My First Record Fair - A Grail - And Stunty, the Best Discogs Backup In the World 

It is a common assumption that I share, that NM copies of highly valued legendary albums come from people who did to like these but had respect for the medium. Pretty likely the original owner of the Tago Mago hated the album hated it and even very likely did not buy it. It might have been a gift of even a promotional copy missing the devaluation marks. There are good reasons for contemporary listeners of the time to hate Tago Mago. If you couldn't dig "Revolution No. 9" and you're not into "pothead music" anyway, how could you appreciate "Aumgn"? Or "Peking O"? Hey, totally ridiculous stuff! Or such a thing could be an archive copy that finally did not make it to the archive. In the early 90ies I bought tons of mint condition vinyl rejects of the Deutsche Welle Radio dating from the 70ies to the 80ies at an anniversary party of the station.

Hello Michael. Well that sounds like you had a great day out! And nice to hear your observations on the demographic side of who is attending these events. I get the strangest comments from people when they hear about my 53 year old vinyl passion and my online record store like I‘m some kind of alien. But I‘m happy! I have many LPs decades old in great shape but funnily enough there is an expectation somehow that they should be in pristine condition (some are) having been played regularly over on many different turntables. Bruno‘s comment below hit the spot however; yes, that‘s exactly what we did - buy a record and immediately record it onto cassette for casual listening at home AND in the car. As Lou Reed said „Those were different times“.

And, props to Stunty, of course, for his invaluable help!

Record shows are the best, I love the digging and finding the cool records at decent prices.

Well done, very happy for you, I look forward to hearing your comparisons

Congratulations, Michael 45!

One of your best videos for a very long time 🎉 great you got cool titles -more please 🙏

Thanks for taking us along! Haven't had the nerve to do one; not big on pressing crowds and 'predators'. Congrats on your grail! Looking forward to the comparison video.

The youthful joy in the excitement of your first record faire experience is great to see. Congratulations on your grail finding!

I visit a record fair every couple of months, made lots of mistakes but I find the whole experience so much fun….

I love the enthusiasm you show when you find your grails. Great video, thanks for sharing.

Welcome to the world of Record Fairs! I have gone to many over the years, and have had similar experiences. Great to hear about your finds, especially the Can titles!

About 20 years ago , I traveled the 🇺🇸 as a dealer at Record Fairs for about 6 months. We priced most items at 10% to 15% above what we really wanted for " negotiation " purposes. That Can record is definitely a $200 💵 record & a great 👍 find ! Congratulations 😎

Really good video about your adventures in the Record Fair. Glad you got the Tago Mago and Monster Movie albums along with the very nice copy of Amon Duul. Take care.

That’s amazing it’s like a spy movie where you have the tech man at home base researching and providing data. James Bond record buying.

Thanks so much for making this video, it brought back fond memories of going to record fairs looking for bootlegs and such in the 90's, not knowing what you'd find, like early Christmas!

Good to see you enjoying the experience. You can’t beat getting out and searching out great finds

Cool, glad you enjoyed your first Fair, you gotta show up to fairs super early..... then dig dig dig. Cheers !

Such a great story, thanks for sharing!

What a haul, Michael! The Tago Mago is swoon-worthy.

I have been to Utrecht many times in the past. The record fair has been changed from location and is now taking place in s-Hertogenbosch (Brabanthallen). In April of this year it was the first time it took place there. On an area of two football fields you can find hundreds of stands full of records. You will find all genres. It will overwhelm you and at first you won't know where or how to start. Very important. There is a dealers list and a plan of the fair. This can be found on the website of ARC Record Planet (also in English). I can recommend you to take a look at this list in advance. On the dealerslist you can find from each dealer/seller a stall number, genre of music and the country where the dealer is coming from. On the plan you can find all the stall numbers. It's a good idea to mark on the plan what you definitely want to see. For example stall number 66 is specialized in jazz and originals. Then you can check on the map where it is located inside the hall, so that you won't miss it. At the moment you can still see the old dealerslist from April. It will be updated a few weeks before the new recordfair in November. You will find there a lot of jazz and classic rock. In April I saw various MoFi titles, from Led Zeppelin a few classic records titles...I saw the Neil Young Sugar Mountain live Canterbury House the Japanese pressing...all very rare and very expensive. And there are also a lot of live bootlegs. They know what they are selling and often follow the market value of discogs.

