Exotica still out there! (alt title: I love the midwest!)

Hi all,

Exotica is alive and well in the thrifts, junk shops, mom&pop record shops, and what have you out here in the midwest. And for those of you living out this way, I urge you to keep digging. The tiki gods have opened up the gates to nirvana, but the gates will surely close just as fast. I've never seen it this ripe, except back in the early 1990s when I lived in Milwaukee.

Here's a list of stuff me, Karol Kay-Ahhs, and Quinc_at_Danny's unearthed on a recent trip through Iowa:

Baxter: Ritual of the Savage
Denny: Exotic Moog, Primitiva, Enchanted Sea
Lyman: Bahia, Enchanted Island
Drasnin: Voodoo (on Tops -- the one with the cool cover)

and that's just the tip of the iceberg. We came home with crates of records. Most for 0.75 cents, some for a couple of bucks. Nothing over $3

It's still out there. The digging can be hard and slow, and you'll breath a lot of dirt, but in the end it's a LOT more rewarding than plunking down $40 on Ebay!

I,Z

Not to brag too much, but we also managed to release the following exotic treasures from their exile in Iowa:

Michael Magne-- Tropical Fantasy
Les Baxter--Jewels of the Sea, Ports of Pleasure, Kaleidascope
Webley Edwards--Fire Goddess
Marty Gold--Skin Tight
Werner Muller--Hawaiian Swing
Leo Addeo--Stereo Action Paradise Regained
None of these over a buck. I don't know what it is about record thrifting in Iowa but it's super ripe for the pickin'. Who knows what else is buried under the mold and filth and toxic corn pollen.

Fortunately for me and IZ and the rest of the midwestern Tiki contigent, none of the cats from the coasts will ever set foot in Iowa (unless they run for President), so we've got the treasure trove ALL TO OURSELVES! ;P

Don't let Quince_at_Danny's hubris fool you: he's actually a fun lovin' pussy cat who shares the wealth. I should know, I've gotten a LOT of great CD burns from him!

I think I speak for everyone in our thrift team when I say: If you live in IL, MN, IA, WI -- get your A** out there this weekend and start digging through the piles. And if you're visiting the midwest from afar, carve out some time to do some hardcore thrifting. The GOOD STUFF is to be had for cheap! A bounty like this comes in cycles. I think we're in the 2nd year of the second wave of the vinyl goldmine (1st wave: 1987-94). However, our calculations predict this will dry up sometime between the 3rd and 4th year.

I,Z

You're right about finding a lot of exotica. Every church sale, garage sale and thrift store has plenty to pick from.