Thrift Store Show and Tell: Catch and Release Edition

Per Char's request, we stopped by Goodwill last Saturday. Although I had zero expectations, I checked the record bins out of habit. I was surprised to find music that wasn't religious, country and western, or Ray Conniff. I picked up nine LPs for 89 cents each. They aren't all winners, but finding a "modern" LP in decent shape in a thrift store is now a rarity. 

This Van Halen record is listed in Esquire's "The 75 Albums Every Man Should Own." Extra points for Fair Warning being in the David Lee Roth era. (1981)

I'd prefer Men at Work's Business As Usual, but Cargo has "Overkill"on it, so that's cool. (1983)

The artwork on The Power Station's 33 1/3 just screams 1980s. This super group had Andy Taylor and John Taylor of Duran Duran, Tony Thompson of Chic, and Robert Palmer on vocals. (1985)

I didn't appreciate how beautiful Annie Lennox is when I was a kid. I think her short haircut threw me off.  Be Yourself Tonight (1985)

This Maxi-Single with "Sweet Dreams" on it is from France. How did it get to an Iowa thrift store? (1983)

I didn't enjoy The Fixx's Shuttered Room as much as their second record, Reach the Beach. Weird thing is that this is an European release, too. Who donated these records, anyway? (1982)

I wouldn't have bought the Thompson Twins' Here's to Future Days, back in the day. Now I find it interesting. I guess the title is prophetic. "Don't Mess with Doctor Dream" has fun stereo effects. (1985)

I picked up a used copy of Shabooh Shoobah when I was in college. I bought this LP in case it was in better shape than my other one. It isn't. (1982)

Joni Mitchell's Blue came out in 1971, and this is the first issued release. Joni's folk music doesn't really fit in with the other rock and pop records, so I think some kid growing up in the 80s raided their parents' LP collection. 

Not a bad haul for $8.01. The records cleaned up well, and they sound good. But I don't need to keep them all. Fair Warning rocks and Blue is collectible, so they're staying. I'm on the fence about Men at Work and the Thompson Twins. The rest will be catch and release. 

There are times when finding something you want is actually more fun than owning it.

Thrift Store Show and Tell: A Loooong Search and other Musings

Mr. Randy Slobe was one of my high school teachers and coaches. I liked and respected him. He gave good lectures, and he knew when to throw in a joke or an aside. 

Mr. Slobe told a story about being on a trip to California and finding a John Denver record that he wanted to buy, but he didn't know how he could bring the LP safely home in this luggage. "It had these great songs dedicated to Spiro Agnew and Richard Nixon. John sang, 'I'll sing you a song of Spiro Agnew and all the things that he's done...' and the song just stops there. It's hilarious. "The Ballad of Richard Nixon" is even shorter. There's just a few seconds of silence and then he starts playing the next song."

Mr. Slobe lamented that he never found the record for sale in Iowa, and all he could remember about it was that it was green. I remember thinking, I bet I can find that record for him. But I couldn't find it. 

I don't have "Find that record for Slobe" on any obsessive to-do lists, but if I'm in a record store and I pass by the D section, I often flip through it looking for a green, John Denver album. I've found the "ballads" on YouTube, but I couldn't get my hands on a physical copy.

Yesterday afternoon I stopped by Goodwill and flipped through a box of records. I found this John Denver LP from 1969.

I laughed out loud when I flipped it over and read the song list. There were the Spiro Agnew and Richard Nixon ballads!

I bought it, cleaned it, and gave it a listen. Errr, it's John Denver... I had hopes for his cover of the Beatles' "When I'm Sixty Four" , but he used that ragtime style that was briefly revived in the late 60's. I don't think I'll play this album often. I also don't think I'll call up Mr. Slobe and ask, "Hey, this is Brent Monson, class of '87, do you still want that record you were talking about in '85?" That would be way too weird. But it did feel good to finally itch that scratch after 36 years. 

This Flying Burrito Bros is a bit more interesting, and it also came out in 1969. This is an early country rock release, and The Gilded Palace of Sin is also hard to find "out in the wild."  It's in pretty nice shape, but I got so excited when I found it, I dropped it on my foot. Then a small strip of the cover came off while I was carefully removing the sticker price tag. You can see the damage on Graham Parson's right knee. The longer I own this LP the less it is worth...

