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!

Time Capsule [Seekonk MA]

It was very exciting to come to work in Seekonk because it would allow me to check Massachusetts off of my list.  So I made plans to stop on the way from Logan airport because I assumed that there was nothing in Seekonk, and even if there was, I might not have time to stop.

Well I finished up early and as I got into my rental to drive away, not 1/2 mile from my point of origin I drove past Time Capsule and saw the sign that they had vinyl! Yet another toy/comic book store that carries vinyl! I slammed on the brakes HARD and swerved into the tiny parking lot so I could get inside and have a look.

They had a ton of vinyl and a nice jazz section where I concentrated.  I struck gold once I took a look at the jazz 'new arrivals' section and quickly pulled out two gems for really good prices.  I've always got my eyes wide for a particular Paul Desmond record, one of the last 3000 series vinyls I still need.  I didn't find that, but I did find a very nice 6000 series record from Mr. Desmond.

I have a nice bunch of Wes Mongomery jukebox EPs and I've long been looking for the LP version of the last one I needed.  Hell, I'm always looking for Wes Montgomery vinyl but especially Verve stuff.  Glad to find this one in beautiful shape, again, for a great price.  That makes eleven 6000 series platters in my collection.

Wax Pax Records and Toys, Roselle [POST #250]

I have been to a couple combination record/toy stores.  It is a strange combination but it is more common then logic would have you believe.  I am sure that this store must be somehow related to the Quake store just a couple miles away and have found fleeting evidence to support that, but nothing concrete.  This is really close to my parent's house, and I go there every Thursday if I can but alas, they are closed on Thursdays! This week, I made it on Wednesday so I knew I should take advantage when I could.



The setup is so identical to Quake that it's like I was teleported.  A very similar selection but about double the quantity.  Prices are often at a premium but that is to be expected when you are buying records at a....toy store.  I saw a 70s prog-rock classic I have been consistently on the lookout for for years but I wasn't willing to part with $20 for it.  Even half of that would be on the high end unless this was in staggering condition.  I also found the exact same (I even checked if perhaps it was mono, not that this would add much value, or any) box set I just purchased a week before for $1....for $15!

                              

I did not purchase anything but the owner chased after me to give me a card and let me know to keep an eye on Facebook for updates on new arrivals which was really nice.

Catapult Collectibles, Crystal Lake IL

Did some work up in Cary...on a previous trip I stopped at a record store on the way back.  This time, I got a little more daring and went to a...toy store? Yes I did, and it isn't the first time, or even the second that I've looked at records amongst Star Wars figures and the like.

Catapult was a clean area with a multitude of records, all individually bagged and priced.  Quite fairly too - Quake could learn a thing or two.  Anyway, I didn't have much time to kill and I only made it to the letter 'C' before I found the below record for my girlfriend, as seen below.  I just spun side A twice as I wrote this blog entry and the two before it.  She has exposed me to his work previously and while I was not a super fan (as she is), I am far more sold in his sound.  If I was such an evil man, I'd repossess it right now.  Delightful stuff.  

{N(o) H(elp) [(N)eeded, (H)a!]}

Had a whirlwind early week headed out east to run through Portsmouth New Hampshire.  I flew from Chicago to Philly on an early flight where I laid over on the final leg to Manchester.  I could have flown direct with United (my preferred carrier) but they wanted double the price which was well outside the reasonable limits my employer allows.

My colleague picked me up at the airport and we made a few stops before he deposited me in Exeter where I was staying the night.  In search of food and beer (the usual suspects), I checked my phone and found a thrift store within walking distance.  I called to confirm they had vinyl and got the green light.  So I headed out.

It was about a mile I think and I came upon Wonderland Thrift in part of a strip mall shared with an Auto Zone and some other varied businesses.  I was just outside Exeter - in Stratham.  I found the book section quickly enough but my tunnel vision somehow backfired on me and for a few moments I became frantic wondering 'where are the records??'.  

Then I came upon them, right under my nose.  I found a large contingent of not only Canadian musicans/vinyl, but specifically French Canadian.  I remain very intrigued by a private press release from the east coast of Canada which I added myself to the discogs database.  For once I did turn back a Ray Price album with some trepidation; my real regrets are saved for the Verve release I left behind.  Freddy Fender has one of the best heads of hair I've seen around - is his music as good? I still do not know; I left his debut behind.

