Yeah, okay, I love records- vinyl, LP’s, 45′s, 7 inches, 10 inches- however you generationally refer to them. I always have and probably always will. I bought my first record when I was in the 3rd grade and have owned 1000′s since then. I’ve bought and sold them at shows and conventions throughout the Midwest, even opened and closed a record store. I like the way records feel, the way they smell, and especially the art that is their covers and sleeves. Oh, and of course I prefer the way they sound, but that should be a given.

The staff here at the MMF requested that I periodically report on my adventures crate digging in the Metro area. For the uninitiated, crate digging is the process of searching for vinyl treasure. It can be done in record stores, record shows or conventions, or on eBay, but the best crate digging is found in places not specifically designed to sell records, such as flea markets, thrift stores, garage sales, and unexpected places like your neighbor’s basement. For a more detailed explanation of crate digging, here’s a short film by the amazing local filmmaker, musician, and fellow record collector, Anthony Ladesich entitled:

Record collecting seems to be making a resurgence with many new retail outlets selling new and used vinyl. New turntables, especially of the USB variety, are also bringing records to a new audience. I was at Streetside Records on Broadway last week and their ever increasing used vinyl section was being perused by easily four generations of music lovers; everybody is getting in on the vinyl love.

This brings me to this weeks vinyl safari, my recent trip east on I70 to Grain Valley and The Brass Armadillo Flea Market. As with most of my crate digging expeditions, this one came from a tip from a fellow record collector. I spent two hours going through what is advertised as Missouri’s largest indoor flea market. I don’t know if that is true, but it was big. There was a great deal of vinyl. Mostly garbage, correction- mostly overpriced garbage, but there was much treasure hidden in the stalls and booths between that garbage. I came away with ten records for less than the price of one new CD. I found “Nina Simone In Concert” on the Phillips label, Roger Miller’s “Dang Me” on Smash, Thomas Dolby’s “The Golden Age of Wireless”, The Romantics first on the Nemperor label, “Belafonte-The Midnight Special”- better known as Bob Dylan’s first recording, the Royal Guardsmen’s “Snoopy and His Friends”, “The Best of Gabor Szabo” on Impulse, Clannad’s “Macalla”- Enya’s family’s band, and ”Missa Luba and Christmas in Congo”- a Dutch 10”. Overall, a very good haul with a wide variety of genres and styles. Here is a link to the Brass Armadillo if you would like to try your luck there:

The Brass Armadillo

They are on Facebook too:  The Brass Armadillo Facebook Fan Page

That’s enough for now. Next time I will talk a little bit about condition, price, and how to speculate in the vinyl market.

Until next time, good digging.
Sherman