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Groundbreaking Theory on Sal's and GW Vinyl Offerings

Mister Mike

Mister Mike

Member
After multiple fruitless trips to Sal's (aka Salvation Army) and Goodwill locations in several towns around my city and its environs, I have a question: Where's the Rock section? Why can't I ever seem to locate it? I've looked high and low, and all I can seem to find is Herb Alpert, Andy Williams, Roger Whittaker, Lawrence Welk, Jim Nabors, Barbra Streisand, etc.

I've formulated a theory that I hope this community will entertain. Consider, for a moment, a parallel universe; where mankind has evolved to invent the phonograph and subsequently develop a recording industry similar to our own. Only in this alternate reality, the best selling album of all time is not Michael Jackson's Thriller, but Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass' Whipped Cream and Other Delights.

Between this parallel universe and our own, a rip in the space/time continuum has somehow occurred, the portal of which leads directly to record sections of Sal's and GW locations throughout these United States; whereby the millions upon millions of copies of Arthur Fiedler records, the Dr. Zhivago Soundtrack, and This is Henry Mancini, which could not have possibly been sold in our universe, are somehow transported directly to the shelves of our local thrift shops. Conversely, the Beatles, Rolling Stones and Led Zeppelin albums familiar to our world are now popping up on the shelves of thrift stores in the parallel universe, as our vinyl collecting counterparts roll their eyes.

Food for thought.
 
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This could have extended Fringe for another year. I can see Walter pulling tons of great records on the other side and bringing them back. Here he's blown away by the Blue Cheer record Olivia cut out of the amber at a Tower Records over there.

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I find lots of the same stuff you mention, but a fair amount of classic rock with persistence can be found too. Jazz and Blues records are 100 times harder to find here.
 
Was wondering the same thing

I visited thrift stores at least a couple times a week and see the same dang easy listening stuff no matter time of year or location. Maybe the accountants miscounted sales back then to avoid paying royalties or something. A more likely explanation is that the workers that take in the stuff intercept the good records for themselves or call in their buddies as soon as they put them out.

Example, Once I stopped by at a weird time of day and in the back of bin laying under the crap records was a stack of 10 Beatle records I grabbed em and before I could check the first one a couple of freeks come literally running arround the corner heading straight for the bins, they see I had em and didnt even bother to look in one bin. They pretty much left the store without looking at one thing once they saw I had records.
 
I've found plenty of great rock at the GW by my house. There are a lot of people hunting vinyl now because of it's growing popularity. I've seen at least 4 commercials recently where records and TTs are featured.

eBay has been offering frequent free listing periods which has casual sellers scrambling to pick up as much as they can to throw online. I've seen some pickers I know who usually sell glassware and knick knacks buying up any clean records in the hopes a few will be worth something. Competition has definitely increased in the record and electronics sections. I just saw a woman the other day buying 5 or 6 CD players at once.

Your best bet is to go frequently and get there right at the opening bell. I know at the store I go to the employees are not allowed to buy anything until it's been out on the floor for 24 hours. From what I've found there, I believe that this policy is being enforced. In the last year I've found private pressed folk psych, 5 Captain Beefheart's, foreign pressed prog, blues, several 6 eye jazz LPs, etc.
 
Rob41 said:
I've often wondered how many prolific e-bay sellers are also SAL or GW employees.
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Lol, there's a guy at my local Value Village that's into vinyl big time. I don't know if he takes anything home with him but he works in the back sorting goods. It used to be that all records are two bucks, but since he started working in the back things have changed drastically. Anything that's half decent is now four dollars and I've had to pay as much as fourteen when I found a Joy Division 12".
 
Can't remember the last time I found any decent vinyl (Beatles, Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin ... etc) or even audio equipment at SAL or GW in my area.

Lot's of CRT TVs though ... nobody wants them.

I've always thought that eBay flippers and flea market sellers were taking all the good stuff ... :dunno:
 
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Yesterday I found Carpenters "Carpenters" new, still sealed for a buck. It was the only thing I bought. I guess it got missed by the other universe.
 
Many people got rid of their albums years ago when CDs became the main source of music.

When the good stuff hits the thrift store shelves, it sells right away as compared to less popular stuff that sits there for years.

The people young enough to have owned classic rock stuff, aren't quite old enough to be dying of old age.

Herb Alpert and Mitch were apparently enormously popular in their day even if the "cool kids" didn't buy them.
 
purple1 said:
I know, but I have also found that one in a GW in this universe. :yes:
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Nice! The best thing I have found at GW was Herb Albert's Tijuana Taxi!

I think rock records are used in the future to fuel next gen Flux Capacitors.
 
Seek and ye shall find.

You are describing my world.

I am listening to Herb Alpert and the TJB whipped creme delights right now on my 59 Fisher 610. Its a great album with plenty of great music

I have learned to love easy listening music (no lyrics).

I have a great collection of

Herb Alpert
George Shearing
Ray Connif
Jackie Gleason
Earl Grant
Mancini
Bert Kampfert
Sergio Mendez
The Melechrino Strings
Andre Kostelanetz
Steve Allan

its old guy music like from the movie "The Jerk". It wasn't always this way but I have really embraced the old stuff

but I am a OWG so it doesn't really matter to the universe

all for 99 cents each at GW

but no ugh... Babs Streisand
 
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These things are cyclical, I can go four or five times in a row and not find any decent vinyl. The next trip could result in 10 LPs or more. There are more "hunters" as Bob pointed out so it's all about fortuitous timing, something we have little control over. I usually look for something else to flip to cover my gas money. My last trip to GW yielded no vinyl but I found two sealed four packs of Sony premium VHS cassettes for $1.99 each which I will sell and cover my expenses. Although it won't help my collection, I feel like the trip was worthwhile.
 
Funny out here in the middle of Canada there seems to be no shortage of Vinyl Albums pertaining to Rock-n-Roll/Blues/Jazz at any of the Thrifts around here mind you the aformentioned are mingled in with the Alperts,Streisands,Julios,Christian Gospel and such! U just got to search through them all that's all:)

P/S I do go to all Sals & GW weekly on Vinyl Runs but I also check other lesser know Thrifts as well and one which shall remain unamed for various/obvious reasons has them for 20 cents each or 10 for a Dollar and usually in VVG condition or at least most of them are:)
 
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Led Zep

Just yesterday, when I took a bunch of dubious CDs into a local used record/CD store to see if I could get some store credit for 'em, the clerk rolled his eyes, handed most of them back to me (I would have done the same but, what the hell, no harm in trying) -- and then we started talking about LPs, 'cause I have more than a few and I probably only listen to 20% of them.

He said that if I had any Led Zeppelin LPs, to please bring 'em in, because they couldn't keep them in stock. Also, to a lesser extent, Stones, Beatles and Hendrix. Then he said he could probably make money running a used record store and selling nothing but Zep LPs -- if he had 'em to sell.

Bottom line, here is that the "old folk" don't buy or play LPs any more -- and the "young folk" don't have any interest in Mantovani, Herb Alpert, Jim Nabors, Slim Whitman, et al.
 
I can see warming up to the old stuff. The closest I came to decent records was scoring copies of Chicago II and V from Goodwill the other day. Having grown up on gangsta rap and death metal, I used to dismiss Chicago as just one of the lame 8-tracks in my uncle's Pinto wagon when I was a kid, but now I enjoy listening to them on my recently-acquired turntable. $1 records have broadened my horizons, though my wife already thinks I'm nuts when it comes to my vintage audio gear, and if she ever walks in on me chilling out to "Little Spanish Flea," I think she might file for divorce.
 
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