There have been several updates in RoW land, and I want to share them with you. First, I hope that all the past customers are enjoying their Records On Walls vinyl record displays. And if you’re new to the site / product, thanks for stopping by. I launched a Kickstarter campaign for the vinyl record frame that successfully met it’s target in December of last year. The goal of the campaign was to make some tool revisions and to expand the product availability internationally. So far, my orginal tool has been modified and will be starting production in the next week. And internationally, I’m just finalizing some agreements and should have some more news soon. All exciting stuff!
To get to the title of this post, I love the vinyl record bargain bin. It’s probably the reason this product exists. My record collection started with hand me downs, but after I was hooked, I started heading to the vinyl record shops and thrift stores. I think I’m different from most collectors, because when I shop for vinyl, I am not usually looking for anything in particular, or even familiar. I want to discover music, in a semi-blind fashion. I look at the art, take a peek at the back to see if I recognize the label, producer, musician, or whatever, and then look at the price tag to see if it’s worth the gamble. Because that’s what the bargain bin really is, a gamble. Very rarely will you find a Pink Floyd record that somebody mistakenly put there. It’s all about the random, largely forgotten, albums that nobody wants. And for me, it’s golden.
There is little I like more in life than to bring home a bag of records that I purchased for the album art, and to spend the afternoon on an adventure of discovery. It’s like getting on a bus not knowing the destination. It’s true that maybe only one in five records will ever get a second spin, but when you find that forgotten album that hits the mark for you personally, there are very few musical experience out there like it. You have found something great that was almost lost in the sea of music and the sands of time.
Unfortunately, quality bargain bins are harder to find these days, and the ticket to ride is getting higher and higher. But I had a great experience at one of my favourite record stores, Rotate This in Toronto, a couple of weeks ago. They have a bin with new (and unwanted) vinyl records for as low as $2 each. Awesome! Why wouldn’t you spend a few bucks to get on that magic bus. So I thought I’d share a song from a record I just recently found, by a long forgotten band, the Mirrors. I hope you enjoy, and please don’t hesitate to drop me a line. Thanks again, Steve