this is partly a sound-off and also a topical question. i don't rant on here too much usually, so bear with me one time
today i hit a few charities, nothing happening, so when i got to the final stop on my journey and thumbed my way through several copies of 'rod stewart's greatest hits' and 'the world of mantovani', i walked up to the counter and said something i don't usually say...
"excuse me - got any more records lying around?"
the woman behind the counter answered "if we've got any more they'll be round the back, hang on...*shuffle* yes, we've got some here...hang on...joyce? JOYCE?"
joyce appeared. a woman in her 60s, in lurid make-up and a face that obviously had been sucking lemons too long. she started whispering to the woman on the counter furtively. the woman returned to me...
"sorry love, they've not been priced up yet. you can't see them. we've got a system, you see".
it's at this moment that it occurred to me that something funny must be happening - all the records in the box on the floor had been priced up - a sign said "all records - 75p" attached to the front of the box.
so i replied - "ah ok - it's just that i'm only here for today and all your records there are priced up at 75p each. i just assumed..."
"sorry, can't help you. goodbye"
the woman showed me the door. i left genuinely bemused - i didn't think i was out of order, asking if there were any more records going. i'd been polite enough. the woman had looked through me as though i was a complete shit or something.
what's the score with this? are these old dears simply filing through the albums looking for elvis and beatles albums that they can price up for £15 in the front window? or are they meticulously booking the vinyl and putting copies of 'the hanged man' aside for professional dealers to shove in their racks at £70?

today i hit a few charities, nothing happening, so when i got to the final stop on my journey and thumbed my way through several copies of 'rod stewart's greatest hits' and 'the world of mantovani', i walked up to the counter and said something i don't usually say...
"excuse me - got any more records lying around?"
the woman behind the counter answered "if we've got any more they'll be round the back, hang on...*shuffle* yes, we've got some here...hang on...joyce? JOYCE?"
joyce appeared. a woman in her 60s, in lurid make-up and a face that obviously had been sucking lemons too long. she started whispering to the woman on the counter furtively. the woman returned to me...
"sorry love, they've not been priced up yet. you can't see them. we've got a system, you see".
it's at this moment that it occurred to me that something funny must be happening - all the records in the box on the floor had been priced up - a sign said "all records - 75p" attached to the front of the box.
so i replied - "ah ok - it's just that i'm only here for today and all your records there are priced up at 75p each. i just assumed..."
"sorry, can't help you. goodbye"
the woman showed me the door. i left genuinely bemused - i didn't think i was out of order, asking if there were any more records going. i'd been polite enough. the woman had looked through me as though i was a complete shit or something.
what's the score with this? are these old dears simply filing through the albums looking for elvis and beatles albums that they can price up for £15 in the front window? or are they meticulously booking the vinyl and putting copies of 'the hanged man' aside for professional dealers to shove in their racks at £70?
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