NYC area thrift shop vinyl

The fall edition of the twice - yearly WFMU Record Fair is this weekend in Manhattan. Depending on who's making the claim it's either the biggest such event in the US or number two after the Austin fair. There's usually not much classical music for sale but just about every other musical genre you can think of (and some genres you can't!) is well represented. Take a look at www.wfmu.org for details.

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.