Goodwill, Crystal Lake

Headed back up to Cary.  In previous visits I have checked out a toy store and a record store.  Trip #3 I took a look around in a Goodwill and I found yet another on this jaunt.

This was a pretty clean store and I quickly discovered their stash on an end cap near the books. Two different Belafonte records greeted me and I dug onward and upward.

My colleague has been drug from store to store for a while now, his back is to the camera in one of our previous visits.

As soon as I spun around, I found yet more platters in crates and bins on some furniture.  The local barbershop chorus made an appearance, as they so often so in the northern and northwest suburbs.I came across some prog rock and a mono version of one of my all time faves, passed on both.

After that I found a few records worthy of note.  I bought none but did some research on the artists as all of them intrigued me:

Pictures At An Exhibition and Tomita's Greatest Hits - Never heard of Tomita before but obviously someone did and they donated their stuff.  Respect due - looks like Mr. Tomita passed away just this spring but sounds like he was a serious pioneer.  RIP.

Sonic Seasonings - I'd wager that the same person that donated the Tomita recording above also donated this one.  Another artist I never heard of and I commend them for having a sex change a good 30 years or more before it became a trendy thing to do.  Of the three electronic recordings, this one interested me the most due to the long form compositions.  I have a tiny bit of regret for letting it go.

No, No, No, My Friend (You're Wrong So Do It Again) - this one I have serious regret about leaving behind.  Super funky and with a fat groove.  Got to love the latin drums beating it up in the background over the trap kit.  The variety of voices almost don't quite mix together properly and it makes it beautiful.  This would hold a nice spot on my shelf next to another disco record I found so long ago.

I've found many albums with labels on them notating ownership, but never one in the possessive tense.

Estate Sale, Northlake

I woke up Saturday morning and checked gsalr.com for vinyl.  I was first dead set on checking out a sale in Villa Park but I noticed that it had been open since Thursday.  Garage sales on Thursdays should be illegal.  Don't people have to work? So I started thinking that the vinyl would be pretty picked through (assuming there was anything decent).  Still, I would have went but then I noticed this one, about the same distance and as I was up early enough, I knew I could be one of the first customers.

Google Maps took me on a real jaunt through an industrial area, I had to stop many times to find my way.  I also stopped to try and help another stranger chase a stray dog.  We watched it almost get run over a couple times before it went through a hole in a fence and was gone.  I hope it is ok.

When I finally pulled up, I glanced through the boxes of junk.  This was an estate sale literally, meaning someone was trying to unload the possessions of someone who died.  But the goods were brought outside, as it looked like the person (the daughter, her parents were dead) lived there.  So I looked around but saw no vinyl and started to feel that old sense of being downtrodden.  Why do I do this? Why?

But before the depression really did me in, I asked if she had any vinyl.  She said 'Oh yeah' as if to allude I might be about to stumble on a library of vinyl.  They were in the garage which was closed, she grabbed her remote opener and popped it open.  There were two big stacks on the floor.

Stacks like this are truly innavigable so I started breaking them into smaller heaps and standing them up.  I was sweating pretty badly so I tossed off my bag and really got down into it.  I came out of there with pretty dirty knees but of course it was worth it.  My biggest score by far is the mono 'Beard' version of Monkees HQ.  I now have the mono and stereo versions of both the 'beard' version and the regular rear jacket.  It took me a couple years at least, I can't imagine how many copies I have had to check in the hopes it was the fourth one I needed (you can see one from one of my recent posts, right up front).

I grabbed three additional.  First was an album by The Byrds that was in such good shape that I could not resist it, even though it seems devoid of any of the pop hits they are known for (I surely do not know any of their deep cuts).  The same exact applies to another by Paul Revere, just couldn't bear to leave it behind.  Both are mono versions.  I also grabbed a Donovan album for my girl that I kind of wish I had kept for myself.