Thanks for sharing your experience with us all. Love the excitement you felt. Glad Stunty helped you out.

Wunderbar! Great to hear about your inaugural experience! I fondly enjoy my own memories of going to the record conventions back in the old days, 30-40 years ago! I hope the resurgence of such record shows continues!

Amazing to see how much happiness this “hobby” can bring to ones life... when I get my records, I feel guilty that I paid so much ;)

Great video, Mike! I was able to visualize your experience well.

I am happy & excited for you Michael. I know they couldn't have a better home, enjoy!

I love the enthusiasm and excitement on your face of your first Record Fair Michael.

Great score with that Can, Tago Mago. I’ve been on a Can kick for the last few weeks. Congrats on tackling the crowd and making it worth your while.

That's all great for you. I rarely go to the record fairs anymore but they are fun and can have many good finds.

I love record fairs and I collect money two months before they happen. In Athens they take place two or three times a year for three days and there is no ticket. I go all three days with friends and then we enjoy our coffee and talk about our purchases. It is nice experience, very fun and useful. I have also found rare pieces at reasonable prices and I never miss such events. I wish for even better results next time!

Sweet sweet score on that Tago Mago! It would be awesome if you did a shootout with the newer reissues. I've always been curious since I'm pretty sure there's no way I'm ever touching an OG press of that. I feel like my reissue would pale in comparison.

This is one of my favorite videos or yours Michael, it's so great to see you happy and having fun.

I visited a store in Baton Rouge, 60 miles from my house. He is known for having UK Kate Bush and other more hard to find records. Someone happened to come in two days earlier with 2 crates of rare UK psych/prog/folk music from the early 70s - most covering 2 genres at once. All pristine. I sat with my ipad on tidal, itunes and allmusic with my wireless bluetooth headphones and sampled everything I could find. I walked out with a stack 14 inches thick. He was more than happy to have me dive in. The prices were reasonable and I now have some great organic stuff that you typically would never be exposed to. It’s days like those that I love visiting a store, especially an out of town one. Many will have a genre they are less aware of where you can find some surprisingly wonderful rare bargains - great original labels, etc. It’s harder to do now with discogs but those store owners know what they paid for the lps and how likely something really obscure will sit on their shelves hence a better deal than online.

Envious of your Can haul at the record fair. The recent live releases from Can on mute records are fantastic. I've been collecting vinyl all my life from Van Morrison, Wire, The Fall, Blondie, New York Dolls to Prince, Nick Cave, Bowie etc.... it's strange how popular vinyl is again but really enjoy your videos

Nice I used to go to the NYC record fairs in the late 70’s early 80’s before CDs. So much fun, just couldn’t afford the high end rarities back then. I will have to give Tago Mago a listen with that Orange vinyl version.

Thank you Michael for sharing your Record Fair day adventure I have been to 2 in the last 12 months here in Australia and I find that there are many great bargains to be had . It sounds like you grabbed a few and had a great time . I think the larger record collection you have the less certain records get played and handled and stay in great condition.I know in the 80s and early 90s we used to buy albums and play them once and at the same time record on to tape for the car cassette player so we have 40 year old albums that have only been played once even the tapes that have been played many times in cars and stereos still work . And back in the 1980s it was a lot easier to buy late 1960s and 1970s records still sealed and we did the same with those so have quite a few USA country albums 50-55 years old by Jerry Lee Lewis Johnny Cash Charley Rich Elvis and Crash Craddock from that period that have only been played once . Thank once again Michael love your Channel and discussions cheers Carl Australia

Crate Digging is always fun. I always love going to swap meets and I have a Goldmine standard book that I use to carry with me for special records. It is both the thrill of the hunt that is exciting along with finally getting the prize. It is adrenaline for record heads.

Man, it's really funny hearing an avid collector as yourself explain the joy in an experience most collectors have had regularly for years and years. I think it's a rare thing for a person with a collection like yours to never have been to a show like this. I really enjoyed the video, and i hope you make it out to more shows. Nice scores too btw, if i took a trip to Germany those early krautrock pressings would be the 1st thing I'd look for.

