dolt

I've never had a problem with the Bags Unlimited resealable sleeves, and I've put them on hundreds of records. Regardless of where you buy them, resealable is the way to go, especially if you buy a lot of used records. Sooner or later, you'll end up with a record that smells like a moldy basement/garage/etc., and resealable sleeves keep that stench from stinking up your place. Then there's the fact that yeah, they protect the covers and so on. For the BU sleeves, I prefer the 12 5/8" ones - even though they're a "snug fit" according to them, they fit most double-LPs that I own. https://www.bagsunlimited.com/product/5308/12-record-jacket-sleeve-with-resealable-flap

Playing devil's advocate here for a second - Unless the flippers here on the board were on the same RSD line as you and grabbed a record you physically could've gotten, why do you care if they're flipping?

That's why I'm being deliberately oblique about it. I thought about reporting it, because I hate gouging, but OTOH, I have a friend who's worked there for 10 years--he's not the owner and wasn't in today so that price wasn't his fault, but I don't want to do something that'll inevitably screw over the livelihood of everyone who works there including him. Is my disgust worth the hit to their workers' paychecks if they lose RSD privileges for their two locations? Not really. If I do that, I'm as selfish as them in a way. Plus, realistically, I should've taken a photo of the price tag—I was close enough that I could've. Otherwise, it's just my word against theirs and surely I'd be dismissed as "a disgruntled customer who didn't get his stupid record."

Only one store got a Deja and the inflated sticker price was—no joke—$149.99! The first guy into the store grabbed it and put it in his pile near the window so all of us outside saw the price. I mean, he waited 8 hours to get it so good for him, but that price was ridiculous. I had the Foos 10" in my hands but I mainly wanted it to hear "Kids In America" and the guy behind me was a diehard fan, so when I heard I had grabbed the last one, I gave it to him instead. Must have generated some good karma with that, 'cause I found in my travels: Hanni el kahtib - that cool pie plate pic disk Ivy - had to go to the local classic rock place to find it cause none of their customer give a damn about fey French pop. Aha - everyone sold out of it, much to my surprise, and I got the last one in the 4th store I visited Death cab/Freddy Johnson - sweet Grandmaster/stiff little fingers - also sweet Paul McCartney "The Family Way" - not excited about it but as a PMC completist, I'd regret passing it up Simple Minds Live album—my only "must" and somehow I hadn't considered that it was an import 2LP set on clear vinyl—which meant it was a fortune. $60 but it's another completist act for me. Replacements - The only one I have buyers regret about. Also picked up the Metallica tape for an in-law and the Slayer pic disc for a pal. Brought it to the counter with the a-ha pic disc and the clerk was clearly brain-fried by the combination of polar-opposite acts. Good day this year!

I'm a comparative geezer around here, so I'm hoping to get 1. Simple Minds - Celebrate Live from the SEE Hydro Glasgow (which I probably won't be able to find here in the US). 2. Ivy - Guestroom (I picture this being easy to find, even 2 months from now). 3. Paul McCartney - that 12" that I have no chance of getting even if I'm first in line. 4. Hanni El Khatib - "Devil's Pie" picture disc (all the local record shops are rockist, so they won't have it, I'm sure). On the fence about possibly getting: Aha - "Take On Me" picture disc (Cool-looking but not a great song and it's $15) WB Side-by-Side - "Bad Reputation" WB Side-by-Side - "The Message" Foo Fighters 10" (I'd be curious to hear his take on "Kids In America" but it'll probably suck and otherwise, eh). Replacements 10" ("Alex Chilton" is a great song but $15 is steep). Brand New - I live on Long Island so damn, in a perfect world, we'd be awash in them here.

I'd love to see the Simple Minds double-LP live album. Is it true the Tears For Fears 12" got cancelled? Also, your site mentions two prices for the Ivy "Guestroom" LP - why?

The rarest record I own: Lloyd Cole & The Commotions’ unreleased debut single, “Down At The Mission.” Not to be confused with “Down On Mission Street” from Rattlesnakes, this song never saw the light of day anywhere else. They were about to self-release it when they changed their minds, and they got a record deal soon after. The B-side was the demo to “Are You Ready To Be Heartbroken?” Nobody knows how many of these singles managed to leak out, but I’m sure glad to have it. Spent about $150 on it via mail order from the UK about 10 years ago, plus maybe $20 shipping.

A few weeks ago, I won an audiophile's digital music dream: an Astell & Kern AK100 Mastering Quality Sound Portable System. I won it on Twitter from the Consumer Electronic Association (Contest info: http://www.grammy.com/blogs/discover-qualitysound-and-enter-to-win-a-trip-to-the-56th-grammy-awards ; Tweet where I won: https://twitter.com/CEA/status/418849535310303233). It's pretty darn sweet by the looks of those specs, and normally I'd have ripped that box open ASAP when it arrived today.... Unfortunately, between when I won and today, an 83-year-old lady driving alone at night smashed into my wife's car and totaled it (thankfully, my beloved is fine). While I'd love to keep this cool little Astell&Kern toy, I would be much better off putting whatever I can get for it towards the down payment for some new wheels. While it runs $799 on the A&K website, it seems to go for around $560 or so on eBay brand-new, so that's what I'm going to put it up for. http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=221358359820 Do me a favor - bid early, bid often.

Ha—no problem. Drinking and using the net is a grand tradition, particularly around this place.

