It was a good day at the thrift shop


I was out running errands with my 20-yr-old stepson, whose quiet persistence got me back into vinyl after a 25-year hiatus. He spotted a large thrift shop. We turned around and stopped in. He didn't find anything he wanted--there was no Alice Cooper, and I'd already bought him a sealed reissue of In-a-gadda-davida. I with the eclectic tastes, however, came away with 10 gems. All were in like-new condition at 49 cents each, including:

-- An RCA shaded dog (mono) Van Cliburn Tchaikowsky piano concerto (reissued as 3-channel SACD, which I also have)
-- Manhattan Transfer's self-title debut album which includes Tuxedo Junction and Java Jive. Superbly performed and recorded on Atlantic in 1975
-- Musical Heritage Society of two Bach violin double concertos
-- Everest (not 35 mm) very nice London Symphony recording of Handel Water Music and Royal Fireworks music
-- Mercury Living Presence recording of Rossini overtures
-- Phoebe Snow's 3rd album "Looks Like Snow"
-- Michael Ponti recordings of Scriabin, one side a concerto with full orchestra, the other side solo sonatas
-- Bernstein & New York Phil on Columbia Masterworks of two Haydn symphonies, The Bear and The Hen
-- A real icon of the '70s: Richard Harris reading Kahlil Gibran's "The Prophet" with musical accompaniment on Atlantic at the height of their recording and mastering art (my wife is a HUGE Harris fan)
-- Steve Winwood, "Back in the High Life," his last recording (1986) for Island, his original label. Would make a great demo disk of how LP sounds better (even in transients and dynamics) than CD

What treasures have found you lately?
johnnyb53

Showing 2 responses by somec59

I got 2 pair of Shahinian Obelisks ($2800 new) at 2 different shops in the same week in Manhattan. 1st pair was 40, second pair was 75. Got a parasound CD Player for 10.00. Pair of Allison One's for 25.00 Pair of KEF 104.2 for 150.00.

Yesterday got 8 mint LP's for 2.00, most still have the wrap on. Supertramp, Cat Stevens, Jefferson, Billy Joel, YES, Squeeze, J. Giles. People don't have the room and everyone under 40 yrs has an Ipod. The thrift stores here have tons of classical stuff, musicals, etc and the dealers are constantly making the rounds.
Wealthy people living in 10 million dollar apartments redecorate and donate brand new very expensive furniture, electronics, etc so the boutique thrift shops (affiliated with a disease or hospital) have lines outside before they open and there is a race to get to the new inventory.
Housing Works Thrift Stores in NYC is affiliated with Gay Men's Health Crisis and has about 10 stores in Manhattan. The quantity and quality of donations is amazing and their stores are well designed with a boutique look. Alot of donations are from stores that donate inventory from last season. In addition to great audio equipment, I've picked up new (never fitted-hemmed) Armani, Hugo Boss, Vestimenta suits for 65-70.00. You never know what they will have, but it is not junk. They have auctions and you can shop/bid on-line

http://www.housingworksauctions.com/program/stores.cfm