Here's Moby Grape's 1967 psychedelic rock release. This is the uncensored cover with Don Stevenson's finger before it was air-brushed away. Don is expressing my feelings about Goodwill price stickers. The damage is by his hand. I don't know why I thought I could skip the hairdryer method.

How can you not buy a  jazz-funk-soul record titled Autophysiopsychic? Just playing this record makes me feel cooler, even if Mr. Lateef knows I'm not.

I can now use these vintage Columbia SH-21 headphones if I don't want to share this music with the rest of the house.

Pint glasses also pair well with vinyl records. The Bad Weather Brewing Company is located in St. Paul, MN. Bobbers Bar is also located in Minnesota at the Williams Narrows Resort. I like how the waves in their glass mimic the movement of a bobber on the water. Check out the bottoms of those Top O'Mast glasses; they won't tip over very easily. I suppose that would be handy in a busy nightclub, but the Top O'Mast lounge at Fort Myers Beach closed in 2014. 

Hellboy lunchbox: totally unnecessary, but will look cool in my classroom on a shelf.

Look out! He's coming for ya!

That's No Moon!

Before I begin the actual post, I'd like to take a moment to write about the fine line between "showing" and "showing off". 

I spotted a coworker at a public event a few weeks ago. I introduced him to Daphne and Charlotte, and he told Char that her dad brags about her all the time at school. He was giving my daughter a compliment, I think, but later I thought more about the word "brag". 

Charlotte, I love talking about you and Mom, but I don't do it because I want other people to feel jealous. I don't brag about you two or your accomplishments. I talk about you because you are two of the most important people in my life, and you are never far from my thoughts. Some guys have sports, some guys have politics, some guys have work or something else to talk about. I have you. How could I not talk about that?

Also, I don't write this blog because I want to show off. I blog about my interests, and I have fun writing about them. I really enjoy fitting the puzzle pieces (pictures, events, reflections, and videos) into a small story. Writing about my life, family, friends, and hobbies is also a hobby. Writing a blog post can be as satisfying for me as fixing a pinball machine, or a car, or bicycle, or a scratchy, vinyl record.

So, on with the blog. Let me show you what I have been doing.

Back in the early 90's, I found eight Pink Floyd albums on vinyl at the DAV. Ummagumma, Meddle, A Nice Pair, Atomic Heart Mother, Relics, Wish You Were Here, Animals, and The Wall were all for sale for a quarter each. The problem was that there was no artwork. The records were only in clear, plastic sleeves.

That was strange, but the LPs were in nice shape, and even my new teacher's salary could afford a $2.75 price tag. I've been hauling these "naked" records from apartment to apartment to house to house ever since.

Because of my renewed interest in playing and collecting records, I've decided to find the correct covers and sleeves for the Pink Floyd albums. That isn't anything I have to do, but it will be fun. To save money, my strategy is to find decent LP covers with junky records inside them. I'll toss the poor record and replace it with the nicer one from DAV. 

I suppose this eBay seller thought I was a chump for paying $10.63 for a warped and heavily scratched record. 

But the cover art was in pretty nice shape, and that is what I wanted.

$10.88 is not bad for a now complete Wish You Were Here.  

It is too bad that the DAV didn't have a Dark Side of the Moon for sale back in the day. I had the CD, so I didn't take the opportunity to buy a nice LP when they were cheap. Now it is easy to spend $100 up to $1500 for an original pressing of DSOTM. 

I finally bit the bullet and bought a "players copy" that was pressed in Canada. 

The condition of my copy isn't too bad, but cleaning side one with a wood glue treatment removed a lot of the pops and surface noise. 

While the glue was drying on side two, I noticed that the record had a lunar look to it. That kind of looks like the moon.

But once the glue completely dries, the surface goes "dark".

That matches the record's title pretty well.

My Goodwill Codes

I've been reading "The Baseball Codes: Beanballs, Sign Stealing, and Bench-Clearing Brawls: The Unwritten Rules of America's Pastime". 

