Sometimes you find the coolest things in the most unexpected places.
What with Covid restrictions easing up quite a bit, at least where I live in the U.S., slowly but surely I’m finding my way back into a few antique stores and flea markets.
Honestly most times I find nothing much of interest in antique stores but every so often I strike gold. This past weekend was one of those times. I found a few really nice items for very little money so I thought I’d share them here. Of course they’re music related, shocker, but fun nonetheless.
I happened to pass by a small antique mall that I’ve been to several times and since the sun was shining and I was in a good mood I thought I’d stop in and see what I could find.
As luck would have it I managed to stumble upon a small table full of tiny 45 record cases. Much to my surprise each case was filled with a massive collection of really nice 45’s with their accompanying picture sleeves!
Now I have to say I really LOVE old picture sleeves and when they are in great shape – which is rare – I’m even more excited. The kicker was not only were these sleeves and 45s in great shape overall but they were priced around $1- $3 dollars for the sleeve AND the 45. Now that’s my kind of find!
I managed to snag the first two Partridge Family 45’s, a David Cassidy 45 of “Cherish”, a minty looking 45 of The Monkees “Pleasant Valley Sunday” (with the original price tag which I love), a Beatles 45 of “Yesterday” (sleeve only) , a cool looking Carpenters 45 of “Rainy Days and Mondays” as well as a lovely Supremes 45 of “Stop! In the Name of Love” plus four older sleeves from the ’50s/early ’60s (Paul Anka, Chubby Checker, The Lettermen and a very young Tony Orlando!) that were four for a $1 since they had no records with them.
The interesting thing about two of the Bell Records I found, David Cassidy’s “Cherish” and The Partridge Family’s “Doesn’t Somebody Want to Be Wanted”, was that they were pressed on regular vinyl and not styrene. Most of the Bell Records 45s from my childhood were pressed on styrene which doesn’t hold up well to time so I was thrilled to find regular vinyl pressings which sound fantastic.
I’m also a fan of 45 mixes as they tend to sound punchier and more dynamic than their album counterparts so hearing these great sounding records was a complete pleasure. There really is no better sound for these songs than their original 45 mixes. I have some of these same versions of these songs on CD but for some reason the original 45s jump out of my speakers in a way that breaths live into the songs that isn’t captured in their digital form.
Anyway since I don’t regularly find such a cheap treasure trove of goodies I thought I’d post this lot here – see photos above and below.
Just a quick update to share these great 45s and their sleeves.
That’s all for now. I’ll have more soon so until the be safe and see you soon.
Records, CDs and Music: 
Congratulations that’s a great find!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I need to find that antique mall!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I had that same Bell Records Partridge Family “I Think I Love You” 45 (less the picture sleeve) in the mid- to late-’70s. I listened to it incessantly then, and again occasionally later when I was in college, much to the chagrin of my roommates. I kept it for many years, until I somehow managed to leave it in the basement of a house I moved out of in 2014. I tried to get it back, but too late it had been junked. Of all the 45s in my little purple Disk-Go carry case that I left behibd, that’s the one I miss the most. I was a huge David Cassidy fan and loved both songs. Maybe I’ll find another copy of it someday. Thanks for the memory – I may have had the sleeve at some point and carelessly tossed it. I don’t remember it at all, so it was fun to see.
LikeLiked by 1 person