Your VU bargain

velvi$ · Post by **velvi$** » 04 Feb 2006 03:01

Uncle Roy's quest for a copy of Squeeze made me recall that my own copy of Squeeze was one of the few VU bargains I ever got. Although I have worshipped the VU for many years, my nasty collecting habit has only really taken hold quite recently. Consequently, I usually have to pay top dollar for everything. (?80 for a banana - ouch!). Anyway, back to the bargain story, a couple of years ago a friend told me he knew of a record collector who was selling lots of albums cheap and gave me a number. I called him, he said he had a couple of VU things, come on over. About half an hour later after a short drive I was warmly greeted by the guy who said he'd sorted out the VU stuff for me. Straight away I spotted Squeeze, virtually mint condition, I'd been after a copy for ages. "That's eight quid, that one" he said, straight down to business. Blimey, I thought, that's a bargain! I was quite broke at the time but I dug deep and also nabbed a copy of Everything You Wanted... box set and an aussie copy of VU&N that was signed by Moe. I forget how much I paid for those, not too much, when the guy knocked another 15% off the total I remember thinking again, GODDAM - A Bargain!. Sadly it's about the only time in my VU collecting career when I have experienced this.

I wondered if any of you have ever got a VU bargain. Simonm made me almost physically sick with jealousy when he related how much one of his Banana albums cost, so I know bargains are (or maybe, were) to be had.

Whoa, this is my longest post ever.

velvi$ is now leaving the building...

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EricBrands · Post by **EricBrands** » 04 Feb 2006 09:12

Im not a VU collector, I have a few bootlegs but Ive never been that interested in tracking down the original records. My one and only bargain was a mono record of WL/WH at a used record store here in Toronto in unplayed condition for $12.50. It has a white label, which I havent seen on other verve records and a "not for sale" near the bottom. My friend told me its probably a 70s/80s copy that was sent to radio stations, probably not worth that much, but still a neat collectable.

tigeir · Post by **tigeir** » 04 Feb 2006 13:34

Mine must be the Amuck compilation with the Paris 1942 track on it. I got it from a ?1 box at a record fair in Brighton - maybe not the greatest musically but the thrill was immense.

lurid_uk · Post by **lurid_uk** » 07 Feb 2006 10:24

1. I used to regularly advertise in Goldmine and once received a reply offering me a "cardboard flexidisc with a picture of Lou Reed on it" for $8. It was of course the Index flexi and I rapidly phoned the guy to reserve it. It probably cost me $8 to call him from Scotland, but what a bargain - it was in perfect condition.
2. In the late 1980s I bought 2 mint mono unpeeled banana lps for $25 each from a place in California - 1 of them was the "black sticker" version which I subsequently had autographed by Lou, John, Sterling, Moe and Nico.....
3. I paid $1 each for 2 copies of a 1975 UK Polydor promo lp with 2 VU tracks on it at a car boot sale here in Edinburgh....

Homme Fatale · Post by **Homme Fatale** » 07 Feb 2006 12:48

lurid_uk wrote:which I subsequently had autographed by Lou, John, Sterling, Moe and Nico.....

WOW!

lurid_uk · Post by **lurid_uk** » 07 Feb 2006 13:48

It must have been 1984 or 85 I got the 2 banana lps, because I got Nico's signature after a spaced out show she did during the Edinburgh Festival in 1986 (or 87?). Lou and Moe signed it after the last Drella show at the BAM in Dec 1989, John signed it after a 1992 show, and I finally got Sterling's signature at the Edinburgh Playhouse stage door after the opening show of the 1993 tour....

Homme Fatale · Post by **Homme Fatale** » 07 Feb 2006 14:19

I trust you have it framed and on display?

lurid_uk · Post by **lurid_uk** » 08 Feb 2006 09:51

sadly the banana lp is not framed, but I have a bunch of framed original VU concert posters and flyers up on my wall. The VU/Iron Butterfly poster in particular is very impressive when you see it full size - the way it was printed makes it look almost 3 dimensional.

alfredovu · Post by **alfredovu** » 08 Feb 2006 20:17

Probably is a Mono UK WL/WH at $12, but frankly speaking i have been more at the other side (paying toooooo much) than on the bargain side.

When i won my aspen at ebay for $245 tought it was a bargain. I was used to the $1000...

waldo jeffers · Post by **waldo jeffers** » 09 Feb 2006 01:22

$16 for a sealed mono "White Light/White Heat" via Goldmine back in the spring of 1985. Turned out to be yellow label promo! I wound up selling it a few years back for, needless to say, considerably more than what I paid for it.