Anyone going to Austin this weekend for ARC?

[Dave Baldwin]

Will be there Fri. and Sat. mostly as a buyer. Anyone else making the trip?

 

[Dave Baldwin]

Wow. I've heard airline travel is a nightmare now, but I'm surprised by the
lack of interest. It's probably the #1 or #2 U.S. show now for garage 45s.

 

[MopTopMike]

When you have nearly everything you want there's no desire to travel to record shows anymore
Plus prices are beyond absurd!

 

[Al.Burnett1966]

Well if wasn't 5,836 km away maybe I would!

 

[Dave Baldwin]

It's my pretty much my only excuse for going to Austin twice a year now (and I only live three hours away
down Route 183)...lol

 

[idiotpunk123]

It's on my bucket list. But 2 kids in daycare pretty much ruins any chance of going for me. One day!!

 

[chas_kit]

I had a table at WFMU last November and there was very little interest in 45s, except for the cheapest stuff.

If anyone wants to buy or sell garage via good olde mail order, contact me!

 

[KipBrown]

I've been here all week. The "Hotel" scene was missing a few key figures but still quite a bit to look through for those who did stop in.

The show floor is pretty much normal as far as the number of dealers although the very back row is a little less populated. Shopping crowd has been excellent and sales are good from everyone I've asked.

I have done well buying this time, even though I had pledged to remain more frugal than I have in the past.

I did manage to score a long time want yesterday just as it was being put out!

 

[bosshoss]

Well if wasn't 5,836 km away maybe I would!

A mere 15,712 km for me.

 

[Dave Baldwin]

I've been here all week. The "Hotel" scene was missing a few key figures but still quite a bit to look through for those who did stop in.

The show floor is pretty much normal as far as the number of dealers although the very back row is a little less populated. Shopping crowd has been excellent and sales are good from everyone I've asked.

I have done well buying this time, even though I had pledged to remain more frugal than I have in the past.

I did manage to score a long time want yesterday just as it was being put out!

View attachment 6433

 

[troggy]

I was there for the first tme since 2013. Mike is right about the prices. I think some of those guys want a traveling museum, rather than trying to make actual sales.

There were more great 45s in Austin but I wound up buying way more at the St. Louis show this past weekend. Got a bunch of cool 45s for less than $3 a pop..

 

[chas_kit]

I am soooooo bored of people bragging about their record finds, as if they turned them up in a dung heap for .10 each, when they actually paid the big bucks.

I also don't care when you found that particular gem underpriced.

signed D.C. (done collecting)

 

[buckeyebeat]

prices for 45s are in decline, across the board. There are some outliners for sure, mostly for records that are coveted in the DJ scene, but I would bet (and I have rarely been wrong in my predications here) that we are witnessing the beginning of the end for the golden era of record collecting (silent generation/baby boomer driven). The price drops are also happening with the LPs from the 60s and 70s. Part of the reason for people asking ridiculous prices (ebay, discogs, and shows) is panic as they see their 'investments' making like the Titanic and the iceberg and are digging in hard refusing to see reality...on the other hand they are as they say in the UK, "willie wavers" trying to impress. They'll hit the wall also. Will Keggs records ever sell for $5? probably not in the next decade but once my generation (just hit 65) has passed on or sold off, the demand will really drop.

While there are folks in the 20s...or teens...who are into the Sonics, Dovers, Gandalf, or Leafhound, the vast majority are quite happy with reissues and digital forms.

 

[bosshoss]

Honestly who cares what their records are worth? Unless you have multiple copies, it doesn't mean anything.

 

[KipBrown]

prices for 45s are in decline, across the board. There are some outliners for sure, mostly for records that are coveted in the DJ scene, but I would bet (and I have rarely been wrong in my predications here) that we are witnessing the beginning of the end for the golden era of record collecting (silent generation/baby boomer driven). The price drops are also happening with the LPs from the 60s and 70s. Part of the reason for people asking ridiculous prices (ebay, discogs, and shows) is panic as they see their 'investments' making like the Titanic and the iceberg and are digging in hard refusing to see reality...on the other hand they are as they say in the UK, "willie wavers" trying to impress. They'll hit the wall also. Will Keggs records ever sell for $5? probably not in the next decade but once my generation (just hit 65) has passed on or sold off, the demand will really drop.

While there are folks in the 20s...or teens...who are into the Sonics, Dovers, Gandalf, or Leafhound, the vast majority are quite happy with reissues and digital forms.

Well, considering a Plagues on Fenton just sold for $5200 on eBay, there must still be some interest in rare garage 45's. Perhaps that record is an outlier as the prices on it have gotten incredibly silly over the past couple of years, for some reason.

My guess is the foreign market will keep the values fairly steady on 45's, at least on some of them and at least for a while.

