents.  I don't care about the few cents but it is nice to keep it under a buck and not have to carry around a load of change the rest of the day!

Goodwill [Greenfield IN]

Nice to get back in the swing of things after a short while of inactivity.  I drove 4 1/2 hours to Cambridge City Indiana, did my work in only about 2 hours, then drove back west to spend the night in Indianapolis.  This was on the way and well worth it.


Roger Miller ‎
I scooped this in Michigan about 2 1/2 years ago.  Don't see it too often.

Arnett Cobb Is Back
Not familiar with Mr. Cobb but this one did look interesting.  I had terrible cell reception so I was having trouble doing any kind of research on artists and releases.  I wonder if it was this misprint (linked here) I found, I might have grabbed it in that case.

Force Majeure
I was sure this was a 12" single due to the short track list (either durations were not listed or I did not see them), which did seem odd given the limited info I had on this groups genre.

Let Me Party With You
Fairly outrageous disco album in beat condition.

Solid Gold
This one I have a little regret on not grabbing, it is nearly 50 years old.  The track list is solid and something about the font and the colors on the cover called out to me.  Again, I couldn't do any research, not sure if it would have mattered, maybe the lesson is to go with my gut once in a while.

Good High
Something about Mr. Brick here makes me uncomfortable.  Maybe it is that he seems very uncomfortable, despite his efforts to look like he is having a pleasant day.  This gives me bad vibes.

What A Diff'rence A Day Makes

Finally one I did grab.  I wouldn't pass on much Kudu stuff, it is an extension of my CTI obsession.  Nice bunch of sidemen here.  Still has the original inner sleeve to boot.  The price did seem low and now that I look closely, it seems like the lazy cashier accidentally charged me for a 7" and not an LP!

Rock Bottom Treasures [Plainfield IN]

I've been to the Plainfield/Avon area a bunch of times now but somehow never bothered to check the area for record stores.  Obviously I underestimated the area because I found Rock Bottom Treasures on a cursory glance at the map! I had my work planned for a Sunday which gave me a very leisurely drive on Saturday to do whatever I liked.  It turned into one of the most fruitful digs in recent memory!

The place bills itself as selling 'vintage goods' first and foremost; they do sell some other stuff but the record inventory is large and fairly well organized.  I first saw a wild mess of 7" as I walked in and decided I didn't feel like navigating that craziness so I moved to the jazz section where I found an array of good stuff very quickly.  A long, long time ago I saw some Eric Gale records at a garage sale.  I remember it so well.  I decided against buying both.  Later, I did score a different one.  I have always enjoyed it, which has left me forlorn for years pondering what might have been with the others.  No matter, I found the second one here and it is even a promo. What a steal! I also found a really nice Jimmy Smith 2xLP Blue Note comp that was too good to pass up.

Lately I have been buying a select number of my favorite LPs on CD just to listen to in my truck.  I had some Pat Metheny CDs on order at the time and one still had not arrived.  Of course, this place had a ton of Pat Metheny CDs, and everything was only $3.  I held off on the one I order, but I did grab another more recent release which I am really pleased with. 

This fella was stumbling around with his cane for a while, then really
got deep into the game digging in some old plastic totes for...
who knows.

It wasn't until later that I realized that my promo contained some goodys! First of all there was a glossy one sheet for other contemporary Columbia releases.  Sort of cool, sort of...meh.  But then I found this! Folded in half, it is just a plain Eric Gale promotional flyer!  Scanned for your pleasure.  Enjoy!

Krazed in Kokomo

I've been awfully spoiled lately with the opportunity to travel to many large metropolitan areas.  Finally I was make in a small town in Indiana - now this feels natural!

I swung through a Goodwill in town - plenty of vinyl to be had.  It was nothing doing, but I did find a mono copy of Eng's first (they had the stereo as well).  Once upon a time I'd have been all over this.  Alas, now I actually own two copies of the mono version (four of this release in general).

I figured that was it, but I got stuck in town an additional day.  This gave me an entire afternoon to mess around! But this is when things really went off the rails.