Besides the decent vinyl selection, their incoming donations sat in a true landfill just inside the front door.  Crucial times!

I stopped into BK and munched a chicken sandwich up with a glass of water, then stopped into an EXCELLENT deli next door to Wonderland called Great East Butcher Company.  I got a Reuben to go along with a 4 pack of Moat Mountain Oktoberfest brew.  More importantly, I got some awesome intel from the cook, Donavan: he told me he had been the sous chef at a place in Manchester called Republic Cafe and that I should check it out.  I made a mental note and thanked him and headed back to my hotel for a relaxing evening with the above bag of consumables and some trash on the idiot box.

The next morning my colleague picked me up at my hotel and we headed out to Portsmouth to conduct the business that brought me there.  Afterwards, he drove me back to Manchester where I had another room for the night, this time one with a 24 hour shuttle to the hotel.  But before we left town, I had him stop at the Savers in Porsmouth where I checked out their wares.  Nothing doing - not much to see.  They had stuffed the upper tier with magazines so they basically had half as many records as every other Savers in the nation.

I think I got back to Manchester about 5pm - we had to make another stop and also paused for a bite to eat.  I was feeling tired but I knew it was my only chance to get out and hit up whatever I could while I had time.  There were a Savers and a Goodwill but it would end up to be at least a 5 mile round trip.  So I took an Uber to the Savers and figured I'd walk back.

At my second Savers of the day I found a much neater, tidy bin stuffed with platters.  It was here I made my bones in New Hampshire: two Roger Miller records.  The first totally new to me, the second an alternate cover of an album I scored last summer in Florida.

I've seen these signs in Savers a handful of other times, it's usually some archaic and comical junk they have stashed like bricks of gold.  This time it looked like they only had one.  I can't imagine what they wanted for it...I can only laugh as I only paid $1 for mine.

I trudged on towards Goodwill, beginning to think I had bitten off a bit more than I could chew.  It wouldn't be fair to complain about jet lag on such a short flight(s) but I had never really recovered from getting up at 4:30am on Monday.  But I had far to go, despite the fact that dusk was setting in and it was getting cold.  But as I walked down Route 28 I saw something so far out of the corner of my eye I can only credit divine intervention or perhaps the years of experience and intuition I had developed.  I saw the marquee for a comic book store in the distance in a strip mall.  I was at least 1/8th mile away so I could see nothing but the sign but I knew that sometimes comic book stores carry vinyl.  I don't have any experience with such a store to attest to that but again: intuition.  Not wanting to walk down there for nothing, I checked my phone and jackpot - they have records.  So I crossed and headed down the ramp.

Newbury Comics is much more than a comic book store or a record store, or even the sum of those parts.  They have tons of books, magazines, memorabilia, T-shirts and more.  But I care about none of it, not even the 'more' - I was there for vinyl.

I flipped through their discs, many of them new and sealed and didn't find much.  I did have the slightly awkward moment of checking my parcel of Roger Miller records at the counter when I entered.  As I refused a bag at Savers, they were bare so the clerk was very confused initially and wondering if perhaps I wanted to sell them.  It was only a few minutes after that introduction that our relationship concluded as I retrieved my country classics and moved on.

My last stop was of course Goodwill.  They had one of the nicest record bins I've ever seen in a Goodwill, or anywhere.  This would be a joy for anyone to have in their home.  I wanted to discard those old box sets into a bonfire or a trash compactor as they worked hard to destroy the otherwise flawless aesthetic this wonderful bin shared with the world.  But alas, it is just a container and what matters is the filling of that sandwich, which was of course rubbish.  

Goodwill Manchester

Very odd...they had these 2 boxes stuffed with LPs in heavy cardboard sleeves.  I can only guess that they came upon a big load of unsleeved albums and made the investment themselves to pretty them up for prospective buyers.

Not desiring a repeat of my awkward moment in Newbury, I abandoned my vinyl leaning against a rock outside while I shopped.  I was scared someone would steal or otherwise deface my $2 of property but thank goodness, they were safe after the 7 minutes I spent inside.

