Facebook page to find rare records (and some not so rare)

Vinyl/LP Collectors & Trading Group

Test Press Giveaways

OK so you know that generally speaking, the test press in the coveted "ultra rare" version of almost ant record...but how to get one? As you saw in the last post, one of the ways is label draws - contests. Follow your favorites on facebook, twitter etc. to watch what they do! Here is an example of one running...TODAY!

Today's 'Test Pressing Giveaway' is Atlas Losing Grip's 'Currents' Double LP! Order ANY item in our online store today, and you stand the chance of winning a set of test pressings of this epic release! We have three sets to give away!

Fact is, I won a test press from this very label this way... not sure what to buy? Might I suggest VYGR - Hypersleep, it is a fantastic album. GOOD LUCK!

Creator Destructor

New Plague 7" /300 Test Press Contest!!

New Plague. Behold the metallic hardcore quartet’s debut, self-titled EP in all its gritty glory. Recorded by Kevin Bernsten and mastered by Brad Boatwright, these six short but sweet tracks aim to rip you limb from limb. Fans of Converge, Trap Them and the like will have no problem becoming enamored with this EP. Feel free to stream the EP after the break.

New Plague will be released on February 24 digitally and on 7″ vinyl through Fly The Light (U.S.) and Frail Abuse Records (U.K.). Pre-orders can be placed here.

If 300 is not rare enough for you, PRE-ORDERS ARE AUTOMATICALLY ENTERED TO WIN A TEST PRESSING LIMITED TO 10.

Stream it here.

Upcoming Mastodon Releases

As part of Record Store Day 2015, Mastodon will be releasing a 12″ picture disc, featuring a new song titled “Atlanta.” The new track will feature Gibby Haynes from Butthole Surfers and it was available digitally through Adult Swim. The B-side is an unreleased instrumental version of that song.

Record Store Day will be held on April 18th.

The Reprise Records era of Mastodon is coming back to vinyl in the coming months. The following albums and color variants have been announced:

• Blood Mountain — Solid Yellow and Transparent Green (March 3rd)
• Crack The Skye — Baby Blue (June 2nd)
• The Hunter — Solid White and Solid Red (August 4th)
• Once More ‘Round The Sun — Transparent Green and Solid White (October 5th)

And then on December 8th, a box set will be unveiled with all these titles and it will be limited to 500 copies. More details to come on that front.

Áine O’Dwyer – Music For Church Cleaners Vol. I & II 2xLP

The title of this record pretty much speaks for itself and it sounds like what you might expect. Solo pieces for pipe organ recording during the hours in which the church is being cleaned. Sounds basic, but its actually quite entrancing. The solemn improvisations provided by O’Dwyer are perfectly married to the gentle clacks of buckets, shuffled ladders, vacuums, and the occasional person asking that she not hold a note for so long. Originally released on cassette in 2012, ‘Music for Church Cleaners’ is expanded here as a 2xLP featuring new artwork as well as new audio.

Available in an edition of 500 from MIE in the UK as well as Forced Exposure in the US. In Nomeni Patri Et Fili Spiritus Sancti.

 

 

The basics on finding rare records, and their values

A lot of places I see the question "what's {insert record name here} worth" or Where did you find that? etc. Here we will cover some of the basics, and more in depth secrets will come as the blog progresses.

As for the what's it worth, the age old answer is - - whatever someone will pay :) BUT, don't get caught out in the cold and pay too much!!! Here are a few helpful suggestions to help you find the value of that record you are considering buying.

A) Discogs  Fantastic site, that is being added to every day by the users. Search it for what you are looking for, and all the info about the release is there, and if you are a member (SIGN UP!) you can look at the sales history... how much they sold for, how often and when. Great place to find things you are looking for, and you can even add an "email me if one goes on sale" option on stuff you want.

B) Collectors Frenzy Great sales tracker site, has ended auction links, searchable and often has ones other sites do not have.

C) Popsike 6 million auction results. I find different stuff between here and collectors frenzy, so it is good to use both.

D) Ebay Lots of stuff sells here, and you can search for current auction or store type ads. It can help to watch current auctions to see what kind of bidding they get, or store items to see if they sell at the asking prices... I believe neither popsike or collectors frenzy track store items, only auctions. In the advanced search tab you can also search ended (last 15 days) and find actual sale prices as well. Remember with here and discogs ASKING and actual SELLING prices are 2 very different things. Also, add the items you want to your saved searches, so you do not miss anything ;)

OK, there you have the basics, get searching!

ASIPV002 – Europe Vinyl Case

Here is a great example of what I am talking about... a rare very cool record that dropped YESTERDAY, so yes, if you are reading now, you missed it.

Kevin Bryce has once again been hard at work putting together something very special for our vinyl release, Europe. Similar to his custom CD cases for Uncharted Places, the electronica artist turned his skills to the woodwork studio to surpass all expectations and create a unique piece of art to accompany our second vinyl release.

Made with Walnut, finished with Natural Tung Oil and featuring Bubinga, Coca Bola and Koa wood inlay segments, each one is unique and has taken months to hand-craft.

“I (Kevin) used a Zenbot CNC machine to do the engraving and inlay cutting, and then finished the case by hand and gave it several coats of Tung oil. Tung oil is a natural oil from the nut of the Tung tree. It is an environmentally friendly wood finish and it is my favourite as it brings a warm lustre to woods like this one, – Walnut. It usually comes in two ways, one with mineral spirits to speed the drying process, and one completely natural. These cases were completed with 100% natural Tung oil, meaning it took an extra few days to dry, but the upside is, it should be safe to eat off of should you choose to do so!”

The design was conceived by my friend Nick Brzostowski and represents the ten tracks included on Europe. My brief to him was to represent the ten tracks in a very simple, striking way that would integrate with Kevin’s woodwork. Nick ended up with this beautiful geometric approach, pin-pointing the areas the tracks were inspired by, and connecting the design back to the four corners of the globe, alongside my home, Portland, Oregon. We ended up with a truly global effort; from Kevin in the Fraser Valley of Vancouver, to Nick in London, myself in Portland and all of the artists featured on the release across Europe.

There will be just five of these special edition Europe vinyl cases available, going on sale on Sunday February 1st 2015 at 11am PST, 7pm GMT via the ASIP Bandcamp Page. They will be priced at $200 plus postage (postage is unfortunately expensive to anywhere outside of the USA). The price still doesn’t do the many hours that went into this product justice, but I want to make sure that Kevin can at least recoup his material costs and continue his trade ready for our next release. A big thank-you to Kevin Bryce for his relentless perfectionism and dedication on this project.

More details on the vinyl and digital release of ASIPV002 Europe, available here.