"I'd buy that for a dollar!" Great purchases for a buck or less

so, um, nothing great, but didn't break the bank either.

I got a pristine mid-50's Oscar Petterson album on Clef for around a buck.

....Much more - those are the first that come to mind.

Great deal! I just paid $10 for the Artist House LP of this on E-bay.

Last weekend a mint copy of Hambi and The Dance LP 'Heartache' for 50p. (Collectors Recds, Kingston)

I'd put the record up on slsk, but it's only on vinyl...

"No New York" at Jerry's for $3.00. Not a buck, but not too bad, either.

OMD - Architecture & Morality
Replacements - Pleased To Mee Me
Miracle Legion - Me & Mr Ray (Anyone else actually like this?)
Laurie Anderson - Big Science
Beatles - Magical Mystery Tour
Gang of Four - Hard (Eeek!)
New Order - Substance

And dozens of classical things: Debussy, Penderecki, Ligeti, Bartok et al

...on vinyl for a round 50c or $1 ea.

this is the record my folks would take to every party they ever went to when i was a kid...handclappinsomethingsomrthingfonkybuttlive? the whole first side is like an intro..."geno! geno!"

mine might be the vinyl of parliaments chocolate city 50c aust in ashwoods!

Charity shops, ahhhh

$1 in a record store in Key West about 10 years ago. The same store wanted $18 for a Men At Work album. I took the Neil record up to the counter: "You don't want to buy that, it is crap." I begged to differ.

I'd buy that for $1.32!

That's a great (and underrated) Kottke record. Surely my favorite of his late 70s / early 80s period.

Also, looked up that Webster / Hawkins record, as I've never heard it before, and I now have a new favorite AllMusic review: https://www.allmusic.com/album/coleman-hawkins-encounters-ben-webster-mw0000191969

Oh that's good to hear re: Kottke! .. I'm not familiar with it and to be honest was in two minds as the cover had seen better days but the record itself is pristine. Excited to have a listen tonight now.

Just so you know, the cover art is not indicative of the music in any way whatsoever.

The cover art is cool

(btw - that's not meant as a snarky way of saying the music isn't cool)

I actually meant it in a different way. On the cover, Leo is all smiles, driving in the sunshine with the top down on his convertible. However, the music is some of the most melancholy he ever made.

Yeah no I get that... I also just happen to think it’s a particularly cool/compelling cover. Makes me wonder where the photo was taken.

Yeah, I'm loving this Kottke album - where do I go next?

Backwards.

If you're not opposed to his singing, Greenhouse and Mudlark are great. My Feet Are Smiling is great, too. But that's a live album, so not sure how you feel about that.

If you just want Leo doin` some pickin`, his Takoma album (6 and 12 String Guitar) is a classic for a reason.

god bless Value Village

Low - Things We Lost / Trust / Great Destroyer / Drums and Guns
Spiritualized - Let It Come Down
Jeff Buckley - Sketches...
Rye Coalition - The Lipstick Game
The Detroit Cobras - Baby
Wild Beasts - Two Dancers
Arcturus - The Sham Mirrors
Fiona Apple - The Idler Wheel...
John Cale - Paris 1919
Lhasa - The Living Road
Clinic - Walking With Thee
Sparklehorse - It's a Wonderful Life

Found this on CD

https://i.imgur.com/zN1ghIA.jpg?1

Ote Maloya comp of music from Reunion Island. Beautiful blend of African, French and Latin music sung in the local creole.

What great LPs are still available for a buck?

Wasn’t too long ago you could still find copies of “Rumours” and “Purple Rain” and “Lodger” and “Born in the USA” for a dollar, but that’s all out the window now... and for me, well, I have copies of those albums anyway. I passed on a copy of “Misty Blue” by Dorothy Moore for a buck the other day cuz I already have one, but I was inspired to spin it when I got home. What a great little record! Which got me thinking...

I realize this is pretty regional, but are there similar sleepers in your area dollar bins that a person should take a flyer on if they stumble across one?

