NYC area thrift shop vinyl

I haven't been to a WFMU record fair in 2 or 3 years since I moved to the Boston area (I recently moved to the New Haven area so I might go to this weekend's show). Before that I went to the shows religiously. My memory is that the prices were usually reasonable, although there is always that dealer who wants $20 for a "rare" Mantovani LP. For me the attraction was the dealers who specialize in certain kinds of music. If you're obsessed with, say, obscure '60s bachelor pad music, there's likely to be a dealer with a table full of those records. I had spent a decade looking for a copy of Canadian punk band The Subhumans' "Incorrect Thoughts" LP and found a VG one for $10 at the WFMU fair. Prices are usually lower on Sundays, especially later in the day, but the downside to the waiting strategy is that the copy of "Mr. Magoo in Hi - Fi" that you're desperate to find was sold on Saturday. In any case it's a fun event, there's live music, WFMU DJs broadcasting from the show, and more used records and CDs in one place than you'll find anywhere else around NYC.

Bob/Ptmconsulting,

I'm willing to drive to NJ, CT, or Long Island if that's what I need to do to find what I want. Do you have any recommendations in those areas?

Robdoorack,

Thanks for the details of the WFMU show. Looks like a Sunday afternoon trip to the city may be in order...

David

I would definitely recommend a trip to the WFMU show this weekend (starting tonight, actually, for the $20 admission--tomorrow and Sunday are only $5). Don't expect to find many great bargains there, but do expect to find a lot of rare LPs priced reasonably (usually). I think I spent $250-$300 in about two hours last year...

The "little shop" in New Paltz is, I assume, Rhino Records. It recently moved from its former location on Main Street to a smaller space off Main Street further downtown. I haven't been to the new one yet, but have been told that they sold off most of their LPs before moving and don't have as many in stock at the new shop. I think this shop tended to be overpriced anyway, though they did have a lot of old jazz & classical LPs at the old shop, with very little turnover. Maybe some of these made the move? The rock/etc. sections were only occasionally interesting.

If you're willing to drive all the way up to Red Hook (on the opposite side of the river from W. Point), there's a small but very well-curated shop called "Left of the Dial Records" there, in the back of a collectible card shop. It has no sign and no phone number, but is open from 2-7PM every day, I believe. Very good prices considering the rarity of some of what he sells. Right at the main intersection in downtown Red Hook, on the west side of Rt 9, just north of the traffic light. Look for the card shop in a row of brick buildings there.

There's also supposed to be a place up in Hudson with 1000s of used LPs, but I haven't been up to check that one out yet. A lot of the used bookstores up and down the river have some LPs too.

There's also Last Vestige in Albany, which I've been to only once, but made out pretty well at.

Hope this helps,
Joshua

Am_dial,

Those are all great suggestions. Gives us plenty of places to seek as we explore this beautiful area where we live now. I'd heard about Rhino (any connection to the record label?) in New Paltz but hadn't made it up there. Too bad they've already downsized, but probably still worth a look - we occasionally get up to the Rosendale Theater for art films, and frequently get sushi in New Paltz.

I'm still amazed that the thrift stores here in NY are so bereft of vinyl...did I just miss the market here by 15-20 years, and the northwest was that far behind the times?

Just got back from the WFMU Record Fair, and now I know where all the thrift shop vinyl goes! There are so many record dealers in the NYC area that it all gets snapped up before any end user ever sees them.

Luckily, there was tons of $1 (even some 2/$1!) vinyl at the fair, along with $10-50 (and more!) pieces of every imaginable genre and sub-genre. I'm sure that the Internet marketplace has serious affected sales of the higher priced stuff, but if you're the type who likes to grade the LPs yourself, or you just don't like paying shipping, this show is a must.

They used to do it twice a year, but it looks like they're going to a once a year schedule. It runs Fri/Sat/Sun, and lots of dealers go to half price/make an offer at about 5pm Sunday. If you wanted to do a thorough scouring, you could easily spend all three days there.

Oh, there were CDs there too. I didn't look at a single one.

:-)

David