According to Amazon, "In The Baseball Codes, old-timers and all-time greats share their insights into the game’s most hallowed—and least known—traditions. For the learned and the casual baseball fan alike, the result is illuminating and thoroughly entertaining."

This book has got me thinking. What unwritten rules do I know? Do I know any teaching codes?

Sure I do: In a staff meeting, never ask more than one public question, unless you want to appear arrogant. Never start a new discussion with less than five minutes left in a staff meeting, unless you want to be hated. Don't trust a staff member who prefers to sit in the dark. If you're not a coach, never complain to one about how long the day feels. Never plan on a snow day...

Nah. I don't want to write about my profession. I often write at home, and I don't want to explore those ideas at home. Besides, only new teachers need to learn the unwritten rules, and they won't read them because they think they know everything already. I know this is true because I was once a new teacher.

It would be more fun to write about Goodwill. Who knows more about thrift stores than me? Probably a lot of people. But I don't know those people, and they won't pass their knowledge onto Charlotte. Here's a list she and I will go over before we hit the thrift trail together:

"The Goodwill Codes: Oddballs, Cart Wheeling, and Smelling Like Menthols: The Unwritten Rules of America's Thrift Stores".

"There can be only one." (Highlander movie series.) - Almost every item in a thrift store is the only one of its kind for sale. This one rule breeds competition, jealousy, and theft. It's the catalyst for most of my other rules.

That item maybe the only one they have today... - Sure that complete Nintendo system in a someone else's cart may be the last one you see for awhile, but trust me. Nintendo made millions of systems. If you remain diligent, then you will see another for sale again. It will probably be at a cheaper price, too.

You can't call "dibs", and walk away. - Unless an item is in your hands, your basket, or your cart, it's fair game for everyone else. Shopping baskets aren't for holding your items; they are for protecting your items from others.

Other customers are watching you out of the corners of their eyes. - Holding up an item to inspect it increases everyone's interest in that item tenfold. Quadruple that interest if you verbally praise the item. Returning the item to the shelf to "think about it" guarantees it will be gone as soon as you turn away.

If you decide you no longer want an item your in your basket, then return it to the shelf where you found it. - Don't leave that old Walkman on the underwear shelf. Okay, there really isn't an underwear shelf at Goodwill, but in St. Louis I did see a men's clothing rack in a Salvation Army store that had slightly yellowed tighty-whiteys and old stretched out boxer shorts for sale. Each "under garment" was hung from the clips of individual hangers. Unfortunately, it's a sight that cannot be unseen.

When inspecting a lower shelf, kneel parallel to the shelves. - If you hang your bottom out into the aisle while you're bending over, then you'll get barked at, hit by a cart, or both. Probably both. In order to get as much product on the floor, the isles of thrift stores tend to be tight. Shopping carts aren't battering rams, but thrift shoppers tend to have the attitude, "I've got the cart. You get out of my way."

Be wary of thrift stores on the weekends. - These are peak shopping days of the week. The stores are packed, the lines are long, and tempers are short. Not only have your chances of scoring a cool find diminished, the humanity is multiplied by five: instead of one old guy walking around talking to himself, there are now five old men walking around talking to themselves. Body odor is also multiplied. I was once standing in a line for so long that I absorbed the smell of smoke from the other customers. When I got home my clothes reeked as if I had been at the casino. If you have to go thriftin' on the weekend, make sure you go as soon as the store opens.

Don't park next to cars without hubcaps or vans in any condition. - Door dings and/ or abductions can result.

Assume all working items will soon break. - Change the question "Does this work?" to "Can I fix this?" I've learned a lot by trying to fix items that later broke. Usually my monetary investment is so low that I dare take the thing apart to see what happened. Many times I fail at completing a repair, but the knowledge I gained has helped me in the future. That's worth more than the item or its price.

Sometimes an item not worth repairing should be purchased. - I really enjoy McDonald's double hamburgers. They currently cost 99 cents, and take me about three minutes to consume. The electronic toys at Goodwill generally cost 79 cents, and most of the toys I have cleaned up for Charlotte have lasted for weeks or more. When a toy does break, I throw it away during her nap. I then compare the time it takes me to enjoy a double hamburger to the amount of time the toy has entertained Charlotte, and know that I came out ahead.

