We watched the church at the end of the farm road set up a garage sale last week, and I thought I’d stop by one day. I didn’t get out in that direction until Saturday, when my beautiful wife and I headed out to do a little shopping. Although the sale had plenty of things–furniture, clothing, glassware, and books–it had few things I was interested in. I did however pick up two records:
Hold On by Connie Scott was up by the register because it was a signed copy. My beautiful wife found this version of Toscanini’s Pictures at an Exhibition in the one box of gospel and classical records they had for sale.
It turns out that this was quite a find: The Hold On album goes for (that is, sells for between $15 and $45. Unsigned. So quite a score at $2.
I have not been buying records very much, gentle reader, because I have not built any storage for additional accumulation–and the existing records have gotten pretty tight in the shelving I have already.
Also, the receiver I picked up in 2021 flamed out. A similar failure: A blinking power button light, I press the power button, and a capacitor blew with a spark that was actually a small explosion. And no records again for a couple of months for Brian J.
It’s my own fault. The receivers have sat on the desk in the parlor, atop the 100 disc CD changer that proved to be a foolish expensive gift right before ripping songs to electronic formats became predominant. I put the receiver on top so that it would have the best air flow to cool it. Unfortunately, that made for a warm place for the cats to lie, and old Radar Love lie up there all day. And shed into the vents of the receiver all day. And occasionally vomited into it.
Late this week, my beautiful wife decided that we needed a new receiver. I mean, I had been looking for a secondhand one at antique malls, estate sales, and garage sales, but I’ve not been going to many of them lately as the season is only now spinning up for garage sales, and we’re entering that period where component stereo equipment is not going to appear in the wild as fewer people have them to unload cheaply. Maybe I should have tried pawn shops. Maybe next time.
I have speculated why she wanted one now. Perhaps she bought me an awesome record for our anniversary. Perhaps she tired of listening to the radio playing in the console stereo, as it only picks up country stations well. Or maybe she misses records spinning during dinner. Who knows?
We also bought a large painting of an Italian cafe scene, which is a genre of painting my wife likes a lot. And so does little Nico.
Well, we did give him an Italian name.
The painting and records were under $20. It was half price day.
At any rate, the new receiver arrived. It’s very small, and it only accommodates a record player or modern inputs (Bluetooth, USB, and so on). And, to Roark’s chagrin and our relief, it’s too small for a cat to lie upon.
