Crate Diggers Essentials…
January 18th, 2009
I am going to Amsterdam shortly with my Boy-fly and am planning a light dig in some local wax retailers; Distortion, Concerto and Outland Records. To be honest I am of the age where “crate digging” using the correct definition – actually traveling to record stores and spending hours sifting through piles of (apparently dusty) crates to find rare and intersting 45s, is someting I have had limited experience of. I mostly tend to buy my records online -Intercrate digging as I would call it, where you go to your normal sights your EBay, your CD & LP, your GEMM, your Jazzman, for a convenient, swift and hopefully cheap way to get your wants list.
The problems that you find with buying your vinyl from the WWW can be a lack of audio clips, or audio clips that miss out the middle 8. I have bought many a disco record that has contained dubious middle 8s with far too many synthesizers, strings or plinkey keyboard solos. Ropey grading can also be a problem you buy a NM and get a VG-.
Crate Digging is obviously what folks did pre-Internet, this sport takes much more of a dogged persistence and some serious dealer knowledge. I think you’re much more likely to buy by labels, going on instinct and buying records that are out of your comfort zone.
Obviously both ways of buying your records could end you up with Turkeys, but it’s the thrill of the chase that always brings you back and those occasions where you find an absolute blinder for absolute chips.
My diggers essentials are;
A sound burger, a cool little record sack a good set of headphones and of course shed loads of cash.
3 Responses to “Crate Diggers Essentials…”
1Philthers
January 29th, 2009 @ 5:49 pm
I have issued instructions that when I die, a couple of people have got first picks on my record collection (because they will love and appreciate them like I do) and the rest is to be split up and randomly distributed to charity shops, away from savvy dealers.
I don’t have anything against e-crate diggers, I’ve done it myself to get hold of the odd much wanted but hard to find, but I built the foundation of my vinyl collection through an aching back, creaking knees and cramped calves as I sifted seemingly endless piles of Tijuana Brass and James Last hoping to find a rare gem. Taking encouragement from the odd ripped and scratched Mowtown compilation that this all may not be lost.
Of the songs I loved I memorised record labels, band members, song writers, producers, anything that could be a hallmark of potential quality on the interesting but as yet completely unknown record that caught my eye. Not helped that some bands did one 2:30 rare groove belter out of 3 albums of disco (I still go by the rule of thumb that strings = shit).
To the people that are willing to go through hours of this just for the reward of maybe a few brief perfect purchases and the joy of discovery that eBay just can’t cut, I want to plant them back out there for them.
I hope that they would then always remember where and when they found it and attach their own personal history to it. Be able to mark their progression through life by the records that were unearthed from second-hand limbo and given a re-birth on a hot sweaty dancefloor to spread their joy. Anyways, that won’t be for a while yet.
Have a good trip. Write a post about the good stuff you find, and keep the really the good stuff to yourself!
2Sister 45
January 30th, 2009 @ 10:23 am
Oh the joy and the pain!
Nuff respect to you Plithers….!
Keep on keeping on….
3Bobbalin Hot
February 2nd, 2009 @ 1:27 pm
Philipo,
I hope I am included in that list, planning your quick and relatively pain free demise, you have so choice choons!
Evil laugh!!
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