Me, eight-plus years ago:

On a related note, I was browsing through all the ridiculously overpriced new vinyl at a mall store last week (actually situated right near the entrance now), seeing albums I bought 35 years ago and others I should have bought 35 years ago, and one question seemed obvious to me: who's going to buy this stuff? Maybe I'm way wrong, but my guess is no one--I'm looking forward to five years from now, when the bottom drops out a second time and all those records can be picked up for next to nothing.

Way wrong.

basically this is a case of vinyl vs cd.
even crappy vinyl is now £££/$$$.
cds are still dirt cheap though some charity shops are getting wise to the situation.

I was looking at new records at a bookstore recently and thought "who's buying vinyl at $23/per?" but then I started thinking of when I last bought used vinyl regularly, trying to remember what I paid, and I kind of remember ~$12 in 1985, which by an inflation calculator is $28.50 today, so maybe prices are no different now.

srs bragging but this is what i bought for less than $1 a couple of weekends ago:

Absolutely crazy 30p carboot find this morning among a pile of Perry Como albums - 1971 synth comp w/ Delia Derbyshire, Harrison Birtwistle, Dudley Simpson, David Vorhaus pic.twitter.com/ZazC3L1YWz

— fell into a green dream (@Mount_Analogue) January 19, 2020

What great LPs are still available for a buck?
― Una Palooka Dronka (hardcore dilettante), Friday, February 7, 2020 3:04 PM bookmarkflaglink

If you're into 80's pop, there's still lots of great stuff in the dollar bin (at least in my area). The following routinely show up:
- Bongos - Drums Along The Hudson
- The first 2 Joe Jackson albums
- Prefab Sprout - 2 Wheels Good
- Diana Ross - Diana (the 1980 Niles Rodgers produced one)
- ABC - Lexicon of Love
- Heaven 17 albums
- Squeeze - argybargy / east side story

This one is less common, but I picked up "Etceteraville" by Random Hold for buck, and I think that fits into the sleeper category -- it's somewhere between prog and post-punk, so fits on the Roxy/Gabriel/Wire 154 spectrum.

Ok, so since I can’t crate-dig, I made the crates come to me! Bought ~2500 random old records for $300 and have spent the past week sorting them. About 75% were total trash, just bunk, Percy Faith and Living Strings and James Last and the Norman Luboff Choir. A whole bunch more I can flip for maybe a buck apiece if I’m lucky, $20/box if no takers. There were a surprising number of half-decent things, stuff I can sell for $3-5 easy. I upgraded a few records in my collection that were in questionable condition, added a few nice staples (Bill Withers, Dusty Springfield, Four Tops, New Order). And I’ve been loving throwing random semi-interesting-looking things on to see what they are, something I haven’t really done for many years. I had almost given up on the magic of the bin find... this restores my faith in the Holy Crate.

Smith - A Group Called Smith
These folks must have been a hoot to see live, great party music. It’s all covers, but generally really well done. Well worth a fiver if you’re into finding the missing like between BB/Holding co and the J Geils Band. And if you don’t care that they don’t write any of their own material.

Ramsey Lewis - Mother Nature’s Son
Weird jazzbo covers of songs from the White Album. Ranges from quirky to schmaltzy to downright sinister. I’m a sucker for Beatles cover albums (Holyridge Strings, Torero Band, George Martin & Orchestra) but this is by far the best one I’ve found. Bonus points for the cuckoo sleeve art.

There was an original Ella on Verve which sounds incredible (although it being Ella Sings Broadway I don’t really need to keep it). But the pick of the litter was a really nice copy of Thirsty Moon, a krautrock band on Brain. Total score!

Still sorting, cleaning & playing. Will post more finds if I dig any up.

Aw that sounds like fun!!

I remember Smith's song "Baby, It's you" from the 70s. An actual hit.

Weakest performance on the album! It was a hit, huh? I just assumed they were a no-hit no-wonder.

I don't know how it charted but it got regular airplay on SoCal top 40 stations.

