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Bargain Basement

Written by Marxo Grouch

Monday, 22 June 2009 19:54

Generation Records by Daquella manera on flickr

When:

Sunday-Thursday, 11 A.M. to 10 P.M Friday-Saturday, 11 A.M. to 11 P.M.

Where:

10 Thompson St New York, NY 10012 map

Generation Records on Thompson Street isn’t strictly a punk rock store, but…well, think of it like this: whereas in the old days, your standard record store carried all of the expected corporate rock with some underground stuff spattered here and there, Generation is like the inverse image of that. They have a fair share of mainstream stuff, but there’s no doubt – from the stacks to the ‘zines to the stuff that they usually play over the loudspeakers – which genre rules the roost. And why the hell not? The Village is one of the places punk was born in this country, so it seems only natural.

The prices are pretty good too, although if, in classic punk style, half of your fortune has already been earmarked for an evening at the Big Enchilada on East 12th, you’re going to be extra grateful for their justifiably celebrated used section, which, far from being relegated to a single bin, takes up about two thirds of the basement. They have a kind of “general” section, which can contain just about anything, and one wall that is divided evenly between punk/hardcore and metal. (They also have a few other small genre sections, a case of videos, posters, and a hearty selection of vinyl, both 12” and 7”. I have admittedly not looked much through the actual records; I already have a decent collection of vinyl, but nothing to play it on, and the delicious idea that I might find a long lost gem that eluded me during its initial release is soured by the reality that all I could do for the foreseeable future is take it home and admire the sleeve art.)

The majority of the used CDs, which in my experience have always proven to be in good condition, are priced at around seven or eight dollars, more than reasonable, but if you simply must have a couple of extra tacos, you’re also bound to find a couple of interesting items for only two or even one buck a pop. On more than one occasion I’ve walked away with a $1 CD that, one spin later, I realize I would have gladly paid a lot more for. That, of course, is one of the perfect used bin experiences. It’s not just about the price, but the chance of finding something truly valuable that someone else has seen fit to casually abandon. I am reminded of a time not so long ago when I was a bit more flush than usual and decided that I wasn’t going downstairs for once. I had a good idea of what I wanted, I could afford to pay for it, and I figured I’d keep the browsing to a minimum. But two minutes into the street level stacks, I had already been subjected to the sound of a would-be couple flirting in such a nauseating manner that it drove me down the stairs. Now, I was there that day to buy some classic hardcore – not something you’re always going to find in the used bin, as such a small percentage of it has made it to CD, those who buy it tend to hold onto it – but a short time later I was holding a copy of Christ on Parade’s Sounds of Nature, an album I had been craving for years and which I didn’t even think was in circulation at the time. At a reduced price, no less. The perfect used bin acquisition. I don’t know if those two knuckleheads upstairs scored that day, but I sure did.

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