If you can't use a electrical outlet to test an electric item, then leave the item behind. - I don't know why people would donate their broken property, but they do. If you are considering giving Goodwill an item that doesn't work because, "Well, maybe someone would want it.", then put it in the trash instead; that someone is probably at the dump. No one shops in hopes of buying broken stuff.

If you can use an electrical outlet to test an electric item, use other items in the store to help test it. - Not sure if that dented Blu-ray player works? Find a DVD and give it a spin. You don't even need a TV - if you see the word "play" appear and/ or a triangle pointing  to the right, and/or a moving counter (00:00, 00:01, 00:02...) odds are you are good to go. This applies to DVD, CD, VHS, and cassette players too.

This means "walk away":

Carry double and triple A batteries to test small electronics. - Just keep them in your car's glove compartment. If you don't have batteries with you, you can often find them in children's toys. A folding pocket tool with a small phillips head screwdriver is useful to get them out of the toy, but again, look around. Sometimes you can find the tools you need for sale on another shelf.

Don't be deterred by scuffs, marks, or stickers. - Goo Gone and Windex can clean up almost anything. I also use toothpicks for deep cleaning. They are great for getting dirt out of plastic seams, and the ridges around buttons (like game controllers). The wood is too soft to scratch most surfaces.

You don't need dressing rooms. - I've hated dressing rooms since I was a kid, and I don't trust that  an absent minded shopper won't lock me in by leaving a cart in front of my dressing room's door. So, if you find a cool pair of jeans, but are unsure if the waste size is accurate, just button the jeans and wrap the folded waistline around you neck like a necklace. Your neck is roughly half the size of your waist, so if the jeans fit comfortably around your neck you're all set. Don't believe it? Try it with your clothes at home.

Look for "theme" tables or "theme"clothing racks. - Sometimes the employees will get creative with the displays and gather similar items for sale. This year I was looking for a cheesy Christmas sweater to wear at school, and I kept checking the sweater rack. Turns out they had all the Xmas-themed sweaters on a rack I never browse. Here's the Xmas sweater I almost missed.

Break from your routine "shopping path". - When you get to know a store well you can usually breeze through in about a third of the time it would take to just roam around. The trouble is that employee turnaround can be pretty quick, and the new kid with the elongated earlobes might not know the third shelf in the back of the store is where he should put those steak knives. He might dump it by the children's toys. Which leads me to:

Keep small children in the shopping cart. - It might not dawn on you that someone might actually leave garden shears next to the box of Beanie Babies, but you just never know. A few weeks ago I saw a meat slicer just sitting on a couch directly across from the children's toys. I couldn't help but shutter as I moved it to a high shelf.

Broaden your goal when Goodwill hunting - Don't go shopping only for blank. You probably won't find blank, but you might find that childhood toy you forgot you always wanted.

If you're in a hurry to buy your items, look at what's in the shopping carts ahead of you. - A cart full of clothes is checked out much faster that a cart half full of glassware. Clothes can be quickly folded and stuffed into the shopping bags, but the checker will have to individually and carefully wrap each glass item in newspaper. This seems like it takes forever.

Look around; more things may also come with your purchase. - People are great at opening boxes to see what's inside, and terrible at putting the contents back. If you find something cool, check around the nearest shelves to see if the box, headphones, cables, remote, battery charger, instructions, lens cover, or anything else may have been separated from the group.

Flip it over. - Blurays, DVDs, CDs, and records can all be easily scratched. Check the side of media that the player "reads". Fingerprints can be easily wiped off, and light scratches can be buffed out, but deep scratches are a pain and probably not worth the work.

Look inside. - Blu-rays, DVDs, VHS tapes, CDs, cassettes tapes, records, video games, board games, puzzles, and even hardcover books need to be checked. Make sure the item is inside and that it matches the cover or the box. Mismatching happens all the time. Sometimes it's an accident, and sometimes people move a more expensive item into a cheaper case. Charlotte, that's called stealing.

