After decades of going to record shows, here are some tips and tricks based on some things I've noticed over the years. Hopefully these will help newcomers to vinyl collecting and those who are old pros can relate.
When I know that I'm going to a record show, I won't bathe for two weeks before the date of the show, and I eat a couple of cans of beans the day before the show. I've never had a problem with people crowding me, and the vendors always give me a good deal to buy my chosen records and go.
Lol !!! Yes, Robert forgot "that guy"... the guy standing next to you lighting those wet, stinky farts while you're sweating bullets, desperately trying to find that elusive Anne Murray treasure 😂🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
Lol !!! Great video Robert, I've been to several shows and I have witnessed each and every one of these Every. Single. Time. 😂😂😂 EDIT: I will add one more to your list- if you're searching for a COMMON record by The Police, Dire Straits, Phil Collins, CS&N, etc. etc. DO NOT grab the first copy at the first table you go to. Because I guarantee later on at someone else's table you'll find a nicer copy at a cheaper price. (I've learned this the hard way 😩)
Several times at flea markets, I've seen vendors selling their friend's records. Not only are they unpriced, but they have to CALL their friend and ask the price of each individual record!!! Drives me nuts
Those flea market guys are always giving away the rare valuable stuff and putting $50 on scratched garbage. Keep your eyes peeled when you’re digging in those bins
Your don'ts and pet peeves list is spot on. Every one of those things drives me up the wall. The issue of people leaving the records leaning forward after flipping through is something that's rampant in the stores as well.
I'm a record fan and a comic book fan, and I can tell you that EVERY SINGLE ONE of the things you mentioned also translate to comic cons! Tight bins and non-priced records are my biggest pet peeves! If I see a vendor with no prices, I pass him by. Great video sir.
For a few years back in 2000 - 2010 I did record shows for an international company & sold " unofficial " cds & lps. Everything was on sale the last 2 hours of every show. Great advice in general from you but especially the late in the day discounts are awesome 👌 ✌️
I always put my pulls in the front of the crate I'm digging in then move them to the front of the next crate I dig. When I get through the dig, I'll then take the pile and review what I got and decide what I want to buy. Nice vid, thanks.
The big record show in Toronto has an early entrance fee, but it is $30! My friend convinced me to pay, and it was worth it, though I wish it was cheaper. I agree 100% with the boxes that are packed way too tightly. I even see overstuffed boxes in some stores 😔
@@frenchvinyladdict The show is usually at the end of April. This year it was April 29th at 71 Gough Ave. If you search for the Record Guys or Toronto Downtown Record Show you will find it!
Vendors. Do NOT put your records in those damn resealable protective sleeves. We went to easily view the vinyl before purchasing without sounding like we just ripped our jeans.
If I encounter a tight box, I grab the 1st 10 or so records and put them to the side so I can actually flip through the records. Maybe this could be seen as gauche but so is a tight box.
This! There's also a record shop I frequent nearby that has tons of CD's, they keep the discs behind the counter (GREAT idea), and you pick out the cards and bring them to the counter. Those cards are jammed in each row air tight, so I just take a small stack out so I can flip thru the row.
Dealers - Pull a few out and place between the two boxes that are back to back making room to flip through those in the boxes. Buyers don’t put back LPs backwards up side down or record separate from the cover - you are an ahole Bring a list if you want but especially if you collect 45s as the dealer likely will help find his copies. I have a large LP collection. 4000+ so I let my eye wander over anything different I only carry a list of LP covers to upgrade. But be careful to match the exact catalog number especially Columbia records. Those dollar boxes on the floor under the table are the happy hunting grounds for that. Bring cash but ignore the ATM card in your wallet. There’s always another pile to look at next week. Take a shower that goes for buyers too. LOL. Unpriced records and total junk in the boxes are a turnoff for buyers. Talk to people. You may make a friend or someone will tip you off that there is copy of what you want at thaaat table over therreee.
One thing I find fascinating is that in different parts of the country, different music is available that isn't as available everywhere. I've been getting a lot of Chris Hillman and Roger McGuinn records. My best deal was a minty Stephen Stills 2lp set Manassas for $5 with the poster.
Tightly packed records is a pet hate of mine too. Also those sellers that put price stickers on the actual cover that can’t be removed easily without causing damage to the sleeve. I also dislike it when things aren’t categorised into genres. Lastly, talking about record shops now.. those that don’t have the vinyl in the jacket, but store it behind the counter so any record you might be interested in you have to ask to see and inspect the vinyl condition.