Rockabilly was dead in the water at one time until the overseas buyers brought it back up again. I remember in the 90's and early 00's, rockabilly collectors were mostly old dudes who had everything and were so used to finding rare records cheap (and would bore you to death with the stories about it), they didn't want to pay much for what they didn't have. Since quite a few of them were on fixed incomes, they didn't have a lot of available cash to spend big money. But now, thanks to rockabilly culture as a lifestyle thing, they've made a comeback and can bring decent money again, at least sometimes, anyway.

I have been active in garage 45 collecting and selling for over forty years At the moment, I have a pretty significant collection I've accumulated as a fun way to invest extra money. To George's point, "peak vinyl" has been something I've been wondering about for a while and I have been watching for signs of the tipping point. Over the past two years I have been selling off my LP collection because the market was telling me this was a prudent move, and it's paid off tremendously.

Since internet sales tax reporting rules are reverting back to the "200 transactions AND $20k in sales" threshold next year, I'm honestly considering starting to sell off my collection 45's while I still can. I don't really want to, but I'm not getting any younger, I have had health issues and having the money is starting to look more appealing than having the records.

But then I pull a box out, start going through it, and I think about not having certain ones anymore and the likelihood of ever getting another copy....I put the box back on the shelf and tell myself "not today"....it's a push and pull, for certain.

I don't understand why people sharing finds is so triggering to some people, either. Isn't that supposed to be part of the fun of collecting, sharing your good fortune with others?

 

[MopTopMike]

Just some off the cuff commentary from almost 50 years of collecting.....
I've never collected records as an investment. It is nice, of course, that you can make a profit when $$$ is needed IF you are knowledgeable.
But I bought records because I prefer the sound from the original artifact. Since I started collecting at 13 years old, I quickly found out that a lot of reissues did not sound as good as the originals. This was especially true for the rarer, in demand 45s.
I've bought a few "reissues" (more like unoffical bootlegs) of lauded garage 45s and there is no comparison when directly compared to the original pressings I own.
I do not see the market dropping anytime soon for garage 45s. I know probably 10-12 collectors in their 20s / early 30s who buy regularly. They may not pay four figures for a record but they also are not bottom feeders. Plus, there will always be people, young or older, who can afford to fund hi-ticket rarities that want the original pressings.
I'm elated that 75% of garage & psych 45s are not "dance floor" spins in the DJ scene. Prices for those 45s have come down on many, I've been buying what I consider worth owning for $100 or less in top condition.
Lastly, there are still dinosaur dealers hawking their wares online that are firmly married to their ridicluous asking prices for lousy condition 45s. Many have had the same inventory for over a decade. What's the point of even bothering to sell? Adjust (meaning LOWER prices) to the marketplace or hoard them in your basement and get them offline where they clog up record websites.
And, like Kip says, whenever I think of parting with a 45 from my collection now I end up putting it back. I can always find a way to get money, but not an original pressing of a fave garage 45. When the time comes to sell, the whole collection is exiting

 

[Dave Baldwin]

prices for 45s are in decline, across the board. There are some outliners for sure, mostly for records that are coveted in the DJ scene, but I would bet (and I have rarely been wrong in my predications here) that we are witnessing the beginning of the end for the golden era of record collecting (silent generation/baby boomer driven). The price drops are also happening with the LPs from the 60s and 70s. Part of the reason for people asking ridiculous prices (ebay, discogs, and shows) is panic as they see their 'investments' making like the Titanic and the iceberg and are digging in hard refusing to see reality...on the other hand they are as they say in the UK, "willie wavers" trying to impress. They'll hit the wall also. Will Keggs records ever sell for $5? probably not in the next decade but once my generation (just hit 65) has passed on or sold off, the demand will really drop.

While there are folks in the 20s...or teens...who are into the Sonics, Dovers, Gandalf, or Leafhound, the vast majority are quite happy with reissues and digital forms.

The most dedicated and accomplished Texas garage 45 collector that I know registers 'late-Gen X/Millennial', and has many followers in the
same age-bracket. There will always be a segment of the population who care about and spend money on cool music and cultural ephemera.

 

[troggy]

Honestly who cares what their records are worth? Unless you have multiple copies, it doesn't mean anything.

This is very true. Unless you're planning on selling, monetary value isn't really relevant.

 

[troggy]

I don't understand why people sharing finds is so triggering to some people, either. Isn't that supposed to be part of the fun of collecting, sharing your good fortune with others?

I always thought so, whether you're paying going rate or found something on the cheap. I enjoy rwading what other people have scored.

 

[green.scream]

I always thought so, whether you're paying going rate or found something on the cheap. I enjoy rwading what other people have scored.

I agree here. I really like checking out your posts Kip. As well as others. Obviously I get satisfaction in getting records myself but I can also enjoy ogling and can relish in others acquisitions. It’s fun and exciting to see what others are getting!