I haven't been to a record fair since the mid 80's... what fun!

Great Video Michael! I have to go one year to the big Festivals.

Great stuff! I love record fairs in our town. Always good to catch up with fellow diggers and swap stories. I’ve definitely learned which sellers to go for first, and which ones to not bother with.

Glad you had fun! It's always about the hunt no matter where you look for vinyl. It can get very overwhelming very quick in a room with so much to choose from and there are all the people. (Yeah, I'm one of those guys who thumbs through records fast because I have an agenda.) I always go with a list of ten top records I'm looking for, I usually go with a friend because we are looking for each other's records while looking for our own, I ask "Do you have...?" That could be half speed mastered vinyl, Japanese lp, Krautrock, or anything specific, I try to locate dealers before I go to know where they will be if possible and if I do not know exactly where they will be I try to find them early on. Seek out dealers that have very specific types or areas of vinyl for sale (Like jazz for instance.). Take a few minutes to get your bearings when you get in the door. Figure out the first few moves. There might be a microphone set up where you can go and, via a m.c., ask if a dealer has a specific item (Don't be a dumb ass and say Beatles.) I can honestly say that by being very specific in you're queries you can save time and maybe get a better bargain if three sellers have what you ask for. But get to the sellers quickly because some asshole might get there faster than you and steal the record out from under you! Carry a sturdy bag! (I generally use my OPPO bluray bag or one from Purist Audio Design cables because they are stout and have a flap to close it or long handles.) I do look out for specific friends requests who are not there, I hide things...In a place not related. Will come back later if I need to. Near the end of the show is bargain time. Who the hell wants to pack up all that shit and take it home? That may be when I get those records out of the hidden section and try to cut a deal. Remember, the more you buy from a dealer the sweeter the deal, most of the time. Oh, get a card or information from dealers who you think are worth doing future business with. Go to lunch with the friend you went with or go to one of your houses set up some drinks and go through the plunders individually. Some wows! OMG, Holy sh!t!, will hopefully ensue. Obviously play some killer's! There you go, my advice for happy hunting!! Love you're channel!!

Congratulations on the Tago Mago, Michael! Well done! 🥳

I'm very glad you had fun at the record fair. The last time I went to one I was a teenager, about 35 years ago. You've actually made me want to go create digging again! Also, I just wanted to thank you for the introduction to CAN. I'd never heard them before, but I'm now listening to the Tago-mago remaster and it is fantastic. Thank you!

Glad you have broken your duck on record fairs Michael!! They really are great fun 🙂

Congratulations for your vinyl hunt!!

I am so glad that you had so much fun, Michael! This is the happiest I've seen you in a long time!

That Utrecht record fair can be completely overwhelming when you first arrive. This may sound obvious but I Definately recommend going in with a list of record you want & prices you are willing to pay. Ultimately everything you want will be at that fair...if you find three records you want at one stall but another stall has one of the records cheaper, I always try & buy from the one stall, as they will normally give big discounts if you but 3/4 records at one time. I’ve manage to negotiate 30% discounts doing that. Look forward to the video of it!

Thank you so much for sharing your experience with us, glad you had fun. We’ve actively collected vinyl again for over 10 years now, but unfortunately we haven’t been to any kind of record fair. Hoping we will soon. Thanks again Michael, God speed.🙏🏻🎧

Interesting story with a couple of still illustration graphics accompanying. Where I live in Japan there are quarterly calendared record fairs which are hosted by the department store chain, Tenmaya. 8-10 independent record stores from Okayama, Hiroshima, Kyoto, and Osaka each display huge bins of used records and CDs. I’ve been to a few of them. It takes me a few hours to go through a fair. Typically, there is an inspection area for buyers to sit and review records they’ve pulled from the bins to consider. You can take them out of the jackets and take as much time as you wish to inspect; even look at them with a loupe if you brought one with you. A department store staffer returns all records not purchased to the bins. I’ve never seen TT playback station at these specific group fairs. Because the department store is hosting the fair, there are no negotiations on price. The next time one occurs, I’ll attend and post on my channel, a video of the entire experience with the camera lens pointed at the fair itself.

Great stories and finds at the record fair. Thanks for sharing.