The lady let me just make an offer and didn't even look to see what I had.  Before I could make my wager however, she wanted to point out that she had bought the Paul Revere record herself, as a young girl, with her mother.  This was at the Goldblatt's at Grand and Harlem, just a couple miles from my neighborhood.  She said that she had wanted a Beatles record (perhaps Revolver?) but her mother wouldn't let her have it.  I commented that at least the Paul Revere record is British, so you have that similarity.  I offered her $8 and she accepted and I began my ride home, this time navigating myself.  A wonderful bike ride on a beautiful morning to fetch some nice records from nice people.  No complaints here.

                    

Garage Sale, Franklin Park

I was about to go postal at work and the stress was starting to crush me.  So I cleaned up what I had in front of me so I could sneak away for a bit.  I sped off to FP to check out a sale I found on gsalr.com, as always.

I was just around the corner and suddenly it all made sense.  This wasn't deja vu - I had been to this garage sale before.  If there was any doubt left in my mind, one look at the little old lady organizing her things cleared my mind.  There was no two ways about it - I had been here, and I had seen this records.  It had been over two years, but I was back.

In fact, I remember right off the top of my head what I bought. It was an odd organ record that called to me with the photo of the fellow on the cover playing it, and the sounds contained therein can only be described as ghostly.  I presume the stuff was intended to be 'relaxing' music but it is quite spooky.  That strange record has survived a couple purges as well, when I loaded up a crate to take down to St. Vincent to lighten my load - I just can't seem to part with it.  And now I never will. (I also noticed the runout etching and learned that Rudy Van Gelder not only mastered but also engineered the recording, he was uncredited on discogs.  I also found the mono version, which I added myself).

As I walked up, a quiet light rain was beginning and this nice old lady was gathering her things to bring them back into the garage.  She already had a tarp covering a clothing rack.  I already knew what records to expect - there wasn't much two years ago and I had bought the best stuff.  But I knew I had to make an appearance once I pulled up.  I began to help her bring her things in, I don't know how old this lady is but she was quite spry and not afraid of the exertion to haul stuff around.  I guess she must set up regularly, perhaps every weekend.  She kindly scolded me (if there is such a thing) a few times when I put things back in the wrong place, as I soon learned that everything in that garage fit together like a puzzle.

I went through the motions of glancing at the records: first the crate under the table, near the door, then she reminded me there were more towards the back, 10' away.  There I did find some early Marion Lush work, including an alternate cover of one album which I quickly photographed and added to the database later.

It was a treat to hang out with my old acquaintance again for a spell.  I hope I see her again sometime.

Garage Sale, Wood Dale

I've had some serious garage sale guilt for not hitting more sales this year but things are finally picking up.  I hit 8 in 2015 I believe so not sure if I'll keep the pace but I am surely trying.  gsalr.com revealed this one a scant 3 mile round trip from my work.  I snuck away on a Friday afternoon via bike and was pleasantly surprised.

Don't let the musical number up front in the crate fool you - there was some nice classic rock era stuff in here.  I left behind a truly intriguing record by a French-Moroccan rock group that still has me thinking.  But I did walk away with the debut from a group who's follow up I already have and enjoy.  The propreitor tried to fleece me at $5 for the thing.  I accepted the $4 I offered and he should be glad to get it.  Already spun through both sides and it was pleasant background as I did some work around the house.  I snagged something for my girl and I'm still not sure if she had it already or not.  If its a dupe, she can give it to her mom who will definitely accept and enjoy it.  Hope I can hit more quick sales like this before the snow starts to fall.

J&S Antiques, Manlius IL

Had my eye on this for a couple years, it is right at the Interstate 80 interchange but never had time to stop.  Made time on this journey and it was worth it as we found a bunch of crates of 7" right inside the front door.  I did not buy anything at all for myself, but I did see plenty, and I grabbed one of those 7" records for my girlfriend's mom to play on her new record player we had just gotten her.

Otherwise it was unremarkable.  There were plenty of booths with vinyl and the place was nicely laid out and pretty clean and well organized.  It had good character and charm and was pleasant to hang out in.  I always assumed this was in Sheffield, and the now abandoned Sheffield Diner next door seems to attest to that.  But check out the numerous artifacts I found celebrating Manlius, which I had never heard of.  The map may say one thing, but the locals know better.