From wiki: The highest-charting version of "Baby It's You" was by the band Smith, who took the song to number five on the US charts in 1969.

to whoever left pristine copies of First Reformed, Xen Cuts and a whole lot of early aughts/late 90s emo and math rock, I thank you

also anyone in toronto who needs a CD copy of Leaves Turn Inside You, mcluskyism or The Rising Tide get your ass to the salvation army thrift store at lansdowne stn

Have bought a bunch of collections this year. Some of my favourite discoveries for a buck or two:

Wild Tchopitoulas
Charles Wright and the Watts 103rd St Rhythm Band
MC Lyte - Eyes on This
Moev - Zimmerkampf
Jane Fair Jazz Quintet
Brother to Brother - Let Your Mind Be Free
Bang Bang You’re Terry Reid
Little Richard - The King of Rock & Roll (absolutely bonkers)
Montrose - s/t
Carolyn Franklin (aretha’s sis) - Baby Dynamite
Ramsey Lewis - Mother Nature’s Son

Well in terms of classic albums, the other day I managed to get a full copy of Stevie Wonder's Songs in the Key of Life on Vinyl for $1 at a thrift store. Also got a copy of Jan Johansson's Jazz på svenska, which is something I usually wouldn't expect to find at a thrift store in Alberta.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/COKE-BOYS-DJ-WYNTER-ONLYRAPPERHEARDWORLDWIDE-COKEBOY-30COKE/223639046864?hash=item3411ed0ad0:g:7dAAAOSwbdxdZI7k

.@oryxofelia wanted to hit a thrift store so while she was perusing dated fashion at the local @GoodwillIntl I hit the CD section not expecting much. I found far more than I could have hoped for for only 99¢ a pop. pic.twitter.com/LGtQsqPyxm

— Brian O'Neill (@NYC__Native) March 27, 2021

The Sarah Brightman was for her; the Therapy? CD single was the most unexpected thing to find and the Willie Nelson tribute has some great bands on it.

Already started listening to the Methods of Mayhem. Wow, does it suck, haha!

— Brian O'Neill (@NYC__Native) March 27, 2021

Hardly obscure, but here I am listening to The Good, the Bad and the Queen for the hundredth time, got it for a dollar in some cutprice store a decade ago. I love the Allen/Simonon grooves so much.

At my local thrift store today I was able to pick up a copy of Sagittarius's Present Tense on vinyl for $1. It was missing its inner sleeve, and had a few scratches, but overall, pretty good condition.

Oh, Sagittarius, yeah! Curt Boettcher is a lost legend in pop apocrypha, I say along with Scott Miller, Fred Frith, you could add Paddy McAloon but that'd be pushing since he was so big as well... love all of them though.

To add something, I got the 12" repress of the Ice Hockey Hair EP from the Super Furry Animals a while back for free from this local shoppe. Insane they let me walk out of there with it having paid zilch, the T/T is still gold.

wow! what a score, Marko

Had another wild vinyl record find on the weekend, this time at a church garage sale that was 15 minutes away from closing. In a pile of typical easy listening and Kenny Rogers albums, I managed to find the first three releases in Sonic Youth's SYR series: Anagrama, Slaapkamers Met Slagroom and Invito Al Ĉielo, as well as a copy of Bruce Haack's Dance to the Music, all for 50 cents each!

that's borderline unbelievable O_O

you are on fire!

found these for $2 each at a salvation army yesterday

https://i.imgur.com/mhMLAAa.png
https://i.imgur.com/NKvg2w2.png
https://i.imgur.com/zfCUEhU.png

françoise hardy - françoise (1966, us pressing)
miles and monk at newport (columbia, stereo 2-eye)
don byrd and gigi gryce - modern jazz perspective (columbia, mono maroon label)

gah, sorry that the photos are so gigantic

Fuck yeah! Gives me hope that there are still bargains / finds out there.

i got bubba sparxxx "ugly" 12-inch for $1 at a flea market the other week