Oh, I did it that way first and made a video of it, too. In the end, I just didn't like the way the LED method looked (the static noise in the video is in fact cardboard rubbing against the turntable belt, which was promptly fixed after I turned the camera off).

Here's my YouTube video about how to light up an acrylic platter for about 32 cents.

If you do the pre-order, you get a new issue of JoyBuzzer, the TMJ fanzine from back in the day. I used to run it back then, and the band asked us if we'd put together one last issue for the CK vinyl. How could we say no? So it's 16 jam-packed pages (and I mean jammed--tiny point-sizes galore) that are half 'best-of' material and half brand-new stuff. Pretty sweet if I say so myself. There's 'where are they now' stuff, behind-the-scenes recording stuff, song analysis, and plenty more.

I can't make it to the WFMU fair but if you go and he's showing his White Albums, I donated the one covered in Wacky Packages stickers. I interviewed Rutherford back in February when he did the NYC gallery showing for a month, and talked tech with him about how best to save and mixdown the tracks he was recording for the album (the file was getting too big and was threatening to corrupt). My pal Missy eventually gave him the tech info he needed. In any case, I mail ordered a copy and it arrived today. Looking forward to listening to it.

You called it - Kings Road was great about it. Sent me a green-and-red replacement ASAP, didn't even have to send the original back to them. It showed up Saturday, plays fine, and I'm a happy camper. I guess it's sad that I'm so surprised this worked out just fine, but that's the world today. A company standing behind its product though, is pretty awesome.

Got the Christmas colors Hurry and the Harm, and gotta say, I'm disappointed. Terrible pressing, unfortunately. Green record's warped, Red record's got depressed grooves on the first two songs on side one, and on first song of side two, so there's blasts of static-like noise whenever it's quiet. Just contacted Kings Road about doing an exchange; haven't heard back yet, but their site already lists the Christmas pressing as sold-out, so I bet I'm out of luck.

Because they know we'll pay for it. That said, it did sound better when I got one (and tossed the mat)

Where did you go - Hungry Ear? Love that place; I may only be a tourist but I go there whenever I'm fortunate enough to go to Hawaii.

I never found the one record I really wanted to find, the Yep Roc Heresy 12"/DVD set, because only 310 were made. Now I managed to track down a record store in Allentown, PA, Double Decker, that says it still has TWO of them in stock...and the punchline is, they're the only record store on the planet that doesn't do mail order these days. Sigh.

Stopped by Generation Records in NYC this afternoon - they still had a few Botch and a T/T/T.

I waited outside of Mr. Cheapos in Mineola, NY - got there around 8, and they'd posted on FB that they'd be opening a little before 10. No line, but a few of us were parked on the street in front of the place. 10 minutes later, some guy walked up and happily planted himself on line, so now we were all 'damn, now I have to get outta my car.' But it was a friendly atmosphere - people talking about Tarantino movies, etc. One guy had been there since 7AM, because he wanted (of course) Phish and the Page McConnell records. I wound up maybe 6th on line. Talk about terrible mark-ups: I got robbed on the Bowie "Drive-In Sat" pic disc - they priced it at $25; drove a half-hour to Looney Tunes out in Babylon, and they were swimming in them -- dozens, and they were $12. That Yolo was $12 around here and I agree that was way too high as well. But for myself, I managed to get: Yolo - $12 Sly Stone 10" -$16 Bowie pic disc - $25 Marshall Crenshaw 10" (which is excellent) - $10 McCartney 12" - $5 Rolling Stones EP - $11 Still looking for Yep Rock YR15 set (reaaaaaly want this one) Los Straitjackets' Red Sox 7" Lloyd Cole 12" Duran Duran 7" (europe and canada only) Simple Minds 12" (europe and canada only)

Looney Tunes had a TON of the No Alternative comp in the store yesterday - enough that I'd bet they have some on their site today. I have available for trade: South Park pic disc Bowie ("Drive-In") pic disc Trey Anastasio pic disc Swedish House Mafia 'singles' LP I'm looking for Yep Roc YR15 (this is my big want) Los Straitjackets' Red Sox 45 Lloyd Cole 12" (appears to have only come out in Europe despite being on the US list) Duran Duran 7" (europe and canada only) Simple Minds 12" (europe and canada only)

Just picked up my McCartney 12" and Marshall Crenshaw blue 10". Didn't think I'd find the latter around here. Hoping I stumble across the YR15 set tomorrow but I bet I'm fucked on that one.

Bleeker Bob's closed for good on Saturday - it was a half-price sale all day, so I picked up some great stuff (David Bowie/Mick Jagger "Dancing In The Streets" test pressing for $12 was the high-point). The Academy on 18th off 6th is mostly classical, but has a lot of avant garde jazz/prog/obscure new wave (Translator as opposed to the usual Thompson Twins, etc). It's right near my job, so I always stop in every few weeks - I never spend much, but I always find something.

Out of the 4-5 things I wanted, the local shop only managed to snag me the McCartney 12"—not too hard to do, given the press run. I'll be looking for the Lloyd Cole split 12", the YepRoc YR15 set, the Marshall Crenshaw 10" and the Tommy Keene 7", but all those guys are so unpopular here on Long Island that I'm sure no other stores tried to order them, so I already know I'll spend hours driving all over the place and still wind up on eBay. Damn.

My record collecting blog: http://vinylanswer.tumblr.com