Stacking records in boxes 3 or 4 boxes deep. I’m 6’0”, and sometimes I can “just” manage to flip through what’s in the box furthest from me. If you’re, say 5’6” you simply will not be able to check out what’s in those boxes
Ah yes, the old "piece of food" wedged in the groove. How many times I have found a great LP and am advised that it "skips" and see that little piece of food "semi" imbedded in a groove. A very gentle "fingernail" prodding that remnant of a French fry out of its semi lodged position and then knowing a "final" clean when you get home, often yields a great find.
Don’t go to a show or flea wearing your favorite band t-shirt. They’ll up the price on all their Styx records when they see you coming. Also, comfortable shoes.
Re: Bags. Good advice. I was at a record show a few weeks ago and didn't take my own. I then bought an album from a trader who didn't have a bag to give me and so I was carrying it around loose. Another trader on another stall took pity on me and gave me one of his bags for it. I couldn't find anything in his stock that I wanted to buy and so felt bad all day because it bothered me that I couldn't reward his kindness.
I’m not kidding, I’ve literally found 3 copies of mothership connection without jackets at goodwills in the last few years, but still haven’t found a cover.
ABSOLUTELY PRICE THE RECORDS! I too will avoid vendors who do not price their records. But a vendor should be aware that if he puts a "price per" on the outside of the box, and has different prices on different boxes, unscrupulous buyers will say they got a 10 dollar record out of a three dollar box. Also, I might be wrong but you appear to be short of stature (like me), so perhaps you know the aggravation of records that are too far back on the table, like three cartons back. For me, as I close in on those way back records, I'm seeing only about a half inch of the top of the front cover art. I'm sure the taller folks enjoy my struggle, but still...
Just saw Austin record convention is $30 to shop a day early. It can be overwhelming, so a good idea before you go to a record convention is to have an idea for what you are looking for. Either you'll leave spending more than you anticipated or leave empty-handed. I don't know about now, but when I went to the Austin record convention about 15 years ago it was ginormous. Maybe I'll check it out this year.
For me, in the past few years paying the $30 to get in on Friday - yes you get early access but I haven’t seen deals to make it worth it. Plus the parking has increased to $10, which is not included for $30. For me, I get deals at the ARC: 1. I buy in bulk (4 or more) 2. Pay cash 3. Go Sunday afternoon between 2pm and 4pm
Excellent video with tips. Here in Scotland we have large record fairs where dealers from England try to sell records at book value they use either Record Collector prices or those by Discogs. They would be better giving a small discount on on their albums rather than spend time and effort to pack them up to take to the next fair. Us canny Scots don't mind pay a fair price, they have to take into what other local Scottish dealers are charging for similar record in the same condition.
To buyers: handle the records with respect when inspecting them and put them back as you found them in the bins. Don't be a prick by putting them back in a different way than you found them. For instance, if the records have an outer plastic protective sleeve and the opening is facing in the same direction of the jacket's opening, don't put it back with the sleeve's opening facing another way just because you think it's better that way.
You forgot to remind people to shower before going to a show. There is nothing worse than being stuck next to the smelly guy at the bins. Hahaha… I have to walk away from tables if people smell awful. Lol Cheers☘️
Every time I sell at a record show it’s because I need money, but I always end up finding records I really need, so even if I sell a lot, I’m still leaving in the negative
As a vendor at some record shows here in Alberta, Canada my biggest pet peeve is vendors that don't bring bags for their customers to put their purchases in. Nothing is more annoying than hoping the guy walking away from your booth doesn't have some records of yours that he didn't pay for or are they ones he got from another vendor who didn't put them in a bag. I always bag customer purchases unless they brought their own.
in UK we call these record fairs, one tip i found hang onto your pile - if you look like you know what youre doing dont leave your prospective purchase pile too far away, hang onto them or somebody will think youve found some bargains and steal your finds, tip two pick as many albums as you can from the same seller and can usually get a good deal for a bunch but be realistic they wont give them away (-: a tip for vendors dont be surly be friendly to your customers, the ones that trust you will be queueing up next time at your pitch.