I get really flustered even in record stores, more so at record shows. I feel for you. I don't have a wishlist. When something jumps out at me it gets my interest and then I have to do what and your friend do all on my own. If it a rare and expensive record, I'm liable to just lock up. I like to think about a purchase and being under the gun can stress me out and cause mistakes.

Welcome to the club of "Record Fair Hunters" and congratulations on the great purchases. Hunting for LPs you don't have, is what makes our hobby so interesting. Tip for Utrecht or DenBosch: Make comfortable shoes (you need them seriously) and search lists to give to dealers while you look through the boxes. Empfehlung: Größte Börse in Deuschland am So. 5.11.22 in Essen, Grugahalle.

I have always loved visiting fairs and shops. It is somehow similar to other people going mushroom hunting. Of course one can lose a lot of time searching through uninteresting records, but then if you really find something great unexpectedly or even discover something new you had no idea about, it is very rewarding, and I think, always fun. For me at least. I can understand that for example my wife finds it as boring as I find her endless checking all fashion shops on the Koenigsallee.

Great video Michael. Record fairs are quite funny. I really enjoy it. But at least in Munich and Augsburg, where I normally attend these fairs, LPs are quite overpriced. I made the experience that especially for my stuff (Beatles 60 and 70th German pressings) second hand LP shops often have a better offering and better prices. Most of my vinyl I got from ebay so far had luckily I have not made a bad experience so far. Regarding the strategy: I normally have none. The times, I was searching for specific stuff I always was disappointed. So, I go there enjoying the atmosphere, talk to other collectors and have fun. And sometimes I also made a bargain. Utrecht record fair would be a dream.. one day we will meet there, but I guess, not this year...

I have always wanted to go to the Utrecht show but have never made it across the pond at the right time to attend. It supposed to be a fabulous show. I have heard there used to be a lot of British dealers there too, not sure if that is still the case or not. Your comments on the show you attended about shoulder to shoulder attendees thumbing through record crates sure brings back a lot of memories of going to record shows prior to covid. Once the "hunting fever" sets in I would not want to stop for lunch, so used to slip a few protein/energy bars in my pockets so I could grab a quick snack and not stop looking. Nice video.

That’s what it is all about……..FUN! Enjoyed hearing about your experience.

Sounds like a lot of fun. No sure if its allowed, but yes, could you please record your next trip? That would be fantastic to see.

Hi Michael! I am in that young range and I am also in that learning curve. It is fun to know about your experience, specially that Stunty-Michael “dupla” online! The first and last time I was in one was on April in Barcelona and I won a pine vinyl shelf that was raffled. I also got a OG of Tommy in a decent price/condition. I learnt that you never know what can happen there. That is cool. Next time I hope to find my love there! Regards.

Michael congratulations on your first record fair wow that Amon Duul Paradis warts man I have that same first pressing it’s a beautiful release and that Can Tago Mago first German press I’m still listing for a German press I have the OG UK sweet finds Michael and that Monster Movie 🎥 love it looks like you had a wonderful time take care . Lovellandrew

In Australia record fairs used to be fantastic back in the 80's and early 90's when you could pick up Kraut Rock LP's for next to nothing, I was lucky to have been bitten by the Record collecting bug about 40 yrs ago and most of the LP's I bought were less than $10 AU, well done on your finds and it sounds like you had great time.

Some excellent purchases I've only this year discovered Can and just got Tango Mango 🥭. It's also fun to get a bargain and something hard to find 🙂

Michael, the original german pressing of tango mago has the United artists text on both label and cover. Make sure you have that

Fun video Michael

The utrecht fair is huge. Ibought a dj record case trolley to make transport easy and keeping the records clean and safe.

"Discogs" is the great leveller. Before this it was your knowledge verses the sellers. But now everyone is an expert, fewer bargains these days at record fairs. But still fun, all the same. You can get the occasional result. Well done with your purchases.

A very interesting story. Thank you for sharing with us Michael. I'm a bit scared off by record shows as my limited experience is that I'm competing with a pack of rabid dogs who just want to push me aside.

