Record fair

[DavidNorway]

Next weekend im going to a record fair,ive not been to one for 20 years.Back then i used to take five pound with me and see what i could get,sometimes coming home with lots of odd bits other times that one special album.Not really sure what to expect this time round,are vinyl prices on the up? 20 years ago people had stopped buying new vinyl and it was all cds.Next weeks fair i think is both,have you guys ant experience with fairs,any advice?

Really looking forward to it and seeing my fingers turn dusty black as they always do at these fairs.

 

[bretty]

Hi David,

My limited experience has shown me that £5-£10 seems to be the average price for an LP. You can get the odd bargain for a couple of quid, though, if you look hard. Have fun at the fayre, matey!

 

[DavidNorway]

Thanks bretty,it will be good fun i hope,will let you know what i get if its anything interesting,a fiver per allbum is ok.

 

[DIB]

Record fairs are great places to visit and browse, but the stalls are set up by traders who generally know the going rate for their discs.

I picked up a few discs at the last one I visited, the average price I paid was probably about £4.00/£5.00 per LP which isn't bad really. However when I dipped into the £1/£2 section I found many an LP I wanted but the condition was pretty ropey. You've really got to give yourself plenty of time to browse, but there again that's what I like doing anyway. I came away from the last one with about five beauties that cost me £20 in total. If I'd had more dosh I could have spent loads more.

The real bargains I've got over the years have been from car boot sales rather than record fairs (eg. an absolutely mint condition original Rory Gallagher self titled first solo album for 50p!!).

Either way record fairs are great and as you say a fiver for an album is nothing really.

Have fun.

.

 

[jerry klinger]

There seem to me several kinds of dealer.

1 - specialists with usually well-kept LPs who charge premium prices for specific pressings, usually in particular eras or genres - you can grab a bargain but you could end up paying £50 for an album you probably lost in 1976.

2 - bucket merchants with all sorts of stuff, boxes of 80s LPs for £1 that no-one wants etc. I've found great stuff here!

3 - Ordinary bloke with a wide selection, £5-£20.

My advice - have a good look round before you buy anything. I've often found what I'm looking for for half the price, and better condition, at a dealer the far end of the hall.

 

[Anonymous]

Hi, Im going to a fair this weekend too - maybe the same one?

I've been going to this one for about 2 years now and price's are around £5 per LP more for some many for less.

Last time there was a table selling kate bush £1 per LP. Many of the stalls have 3 for £5 for sort of late 70's/80's stuff e.g. I got stranglers, clash, jam etc etc.

You sort of pay more around £8 to £12 for the likes of PF the wall, The who quad (£12 in excellent cond). I got a box set of 6LP's of clapton covering most his stuff 60's to late 80's for £8.

I tend to find if you ask the price for a particular LP the price might rise - couple of times Ive done this then found another table selling the same thing for cheaper so pays to look around - I tend to be like a kid in a candy shop just grabbing everything I can!

Have fun

 

[DavidNorway]

Hi GWindy

Its the fair at skien,is that where you have been?

I wont be able to get there untill later as i have to work in the morning.

Whats the mix of cds vs vinyl?

 

[Anonymous]

Hi, no its not the one in Skien. The one i go tours round the north of England.

The mix is about 60/40 to LP's. Tho' i never look at the CD's otherwise i'd be in there all day! fair mix of DVD's too.

It's easy to get carried away so i try to keep around £30 but might go more for 'bargins'.

Not sure about your fair but it costs about £2 to get in (towards the cost of the hall i guess)

GW

 

[the record spot]

Went to the big one in Glasgow a few weeks ago - superb. Walked out with a bunch of CDs I couldn't get anywhere else, or at least, not for the money the guy wanted (£3 for a single disc, four for a tenner, £5 for doubles, four for £15, and so on). Many of the other dealers were asking daft prices for often readily available product.

I've been going to them for years, and they're declining to some extent with the advent of the internet, Amazon and people selling their own rather than offloading a bunch of discs to a buyer, wholesale, thus cutting out the middleman. I like them, but tend to be aware of what I want before I go in and then stick to that. I might buy the odd item I hadn't expected to find (found a three disc set of Springsteen's 75-85 set in Edinburgh a few weeks ago; first run edition, individually packaged with some slight damage to one of the jewel cases for a fiver - plays perfectly, sounds superb) and they're the real gems of course! Prices have plummeted as well with downloading, but others are still high. Watch out for some titles, which may be bootlegs. This is alright if you're looking for that kind of thing, the fairs are the best places to see the product upfront and some of the bootleg vinyl sets are well impressive, but prices often match and can easily go up to £100 or more for some items.

Ultimately, have fun, as they're a great way to see a bunch of guys of "a certain vintage" doing one of the few bits of shopping they like!

 

[DavidNorway]

Thanks guys for the pointers,i have i list of things im looking for on vinyl or cd but i wont pay big money for any record no matter how rare,im not really in to having the first release etc,as long as its clean and in good condition and price is right i'll have it.Roll on saturday!

 

[DavidNorway]

Well 20 yrs later and i was back to a record fair,really enjoyed it.I was really short for time so only had just over an hour to dig,i had no plan apart from not spend to much money!

Here is what i bought.

While the city sleeps-George Benson,already have it on tape and cd but the vinyl was 2 pound!

Free again-Nancy Wilson,Brilliant version of look of love.

Atlantis-Wayne Shorter,Wayne shorter cant go wrong for 3 pound.

Every generation-Ronnie Laws,the tittle track is an all time classic for me so to get a mint viynl for 6 pound im very happy.

Memories-Barbra Streisland,bought this for the wife who like my mother loves Barbra.(i do but dont tell anyone!)

Nightbirds-Shakatak,Some serious eighties sounds for 2 pound.

CK-Chaka Khan,its Chaka!

Portrait of-Stevie wonder,im trying to collect any stevie records,him and benson are my all time faves.

B-Movie matinee-Nile Rodgers,this is just one of those gambles,Rodgers was the king of disco,never made a bad record,will see how it goes.

hifi-stereo-festival-Happy south america,its one of those records they made to show off your hifi stereo,not listened to it yet its from 1970 and james last is on it, who knows!

I spent 20 pound on records,thats less than i spent on petrol and tolls to get there.Look forward to the next one.

 

[Anonymous]

Nice, not bad for an hour of your time and £20.

There great fun.

Steve Wonder, i got songs in the key of life gatefold c/w with booklet and 7" single and the secret life of plants both for £3 - very pleased.