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

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.

Looking at You, Chaz Jankel
Relight My Fire, Dan Hartman
The Best of B.T.O. (So Far)

Orpheus Records (formerly in DC, currently in Arlington) going out of business sale--vinyl for a buck

Grupo Sportivo- Mistakes
Ian Dury-Lord Upminster
Mickey Jupp's legend
Skids-Scared to Dance

Cool! Mistakes was by far Grupo Sportivo's best album (at least of the four or so I've heard), and one of the great lost new wave albums, period, as far as I'm concerned. Pretty sure, though, that it was actually a compilation of the best tracks from a couple import (Dutch, I guess?) LPs I've never actually seen. In the States it originally came with a free 7-inch 6-song EP called More Mistakes tucked inside. Key track on EP: "Disco Really Made It (It's Yucky And I Hate It)." Still have my copy. But the LP's a lot better than the EP.

I got the second God Machine album on CD for £1 once.
Had various other good things, but nothing that springs to mind right now.

I found the Cure's Happily Ever After CD in a cutout bin for $1.00 in 1990. Its just a US compilation of 17 Seconds and Faith, which went out of print two months after its release (with, as I recall, 2000 copies outstanding). I sold it in 1997 on Ebay for $125 to some completist fanboy. Probably the best investment I've ever made.

If the big-swayzak/john tejada-fan-back-in-2001 who sells all his old records to Sonic Boom, who sell them back for 2-3 dollars is reading this, keep 'em coming (although I generally associate Swayzak and John Tejada, much more so than anyone else, with prolific output of particularly mediocre material, you've given me some good stuff!)

Huh. Someone came up with the exact same thread idea/title five years before I did. Curse you!

A friend of mine, who's a master digger, chanced upon a copy of The World of Cecil Taylor for pennies in the Salvation Army recently. It's pretty gubbed, but still, that's a rare and valuable record, not least cos it was reissued under a different name.

I've not managed any such finds, but I've picked up some nice stuff in that shop nonetheless, not least some 70s Dylan albums for 25p. Problem is that there are always diggers lurking there, waiting to pounce on any new donations.

My favourite £1 buy was a Rutles picture sleeve ep with Cheese & Onions, I Must Be In Love and A Girl Like You on it. It's not in the Record Collector guide, but it's not something I've ever come across.

quando quango - love tempo 12"
space - magic fly lp
from reckless records in chicago
plus tons and tons of shit from the dusty groove 35 cent bin

Crappy record store near the edge of the city that I haven't thought about in years, plays some of the worst music I've ever heard. Got 6 $1 records, including a copy of Giorgio Moroder - From Here to Eternity LP which looks like it hasn't even been touched, and other assorted dance 12's with stuff like Svek, Mike Ink, Remixes by Mad Mike Banks etc.

A pretty who'd have thunk it experience. :)

Vinyl I bought today. (Still like the specificity of this thread more than that catch-all rolling vinyl one.)

$2, thrift store, 46th and Queens Blvd, Sunnyside:

Steve Arrington's Hall of Fame I (Atlantic, 1983)

$4 total (= less than 50 cents each), vintage store, 48th and Skillman, Sunnyside:

Automatic Man Automatic Man (Island, 1976)
The Stanky Brown Group If The Lights Don't Get You The Helots Will (Sire, 1977) (if the band is stanky and brown rather than Stanky Brown being somebody's name, this should be filed in the S's rather than B's obviously)
Hoagy Carmichael Hoagy (RCA, 1981)
Desmond Child And Rouge Desmond Child And Rouge (Capitol, 1979)
Ducks Deluxe Don't Mind Rockin' Tonite (RCA, 1978) (already had this, but what the heck, I'm sure I'll find use for another one someday)
Gazebo Gazebo (Baby Italy, 1983)
Puhdys Das Buch (Pool West Germany, 1984)
Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes This Time It's For Real (Epic, 1977)
Randy Travis Old 8 x 10 (Warner Bros., 1988)

Probably not the first time I've tried those Desmond Child and Southside Johnny LPs. Maybe this time they'll sink in. Or maybe I am just a glutton for punishment.

Passed up a couple other 50-cent '80s Randy Travis LPs, but Xgau gave them worse grades than the one I bought, so maybe that was smart. Passed on a 50-cent 1987 Guadalcanal Diary LP too (what did they sound like?), and a $2 1989 LP by Joe Hardy-produced New York hard rock band Law and Order, though if George advises otherwise, I'll go back for that one.

Automatic Man Automatic Man (Island, 1976)

Don't know if you'll like this. Requires more than one listen. Extension of Stomu Yamashita's Go, sort of, which was an experiment on jazz and middle of the road hard rock, the latter furnished by Pat Thrall, who made a lot more money with Pat Travers later but quit that, too, after co-writing "Smoking Whiskey, Drinkin' Cocaine." Anyway, Automatic Man is nothing like that. It's very spacey, often almost frictionless, sometimes veering into prog. One of the members -- singer/bassist, I think, is now much more famous as a songwriter/producer under another name. Plus Michael Shrieve's in the band as a kind of poor man's Jan Hammer. I like it but was there at the beginning. Definitely an acquired taste but not so convincing that you'd have stuck around for the second album, which was colored pink instead of blue, like this one.

