It’s A Vinyl Collector’s Paradise In Oaks This Weekend
For me, the Thanksgiving season is a time of family, gratitude, food and…VINYL! Every year, collectors and dealers from all over the east coast converge at the Oaks EXPO Center, just off 422, for the annual “Not Just Rock” Expo. It’s a veritable paradise for collectors and fans of music, whether you collect vinyl records, CDs, videos, posters, t-shirts..just about anything connected to music you will find at the Expo. I’m a big 45 collector and there are always dealers selling them by the rack!
Customers shop for music goodies at the Not Just Rock Expo.
The show is run by a dude named Fred Falk, who has put this particular show on for over 20 years, and who I’ve known for even longer. After a few years at other locations, you might remember record shows at the National Guard Armory in the Northeast, Fred and his team have found a home at the Oaks EXPO Center. It’s the perfect spot, too. It’s big, there’s plenty of free parking, and it’s literally right off 422 at Oaks. Even in that labyrinth that is the Oaks EXPO Center, the signage is so well laid out that you’ll find the right hall in no time.
There’s something about going to a record show and diving into all the vinyl goodies that is so satisfying. It’s almost like I go into a trance when I’m on my 30th rack of 45s that I’m thumbing through, waiting to find that one hidden gem. The last time I was there, for hours, I kept looking and thumbing through the singles and, BAM, there it is! The promo 45 of “Come And Get Your Love” by Redbone with the alternate mono mix I’d been looking for for years, and now I’d found it. Gently slipping it out of the sleeve, I took a look at the vinyl and saw it had rarely been played. It was so pristine, it even had that new record ‘dust’ on it. Best of all, the guy wanted just $7 for it. A smile came to my face as a rush overtook my body. I paid the man, and left with a cherished piece of wax I’d looked for forever. S-C-O-R-E. That’s what it’s all about right there.
I guarantee you’ll see me there at some point this weekend – I never miss it. Happy hunting!!
The Annual “Not Just Rock” Expo runs this Friday 11/25 from 12-6pm, and Saturday, 11/26, from 10am-4pm at the Oaks EXPO Center in Oaks. PA. Vince “Vinny” Martell, founding member of the 60s psychedelic band Vanilla Fudge will be there Saturday from 1-4pm meeting fans. Admission is $5, and there are some light food and drink options available. The more hardcore collector might want to check out their special pre-show admission, both days, for $15. For more information, click here.