First I went to a St. Vincent I already knew was in town but didn't have time to check out.  They did not have any vinyl! This may have been a first.

Next up was an actual record store (which seems to also double as a small music venue).  American Dream Hi-Fi was just a couple blocks away so I wandered over.  While the hours on Google Maps (and their front door) showed they should be open for business, they were closed and dark.  There was another guy sitting in his vehicle at the curb who called me over.  We were both locked out and with that, the shop lost two customers.

Somehow, Kokomo held many delights - there was an antique mall/flea market just on the other side of town! But three strikes and I was out! Vendor City had a pipe burst the night before and some clean up guys were in there doing their thing.  So the place was locked tight.  What bad luck! I just went to screengrab the announcements from their Facebook (which I read on my phone as I stood out front) but they have been deleted.  So you'll just have to believe me! I hope I get back to Kokomo sometime so I can check them out.

D'yer Maker

My history with the Dyer Goodwill runs deep.  Back before it was even fully constructed and I invited myself inside through the many polka records I have pulled out of here, and even some weird rarities I just went ahead and sold for profit.  Haven't been through since early spring so I enjoyed my trip out this way and of course again, it was filled with scores.

Who the hell is Bill Holliday? Well I can tell you he is dead, so you don't have to whisper when you ask such a question.  More on this later.

Heatwave and Lakeside caught my eye, I don't remember now but I think one of them was just an empty jacket.  I have to believe the same owner once had both of these.  Speaking of empty jackets, yes, sadly the Marvin Gaye was definately empty.  It also looked like a dog had been casually chewing on the jacket for years.

The Pala Brothers and Lil' Wally albums showed that there is still a stash of Chicago polka filtering through the store.  The Eng record is just for kicks but the Walter Wanderley is a real gem waiting for someone.  The jacket is tore up pretty bad but the vinyl looks listenable so I hope someone takes this home (I scored my own long ago).

That Bill Holliday album was just odd.  My Spidey sense was going haywire.  It seemed to be a comedy album but it reeked of something more sinister.  I did a couple quick searches on my phone for the record or at least some info on old Bill but found almost nothing.  It is super clean so I did end up buying it and I am not disappointed.  This is pure mid 60s comedy in a small club and Bill is just an obnoxious type of comic who just riffs on anything.  He slows starts to work some racist material into his act but to me it was just part of the larger persona which again, it purely abrasive and out of hand.  The crowd just eats it up.  This is truly a recording of another era, long gone by.  Glad I grabbed it.

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.

Goodwill [Avon IN]

I've spent quite a bit of time in the Avon/Plainfield area.  I worked on a job site in Avon twice about 12-18 months ago, now I have worked twice at a totally different job site which is about 1 mile away, but across the border in the adjoining town of Plainfield.  All of these times I stay in the same hotel in Avon which has a Goodwill right next to it.  Part of my tradition is walking over there and navigating through the thorny bushes that separate the empty lot next to the hotel from the Goodwill parking lot.  On my last trip, this wasn't so bad but now that spring has arrived the foilage has increased big time and it is chock full of brambles and other sharp horrible things.  I wouldn't want to try this in shorts!

Everytime I visit I remember the first time I came to town - its been over a full two years now.  I found a bunch of scores at the Avon store and even checked out the Plainfield Goodwill which I think I forgot existed, I don't think I've been back.  Anyway, I've been into Avon three or four times now but never had much luck.  Well this time they actually scaled back their records and put them into flippable 'bin style' organzation, a far cry from the horrible ground level 'bookshelf style' storage they had going.  This very much looked like a Savers bin.

Just touching on the records you see in the front of the stacks (which I placed there), the first religious record was autographed and well personalized (should have taken a pic).  The 5th Dimension debut did not have anything inside the jacket but it was in crazy beautiful mint condition (I already have their first 8 LPs).  That greatest hits actually intrigued me just a little but I did a catch and release on that one.

