By The last Sunday of the month means that it’s my monthly visit to the Greater Orange County Record Show at the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Hall in Buena Park.
With 93 tables in a well-lit 10,000 square foot room, it’s the sort of place where record enthusiasts find refuge from the harsh realities of everyday life and just focus on press releases, grooves, scratches, and just music in general for a day.
The person in charge is Steve Brunner, one of the nicest people you’ll meet. He founded and organized the show in 1987 and still shows up to every show.
He divides the record show into two times: the early bird special from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. with an $8 entry fee, and regular show hours from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. with a $3 fee.
On one visit, while dreading my grandma’s birthday bash planned later that evening, I decided to salvage the day, wake up early and go to the early bird special.
Don’t let the $8 fee fool you; there’s many perks coming early. With fewer people, there’s more space to move around. Most importantly, because customers haven’t swooped in on all the best finds yet, the early bird selection of records is incredible, especially if you’re looking for collectors’ items.
Looking around, I saw the usual friendly vendors, which are of the baby-boomer variety who always have stories to tell.
I also saw the usual records, which mostly consist of 60s/70s rock, British-invasion, punk, soundtracks, jazz, and country, to a lesser extent.
The popular dollar bins, which are surprisingly filled with musical treasures, were scattered throughout the show. The more expensive records in clean condition, especially Beatles and other British-invasion rarities, range from $10 to $120.
This record show, many vendors slashed the prices in half on their quality records, which usually run from $5 to $10.
I was shocked to see that my favorite vendor, the Ozzy-look-a-like, had cut his hair, put on a leather jacket and was entering his Fonzie phase.
He, too, had a half-off sale and I snagged a Lou Reed album in great condition for $5. I also grabbed an immaculate conditioned first-press release of the Rolling Stones’ “Some Girls” with Lucille Ball on the original cover, which was later banned, for just $4.
In all, I got seven quality records for $20 total, including “Combat Rock” by The Clash and “Murmur” by R.E.M, which you might not find during regular show hours.
On your visit, I suggest browsing for a bit because it’s very possible to find an even better deal in another aisle. The vendors can even hold it for you if you’re unsure.
Around 10 a.m. the regular show hours started and the place got packed. Then, in order to find what you want, you need patience and perseverance.
If you lack these qualities and need the space to move around and the records you desire at your fingertips, I recommend coughing up the extra bucks on the last Sunday of every month and going to the early bird special at the OC Record Show; that is, if you have a turntable and a working alarm clock.
