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Sunday, July 27, 2025

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Crate Digging at the Ithaca Record Fair

Reading time: about 6 minutes

It’s the most wonderful time of the year: the New York State Record Fair has returned to Ithaca! The fair comes around once a semester, stopping at our humble college town on its way through the state, winding through Utica, Binghamton and Syracuse; dozens of vendors with thousands of worn crates in tow. Each one could carry treasures hidden in plain sight, music as promising as it is unobtrusive. There’s only one way to find out what lies behind that record, and behind that one. It’s like a scavenger hunt for picture-perfect families, hipsters, divorced dads and musicians alike. 

This was my third time at the Ithaca fair, where I have uncovered some of my favourite finds. As a relatively new collector of vintage records, the fair and Angry Mom Records in the Commons have supplied much of my growing trove. I currently have just over a hundred records in my room, as well as a turntable, amplifier and set of speakers that I saved up for over the summer. My first trip to the fair was sometime last spring, when it was held in the lobby of the Cayuga Blu Hotel. I got there relatively early and scored a whopping seven of my favourite records. Since last spring, the fair has been held at the Ithaca Convention Center in the Commons. The fair books a large room and dealers from across the state set up shop in their own little stands. There are tables and crates everywhere full of an overwhelming variety of music. Some vendors label their sections by genre, while others specialize in classic rock, soul, blues, jazz and more. A lot of collections span several desks, each crate alphabetized and labelled. Some even have a bargain bin below your feet for $5 LPs and old 78s. 

Now most of the used vintage LPs at the fair go for a reasonable price, usually somewhere between five and 20 dollars depending on their rarity, popularity and condition. Finding the best deal requires hard work, which mostly just involves looking through crates for a record you like and praying it isn’t shattered on the inside. A lot of used records come with scratches, so it is important to take a thorough look before you make any purchases. 

By the time I arrived at last week’s fair, the best deals had been unveiled and reclaimed by curious hands. I had overslept and had ended up at the fair at about 1 p.m. The building was oddly quiet when I entered, until I turned a corner and stumbled upon the fair. Through the plain grey doors was a pale purple room, lined with tables carrying crates of all colours and sizes. As I walked in, I was greeted by the Stone Roses’ debut, wafting from a vendor across the room. As I had suspected, many of the records I wanted were gone by then. Nevertheless, I persisted and managed to uncover some treasures. Early on, I spotted a copy of Harry Nilsson’s Aerial Ballet, a personal favourite of mine. The man behind the counter was kind enough to point me to a rare copy of an early Nilsson demo tape for only a couple bucks. And after several hours of unsuccessful searching, I finally came across an ’80s reissue of Led Zeppelin’s Presence. 

It wasn’t the best haul, but I can’t complain. The fair has supplied me with some of my favourite albums. On my first visit I found Roy Orbison’s Mystery Girl, my favourite singer’s comeback album. I uncovered an underrated Elton John classic: 1970’s Tumbleweed Connection is a country and western themed album by two Brits who somehow pull it off. I found a guitar masterclass in Robin Trower’s Bridge of Sighs, a showcase in expression by one of my biggest personal influences. Elsewhere was Pink Floyd’s Ummagumma, a puzzling creation often dismissed as their worst work. I disagree. This double LP features a live album on one record and God knows what on the other. Part two features a LOT of experimentation, to put it lightly. Most of it is pretty awful. And best of all Yes’s Close to the Edge, the title track being my favourite song of all time. If you ever have 20 minutes to spare, sit on the slope at sunset with your headphones on and listen to “Close to the Edge.” Thank me later. On my second visit, I bought my first Beatles albums, Revolver and the 1967-1970 compilation. The copy of Revolver was, however, an American issue, meaning that it is missing three songs: “I’m Only Sleeping” and “And Your Bird Can Sing”, my two favourite songs on the album. I could do without “Doctor Robert,” though. I scored At Fillmore East, one of my favourite live albums of all time and another blossoming guitarist’s bible, Duane Allman’s playing being a benchmark for every jam band since. And last of all, I discovered a Japanese copy of Led Zeppelin. Japanese records often have their own sections in record stores due to such high demand. They look sleeker, and (supposedly) sound better. They’re worth a lot more, but I got this for 30 bucks. It’s worth twice as much. See, I’m making investments!

But all in all, the Ithaca Record Fair is something I look forward to every semester. There is a real sense of community in the Upstate New York record swapping scene. It’s also an excuse for me to invite my friends to go record shopping with me. Many of them call it quits and hour or so in. I, on the other hand, stay till the end. Looking through piles and piles of records becomes an almost hypnotic experience after some time, akin to walking through a museum or an art gallery. I tend to have a good time. 

And that’s all for now. I wonder what wares next year’s fair will bring…

Josh Yiu is a sophomore in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. He can be reached at jy793@cornell.edu.


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