Photo: crate digga
Everyone over the age of 15 would have bought records, CD’s and tapes at some point in their lives, and as a result most of us have a few bargains which we nabbed for next-to-nothing (not counting shit you stole). Whether it was a couple of copies of Raw Dope Posse for $5.99, that Barsha CD for under a dollar or a tape for 20 cents, now your chance to claim bragging rights on your best bargains.
What’s The Best Bargain You’ve Ever Scooped?
Word up good Topic…Just yesterday picked up an o.g pressing of Lifestylez Ov Da Poor and Dangerous for $10…which goes for a bit of loot…was quite chuffed!
Kam’s “Made In America”. I bought a few copies brand new in a tiny Indian-owned entertainment shop on holiday in Dubai for the equivalent of £1 ($1.60) each.
Forget the album’s rarity – I hadn’t heard the record before and, personally, it’s definitely in the top 3 west coast albums of all time.
Picked up Geto Boys The Geto Boys LP for £1.50…
I was a very happy man…
40 copies of Roger ‘So Ruff So Tuff’ sealed on 12 for 50c each.
Hit up a flea market in the sticks. Guy there had bought out a radio station’s entire vinyl collection . . . probably after they went digital.
I cleaned him out over the course of a few weeks. We’re talking whole LPs like Del’s “No Need For Alarm” for $2. 12″s for $1. There weren’t many soul or jazz records I paid more than a couple bucks for. He sort of overcharged me on some 45s, but given all the other stuff I got I didn’t care.
A better question might be what’s the most you ever blew on a record?
I dont remember the exact amount but screwball y2k i found in the bargain bin had never heard of it took a chance and have never stopped playing it since. Though that original copy has well and truly disintegrated.
also have massive amounts of total garbage from “bargain” bins. My collection would prob be much better if i stayed out of those things even if id spent the same amount of dough over teh years.
Busting Melons anyone?
I picked up Third Bass – Derelicts of Dialect in a bin for a dollar. On CD. Then I went to the local used cd/tape store and traded the CD for an almost new Scarface “The World is Yours” tape. Then went back to the first store and found another Derelicts of Dialect CD. Got two albums for two dollars that day.
Nothing extremely special…
Found Alkaholiks “DAAAMM!!” Buckwild Remix 12″ for 50 cents at a flea market.
Does So Ruff So Tuff really exist on 12″ other than on the b. side to Roger’s cover of I Heard It Through The Grapevine
Best ever bargain bin find for me has gotta be the o.g press of Beat Box with the Basquiat cover for a couple of quid in a branch of Oxfam.
Best internet find is a copy of PSK-13’s No Ordinary Aggin for dirt cheap.
The first RZA as Bobby Digital album in the used section at the Cheapo here in minneapolis, for about 5 bucks. That album had a review in the current issue of SPIN that month, so it was pretty new.
Illmatic 10 yr anniversary rerelease (with the bnus cd) , Mic Geronimo -The Natural, and Best of Rick Jams Platinum Series…..10 Cash
The Fatback album with the “gotta learn to dance”, sampled for G. Rap’s “Streets of New York”. $1 off a dude on the street.
Once was diggin with a friend who beat me to an original copy of the “wild Style” soundtrack (before it was re-released too) for like $2
If you paid $5 for Bobby Digital you got ripped off. That’s a value meal you’ll never get back!
Mad Skillz – From Where???, 2.99 in the clearance section. And what do you know, it’s actually a decent album.
I got my hands on a “The Adventures Of Captain Sky” lp in MINT condition at a flea market a month ago for a buck. I was stoked.
I bought K.M.D.’s Mr. HOod album and Ak’s Vagina Diner used at the Wherehouse in like 95 for $4.99 each. Criminal Minded and Critical beatdown in the $1 dollar bin @ the Wherehouse. I hated buying the used dollar cd’s from the Wherehouse cuz they always clipped the right corner cover of the album’s booklet. I guess they didn’t want you to try and sell it back to them?
Back in 1996 or so I got Del’s “No Need For Alarm” for $1.99 or so in the bin. This was before Hiero re-booted the entire independent rap movement with 3rd Eye Vision and all of a sudden every Del CD went back to $15.
I found about 80 Copies sealed Copies (with a small Cut out) of the Original US “Tough Guys” Soundtrack for 50 German Pfennig ( that`s about 40 Cents/US) each back in 1996.
Double Dee & Steinski – Lessons 1-3 on Tommy Boy promo at my local recorddealer for 5$.
School of Hard Knocks LP for 10$
I bought 6 copies of Son of Bezerk’s Change the Style 12″ for $0.50 a piece back around 1997. I resold them to A-1 in NYC for like $5 each.
I picked up Bob James One (w/ Nautilus) for $0.99 back in 1991.
YZ The Ghetto’s Been Good to Me tape
Pos K Skills That Pay the Bills cd
Three the Hard Way w/ White Flash record
Around 93 for 75cents each at Flea Market in Taunton MA
All classic
Just a few days ago I picked up-E.S.P.-Valoompadoomp Pink on cd for a $1.00,I hesitated at first then peeped the credits in the liner notes.THis was 1991 release,with ’91 Howie Tee production..surprising the artist comletely outshine Howie on the production tip,and are decent lyrically!!! More surprising,is the amount of”stolen”production ideas on this cd from the intro throughout the project.I heard a lot of samples used in the late ’90’s by[well-known]artist and producers on this joint.A great buy for just a buck.
