In early 1977, after hour parties would usually end up at the Capitol Records parking lot for the records swap meet.
The swap meet happened on the first Sunday of the month - but kids would start to congregate in the parking lot late Saturday night after the clubs let out. It became a big late night/early morning gathering spot. At 3 a.m. sellers started to set up. Collectors often arrive at 2:30 a.m.
By 5 a.m. the record swap meet was in full operation. Collectors would often have to
search by flashlight. By 11 a.m it was all but over. Most have cleared out.
Every collector had their own specialty filing system. Some came for 45's, some came for the picture sleeves, some collected a certain labels, some collected by genre, such as 'girl groups', some collected imports, some collected only 'promotional' records, novelties and old '78 disc. Always popular was anything rare by Elvis Presley, the Beatles and the Beach Boys.
For years this record swap meet floated around from site to site until it settled here in 1975. Capital Records had nothing to do with it operation. The swap meet was here was primarily rock n' roll collectors. Collectors came to it from all over the state. The sellers were charge a dollar to set up shop. Most sold out of their truck or trunk. This was considered a dealer's swap meet. People came here for bargains and deals.
Capitol Records
photo: Reagh, William.
The Capitol Records Swap Meet was where collectors would park their cars in the Capitol Records parking lot and sell old records out of their trunks or put boxes on the ground. One could rummage through boxes and boxes of records and hope to find that hard-to- find rare English imports or bootleg copy of a favorite underground band. These were the records that weren't found in usual record stores.
Howard Johnson's at the NW corner of Hollywood and Vine was always bustling the wee hours of Sunday mornings these days.
Here Tomato from the Screamers would rummage through boxes of records.
Here Tomato from the Screamers would rummage through boxes of records.
On April 3, 1977 Exene Cervenka of X met Bobby Pyn (Darby Crash). Hellin and Trudie (Plunger girls) also met Darby and other Germs members at the Capital Records swap meet.
2009 photo: tlc
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1 comment:
I forgot all about the Capitol Records swapmeet. We would go after a show and a bunbling drunken foray at Oki dogs.
So glad I found your blog. Thanks fer the memories.
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