I only wanted to get back to my room so my pace became hurried, I was hungry and tired and once again, had overdone it and pushed myself harder and futher, for reasons I never knew and still don't.  But the universe was not done with me, and I laughed uproariously as I saw the sign below right on my path, just a few blocks from my hotel.

I'm not sure if I should be grateful or sad, but I found the one in a million sign pasted to the front door.  Don't know if I'll ever be back in Manchester (or New Hampshire in general), but if I am, I'll make a stop.

With all possibilities of thrifting or digging through records exhausted, my mind moved to its usual places: food and beer.Something inside my screamed to 'take it easy' and go next door to 99 (a regional restaurant/bar, I had just been to one in Albany a few weeks previous.  But I still wanted to heed Donavan's advice from the day before.  Somehow, I got it together and hailed an Uber.  

I had some saganaki and a couple beers at Republic and found it to be a wonderful place that I think would excel in a number of larger markets outside NH.  But those couple beers were good so I had three more.  After 5 beers, I made some friends at the bar and we headed over to another night spot called Cotton where I had two martinis.  Surely this is where I went off the rails....not to be outdone, we went to yet another bar close to where I wanted to eat my dinner (the saganaki was just a snack).  I somehow muscled down a couple more brews in a daze where I was discussing baseball (!!!) with a townie.  I walked over to the Red Arrow Diner where I mashed in some kind of mess that was supposed to be 'prime rib' in alot of gravy with potatoes (should have had an omelette).  I was able to hail an Uber with 1% left on my cell phone battery and got to bed about 11pm - my alarm was set for 5am.  6 hours of sleep should have been enough but you never sleep very well when you are that drunk.  When I got up, I felt like I had taken a 5 minute nap. Somehow I dragged myself down to the shuttle and through security before I enjoyed two flights (the second in the middle of three seats, the first where I had to take a brisk walk to the lavatory when the nausea hit Defcon 2 (it was a false alarm, thank god)).  

I made it back in one piece, barely and slept double digits of hours that night, recovered and lived to tell the tale.  Hope you enjoyed it.

Independence Day Thrift Circuit

A route I have covered before, once on a holiday - it was time again with a day off and nothing to do.  I reviewed my own blog and also the always handy Google Maps to create a list of places to go and root around in.

First up was the Shelter - I have always had good luck here with jazz records, promos and beyond.  However I was disappointed to see that they ditched their record bin and are now using a shelf.  Worse yet, the collection had diminished to true junk - nothing of interest.  I searched for Pyrex to complete my second set of nesting bowls, I did find a 401 but it was the wrong pattern and I need 402 and 403 anyway.

Only thing worse then junk records is junk records that do not respect the
categories they are supposed to be organized in!

We ducked around the corner to Quake to find the familliar selection of wildly overpriced records.  Besides the new sealed reissue vinyl the place is riddled with, there were a variety of common $1-3 records labeled for $10 or more.  I considered paying the $8 for a Sting record then got a hold of myself and determined I could get it for almost nothing elsewhere.  I do not know where this guy gets his prices from, or just figures his customers are dumb enough to be gouged like that.  No thanks.

Quake added a couple other bins scattered around.  I don't care much for the one up front, but the one buried back there I had as a youngster...

Next up with Kenneth Young Resale.  They have a magazine style rack which was loaded with perhaps Frank Sinatra's entire discography.  There are worse records but these surely do not interest me.  The only thing of marginal interest was the country platter depicted below.

Much more interesting however was the wildness that took place during our visit.  Back last fall when I was had been in the store, we witnessed a literally crazed customer getting loud with one of the cashiers.  I wasn't fond of that display of rudeness but attributed to (serious) mental illness.  This time around, we got to see someone lose their marbles over having one of their scores 'stolen' by another customer.  The cashier told them it was 'fair game' as it was left on the counter (I whole heartedly agree) but she would hear none of it.  Some of the better quotables:

"She stole my junk! That BITCH!"
"This store is racist....most racist store in Illinois.....they are down with the KKK!"
"She stole my SHIT!"