There's a vendor at my area shows that doesn't price the records he packed in too tight *and* spends the entire time looking at his phone. When I was able to get his attention and asked for a price he briefly looked up at the record, threw out a random number higher than he knew it should be, and went right back to his phone. I don't stop at his table anymore and noticed not many others do either. And to buyers - yes, definitely take the round plastic thing inside the jacket out and inspect it. Also, look up how to inspect a record. It amazes me the amount of people that don't bother looking before they buy used records. But maybe they just want to hang it on the wall.
Great info! And looking silky smooth as well. Led Zeppelin 4? Who doesn't own that? Oh wait, the children. Maybe you're on to something. Common courtesy needs to be preached more often with any daily activities. Another one as far as hovering over a table (and I got this from merch booths at shows) is don't put your Czech beer and nachos on the table in front of everyone's way or creating water rings where people tend to put their found treasures down upon. Another banger of an episode!
That all makes sense and is great advice Robert. Rookies take note of what the man says here. It will help you immensely and save you some money.... Makes me feel kinda sheepish hearing this though. I go to a record show just to wander around slow and easy, check out the people and scene, look at and buy some records but I don't plan none of it. I've got pretty much everything I "NEED" so I just wander around in the hopes I'll come across something that piques my interest enough to buy. I always find something that pleases me so I'm happy playing where's Waldo when I go to a record show... Yeah guys that don't price records I don't even bother with. I figure there gonna skin me no matter there price.... I really like watching the people at these gigs. Some pretty serious dudes in the crowd. LOL
After going for years and years, I've seen some pretty interesting people. I don't think anything will top the guy, in the early 2000's, that was walking around looking like he had feces all over the back of his pants. Smelled that way, too. He was asked to leave.
Man Robert this could not have come at a better time for me. The getting there early or late is probably good advice. I have only been to one record show so far, and I was very underwhelmed! Or…unprepared. The Black Oak Arkansas reference really made me laugh. I had a buddy who is no longer with us who always told me that I looked like Jim Dandy. For what that’s worth. That was 1976 by the way. And, we were cruising in a 69 Camaro. Just sayin. And when you mention tight boxes, we were talking about my girlfriend Dee…right? Those were the days!!!
3:10 aaaaand that's how non-existing new releases are created on Discogs. There might be a small difference between the two covers (something really small or irrelevant for the most, like a print company credit, catalog number from a few years earlier/later, a CRC in one of the corners etc.). Now paired with a different record, later passed on to another owner who thinks that there is a combination of record label + cover that hasn't been documented on Discogs before. I am sure there are hundreds, if not thousands of release pages like that and it is basically impossible to tell now. Sorry, didn't want to be preachy or anything, I am sure you make extra care when replacing a cover that it is from the exact same release, but I've seen sloppy mix-matches. One of my favorites is probably King Crimson's Lizard: German pressing with a US gatefold. That was the last time I ordered used records from Amazon. Of course, this was an easy to spot error.
Great video, Robert! I got the first Dust album sealed for $20 at the show this weekend. That was my great find this last weekend. Great tips! I will make sure to have the Al Hirt box set you are looking for next time. Haha. Appreciate you!
I have to go to the record shows near me, they have quite a few and I noticed that they have them in neighboring states to me. The only record show I went to was by accident I was at a mall in Clearwater Florida and they had a show there. I bought a bootleg of Nirvana in concert and the titles of the songs were incorrect. I know if I go to a show I have to carry lots of money so I can have real fun.
Charging extra to get into "an earlybird sale" just sounds like a dick move to me. No, thank you Record shows are amazing. There are two just outside my area that alternate months - one is held during the "odd" months and the other, the "even" months. Some take VISA debit cards, some have 50% off, I've never been able to say this show was a bummer - I always got something good out of it. Case in point, I just went to one last weekend that had a decent copy of Frank Zappa's Sheik Yerbouti - great-looking cover, no skipping at all, even though there was some surface noise at the inner groove at the start of each side. You never heard any noise through the rest of the album. The inner sleeves were intact, no splits, etc., and it was only 25 bucks. Looking forward to the next one.
My 3 tips 1) If you find a record you're interested in, grab it and carry it until you do the payment, and only prior to that let on the bin thse that you discard. If you let them on the bin that find found them may someone else who's interested in would make it his, or you forget at all where you let it. 2) Inspect the record pockets to check the inner sleeves and inserts, you may find some cool exclusives such as posters, merchandise orders or fan club propects. This is specially useful if you're looking for japanese pressings to make sure that they're complete. 3) Always look if there's another copy of the records you're looking for, you may find a cheaper one or another in better condition for just a small higher price.