Look for the remote. - I already said you should check around for a remote, but if you're considering buying a modern electronic device like a Blu-ray player, make sure you find it. If you can't, then walk away. You need that remote for so many of the player's functions. Without it, the player is almost useless. And since it's a special item, buying the correct remote from eBay will often cost double  or triple of what you spent on the device.

Make sure it needs a remote. - If you're looking for vintage audio equipment, don't fret if you can't find the remote controller. There's a chance the devise didn't have one. Check for this symbol:

(Thanks, Wikipedia.)

Usually it's small.

And sometimes it isn't there. Do you see that dark square in the above photo? That's probably the remote sensor. Sometimes you can find the words "Remote Sensor".

If you don't see the symbol, the words, or the square, then maybe it isn't remote compatible - like this Sanyo CD player I use in my classroom.

Forget about the remote. - For awhile I had a thing about collecting movies on CED. CED Link I found a sweet RCA Selectavison player at a thrift store, and it was remote compatible  Those are a bit rare. Of course the remote was missing, but I bought the player anyway. Later I discovered that I could use a universal remote from the Dollar Store to control the RCA. (If you're curious, the code is AUX, and then 058.)

Don't openly mock the store or what it sells. - If you are with a friend or shopping in a small group, then a laugh here or there is okay. But plenty of people are shopping thrift because it is the only place they can afford. There's no need to insult them.

Sometimes a big laugh can't be helped. - I was shopping with my friend Matt and he pointed out a used underarm deodorant for sale in the window. There was no cap, and the sun had melted away all of the product except a small, green blob on the end of the pointed plastic riser. The price was 10 cents. That might not seem funny to you, but when he handed it to me and I looked inside and saw that blob, I almost lost it. I don't know if it was the blob, or the fact they still wanted a dime for it.

Employees can be just as maladjusted as the customers. - Don't expect good manners from anyone else, but always show them to others. There's not a lot of kindness in thrift stores, and you don't need to contribute to that atmosphere.

Always correct the teller if they charge you less than the sticker price. - Most of the time the teller won't want to take the time to correct their error, but if you see that a mistake was made and you don't point it out, then you are responsible as well. Charlotte, that's also called stealing.

Have fun! I always get excited before I enter a thrift store. It's like an Easter egg hunt, but you have no idea if the eggs will even be eggs.

June Highlights part 1

Our summer started in Lincoln, Nebraska where we attended my cousin's wedding. I picked up a copy of The Reader while we were gassing up in Omaha. I look for these independent newspapers anytime I'm visiting an unfamiliar city. They're a great source for what the city has to offer for entertainment.

I noticed that "The Taste of Omaha" would be taking place while we were coming home on Sunday, so we made that a stopping point.

The food wasn't too exciting for Charlotte, but she got to ride a carousel, and that was big deal.

We also visited Omaha during our last Spring Break, and I was pumped to learn that Goodwill had a store dedicated to retro and funky items.

I was able to stop by the store, but by that time Char had just too much vacation, and she had a meltdown in the store. These things happen. Although I only had about ten minutes to shop, I bought this sweet tape deck. It's an AKAI GXC-510D, and it was manufactured in 1974. I think.

Here's the AKAI in its new basement home.

I found this Jimi Hendrix mix-tape in the store and used it to test the cassette deck. 

I bought the tape, too. Side B of the Hendrix tape is a fun mix of studio and live cuts, but someone recorded Hootie and the Blowfish's Cracked Rear View over most of Side A. That's a bit of a disappointment.

What was more disappointing was my return to the reServe store after leaving Taste of Omaha. All day I had been wondering what kind of cool stuff I was going to find. The outside of the store looked just like it did back in March. 

But the inside the store had changed drastically. I guess the retro sales were slim, because the store had been changed over to a 99 Cent Goodwill. Which means all the vintage items had been replaced with... well, let's just say I didn't find anything cool. Insert sound of "balloon losing air" here. 

We went home after that very brief shopping trip. After two nights in the Lincoln hotel, three hours in the pool, a morning at the Children's Museum, a wedding dance, and a taste of a city, someone was tired.

But I had a suspicion that we'd be back. I saw this in The Reader.