Old Records Graveyard

I took my kid sister out to lunch for her birthday today. She works for Acoustic Sounds which deals in vintage albums, particularly the Blues. They also run a record label, Blue Heaven Studios, and host the Blues Festival I help with every fall.

Recently they have taken on pressing their own LPs so I got to spend a couple of hours today watching and learning how albums are made. It's quite an interesting process and since LPs fell out of favor in the 80s, all the machinery is vintage. The presses are mostly from the 50's-70's and a couple from the 80's - all tricked out for the new age with computer processors.

I was most intrigued by the album recycling they do. Basically they take old LPs that don't really have any value, pop one in a machine which cuts out the label section. The label is held on by the heating process so removing is out of the question. The remainder of the LP is then shredded and used in making new albums.

I picked through the label discs that were destined for the trash, nearly 2500 from the current batch. I picked out a few and then promptly chastised my sister and made her promise that no vintage Halloween albums would be harmed in this process.

I'm happy to report that I didn't come across anything fabulous but I did grab the few shown here just for fun. Apparently some people use these to make coasters.

So, grab those Halloween LPs when you can. We don't want any of them heading off to the record graveyard!

Haunt on!

Don't Hate Me

So, I was out running errands late yesterday afternoon and decided to drop in on a little antique store that I haven't visited in a while. The first floor was pretty much glassware and jewelry so I headed upstairs.

The upstairs was hotter than heck, cooled by a sole oscillating fan at one end. I figured it would be a quick look but after rounding the first booth I knew I was going to be there a while. Nearly a quarter of the upstairs was loaded with boxes upon boxes upon boxes of LPs plus gobs of loose stacks. All of it just haphazardly dropped in the middle of the floor. It was about 30 minutes to closing so I decided to make quick work of it.

This little treasure was in the very last box I had a chance to go through before closing.

No prices on anything so I yelled down to the clerk asking how much the LPs were. $1. Yep a buck. That makes this sweet find $1.06 to me. Yes, I already have it but I couldn't resist.

Haunt on!

P.S. My apologies to Scott Stoll for teasing him with yet another Halloween LP find. If it's any consolation I had to dig through a lot of John Denver to find it.

Sounds That Make You Shiver

I finally had a chance to go junking. Usually luck is not on my side as I'm pretty picky but today was a good day.

I picked up a rather unique and ornate vintage mirror frame (sans mirror), an old industrial crate and other smalls. My biggest score cost me a whopping $1.60 - including tax.

Pickwick's 1974 Sounds To Make You Shiver LP. Love this one! The artwork is fantastic. In fact there is so much going on on the front cover that it takes some time to identify all the creatures and ghoulish scenes. The back cover features a flaming skull and the LP itself also has has skull artwork.

This record is designed for Halloween fun - designed to make the chills run up your spine, and small children climb to the safety of their parents' laps.


Turn the record on and the lights out, then prepare for a visit to a haunted house, complete with banging shutters, eerie screams, the hoot of an owl, the squall of a cat, the growl of a dog... scraping chains, stealthy footsteps, howling winds, rain on the window pane, maniacal laughter, a witch's screech, moans and groans.


"Sounds to Make You Shiver" is an ideal record to play on Halloween night within earshot of the the front door - then you'll throw a little reverse fright into the tricks-or-treat gang of small fry in their sheets and masks.

Side one is dedicated to Visit to a Haunted House while the flip side has the individual sound effects.

If you're looking for this one it's pretty easy to find. Although I can't guarantee you'll snag it for a buck sixty.

Haunt on!