But in the last bin I did find something that I grabbed right away.  It is a promo but not in the true sense, but does have a pretty big promo sticker on the jacket itself.  (Not sure if Nemperor did legit promos).  Many, many years ago my Uncle Rick used to make me mix tapes (on cassette) from his expansive record collection.  He got me into some jazz fusion and other stuff that I still enjoy to this day back then.  He used to write 'A Rick Slick Production' on the tape.  He put the title cut from this LP on one of those tapes and I listened to it millions of times.  Years later when I found out who played on the album I was so excited to hear that it was Jeff Beck of all people who played the awesome leads on this song.  But then I found out he wasn't on this track, it was someone else who I never heard of but who is obviously super talented.  The record actually turned out to be pretty beat, its mostly really dirty, no violent scratches on it but it does skip a little bit.  

A long time ago I was at my uncle's house for a holiday or a party or something.  I was probably around 20 and thought it would be a good idea to take some LSD before the party.  I did this other times at family events, don't ask me why.  So I went down into the basement to kind of hide out and my cousin was down there.  At this point my uncle had put all his CDs into CD books so he took all the inserts and tray cards and taped them around the perimeter of the basement up near the ceiling like crown molding.  I spotted  the tray card for this one which has the awesome rear jacket seen below (along with some Indiana beer, in my hotel room).

So I was pretty out of it and I was obsessed with this pic because I remembered the mix tape from when I was younger.  I told my cousin I wanted it really bad and I was going to rip it down off the wall.  She told me to leave it .  At this point I don't remember if I told her straight up I was on hallucinogens or if she kind of knew or what.  But I was begging her for it and she kept laughing and saying to leave it alone.  So as you can see I have a very special attachment to this release.  My uncle got me into Return to Forever via one of his other mixtapes which remains one of my favorite groups ever.  He bought me a copy of a Manhattan Transfer album on cassette (I found it on my birthday a few years ago).  Pretty heavy stuff for a pre-teen to be jamming out to.  The record had a weird stamp on it which is kind of smeared and hard to read, I did a bunch of google searches but couldn't come up with anything.  All in all another nice run through Avon and I already scheduled yet another trip in a week!

St. John's Lutheran Thrift Shop [La Porte IN]

La Porte is kind of a grimy old town, new customer I never visited before and while I've been all over Indiana (and NW Indiana specifically), never been here before.  My work was pretty pleasant, there is nothing better then hitting the road for a day trip on a Friday, it's like ending your week early.  So afterwards I ducked into this little thrift shop in search of vinyl with low expectations but a good attitude nonetheless.

                               

Well, nothing to see here.  Mostly religious junk with a smattering of useless orchestral tunes to fill out the crate.  But a nice quiet store with a couple other people digging through their collectibles of choice and a lady behind the counter who gave me a friendly, small town smile as I exited the premises empty handed.

The coolest part about the trip was that there was an old abondonded school across the street, here in this residential neighborhood.  Lots of windows were busted out and the date above the door says 1893! It's a shame that in this day and age there surely isn't enough cash to go around in a place like La Porte to turn this place into something useful or maintain it somehow.  I'm sure that the church that ran it still exists but that is a big undertaking to get a place this big functional.  But what a waste, this building was built to last.  I waited about 10 minutes for a couple parked cars to leave so I could get the angle I wanted.  I took many others and none were great, I had some fun processing this one in my truck and I'm happy with it.

Dyer again

So let's recap my numerous (this would be #4) visits to the Goodwill in Dyer Indiana, which has not yet been open a year.  In a short time I've been blessed to have been able to stop by so many times, and more specifically to have been able to get so many scores in that time!

June 2016: not yet open

August 2016: autographed Eddie Blazonczyk (just the jacket) plus a rare proto-house record which I sold for 40x what I paid.

January 2017: found the missing record I could not find on my previous visit

So this time again, I was not shocked to continue to find more polka.  Better yet, it was stuff that I know wasn't out last time.  They must have a large stash of polka but as all Goodwill's periodically switch what is in the bins, the supply gets petered out over many months.  So I walked in and saw the three below - the first I need (and purchased, of course), the second I already have (found at a local Goodwill) and the third I passed on, though that is some pure, legit polka if there ever was any.