Thanks for this account, Michael. You've effectively put the listener 'in the driver seat' of the whole experience. From the early '70s through the mid '00s I spent a big part of my free time in record shops (no matter what city I moved to I would seek these places out, right after finding the nearest grocery shop - gotta eat and drink, after all). These places were like sonic temples to me. I've shunned record fairs though, and for the most part the whole RSD experience, because I hate crowds and lining up for anything. It just screws with my concentration. BTW that Amon Duul record looks great. Anything on Ohr, and early krautrock/kosmische for me...

This video made me so happy. I’ve been watching you for a long time. Pleased me to see your newfound excitement for early pressings. It’s so much more exciting than buying a modern reissue that anyone with money can purchase. Thanks for this video!!!

Hi Mate I went to a record fair in AUSTRALIA 4 week ago and there it was my holy grail Kiss Japan Originals 2 complete with ob. I paid good $ for it but I'm so happy to have it. Hrad to find in AUSTRALIA complete . I love your show keep them up thank you.

Great video Michael! Fantastic records.

Great video ! I went to the Den Bosch ( formerly in Utrecht ) fair in April - incredible ! 600+ dealers and Krautrock gems everywhere - I bought back 6 early Klaus Schulze & some OHR early Tangerine Dream pressings in beautiful condition plus a super-mint copy of Galactic SuperMarket - a grail for me 😁 i’m going again in November - if I see you I say hello - love your channel and videos keep up great work 👍

Amazing finds! I can't imagine how much those original German pressings would go for here in the United States.

Be careful with the lighting at these events when inspecting your records. Bring your own and also understand that play grade and visual are not the same! You will learn what sellers to trust. Good luck with your journey and THANK YOU for all you hard work for us!

I had a similar experience without getting any grails. Long lineups, each seller with their own setup, long lines at alphabet sections per seller, I had issues with my Discogs login on my phone, some great records and some poor quality records but I did have a carry case for purchases! It was my first fair after getting back into collecting during the pandemic. The next one is in November and I will be better prepared!

I enjoy record fairs. I went to the huge one in den Bosch (normally in Utrecht) earlier this year. I met Mike Esposito from In Groove there, great guy! The show overall was overwhelming, I think it is the biggest record show in the world. Believe it or not, my best score was also a first German pressing of Can’s Tago Mago, VG+ for both vinyl and jacket. A trail for me too! I paid 220, so I guess not as good a bargainer as you.

It‘s beautiful. We still stay 8 years old in a toy shop. I never attended a fair. Because I don‘t like crowds. I think I should join the jungle. At the end it cant‘t be worse than Christmas Markets. You „spread“ your ellbows, don‘t show fear and throw yourself at the battle.

Hi Michael. I’m glad your first record fair experience was excellent. You were able to find some rare Krautrock albums for decent prices. Thank you Stunty for being the online researcher 👍🏼. Next time, I recommend keeping an online doc with notes on your wantlist and pressing variations. If I see you in Utrecht, then I’ll buy us the first round 🍻

Awesome video! Loved your sharing!

Wow! Tago Mago German first pressing is a huge score. Congrats!

verrrry nice michael... i am well jell for the tago mago 1st pressing. beautiful.

Hi Michael, Great video as always! Really enjoy your videos on RU-vid. It would be really interesting if you took on the road recordings of your visits to record fairs as you may have seen on other channels. It would be interesting to see how you get on and experience what you experienced, especially with your upcoming visit to the biggest record fair in the world. All the best.

Very interesting observations. Thank you.

Shopping at stores or record fairs can be very challenging when you don’t have easy access to Discogs (or Stunty). And some dealers don’t appreciate people shopping with Discogs open on their phones. With practice I’ve found that I started to develop instincts as to what is what, but it’s never gotten easy.

Scary good a 50 year old white cover is so good condition good score 👍

First ? Wow, been to record fairs for 25 years now. Worked at them with friends and also with the record store I worked at for 22 years. And as customer too, of course.

i just got back into collecting again after 3 or so years away. i had to sell almost my entire collection along with turntables, speakers, recievers, cd decks, cassette decks and other accessories in 2017/2018. i was collecting for close to 10 years before i had to sell everything. and that whole time i had been looking for a NM copy of Roger Waters Radio KAOS. the week after i bought my first stack (8) of albums to restart the collection, i finally found one. AND i GOT IT FOR $4.00

Since the discogs, almost all the OGs in perfect condition which were buck each during the ninetees, have gone up a lot ....glad u had a good time Michael..I love Yeti Aamon duul LP...and another Faust one with " hand" image on cover

Hello Once upon a time it was a german man who had a recordshop in Stockholm who sold this "krautrock' Woolfie was the name. He made me a big fan of Tangerine Dream, Can, Amon Duul 2, Moondog Heard of that recordshop? Rock on.....