Next up we stopped to get a bubble tea then decided if we should head to Goodwill Addison or Arlington Heights - never been to either.  Instead, we headed over to Savers Hoffman Estates.  This place was loaded with scores the last time around and this visit was no different.  First off I found a red 402 Pyrex before I even got to the record rack.  I need this desperately in the 'multi color' (red) pattern but it was super beat up so I left it behind.  Funny as I recently found two totally wrecked 401s at an SA - keep your Pyrex out of the dishwasher people! But I came away with an array of excellent condition Phase 4 records - I got hooked on Frank Chacksfield long ago at a garage sale and I ironically just ordered one on discogs.  Well here I got not one but two additional which makes four.  There were many other Phase 4 records and I even grabbed a cool promo sampler - however there was a different vinyl inside the jacket! Of course I always check for warp/scratches/mismatches before I buy anything...this one slipped by because it was actually ANOTHER Phase 4 promo sampler! Too weird! Best of all is that the vinyl I actually got is far better in terms of song selection than the jacket it was in.  Still, I am very bothered by the fact that the other one is there, with the other jacket....I want to go back and raid it one more time.  If it is there and I missed it I'll have to give myself 20 lashes or something for being so remiss.

I also grabbed a really cool UK only release (with a price tag in pounds!) on the cover, another Jose Feliciano album and a much cleaner copy of a CW album I already have (which I bought on ebay close to 10 years ago probably).  Better yet - it turns out to be a previously undiscovered center label variation AND it has a very odd sticker on the back I did not notice until after a week later.  I was going to pull the old copy out of my shelf and either sell it or otherwise get rid of it when I saw it.  Looks like while this is not an import version, it made a mighty long trip from a record store in Goor, Netherlands! The shrink wrap was carefully opened by a record nerd over 30 years ago and is still tight as a drum!

My girlfriend got my fave Brasil 66 album (favorite based on cover art, though the album is great too) with a cool promotional sticker on the cover - I'm still jealous.  Last night I sat on her basement floor and listened to both sides in the nude, while drinking a freezing cold Pilsner Urquell from a frosted mug.  It was a spiritual experience.

We closed things out with a stop at Salvation Army Roselle.  This place was notorious for having a multitude of records stored in the worst way possible and nearly innavigable.  It was shocking to find that there were NONE in the store! I asked one cashier who pointed me to the back (where I had already looked).  When I asked another worker they said someone had come in and 'bought all the records'.  I don't know about that but I do know there were none in the house.  We even wandered around in the back room, hunting high and low.  Maybe they went in here? I'd have gone inside to check, but apparently it is against the rules.  Oh well - a nice day of thrifting none the less!

Weathersfield Way Run

I awoke Saturday morning out in Roselle, feeling dejected that I couldn't go out and look for records.

I've covered my thrift store run in the area more than once, (most recently on Thanksgiving) and I know that isn't enough elapsed time for any kind of stock rotation to occur and I don't feel like looking through the same old junk again so soon.

Refusing to give up, I did some quick research to see if there was still anywhere I had missed.  I found that there was a second Quake Collectibles store (I visited the first long ago) just around the corner.  While not a record or thrift store (its a toy store for 'grown ups' - see pic below), the Lincoln Square location had vinyl and the Google reviews for this location showed they also had some.  Better yet, it was around the corner from the Shelter thrift store where I have had good luck in the past.

I only had about 30 minutes to hit both as I had to pick up my brother at the train station so I flew over and ran inside the Shelter.  I was pleased and amazed to see that it seemed they had turned over their entire bin of records - I had a bunch of candidates but decided on the last TJ Brass album to complete their discography through the initial lineups breakup in 1971 (its been a good week for those guys).  I also scooped up a really odd Bob James promo that proved to be far more rare than it's 45 cent pricetag would imply.

Ironically my visit to Quake becomes the footnote to this story.  At least 50% of their stock was brand new vinyl, largely reissues and vastly overpriced.  

                                       

Interesting of note was a handful of Elliot Smith vinyl - specifically one crappy compilation that caught my eye for all the wrong reasons.  For one thing, I don't understand why you'd spend even $1 on a compilation much less $20+.  Especially when it contains none of the songs from his debut (which I am proud to own, got as a gift last year) and has such an embarrassing name.  Maybe they should have called it 'Beginners Guide to Elliot Smith'.

I have always had such excellent luck at The Shelter - I grabbed an awesome A&M compilation I've never come across otherwise as well as a jazz platter that holds no logic to explain its presence in such a place.  Truly a blessed shop and one I will continue to frequent.