Don't remember a great amount about Law & Order except that I had it on cassette, my band played with them in Allentown, and they were good guys. Kind of in the Circus of Power style but better although not that much so. They were part of the major label wave of second and third tier signings in the late Eighties of metal rock 'n' roll bands that were supposed to be more gritty and from-the-street than the hitmakers. Published about the same times as The Throbs and Vain and were in the same, uh, vein. About six months later, grunge washed them all away. Toss up whether it's worth 2 bucks. Depends on the whether and how much loose change you have in your pocket.

$2, thrift store, 46th and Queens Blvd, Sunnyside, today:

The Geraldine Fibbers Get Thee Gone (Sympathy For The Record Industry 10-inch EP, c. '90s I guess)

An extravagance, since I am a total fetishizing sucker when it comes to 10-inch EPs (even though it is impossible to find inner sleeves). Plus I've never liked anything by these '90s indie art roots nerds before (not that I've listened much), and why would this be any different? But I used to be (very) mildly curious about the Fibbers, and I figure, if I'm ever going to like anything by them, this'd be about the correct amount of songs. Plus they cover Dolly's "Jolene" on it; how bad could that be? (Pretty bad, but I'll probably keep it anyway.)

Of the last batch of cheapos I bought, I wound up liking Automatic Man more than George predicted. Also liked Arrington, Stanky Brown Group (its more pompy rocky Tully first side anyway), Hoagy, Desmond Child (a lot actually -- not sure anybody was ever more disco-metal), Gazebo, Puhdys (though '70s LPs I have by them rock harder), Southside Johnny (well that one's pretty darn marginal but I like when the Coasters show up at least), and Randy Travis. Which means I wound up liking the whole pile, I guess.

i've been obsessed of late with all Patrick Adams productions and was thrilled to find an original 12" of Universal Robot Band "Freak With Me" for $1.39 at Other Music, of all the places.

An extravagance, since I am a total fetishizing sucker when it comes to 10-inch EPs (even though it is impossible to find inner sleeves).

78" sleeves are 10 inch. http://www.bagsunlimited.com/cart/browse.asp?subcat=42 I guess I bought myself a lifetime supply several years ago.

The Geraldine Fibbers Get Thee Gone (Sympathy For The Record Industry 10-inch EP, c. '90s I guess)

An extravagance, since I am a total fetishizing sucker when it comes to 10-inch EPs (even though it is impossible to find inner sleeves). Plus I've never liked anything by these '90s indie art roots nerds before (not that I've listened much), and why would this be any different? But I used to be (very) mildly curious about the Fibbers, and I figure, if I'm ever going to like anything by them, this'd be about the correct amount of songs. Plus they cover Dolly's "Jolene" on it; how bad could that be? (Pretty bad, but I'll probably keep it anyway.)

This record sounds like a frog being choked while someone laboriously puts a guitar out of tune, but I love it; only thing I ever liked by them. Bought it when it came out & would buy a nearly infinite number for $2 each, or half of infinity for $4/ea. It was around the time of Uncle Tupelo's breakup and we were all looking for a new hip alternative country act. Didn't find it; found a choking frog. Still!

I just have to put in a good word here for the Fibbers' two proper albums, the 1st of which is a favorite of mine.

You think finding inner sleeves for 10" records is hard? Try finding OUTER sleeves!

Outer sleeves, what? (I think I have maybe three of those, out of several thousand albums. Never really understood what purpose they serve, unless the record cover is made out of paper. Though I actually think I own a 10-inch somewhere where that's the case.) Will look into those inner ones, though...

I always find great records at salvation armies in Queens. Lots of old-school italian outer-borough disco DJs who've moved on.

But tonight during dinner I listened to Joe Jackson's Night and Day, one of THE most ubiquitous dollar-bin records, at least in these parts, and I think it's a pretty wonderful record.

Jesus, I was just looking at craigslist for used CD's, and it's astonishing to think that people actually think they're going to be able to offload all their regrettable mid-late 90's junk (Backstreet Boys et al), for $5 a disc, but there's dozens of these people. One person was selling the Lion King Soundtrack for $10.

75 cents each, Value Village, Houston, this afternoon, all vinyl:

Ray Charles Modern Sounds In Country And Western Music (ABC Paramount, early '60s) (I used to own a late '80s reissue, but this one's the original pressing. Looks pretty scratched up though.)
Gulliver Gulliver (Elekta, early '70s I guess?) (Don't think I ever even heard of this before -- Daryl Hall's pre-Hall & Oates band)
Stacey Q "Shy Girl" (On The Spot 12-inch, 1985) (pre-debut LP indie-label single; already own the 7-inch.)
(Various) Every Which Way But Loose (Elektra, 1978) (w/ Eddie Rabbit, Charlie Rich, Mel Tillis, Hank Thompson, and lots of instrumentals about orangutans, apparently)

gulliver album is JUST about worth 75 cents. musically, that is. but i only played my copy once years ago. maybe i would like it more now. these things happen.

I've got the Gulliver CD. I got real excited about it about two years ago for about 20 seconds then realized it wasn't all that great.

CD: Bjork's "Homogenic" and Saint Etienne's "Tiger Bay"

12"s
LFO - "LFO"
Stacey Q - "Two of Hearts"
Afro-Rican - "Give it All You Got", Sun Town pressing
TLC - "Diggin' on Me"
Whitney Houston - "I'm Every Woman" (gatefold 2x12")
C+C Music Factory: "Things that Make You Go Hmmmm", "Gonna Make You Sweat"
The KLF - 3AM Eternal (Live at the S.S.L.)
Missy Elliot - "Supa Dupa Fly"
Black Box - "Everybody, Everybody"

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.