What I like at a record show, vendors who keep their stock in alphabetical order. I understand it can be time-consuming to do that, but when I go to a record show, the vendors whose records are not in alphabetical order are the last tables I go to, if at all. In that same regard, attendees, put the records/CD'S back where you found them. Also, totally weird to see you holding a jazz record, kept waiting for the punchline.
It was some kind of removal operation. I don't remember exactly what. The conversation must have gone on for half an hour. Elbow leaning on a box of records the whole time.
Mr. Hall of Fame was there? I usually make the walk around unless I see someting I need. Otherwise check out vendors. I like the good bargin bins. Courtesy goes both ways. I will pull records out that I m interested and make a moving pile to allow others to look. If the records arent priced I will usually go through or listen to another customer asking a price point.
Be willing to make a deal - i just dealt with someone who said all his prices are form because he has to pay for his table. “Nobody gets anything lowered” he said.
I like black oak arkansas up to raunch and roll which is a brilliant album - its sure to clear out stragglers at a party- kind of like umma gumma except with umma gumma the weiredest people stay
Beware of bootlegs. I've bought all bootlegs I own at fairs like that and there are a lot of non local dealers who have no problems stewing you. They will never see you again in most cases.
Overstuffed bins are the worst. One dealer (I bet you know the one) who is at every show and sells a steady stable of $2-3 (good condition) pieces ALWAYS has tight bins. ALWAYS. I did bring more cheapies this time/this show to sell (learned my lesson last year) and all were $2….but I didn’t make a sign 😬😬.
Don’t say “ I’ll give you a dollar “ for £50 vinyl, then the next vinyl was £1. Thats hilarious. Regarding putting records ontop of others?I always move mine as I respect other vinyl buyers. Flicking through vinyl, I’m not that fast lol
@@RobertFithen…indeed it is , in fact we were pretty much done by the time they let the general public in at 10 in the morning the next day. We would catch a plane over from the U.K. for about £40/50 and get cracking as the vendors were setting up at 6-7am then dig through till they shut up at 7pm for the night…..it just took one find and you covered the $50 entrance fee. There so much dealer to dealer / insider trading that goes on the day before it open to the public that it becomes a must. As well as all the different European countries meeting up there it never ceased to amaze me at how many Mexican / USA / Japanese / South American dealers made the journey over to sell and no doubt buy. It’s big , too big to be honest.
Three things come to mind, as being a vendor and a customer at record shows. 1. Vendors please bring another person with you so that you don't have to ask the vendor next to you "If you don't mind , could you keep an eye on my stuff while I go look around?" 2. If a vendor tells you "Most of them there rekirds are 5 bucks", and you happen to find something you want to buy, you can be sure that the next sentence out of his mouth is going to be "Except for that one, I want a hundred and fifty dollars for that" 3. (Sexist statement that pertains to most vendors) If you are an attractive female make sure to wear something that shows an ample amount of cleavage and for some vendors (like myself) you may be leaving my booth with a hundred dollar record that you end up with, having me give you money to take it off my hands.
I find them so exhausting, im the type that wants to dig every crate so im there for hours and its so mentally draining even if i have a fair idea what im after.
How about when there are back to back crates and someone reaches into the crate at the back while you are in the crate at the front. Then you have to wait for them to finish before you can methodically move into this crate at the back. Rude as.
Good tips! Early or late no inbetween! Always check to make sure the right Vinyl is in the right cover sounds trite but it has happened! Own bag great tip! Have list of wants, need, or wish! be nice to all! Respect yourself! and others! Common courtesy! Not impressed by speed! "Something that tight since Highschool" You my friend are a "hoot". No price no go! Skip!
Never refer to any band by their actual name when yr interested in one of their records, you act like you've barely heard of them, it strips the item of it's identity/value, or the incantory power of a name. Refer to anything you're interested in as 'thingy' -'wotsit', same with anything antique or collectable. You're doing the seller a favour just by giving it the time of day.
all too Hilarious . i'm the 1 that packs the records too tight , but thats just first thing in the morning , you can grab some out to flick , an hour later after doors open , easy to flick through .
The thing that would drive me nuts at a flea market was these guys with a pile of marginal at best LPs who--when you ask the price-- whip out a dog eared copy of the Goldmine Record Guide. BUH BYE
