Many years ago, I helped my brother in law move to a new house. He found a stack of records (4 or 5 crates, maybe) in the attic and said he didn't want them anymore. I tried to convince him not to get rid of them but he insisted, and then carried them out and put them on the sidewalk next to the trash.

I decided that this could not be allowed to happen, so I grabbed them, put them in my car and took them home. A few months later, never having touched them again, we decided to participate in a neighborhood garage sale in our ritzy area of downtown Chicago. I pulled out all the records and put up a sign - $5 each or 5 for $20. Did a pretty brisk business, except one guy was thumbing through them and pulled one out, took it out of the sleeve, examined it in various angles of the light, etc. And then told me to put it away and not to sell it, it was too valuable. Apparently the very famous producer/masterer/somebody? "signed" it with a sharp object near the center of the record (not sure how exactly that works). If I remember correctly it was a Boston album. Still in my closet, too.

And it definitely wasn't John Cusack, I would have recognized him.

Typically a set of dies lasts only 1500 pressings.

Oh yeah, the original shrink wrap is still there, just opened on one edge so the record can come in and out. The shrink wrap has a large sticker on it with a Rolling Stone blurb printed on it, letting me know that Boston is a great new band and reviews of a couple songs on the album.

None of it is in great shape, so I doubt that it is worth much of anything.

EDIT - The signature is "Wly" https://gloriousnoise.com/2017/vinylology-101-how-to-buy-bos...

I did not even know that this show existed. Having only recently signed up to Hulu, I'll have to dig this up.

some girl probably got tired of taking care of the guy, kicked him out, and in lieu of being paid back for all of the food, utilities, gas, etc she had shelled out for him over the course of the relationship and then on top of not coming to collect the damn crates after 3 months, would not qualify as theft by anybody's definition. the fact the transaction was for $1 just makes it worse. this whole back story is 100% made up and is just supposition on our parts, but it is 100% believable. it also just adds to the legend of one's own collection. "oh that one, yeah, let me tell how i got that one..."

if you've ever lived with someone with a vinyl addiction, you know exactly how much space crates of records can take up. you also know how heavy they are. if you've never known anyone with this affliction, count your blessings.

I just love jokes that are a hard truth from a world I don't know well. A favorite along these lines: "What does a stripper do with her asshole before she goes to work? Drops him off at band practice."