Crap Weather For May

[Barry]

In my experience, records for sale that are stacked one atop another are never worth buying. You can tell because they are never 'squarely stacked', so you can see the condition of the sleeves which invariably are in poor condition. And the condition of the sleeve is a good indicator as to how well the owner has looked after the record. Yes - it's possible I might have missed a nugget but I doubt it.

Regarding the recording label, I do have some SAGA recordings - inherited from my late father, so I know they are pretty decent, but all the SAGA recordings I come across in charity shops, I usually already have on other labels. Likewise Music for Pleasure and Classics for Pleasure recordings can be good as they are often repackaged older EMI recordings (my very first classical purchase was The Planets on MfP bought for 12/6 (62.5p)). Readers Digest obviously have recordings made for them, but they tend to be the more popular pieces by classical composers and I will already have such on more recognised labels. Also they are often 'collections', either of a particular composer or of a genre or style and I'm not really interested in those.

Just recently (yesterday in fact), I came across a boxed set of Beethoven's early string quartets, by an ensemble I hadn't heard of on the Telefunken label, in very good condition for £3. That was a bit of a 'no-brainer!

[struth]

Some nice pressings on the telefunken label. Think the black and black n gold were sought after

[Marco]

In my experience, records for sale that are stacked one atop another are never worth buying. You can tell because they are never 'squarely stacked', so you can see the condition of the sleeves which invariably are in poor condition. And the condition of the sleeve is a good indicator as to how well the owner has looked after the record. Yes - it's possible I might have missed a nugget but I doubt it.

Regarding the recording label, I do have some SAGA recordings - inherited from my late father, so I know they are pretty decent, but all the SAGA recordings I come across in charity shops, I usually already have on other labels. Likewise Music for Pleasure and Classics for Pleasure recordings can be good as they are often repackaged older EMI recordings (my very first classical purchase was The Planets on MfP bought for 12/6 (62.5p)). Readers Digest obviously have recordings made for them, but they tend to be the more popular pieces by classical composers and I will already have such on more recognised labels. Also they are often 'collections', either of a particular composer or of a genre or style and I'm not really interested in those.

Just recently (yesterday in fact), I came across a boxed set of Beethoven's early string quartets, by an ensemble I hadn't heard of on the Telefunken label, in very good condition for £3. That was a bit of a 'no-brainer!

Fair enough, Barry. I always check every pile of records, regardless of how they're stacked, as you just never know what you'll find...

I remember one time down in Surrey, when I was visiting Speedy Steve, to get the ebony armboard made for my T/T, and I while he was doing that I had a couple of hours to kill, so took the car out, and not far from Steve's house was an old antiques shop, brim full of stuff - you could hardly move...

And round the back in a dusty annex there were bundles of records, stored in various ways, some vertically inside boxes, but many were just piled up on the floor, some inside inner and outer sleeves, and some just inside inner ones. I spent nearly two hours there and came out with over 100 albums, mostly classical (for a £1 each), some of which were rare Decca 'black' labels (also Columbia and HMV), from the late 50s/early 60s - and wait for it - those were just lying piled up on top of each other....!

However, taking them out of their sleeves, underneath a layer of light dust, revealed the fact that they were mint, and probably never played! They certainly came up beautifully on the record cleaner, and sounded stunning. So my advice is, if you have the patience, look through *everything*, because you never know what you'll find

Marco.

[Marco]

Oh, and it's a beautiful morning here in Wrexham - just having my breakfast outside in the backyard in the lovely sunshine (frothy cappuccino, sourdough toast with some French apricot jam, freshly-squeezed orange juice, and a pineapple yogurt from the local Polish supermarket)...



Huge bits of fresh pineapple in it - delicious!

Marco.

[struth]

mix of sun and cloud.. only 7c but will warm up I think.

[Marco]

It's currently blue skies here and just under 12°C. I'd expect it to get up to around 18-20°C later. Got some work to do today in the garden, so not too hot!

Marco.

[walpurgis]

18C here, bright and sunny, with a breeze. I think it'll get warmer.

[Barry]

Yep - I'm still in London and it's a beautiful sunny day here.

[struth]

warming up here too.. lovely afternoon. 15c and will get a bit warmer yet. not a breath of wind

[Marco]

Another gloriously sunny day here in Wrexham! Temp currently 21°C. Just finished cutting the grass, so now sitting outside enjoying a spot of lunch (some chicken liver pâté with Melba toast, with some pickled gherkins on the side), washed down with an ice-cold, creamy, frothy Polish lager!

Marco.