The record I grabbed is entirely in Polish which is just a tiny bit disappointing to a blatant American like myself, but more important is the rear jacket which shows the credits.  I had read that Jerry Darlak got started as a drummer (much more well known for playing the squeeze box in the Versatones) but never saw the proof.  That aside, the credit on trumpet was even more interesting.  No question this is Tony Paliga of the Paliga Polka Dots of EXTREMELY nearby Hammond.  Technically I can't prove that, but the Chicago-Indiana connection (not referring to where I found the record, that is just a coincidence) and the unique last name, I rolled the dice.  Both gents are now credited for this release on discogs.

It was a bit disappointing to see that there are now only two levels of LPs (counting the wooden crates at the bottom).  Previously there was a third - now it is all 7".  As long as they keep the polka coming, I don't mind!

World Record Shoppe [Indianapolis IN]

You get the feeling they've been 'remodeling' for a long, long time.  And there is no 'sale' anywhere beyond that door that I saw.

Found myself in Avon again - couldn't wait to get free from my work and head back to that Goodwill I had so much luck at.  Of course, there was nothing this time.  Oh well.

I went back to my hotel and laid low for a minute then decided I wouldn't strike out that easily! I checked the map and found a couple record stores but none were that close.  One was especially odd, it had only a couple reviews and they were really bad.  There was no photos for the place and I was convinced it wasn't a legit, operating store.  So I called and asked if they had records.  Someone answered the phone - then they answered yes.  And I was off!

World Record Shoppe is a real dump - about half the store is CDs in those old plastic 'racks' and they are all $10-15 and looked like mostly junk.  The records are along the back wall and sort of organized by genre, but then there is a large $1 bin as well.  The place is on Keystone Court, which is kind of just part of a larger parking lot for a whole bunch of other stores.  I actually parked, got out and walked about a block because I didn't understand where the place was.  It is in the back of the little strip mall, kind of in another strip mall of it's own.  Inside, there was a lot of cluttered junk around and I swear there was no heat in there.  At the counter, a fella sat behind the register, surrounded by all the other stuff he sells like marijuana smoking junk like pipes and what not, cologne, dollar store type stuff.



I initially glanced through the genre/artist specific bins looking for a few odds and ends but nothing panned out.  So I went over to the dollar bin and just went through it all.  The bins were so stuffed I had to pull a pile out of each so they would flip.  There were also a few stacks just laid on top which I had to move around.  Found absolutely nothing of interest except a marginally cool Tom Jones live album (which I already have) with a cool retail sticker.

                                     

Speaking of this album, I was always told that on Parrot releases, if the Parrot logo is in a box, it is a stereo only release.  If the Parrott logo is NOT in a box, it comes in mono and stereo.  I have proven this correct already on the first two Engelbert albums and the first 5 Tom Jones albums.  But this one is a mystery because it has the logo without the box but I have never, ever seen a mono version.  Now, you might say that I haven't seen many so how would I know.  Well of course you can look through this blog and imagine how many 100s I've looked at in thrift stores (as Tom and Eng are populated in every thrift store in the land).  But that isn't why I think I have a strong case the record doesn't exist.



I have the eBay app on my phone which is really cool because you can 'follow' searches.  So you have your set of keywords and refinements and whenever there are new items, a little dot appears next to that search in your list.  Then you click and see the new items.  I can assure you that people list at least one copy on eBay every single day of the year.  So I have looked through many more hundreds in this way, I even have a couple different searches saved to make sure none fall through the cracks.  So unless someone can show me a mono USA pressing, I don't believe it, logo be damned.

Back on track - after I dug the entire dollar bin I decided I'd go back and just look through everything else top to bottom.  I didn't have anything else to do and there weren't that many albums in this dump.  So I started at 'A' and just kept on truckin'.  And what do you know - I found something that has been on my want list for years, plus it was sealed and it was only $4 (which says a lot as everything was overpriced in this place).

So I started to walk over to the counter when I noticed a whole ton of 7"s right by the register.  As soon as I started to stoop down to start digging again, the clerk said 'those aren't for sale'.  I couldn't believe this attitude in a place this corroded.  I have a lot of trouble believing they sell many records (or CDs) here, period.

