• The move to the new server is done. There are some software and database maintenance updates in process. This has us passing the hat around to help out. We appreciate any donations. Seriously, even a dollar helps. The payment page may be found here - https://www.audiokarma.org/support.html

Thrift Stores Separating Records?

jelly_bean

jelly_bean

Active Member
Hi all,
Well, I spent the long weekend with my folks and hit up 3 thrift stores in town before we headed home. They had the usual stuff, found some neat things and some records but nothing really special. What caught my attention was every single shop I entered had the "good vinyl" behind the cash register. By good, I mean they had the standard classic rock and the more well known names at 10x the price of the regular bin records for example a thrashed copy of Boston was about $12. Has anyone else seen this or something similar in their area?

I realize they are trying to make more money for the store and if it works more power to 'em!!! Just thought it was interesting that they all did it.

**I did find a bootleg Taiwan pressing of Three Dog Night Live in the bin for 50 cents, so that was pretty cool... Must've slipped through the cracks. :)
 
Register to hide this ad
I always have to dig under a pile of winter jackets (we're in SoCal), and purses just to find the box of records.
 
I have bought a couple of records from the counter it is a fairly common practice. Beatle albums are frequently seperated.
 
Some of the thrifts I visit do that but most don't. Two of the seven Value Village (aka Savers in the US) in the area have silly prices on what the manager presumably, thinks are desirable titles. One of those stores has a "wall display" a la record stores from days gone by on which are arranged those albums thought to arouse any who pass by. But seeing a ratty copy of Sticky Fingers (the zipper was torn off) priced at $35 stirred nothing within me.

This could be the start of a trend though. I noticed a Hospital Auxiliary store, that never had anything interesting has followed suit with that box behind the counter idea. Spotted a copy of ABBA's Greatest Hits vol I for $12. Nearly leapt over the display case to grab that one, I'll tell ya.

What's amusing sometimes is that whoever segregates the records overlooks some good stuff. Probably, I think, because they've never heard of that particular artist or band.
 
jelly_bean said:
By good, I mean they had the standard classic rock and the more well known names at 10x the price of the regular bin records for example a thrashed copy of Boston was about $12. Has anyone else seen this or something similar in their area?
Click to expand...
On Saturday I was waiting for my record store to open so down the street there is a GW. Never any good condition records or titles there but I looked anyway. Surprisingly there was some fairly good titles but beat to **** covers and record condition in the VG class. I figured for a $1.00 what the hell, I took 4 records to the counter and she said 4x $2.99....I questioned her. The records are a buck, she said someone else said that and she went back to look. She came back with a photo of the prices, they are $2.99 now. I said these records are not worth 2.99 and wouldn't even be sold at the record store down the street in the trash ,50 cent bin. I said they sell records at $2.99, $3.99, and $4.99 for mint common titles. She said then go shop at the record store, I said I'm on my way and good by.

BTW I used to like to support GW and didn't mind even paying a little more for some things. But lately they are pricing junk way to high and it just sits there not doing anyone any good. It then just get trashed and thrown away, I think I'm going to stop dropping things off there and look for another place to do so.
 
Last edited:
My Goodwill, separates, by price, not physically. I've seen $.99 albums in the same bin as the "specially priced" albums. Nothing priced over $5.00, yet...
 
It really has changed since I got into this hobby about 10 years ago (I'm sorry that I'm probably one that contributed to the major change in the thrift store shopping experience. :) ) ... I used to get great titles in great shape for .25 cents a piece, then they decided Nat King Cole's Christmas album was worth 15 bucks.

One of the local to me thrifts has a TON of records-- probably close to 1000-1500 of them - No special titles, the usual suspects, They used to be .25/title. Now, every single one has a hand written price tag. EVERY. SINGLE. ONE! all of them above $2.00 now... Of course I still shop there. I find a few good things every now and then. ;)
 
On my most recent trip to the local Goodwill, they had a small stack of records inside the glass display case, away from the usual record bins. Mostly Beatles albums, with some Beach Boys and whatnot mixed in. The Beatles albums were priced at $10 apiece, while most (if not all) of the rest were priced at $5 apiece. I bought a mono copy of A Hard Day's Night, along with a copy of Carl and the Passions - "So Tough" (complete with the bonus copy of Pet Sounds). Ironically, while the Beach Boys records look clean, they play with lots of distortion; conversely, the Beatles LP looks scuffed-up, yet is mostly listenable. :dunno:
-Adam
 
I've not seen anything sound related at a thrift priced to sell in a long time. The records are still mixed here but $4 and nothing of interest.
Yard tools are still cost effective. $5 for $40 shovel and so on.
 
I have ask the ladies behind the counter at the thrift to put aside the jazz records for me.

I even brought them coffee and donuts.

They just laugh hysterically when they see me come in. :dunno:
 
It’s an old story.
The hot ticket items will of the times get jacked up in price and treated special.

Antiques.
Beanie Babies.
Jewelry.
Memorabilia.
Media players.
LPs.

Eventually they learn that collectors are very fussy and cheap.

I’ve done flipping on and off for 20 years.
They are armatures.
They’ll get tired of it.

I see stupid prices on vinyl every time I stop and look at a seller’s offering.

I collected vinyl in the 80s and 90s and the stuff I see now is mostly garage sale garbage.
 
At my favorite thrift lps like cds are $1.99.A price I don't mind paying but speaking of separating.I can't remember the last time I saw a 70s rock lp.Either someone is buying them immediately or someone in the back is separating them for themselves or someone else. There has been some jazz titles that are slipping through the cracks and some 80s pop type seems the norm lately.The days of finding a Beatles Magical Mystery Tour, Black Sabbaths debut or Pink Floyds Obscured By Clouds seem so long ago and so far away anymore.
 
jelly_bean said:
It really has changed since I got into this hobby about 10 years ago (I'm sorry that I'm probably one that contributed to the major change in the thrift store shopping experience. :) ) ... I used to get great titles in great shape for .25 cents a piece, then they decided Nat King Cole's Christmas album was worth 15 bucks.

One of the local to me thrifts has a TON of records-- probably close to 1000-1500 of them - No special titles, the usual suspects, They used to be .25/title. Now, every single one has a hand written price tag. EVERY. SINGLE. ONE! all of them above $2.00 now... Of course I still shop there. I find a few good things every now and then. ;)
Click to expand...
Same thing happened at my local RS. Guy had a ton of beat to hell stuff without poly sleeves for $2 each. Came down a week later and EVERYTHING was sleeved and averaged $10. The records themselves were still dirty and everything. I was happy getting smelly dusty old records and cleaning them up for cheap. I think the problem is party that RS owners tends to just be collectors who want to support their habit, and not actual business people who want to run a business.
 
Within the past 6 months, most of the larger thrifts around here have doubled the price of an LP, going from $1 to $2. But yes, they seem to be separating what they deem to be 'collector LPs' and keeping them behind the counter. I've seen Gordon Lightfoot's "Dream Street Rose" priced at $12. Huh?

I rarely go to the larger thrifts (GW, Savers, SA, et al) and would rather hope for the best at the smaller, local places. At least I know whatever I spend there goes DIRECTLY to the mission, unlike the others.
 
The army and GW around me filter everything out...if it's of any value it goes on CL....I went to the city of Warren yard sale this weekend...the guy was selling 45s for $8....I walked 40 ft down and the guy had thousands for $.50 each and all in great shape. I snagged about 10. Also Boston 1st for $3. Not bad
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom