Notes from the Boneyard: Return of the record fair

By the way, the record fair will be returning to Omagh, in the Strule Arts Centre, Saturday on August 9 from 11am to 3pm.

It’s a welcome return for vinyl junkies to peruse the many crates from various dealers, whether your a metal head, a country buff, or a punk.

They’ll have what you crave.

Still can’t find that rare gem youve been searching for?

Come get your kicks!

It’s been a long time since the last one was here, pre-lockdown, I believe.

But back in the day, it was a rather regular occurrence, popping up quarterly each year as the seasons changed.

I used to frequent the fair, never knowing it was in town ‘til someone told me. It seemed to rely on word of mouth. When word reached me I would drop whatever I was doing and dash down there in a flurry, like life itself depended on it.

The mere thought of someone else getting there before me and picking through all those golden nuggets was almost too much for me to bear. It only filled me with urgency and fuelled my propulsion to warp speed.

But of course when I arrived, there wasnt a lot of people to compete with. Lomax of course would be there. Possibly before any of the sellers even turned up. He seems to have a bat-like sixth sense for these kinds of happenings.

It was probably him who tipped me off. Not before routing through everything first, of course. First dibs on the hidden treasures is a golden ticket and vital if searching for something in particular.

I recall a regretful day when I was perusing the record stores in London, and somehow came across a first pressing of the Velvet Underground’s Andy Warhol album, complete with unpeeled banana.

It was just put into the ‘new arrivals’ box (always the first place to check in any shop), and was at a ridiculously-low price for such a rare item, probably because the condition sticker on the front indicated there’s a skip in one song.

Being the idiot snob, I put it back because the condition wasn’t immaculate, and I already had three copies of this album (later pressings). I began to walk out of the shop and before I took the five steps to reach the door, I realised how unbelievably thick I was being.

I turned around to see someone else pick it out of the box with a look of pure joy and excitement.

He was almost frothing as he handed the cashier the small bit of cash, hands shaking. What a steal. I stood there in shock as he walked past me out the door, punching the air with glee. Happy as a pig. I felt sick. I still do.

It doesn’t always go like that of course. I once stumbled upon an original The Beatles butcher cover in a New York store. The price said $6, and he gave it to me for $5. A holy grail among collectors. A prized possession. That’s the way it goes sometimes. It’s the thrill of the chase, and not knowing which way it’ll go, or what you’ll walk out of there with.

Such joy.

Put it in your diary: Saturday August 9 from 11am to 3pm at the Strule Arts Centre, Omagh. A splendid time is guaranteed for all.