                               

So I casually said 'that's interesting....the records aren't for sale...in a record store'.  He responded with "c'mon, they do that everywhere".  I asked who exactly 'they' refers to and he elaborated: he claimed that all record stores have huge inventory that they refuse to sell.  Well I hate to brag but I have more hard evidence of record store visits than most people (even if I haven't visited the most), so I beg to differ on that.  But I just shook my head and laughed, paid and got out of there.  One last time: what a dump!

Goodwill [Dyer IN]

I don't know how many times I've had buyers regret for passing up a record then thinking about it for days and wishing I hadn't left it behind.  I had a situation at this Goodwill before but not quite in the terms I just described: I ended up buying just a jacket as the record was missing.  Where was the vinyl? I looked through everything twice, it was nowhere to be found.  Admittedly, I did not look inside every record but as I walked out I became increasingly convinced that is where it resided.  I relegated myself to the thought that it would never be mine.  I remedied this in a way that solved the problem but did not satisfy my collecting related OCD.  Still, it was the best I could do.

I was lucky enough to be heading home from Warsaw Indiana and I decided to take Old 30 west most of the way even if it wasn't the fastest thoroughfare.  I remembered this shop was on 30 so I checked the map and made my plan.

I walked in...THE DAMN RECORD WAS STARING ME IN THE FACE.  That's right - the record I could not find before was not on the top shelf of the rack, not in a sleeve and up front.  I couldn't believe it (still can't)!  So I continued my dig to see what else I could find, and things got more interesting, quick.

I found two more Chicago polka releases - both had the wrong record inside.  The interesting thing is that in both instances, the record inside was indeed still from the Chicago polka genre!

I already have the Marion Lush album - inside was a slightly more obscure Jay Jay release

This one really got my excited - I was very eager to grab this compilation.  But inside again, a Jay Jay record.  This time, from Li'l Wally's Polish language only alter ego.  

The four records plus mine make five Chicago Polka records ranging over nearly 20 years.  My guess is that here just on the Illinois border and not far from area where many legit polka clubs existed for many years, a serious polka fan lived near Dyer.  However, this person was a bit sloppy with their vinyl.  But I'd like to think that they were having some serious listening sessions or maybe a party - all the vinyl got taken out and just jammed back inside something else.  The interesting thing is that none of these records were out during my last visit in August.  This is because every Goodwill has a load of vinyl in the back, so they can periodically rotate everything and just junk what didn't sell.  What might I find on my next visit? And when will that visit be? I do not know!

Goodwill [Dyer IN]

I checked this place out pre-construction on my last trip out to Terre Haute.  After I took a leak in an outhouse outside (and wondered why there was an outhouse outside) I strolled in to be greeted by a bunch of construction workers.  I vowed to return and after wrestling with myself for a few hours previous, I swerved and found my way inside.

They must have just opened a week or two ago because it was packed.  Surprisingly (for a new store), they had a TON of vinyl!

I initially found something I know I have (in fact, I very quickly remember exactly where I got it) but I thought I'd be a good boyfriend and check if my girlfriend needed it.

With that done, I kept searching and very quickly came up with a Chicago polka record I needed! No surprise I added this one to the db myself.  But it was a good news/bad news type situation:

Good news: THE JACKET IS AUTOGRAPHED BY EDDIE BLAZONCZYK!

Bad news: there was a Perry Como album inside!

This was ironic because I almost didn't even bother to check inside as I saw the tufts of the crappy plastic inner sleeve hanging out, which I know Bel Aire used in the 90s. But once I checked, I was extremely torn.  Could I buy just a jacket? It seemed so stupid.  I half wondered if somehow they would give me a hardtime at the counter when they noticed it was empty.  Would they notice the autograph and decide to keep it? Who knows.

But I had already found one other really odd record.  You have to learn to sniff out the really out of place stuff when you dig, even if it's something you know nothing about you have to be able to tell when something doesn't fit - maybe it is worth a few bucks.  The record I am referring to is a proto-house recording by a Chicago duo.  It is historic to say the least and discogs showed 2 had it and 12 wanted it.  I put it up for sale immediately as the grooves look really clean and there is only one other copy for sale (in the UK and in 'good' condition).  No buyers - yet.

