Why are the best records always the hardest to find/ most expensive?

**bazooka joe** · 06-01-2007, 09:11 PM

Ever given that one any thought?

**bazooka joe** · 06-01-2007, 09:12 PM

Oh wait... is it because most people have lousy taste?

**Tom B** · 06-01-2007, 09:31 PM

Originally Posted by bazooka joe

Oh wait... is it because most people have lousy taste?

Maybe people hang on to the good ones - I know I do

**Daddy Ya Ya** · 06-01-2007, 09:44 PM

I find I buy cheap records without knowing what they are....and a few weeks / months later they are my favourites !

**john stapleton** · 06-01-2007, 09:52 PM

they aren't.

**Filthy Rich** · 06-01-2007, 09:58 PM

"Why are the best records always the hardest to find/ most expensive?"

That's just the way life is...
It's not really like that though, sometimes it seems like that but then you get a load of cheapies that you love.

**amino** · 06-01-2007, 10:00 PM

For the Finnish stuff I've heard this story...

Back in the days all the 'good albums' were considered underground or progressive music and didn't have any commercial interest within the big public. Mainstream music was something else and all the jazz, folk, psych and progg heads were considered to be just some wierd hippies. Most of the records had really small press (200-400 albums) in the first place and even most of those records ended up into bargain bins since there wasn't commercial interest at all.

I've heard stories that some Finnish holy grails like Apollo's Self titled album, Kalevala's People No Names, Paroni Paakunainen's Plastic Maailma, Elonkorjuu's Harvest Time etc didn't sell at all or albums were returned to publishers/records companies and were finally dumped to junk yards or trash bins. I heard that it was easier/cheaper to destroy the albums than sell for cheap since the companies had to pay so called media mechanisation costs (I don't know the correct English term for this) which were higher than the bargain price.

**Daddy Ya Ya** · 06-01-2007, 10:03 PM

Originally Posted by john stapleton

they aren't.

true

**piglit'n'rolf** · 06-01-2007, 10:19 PM

Record collecting requires patience - all things will turn up cheap sooner or later.

**Nick Cope** · 07-01-2007, 01:49 AM

Originally Posted by bazooka joe

Ever given that one any thought?

Endlessly

**Nick Cope** · 07-01-2007, 01:49 AM

Originally Posted by piglit'n'rolf

Record collecting requires patience - all things will turn up cheap sooner or later.

Record collectors aren't patient people - that's the problem!

**Viva Chiba** · 07-01-2007, 02:03 AM

The best records are quite the inverse. .. the cheapest ones you never expected to find!!

**bazooka joe** · 07-01-2007, 03:12 AM

C'mon y'all... you know what I'm talkin about! The big dollar recs... rarely do the people that REALLY want 'em find 'em. And the mega money recs... you KNOW that they cost alot for a reason. Those multi-hundred to multi-thousand quid platters... they sound like what they cost. Don't pretend like you don't know!

**dreskieboogie** · 07-01-2007, 09:10 AM

Like John said... They arent. I know what you mean but how many of these ultra rare records can hold weight against some of JBs output and the rest of the classics. How many 1000 Dollars random rap 12"s is better than an EPMD, Master Ace, Gangstarr 12"?

Dont get me wrong I want some rare stuff aswell but theres loads of cheap great records thats way better than the expensive stuff but you know that.

I have way too much time on my hands today. Slow day at work.

Dress

**wickerman** · 07-01-2007, 10:35 AM

Originally Posted by dreskieboogie

How many 1000 Dollars random rap 12"s is better than an EPMD, Master Ace, Gangstarr 12"?

I really don´t know what Randaom Rap is but Beat Bop by Ramellzee is better (none of my fave Gangstarr tracks are on a 12")

**Campag Record** · 07-01-2007, 10:49 AM

Originally Posted by wickerman

I really don´t know what Randaom Rap is

It was just a phrase coined by Chairman Mao (I think?) to describe late 80's/early 90's indie rap releases. As always when a new tag comes along it is now being attached to sell terrible records and records that don't fall into the true "randam rap category", thus selling for crazy money.

The P Brothers - See No Evil, Hear No Evil mix tapes are the place to start if you wanted to check out the sound.

There is even an article in Record Collector about random rap this month.

**wickerman** · 07-01-2007, 11:48 AM

OK, thats my worst period of rap so I won´t be starting to collect them random rap 12"s

**Campag Record** · 07-01-2007, 12:04 PM

Originally Posted by wickerman

OK, thats my worst period of rap so I won´t be starting to collect them random rap 12"s

Fair enough

but.....

**wickerman** · 07-01-2007, 12:07 PM

Originally Posted by Campag Record

Fair enough

but.....

I like the positive party feeling of the 79-83 tracks and modern experimental stuff like Edan and Madlib
Seems like a lot of the "golden era" stuff just take a beat and rap over it. To empty for me.

**Campag Record** · 07-01-2007, 12:14 PM

Originally Posted by wickerman

I like the positive party feeling of the 79-83 tracks and modern experimental stuff like Edan and Madlib
Seems like a lot of the "golden era" stuff just take a beat and rap over it. To empty for me.

Yeah, I can see where you're coming from but it just takes a nice JB sample (even one used numerous times previously) and I'm happy

Edan is my favourite (or only) hip hop artist currently that I get excited about.

Sorry for slight thread hijack.

**Mumbles** · 07-01-2007, 12:19 PM

Originally Posted by Nick Cope

Record collectors aren't patient people - that's the problem!

