Seeking Sounds of the Past: The Passion of Cratedigging
Cratedigging is a hobby in itself. Apart from listening to vinyl, I am mainly occupied with searching for records, especially used ones. Occasionally, I also purchase new vinyl, but the majority of my collection consists of used records. These can be found at record stores, thrift shops, vintage stores, flea markets, and my favorite, record fairs. Every week, I dive into crates somewhere, searching for that one gem, while simultaneously discovering a lot of new music. This can happen because the album cover appeals to me, due to certain labels I’m a fan of, or by studying the back of the cover and recognizing specific artists, musicians, or producers. For example, I often buy albums produced by The Mizell Brothers because their music simply never disappoints. Cratedigging also brings me a certain peace. In daily life, I’m someone who doesn’t quickly seek out large groups of people, big cities, or events because I get overstimulated easily. But the beauty is that I don’t experience this overstimulation at all when I’m digging. Of course, I get very enthusiastic and want to see as much as possible in a short time, but when I’m digging, I can fully focus on searching for records and actually shut myself off from the rest. I’ve always had this feeling with digging, and it gives me peace. It truly is a delightful hobby. You can read more about my favorite finds in this blog.
Where can you go Digging?
You never really know what you’ll find where, I’ve scored real gems at thrift shops, but I’ve also had lucky finds at fairs or discovered a long sought-after album at a record store.
- Thrift Shop: Naturally, thrift shops have a mix of classic and lesser-quality records, but you can definitely get lucky at a thrift shop.
- Record Store: Every week, I step into a record store, and the most enjoyable part for me is discovering new ones each time. At a record store, you naturally have less chance of scoring a gem for a cheap price, but always search through the bargain bins because that’s where you might find something nice. It’s also fun to discover new music in record stores. Sometimes, the store owners also have great tips. You can easily spend hours here.
- Record Fair: Twice a year, the largest record fair in the world takes place in the Netherlands, namely Recordplanet in Den Bosch. This is the most enjoyable fair for me. Sellers from all over the world are there, and I always know that I’ll find records that have been on my wishlist for a long time. There are also buyers from all over the world, and it’s fun to meet each other there. I can imagine that this fair can be overwhelming the first time, and you might not know where to start, but don’t panic, I felt the same way. In the text below, I’ll give some useful tips. I also enjoy visiting smaller fairs in my area. At these fairs, you can also negotiate the price.
- Flea Markets and Junk Sales: My partner and I love to spend hours rummaging through junk. So, I’m not only looking for records, but also for fun decorative items for the music room. Actually, all the decoration in the room comes from such markets or thrift shops. Just keep in mind that 80/90 percent of the records are junk, and you rarely find a real gem. However, I’ve found a nice number of cheap soul and jazz records for an even cheaper price than in, for example, a record store.
- Vintage Stores: I don’t visit them too often because I often see prices in these stores far above the asking price, and the condition of the records is often poor, but you never know.
Tips for Beginners
Don’t skip any crate, is my first advice. Many people search specifically in certain crates like Soul, Jazz, or skip certain letters. If you look in every crate, you might get lucky and find something totally unexpected. For example, I once found the beautiful album “First Take” by Roberta Flack in a heavy metal crate.
I always search through the bargain bins, and usually I don’t find anything, but I also had luck here once with for example “Curtis Mayfield – Sweet Exorcist” for only 2 euros in near mint condition.
Take the album cover out of the plastic sleeve if it’s in there, check the condition of the cover, also look for tears and if anything is written on it. Then you can inspect the vinyl. If you see a lot of scratches, especially deep ones, I advise against buying it because you’ll mostly hear crackling. A few scratches are much less noticeable, and a little crackling is just part of vintage vinyl. If you choose to wash your vinyl, you can safely buy dusty records. I also advise against buying vinyl with a lot of fingerprints; you often can’t get them completely clean with washing, and it also says something about how the previous owner treated their vinyl.
You can estimate the price of the album by looking up the matrix number on Discogs. Discogs always gives a low, medium, and maximum price, which makes it easier to compare the album you want to buy. You can also check which pressing the album is. I also visually check if the record isn’t warped. And this might sound strange, but I always smell the vinyl because you can immediately smell moisture or mold. I once bought an album by Marvin Gaye at the beginning of my cratedigging hobby. Once home, I smelled a strange scent that seemed like incense. I washed the vinyl, put the cover in another room for a while, and provided it with a new inner and outer sleeve, but I still smell that scent when I pick up that album.
Digging as an adventure
Cratedigging is truly an adventure in itself. You never know what you’ll bring home, and that’s what makes it fun and exciting. As I mentioned before, I find the fair in Den Bosch the most enjoyable, but it’s not necessarily the most thrilling, just the fair with the most choices for me. The day before, I get all ready. I look at the map and see which sellers are there, and I have a few fixed stalls where I always want to look. So, I make a sort of route of how I want to walk and which stall I want to visit first, although I often deviate from this. Early the next morning, on the way to the fair, the excitement starts to build, and I want to be there as quickly as possible. I’m often there early and stay until the end. It’s almost impossible to see the entire fair in one day, so this November, I’m going for two days. Once at the fair, I immediately start searching through the crates. On such a day, I really have to set a budget for myself, or else I have no restraint on my purchases. So, you really have to think about which albums you buy and which ones you leave. And these choices aren’t easy, so also think for yourself if you could come across the album again or if it’s almost impossible. I always take my dog Ivy to the fair; he sits in a dog buggy, which is very handy for putting my purchases in. At the end of the day, Ivy can barely fit next to them.
My Cratedigging Triumphs
As you could read, I’ve mentioned a few albums that I’ve found with cratedigging, but so far, my best find is Leroy Hutson – Love Oh Love, an original copy that I found at the thrift shop for only 7 euros, and at a flea market, I found several albums by Stylistics, 4 in total for only 5 euros together. Donald Byrd – Streetlady, I found at a record store for 4 euros. At the thrift shop, I also found John Coltrane – Lush Life for 5 euros and an Isley Brothers album “3+3” for only 2 euros. But also nice sets of soul and funk music for a good price together. It’s definitely worth your time.
