I think my most exciting and memorable was, and long before CD's were even in our world, it had to be the LP of John Williams HEIDI score from the Television Production.
It was in a 25 cent Box of Records and whoever was selling it wrote 25 cents right on the cover with a Red Marker. Didn't really bother me about that. The album was in mint condition otherwise. I had never heard the score and was at that time trying to find any John Williams I could. Wow. It was at a yard sale.
Please share you greatest or most memorable finds from a Thrift Store, Yard Sale or Flea Market.
The writing on the LP it self reminds me of a poster I almost bought. I was a big Wizard of Oz collector and when I went to this one store that had a few Oz things at a festival one year, they had written on the poster with a black sharpie, ONLY $1.99, in large on the poster. I myself couldn't believe it. It was a semi rare poster, but the fact they wrote on it, who in their right mind would have done that.You don't write on the merchandise how much it is. I didn't buy it.
I don't think I ever found a soundtrack CD in those kinds of stores. And when I got seriously interested in music, the LP age was long-since gone. However, I DID make many great finds in used record stores in the 90's.
Thor, Please don't write off the age of the lp just yet. I have thousands of soundtrack lps in my collection and a good many either have never appeared on CD or the transfer is horrid at best if they have.
So many of the mastertapes have been lost that a mint copy of an lp release might just be necessary in order to save it for history.
I love soundtracks on lp and cd or R2R tape and have had so many "finds" that it is difficult to remember them all.
...Please don't write off the age of the lp just yet.
LPs are OVER. I actually had a record player and owned a few records - as a child. This was before I became interested in soundtracks as a teen. I've never owned a soundtrack LP.
I've never purchased a CD in a thrift store, a yard sale, or flea market. What about pawn shops? I've found a few in pawn shops. A lot less than I was expecting considering the amount of effort I put in.
Whenever on a road trip I used to stop at every pawn shop I saw. I never really found much. The only one I can really remember is a couple of copies of James Horner's "Dad". I purchased them all and sold the extras on eBay.
Once I stopped at a pawn shop and the clerk let me look though a large box of CDs he had behind the counter. I think I was there over and hour and I found nothing. I was in Nashville a few years ago and I found a shop that looked really good. Unfortunately it was closed and I haven't been able to get back since.
(thumbs down for all the effort I put in hoping to make an incredible "find". Not thumbs down for LPs. I don't like them, but if you do - that's fine by me.)
If I were just starting to buy all of the LP's and discs I've accumulated over the years the cost of doing so would be quite a bit more than what I've put into it.
1959 Japanese vinyl pressing of "The Naked Maja", composed by Angelo Francesco Lavagnino. Mint condition for $2.00.
Actually, in recent years they seem to be cropping up again. Just last night at Best Buy I found an endcap in the music section with LPs for Metallica's latest album and even the recent Police reunion tour, among some others. (A friend of mine has KILL BILL vinyl soundtracks he bought in a store, and heck--I even saw a BIG MOMMA'S HOUSE vinyl!!) Sure, they're not going to catch on again as the preferred listening medium, but they are still around and people are still buying. Best Buy even had a small selection of record players on the bottom shelf.
Some LPs are worth keeping though. For example, I recently purchased Sudden Impact from SAE on CD. However, the new CD version does not contain the song This Side of Forever by Roberta Flack. Looks like I'll have to keep the LP.
...Please don't write off the age of the lp just yet.
LPs are OVER. I actually had a record player and owned a few records - as a child. This was before I became interested in soundtracks as a teen. I've never owned a soundtrack LP.
I've never purchased a CD in a thrift store, a yard sale, or flea market. What about pawn shops? I've found a few in pawn shops. A lot less than I was expecting considering the amount of effort I put in.
Whenever on a road trip I used to stop at every pawn shop I saw. I never really found much. The only one I can really remember is a couple of copies of James Horner's "Dad". I purchased them all and sold the extras on eBay.
Once I stopped at a pawn shop and the clerk let me look though a large box of CDs he had behind the counter. I think I was there over and hour and I found nothing. I was in Nashville a few years ago and I found a shop that looked really good. Unfortunately it was closed and I haven't been able to get back since.
(thumbs down for all the effort I put in hoping to make an incredible "find". Not thumbs down for LPs. I don't like them, but if you do - that's fine by me.)
My greatest flea market find - sorry, not a soundtrack - was a mint 1944 16mm print of a 1928 Hal Roach All-Stars short SHOULD HUSBANDS PAY. Hitherto only a one-reel cutdown was known and this was the complete two-reel version. A totally hilarious short starring Jimmy Finlayson. $10 and I got $5 taken off because the can was rusty!!
I came across a submission cd for the film Appaloosa composed by Carlo Giacco, the expanded promo of Mulan by Mr. Goldsmith and a 2 disc compilation of songs for The Full Monty. It was a good day.
LPs are OVER...... (thumbs down for all the effort I put in hoping to make an incredible "find". Not thumbs down for LPs. I don't like them, but if you do - that's fine by me.)
Interesting. I have a deal with the owners of two record shops in order to have the priority on any used LP they get so every two-three months a pay them a visit.
Here is just a selection of the amazing LPs I found in the last 6 months:
ACCADDE AL PENITENZIARIO LP Nino Rota BILLIE LP Dominic Frontiere BLACK BELT JONES LP Dennis Coffey & Luchi de Jesus THE BLACK HOLE LP John Barry IL BRIGANTE LP Nino Rota BROTHER ON THE RUN LP Johnny Pate CARTAGINE IN FIAMME LP Mario Nascimbene THE CHARGE OF THE LIGHT BRIGADE LP John Addison COFFY LP Roy Ayers THE DEEP LP John Barry HOWARD THE DUCK LP John Barry KHARTOUM LP Frank Cordell THE LAST VALLEY LP John Barry LIALEH LP Bernard Purdie THE LION IN WINTER LP John Barry LOVE AT FIRST BITE LP Charles Bernstein LUCKY LADY LP Ralph Burns THE MACK LP Alan Silvestri NUNZIO LP Lalo Schifrin THE ODESSA FILE (Dossier Odessa cover) LP Andrew Lloyd Webber PAPILLON LP Jerry Goldsmith POPI LP Dominic Frontiere SANDOKAN LP G.& M. De Angelis THE SHOP ON MAIN STREET LP Zdenek Liska SILENT MOVIE ("L'ultima follia di Mel Brooks" cover) LP John Morris THREE THE HARD WAY LP The Impressions THREE TOUGH GUYS LP Isaac Hayes TO BE OR NOT TO BE LP John Morris THE YOUNG SHERLOCK HOLMES LP Bruce Broughton WAR AND PEACE LP Nino Rota WATERHOLE # 3 LP D. Grusin / R. Wells THE WILD BUNCH LP Jerry Fielding YOUNG BILLY YOUNG LP Shelly Manne
All purchased at an average price of 3-5 euro, and you know what? some of them still sealed.
But of course my best find is the couple of LPs from the CONAN soundtracks, bought sealed in a fabolous Bologna's record shop (I still remember the name of it: "la casa del disco").
Found one of the compilations of the Prince of Egypt soundtrack for about $2. No, it's not rare, but it had the "Chariot Race" music on it and that's what I was after. Never mind all the pop songs.
Mine was the original 20th Century-Fox Records LP of the 1968 Julie Andrews musical "Star!" I found it at a mall flea market in the early 80s for $5.00.The record was in good condition and played very well.The jacket was a little worn but otherwise in fairly good shape,and it even included the souvenir booklet.This turned out to be a real bargain,because I owned the album for many years and treasured it.