Co-sign @ gx
I bought mad garbage cd’s out the bargin bins too.Found some gems..but plenty of ehhh’s..Lol.
lol @ BIG SPICE… no doubt
The “Black Mass” LP featuring Sun-Ra for $1. That goes for anywhere from $500-$1,000 depending on condition. My old roomate scored a rare soul 45, with only three known copies, for $1. He sold it through a dealer in NY for $10,000 cash.
The store in manhattan was going out if business, so i copped “Downtown Science” for a buck.
I still bump that cd.
Copped a ton of kung fu movies too, for like $5 a pop. the same ones you see in the malls for $15-$17 bucks.
I got a whole trashbag full of records for like
50 bucks. You gotta catch a cat cashing out! They
Get out the game you gain all that remains.
Other than that I’ve caught classic shit in goodwill
For 25cents. Dougie fresh n Nice n Smooth..good feelin.
Big Ups to the quitters! When u give up…
Hit me on twitter!
@MF yes the ‘grapevine’ 12.
Maestro fresh wes “bring it on” (Showbiz rmx) $2 @ Delta College Stockton
Copped Roy Ayers “Ubiquity” for $2.50 at a flea market… Then I did some more beat diggin’ at a spot in Princeton, NJ and they had it for $80.. Picked up a Philly group called “Too Brown” from a record store in Trenton (Ace) for $2…
Meccalicious’ “The Youth” white label 1996 Rock N Soul Records $6.99 comes to mind.
Les McCann “Layers” for 5 euro some weeks ago
MF finding Beat Bop for the win….thats some holy grail ish right there. 80 copies of Tough Guys Sndtrk isnt too bad a find either!
Come to think of it, I have found some ill records in the trash too, e.g. Sun Ra.
AS for ones that got away, I once saw and original copy “Grand Groove (catch the beat)” by T-Ski Valley for $2 at Kims on St. Marks Place…at this point I didnt have $2 to my name. It was painful.
BArsha was dope. I recall findin his 1st tape still sealed at the dollar store in ’92. Same year it came out, I think HAHAHA!!
But this weekend I went to the Florida Ave. flea market in DC and found a sealed copy of Deltron 3030, a very dope album that I had always wanted but for whatever reason wasnt gonna pay fulll price for. Dude had hundreds of reggae,go-go, merengue and old mix CDs all scattered on this table,3 for $5 !
I also got of old shit that is now sought after came from the 99 cent bin..at the time it was new, no one want shit like Uptown “dope on plastic” and Ultimate Force “Im not playin”
ultramag critical beatdown for 7.99, dj rob base and ezrock it takes two single on vinyl for a few bucks, whodini’s open sesame (which sucked) for 2.99, kurtis blow the breaks for 14 bones, pink floyd the wall for a ten spot.
chll rob g ride the rythum lp £1.00
intelligent hoodlum lp £1.00
trends of culture off and on remix £1.00
funkdoobiest which doobie u b £3.00
found in a record shop in brixton indoor market
A copy of the Funky Nassau LP by The Beginning of The End for, umm, free! Came with a few other records and a belt drive from my old job that the boss had no need for. I posed no objections.
The Rock Steady Crew’s “Uprock”
R.A. the Rugged Man’s “Till My Heart Stops / Flipside”
Doug E. Fresh and the Get Fresh Crew “Oh, My God!”
all under $2
I got the first london posse 12″: london posse/beat box reggae style from ’87 for 1.99 about 5 years ago, was well chuffed…
I could bore you with my cheap finds for a long time but the one I will mention is Positive K’s Skills That Pay on cassette lumped in with two jazz tapes for a £1 from Poundland about ten years ago – result!
While I’m here I’ll tell you about a couple of finds my friend got from a bargain bin in a shop: The Kool Keith record on Funky Ass Records – Big Willie Style I think it’s called – that was £1.99, and Show and AG’s Soul Clap with the picture cover for £5. I don’t want to boast but I’ve found much ill shit for cheap.
…got the godfather don “hazardous” lp for 20 bucks…but i had to listen to the guys’ “i only like britcore hip hop”-stories for 45 long minutes…ha…but worth the wait!…
The batteram single cassette for 99 cents at the swapmeet near the jungles lol backindaday. Believe or not copped mentally mad/funky by ultra and sally/ltmp by stet 12 inches from a korean lady in the market street swapmeet in inglewood…she had lyrics of fury bangin’ out. Crazy right?
All City – Who Dat 12″ $2
Tim Dog – Bronx Nigga (DJ Shame Remix) 12″ $6
Snoop – Doggystyle LP 1st Press $6
ATCQ – Low End Theory Promo LP $20
Fat Joe – Watch The Sound Promo 12″ $5
Nas-T Howie – Attic 12″ $4
Damn tho Maestro – Bring It On 12″ for $2 great find Nino!
ultramags’ critical beatdown uk lp for 5 euro.
stole both 3 feet high and de la is dead tapes.
First tribe lp round the 10 mark from memory for $0.49 australian each at jb hifi..sold em off at school for a fiver a pop.
I found Stezo’s Crazy Noise at 2.50 euros in a mom and pop store in Rome years ago…and I think that was the only Hip-Hop album they ever had…also I got a copy of Notorious BIG’s Ready to Die CD (I already had it in vinyl) for FREE at a record store where I bought some other non Hip-Hop albums and they gave it to me as a compliment because they didn’t have Hip-Hop customers and they said it would have ended up unsold…Crazy!
Man I just used to rack a lot of classic records – in the wise words of JuJu ‘If I cant afford to pay I’ll bag it’
This is a great record – You guys may like http://www.adieumusic.com as well.