I have never been to a record fair/show either. I’m hoping to go to one next Saturday but sounds like you can either do really well or bad when it comes to what you find and how much you pay. I think you did very well!

Hi Michael, the Mega Platenbeurs was in Utrecht but has moved to Den Bosch. You can take the ICE to Den Bosch station

I’ve gone to a few local record fairs in Budapest and now in Basel, what I usually do is 1) determine some kind of short list of records I’ll look for in advance cause crate digging can get overwhelming and it’s difficult not to bring stuff home. If you are familiar with the sellers and their inventories you can narrow down which one to look for in particular it gets easier the more you frequent those fairs. 2) bring cash or know where the closest ATM is + setting a budget cause I get easily carried away but my bank is not as enthusiastic 😅 3) bring a bag 😉 4) look also for CDs and cassettes, they are usually dirt cheap and people are more likely to heavily discount those or give them as freebie sometimes 5) clear my schedule cause it can be super time consuming - and I don’t want to overstretch my wife’s patience too much 😅😅😅 Having a sidekick like you had with Stunty is awesome to really identify the record, pricing and save time

Congrats on the Grail man! I still need some Can in my collection. Been getting into them alot lately

awesome! LOVE all 3 of your finds! Such great music. I went to a record fair yesterday as well in NYC. half the people seemed like serious record collectors, the other half people who were just shopping for mainstream nonsense. either way i guess i'm glad people are buying music. always enjoyable to search and dig for records! ALWAYS take your own bag!! :). OH so jealous about that Amon Duul find! I don't want the reissue i want that too! :). BY THE WAY the reissue is a DIFFERENT recording from a different master completely!!!! hahaha looking forward to you listening and finding this out!! Wow an original "Tago Mago" and "Monster Movie" i cannot wait to hear your thoughts compared to the Mute reissues. I think the Mute reissues sound SO good so am very very curious.

Now I can vividly imagine how bad it was there. Beloved predators. And the best for last. The excellent selection. Congrats on "Can" and the rest of the icons. Enviable. :-) The collector's heart beats once again up to the ceiling. And mine too. Satisfaction. ❤️Heike Utrecht is a vinyl Paradies. For old and young. The main things is addicting. :-)

Great video! I'm going to a nearby record fair here in Ireland on Sunday, hopefully I will be lucky too!

I love record fairs. I bought a second state Beatles butcher cover at the last one. Paid dearly for it but at least I could inspect it in person and see what I’m buying as opposed to eBay Or Discogs. My fingers fly fast because I have so many already I’m familiar with the jackets. Very few that I’m scouting for but I get surprised and pick up new (to me) stuff like Suzi Quattro. Fun times. Would love to do a European one.

Thank you very much for sharing your impressions. With the help of Stunty - it sounds easy going.👍🏻🙏🏻 Maybe next time taking a trolly...

You get great deals at shows for many reasons. Bring cash for the absolute lowest prices. Dealers don’t have to pay taxes and fees when you use cash so they will break price further for you.

Michael Nice to hear you visited a record fair. These are some of the best places to get a variety of great and hard to find pressings. I also feel that traveling to a lot of cities and finding their gems is very worthy. Many knowledgable sellers will very specifically note the pressing, etc but also it will come with the hefty price. Developing a rapore with dealers who sometimes will let you come over and go through things more closely. These are much more fun, and if you inspect carefully a lot better than surfing Discogs and hitting the purchase button. Glad Eno turned me on to Kraut Rock in the late 70s - I have plenty of import Neu, Cluster, TD etc Brain, Sky, Nova originals I purchased back then! The remasters can’t touch them. Damn those prices sound ridiculous. Many 2nd pressings are just fine there comes a time where it’s more about the music and rationally how much will you play it. As for your comparisons for this channel - an analog early pressing (not first) is more than enough to listen to versus a modern remaster.