Have you figured out where I am headed with this yet? I discarded the Perry Como LP and stuffed the Z-Factor inside.  In the photo of the rack above, you can see an empty generic outer sleeve with Eng peeking through - that is the original jacket.  The funniest part is that it was 1/2 off that day so I paid only 50 cents for this 'package'.  I also got my girlfriend a bag of cherry candy since they had a huge display of all the flavors of Claey's hard candy (look it up, good stuff) so my bill was closer to $2 but I'm so wealthy I can pay that.  And as I was driving home from central Indiana on a Saturday at 2pm, you do the math on my OT.  That's right - cherry candy and used records all day long.  I'M RICH!!! 

I have long wanted to return to Bel Aire and this might be my chance.  I checked out all my pics to see if they had this record for sale and while I can disqualify all of the obscured jackets I am going to hold out just a little hope that I missed one.  The crazy thing is that on that rotating magazine rack there are seven LPs with only the rear jacket exposed.  I know it is not any of those because 'Another Polka Celebration' is ironically the first Versatones album NOT to have the Bel-Aire catalog on it.  The albums in the record rack are pretty easily recognizable but maybe one is buried.  Maybe? Please? I hope so.  Either way I want to go back to buy Grolsch and grab those Tones albums.

Goodwill [Terre Haute IN]

There are actually two Goodwills in town, luckily I was able to stop at one. I was still driving into town when I saw it, I felt like it was morally questionable to be thrifting when my customer was waiting for me but I knew it would only be five minutes. It was on the way and I'd get out so late that I'd miss even Goodwill's late 8pm close.

They didn't have many records and there was truly nothing worthy of note. I did later accidentally find a Disc Replay in town but unlike the one 'back home' in Joliet, this one did not have records. Later still that night I realized that I was just a couple miles from Headstone Friends. I had to research my own life and try to figure out when and why I had been this way before. Sometimes it's just a blur.  The next day on my way home I swerved to check out a Goodwill in Dyer.  I walked inside and saw the place was under construction - zero signs (or how about locking the doors?) or anything.  Not a very profitable trip!

Headstone Friends [Terre Haute IN]

My trip started in Robinson - when I struck out at two antique stores, then found that the local Goodwill was closed for their annual Christmas party, I hauled out of town.  Robinson is a rare stop on my journeys where I could not find a Marriott or Holiday Inn to stay in anywhere nearby (yes, I am a pretty loyal rewards member for either chain) so I had planned to drive all the way to Terre Haute (about an hour away) to stay the night.

I got into town and found that there were actually three Goodwill stores in about a 3 mile radius (two of them were on the same street, about 2 miles apart.  I stopped at the first and they did not have any records! I don't think I've ever seen this happen at a Goodwill, ever.  I was starting to feel like calling it a night, I was in need of foods and beer and my hotel room television set.  I even cruised right by the second Goodwill and then I decided I'd try to look for an actual record store to mess around in.

Headstone Friends is as peculiar at the name.  In a barren part of town, the building is small and has no windows.  It was really dark on the corner there, no streetlights on the sidestreet where I parked and for the 17,443rd time I asked myself "where the hell am I?" and wondered about this odd habit/hobby/obsession and the places it brings me.  Then I opened the door and went inside.

The only thing I can compare this place to is a small joint in my neighboorhood who also sells a combination of junk, records, posters and pipes for your marijuana.  Headstone Friends leans a bit more toward 'record store' than 'head shop' comparatively, but the selection is pretty grim.  They do have a network of bins set up which is nice but they clearly raided the local Goodwill that I could not find any vinyl in.  Johnny Mathis and Jack Jones records are just as bad if they are jammed into the square bin at the thrift store or carefully organized.  I can't think of a single thing I saw that was even moderately interesting and I went through every single record in the place.  Maybe I should have come to shop for a new bong and I'd have left more satisfied.