Zen And The Art Of Record Collecting - the less you pay the more enjoyable the record

**eric-adams** · 07-01-2007, 01:15 PM

its always the records i want that i want, then find out they are either expensive or rare. i dont want them because they are rare or expensive.
if they were common then i would already have them.
and i think this is my problem. my tastes change all the time and lead me dowm differnt paths and then i get stuck trying to find one certain record. which i then find out sold like 10 copies in cornwall at gigs or something.
but the ones that lead me to the record i picked up quickly and cheap and love them just as much.

at the moment i have been looking for
Comus first utterence for over a year.
Vertigo annual (just for the cover)
Vertigo Trip (again for the artwork, id be happy with a large scan of the inside fisheye photo to be honest)
syl johnson back for a taste for 3 years
Funk Factory - Funk factory for 3 years

the last 2 i cant even remeber why i was looking for them or why i havent got them already.

the first one people keep finding... but not me!! so it is around, im just not paying ebay prices to get it.

**ladyboygrimsby** · 07-01-2007, 03:49 PM

Originally Posted by eric-adams

its always the records i want that i want, then find out they are either expensive or rare. i dont want them because they are rare or expensive.
if they were common then i would already have them.
and i think this is my problem. my tastes change all the time and lead me dowm differnt paths and then i get stuck trying to find one certain record. which i then find out sold like 10 copies in cornwall at gigs or something.
but the ones that lead me to the record i picked up quickly and cheap and love them just as much.

at the moment i have been looking for
Comus first utterence for over a year.
Vertigo annual (just for the cover)
Vertigo Trip (again for the artwork, id be happy with a large scan of the inside fisheye photo to be honest)
syl johnson back for a taste for 3 years
Funk Factory - Funk factory for 3 years

the last 2 i cant even remeber why i was looking for them or why i havent got them already.

the first one people keep finding... but not me!! so it is around, im just not paying ebay prices to get it.

But this might be that you've found a lot of the common records so you've found yourself digging deeper. Anyone who thinks all the best records are really hard to find is a bit of a div, if you ask me.

**beddoes** · 07-01-2007, 04:01 PM

What's a div?

But I know what Bazooka means. He's not making an absolute judgement so much as an emotional one. Least that's how I read it.

**Nick Cope** · 07-01-2007, 04:04 PM

More and more, the tracks are like are almost like outsider artists doing music: odd and often just wrong, which is just how I like it! - That usually means small labels, small releases, ignored material that ends up getting thrown out instead of makng their way into people's collections. All that makes them very hard to come across nowadays - just like Amino said.

All that's obvious of course, and there's just as many 'failed eperiments' that appeared on major labels too, and other things that turn out to be cheap.

What I'm trying to say that there are no assertions, but I guess it's the epxensive, elusive ones that stay in your memory. The best records aren't always the most expensive, it just often seems that way.

**bazooka joe** · 07-01-2007, 04:17 PM

The garage 45 world is a good example of the best being the most rare. Just look at the G100 for proof. They are all paint-peelers and virtually unobtainable. And yeah Beddoes, you read me right.

**john stapleton** · 07-01-2007, 04:28 PM

Originally Posted by bazooka joe

The garage 45 world is a good example of the best being the most rare. Just look at the G100 for proof. They are all paint-peelers and virtually unobtainable. And yeah Beddoes, you read me right.

But, surely, if 'Psychotic Reaction' was only released on some local New Mexico label in a press of 500, it would be in that list too...

and the same for 'Strychninne', and 'Dirty Water', and 'Pushin' Too Hard', and....

**bazooka joe** · 07-01-2007, 04:55 PM

All those are great recs, but none of them are "Egyptian Thing" by The Syndicate.

Plus "Psychotic Reaction wouldn't be in that list becuse of it's psych leanings and lack of snarl in the vocals. Oh brother.

I can't believe I'm even defending my inital statement. We all know how great common records can be, we all talk about them and praise them here every day. I think alot of you are just being contrarians. That's cool too, I woulda done the same!

**ladyboygrimsby** · 07-01-2007, 05:52 PM

Originally Posted by bazooka joe

All those are great recs, but none of them are "Egyptian Thing" by The Syndicate.

Plus "Psychotic Reaction wouldn't be in that list becuse of it's psych leanings and lack of snarl in the vocals. Oh brother.

I can't believe I'm even defending my inital statement. We all know how great common records can be, we all talk about them and praise them here every day. I think alot of you are just being contrarians. That's cool too, I woulda done the same!

Yes, but perhaps you don't see those things in Psychotic Reaction because you've heard it so much? I've heard the Beatles' stuff so much it sometimes sounds a bit prosaic, but I'm sure if Tomorrow Never Knows had turned on the B-side of 45 in the past few years, I'd think it was the most amazing thing on the planet. Most rare stuff is relatively exciting because a lot of it is quite new (to the listener/collector). I find an awful lot of really rare stuff to be incredibly disappointing on the whole. A lot of hype over not very much, mostly.

**bazooka joe** · 07-01-2007, 06:03 PM

Helloooo??? I know all this. I'm just sayin'...

In fact, I'm contributing a couple singles that will appear on a new comp coming out on a Crypt subsidiary label very soon. One of the singles I acquired from my girlfriend who was given the 45 for free from a coworker. I traded her an relatively inexpensive r&b 45 for it. This single is basically the epitome of retarded jungle exotica manic percussive slop and stomp and I basically paid nothing for it.