Anyone ever pick up something for pennies that ended up being worth gold?

So we've been desperate for cash these past few weeks because of my father-in-law almost dying, and whenever this happens we turn to appraising all the collectibles in our house to see if something turns up worth a fortune. It got me wondering if anyone here has ever purchased something music-related that ended up being worth waaaay more than what they paid. I keep dreaming that one of my records--even though they're mostly VG reissues--will end up being worth several thousand dollars. Yeah right, I know.

My best bargain was a Moog Taurus at a local guitar store. I knew the owner really well and we were both clueless to the unit's worth, so I offered 50 bucks and he accepted. I cleaned the pots and replaced the cover for the switches and it worked great. Years later I found out that the Taurus is a rare unit and was valued at 3000. I sold the unit over ebay for 2800 to buy a new guitar, amp, and pay some bills. Hoping this happens again in the near future.

I've picked up a Korean promo copy of Youthanasia for about $15 (well £10 actually) I've seen a worse condition copy go for $300. I got a picture disc of Death Leprosy for $7ish that regularly fetches 10 times that and an original 2nd press Swedish Bathory s/t for about $20 that has fetched $150.

But no, never that big score. I have a vision of me walking into a car boot sale and finding the original first 30 or so Vertigo releases but it hasn't happened........ yet!!

Boris2008 wrote:

I've picked up a Korean promo copy of Youthanasia for about $15 (well £10 actually) I've seen a worse condition copy go for $300. I got a picture disc of Death Leprosy for $7ish that regularly fetches 10 times that and an original 2nd press Swedish Bathory s/t for about $20 that has fetched $150.

But no, never that big score. I have a vision of me walking into a car boot sale and finding the original first 30 or so Vertigo releases but it hasn't happened........ yet!!

I just want an early Vertigo record to see what it looks like while spinning...then it's your's...

I've got a few, they look cool! really cool!

Unfortunately the one I really want (Catapilla's second album) went for $2875.00!!! on ebay recently, which is about $2850.00 too much for my cheap

I got a couple slave raiders CDs in the dollar bin and they fetch about a 100 each. And the I got deathrider requiem for a dollar the next day and that gets about 300.

Slave Raider? Wow I haven't heard of them since I was 13. I had picked up a cassette, no insert, from a swap meet. Had no idea their stuff was so rare. Wish I would've kept the cassette.

As for dollar bins, I haven't seen one of those in ages. Are these found nowadays in independent stores or place like FYE as well? I really miss the dollar bin.

EDIT: I'm completely trippin'; of course I've seen a dollar bin, and even a .50 bin at our local Rasputin's. But I've spent hours surfing through them and all I've found is a Brother Cane and Jackyl CD, both which are worth nothing.

Half price books in your area has a very updated dollar bin up to 4 times a week. It's kinda awesome. But lately they charge 2 bucks, but hey I'll live.

Wow, brother, thanks. The timing here is f*cking awesome; I'm going to Fremont next week for work and there's one there. Even 2 bucks is a win. You're a Godsend for giving me this info.

ohwellmonkey wrote:

I got a couple slave raiders CDs in the dollar bin and they fetch about a 100 each. And the I got deathrider requiem for a dollar the next day and that gets about 300.

Ha! That's the same place I got my Slave Raider CD!

I found Mastedon's Lofcaudio , which used to go for pretty st00pid money on eBay, for a buck in a little rinky-dink thrift store a couple of years ago. Since the booklet is pretty badly water damaged I probably wouldn't be able to sell it for much, so I keep it around (even though it's not exactly "my" style) as a conversation piece.

I remember my heart skipping a beat when I saw the Pakaderm Records logo on the spine as I was sifting through a box of crappy CDs, thinking I'd finally found one of X-Sinner's CDs (both of which have been the Holy Grails of my want list since the early 90s) ... when I pulled the CD out and saw it was Mastedon and not X-Sinner I was like "Dammit! Close but no cigar!"

One of my best finds was on a four for a dollar sale at a Hastings I just happened to pass by on a trip. So for a quarter a piece I ended up with...

Angel Witch - A Sinister History
Wintersbane - Girth
Rods - Let Them Eat Metal
and a Japanese edition of Blondie's first record.

I believe the Angel Witch still goes for some high prices. This score always reminds me to go through every dollar bin I can and stop in any place I think might have a discount bin.

Bought Powermad's Absolute Power for 10 nkr, sold it for 200.

Regretted iit, and boughtva second copy for 180

I found a sealed 1rst pressing vinyl of The Rocky Horror Picture Show soundtrack at a thrift store in West Sacramneto (around 1992-ish) for under a buck and sold it to Esoteric Records across the river in Sacramento for 75 bucks. The cover was different than subsequent versions.

OK today in the half price books two dollar bin..

Lemonheads - create your friends
Pestilence - spheres (roadrunner)
Pestilence - consuming impulse (roadrunner)
Pestilence - malleus maleficarum (roadrunner)
Sepultura- morbid visions (new Renaissance)

I was freaked out all day! Just can't believe it!

ohwellmonkey wrote:

OK today in the half price books two dollar bin..

Lemonheads - create your friends
Pestilence - spheres (roadrunner)
Pestilence - consuming impulse (roadrunner)
Pestilence - malleus maleficarum (roadrunner)
Sepultura- morbid visions (new Renaissance)

I was freaked out all day! Just can't believe it!

Those Pestilence CD's are worth waaaaaay more than 2 bucks. I really need to get my ass over there. I was supposed to on Mon but my job ran late and I had to speed home.

At Amoeba I was digging around in the "S" section and came across Soho Roses - Whatever Happened To... for five bucks.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000TJ71AE/sr=1-1/qid=1368886522/ref=olp_product_details?ie=UTF8&me=&qid=1368886522&seller=&sr=1-1

Crazy thing is that album is worth every penny of those ridiculous prices. Great stuff. Should've been huge. Get the download for 8.00 though.

I bought Chester Bennington's first band's debut demo (3 tracks) for $5 and sold it for over $1,200. =)

About 10 years ago I picked up Nocturnus' The Key for a mere 7 bucks. It was sold as used but in mint condition. When I needed a bit of cash I auctioned it on ebay and I got something crazy like 48 or 50 bucks for it.

I don't really keep track, but generally I'd say the best luck I've had in getting collectors items cheap was when I first moved here. The campus ministry in this little college town where I work runs a radio station, and they let the kids program it. When the kids move on and the styles change they dump their old cds on the local stores. I got a whole mess of christian classics (Deliverance, White Cross, Barren Cross, Petra, Jerusalem, Leviticus, etc.) left over from the early 90's for 6.49 each. Some of those are nothing special but some of them as you know are now worth a lot.

Ordered Uzi - Madhouse from secondspin and got this instead...
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I'll probably trade it in some place rather than return since it is a rarity.  I like Prince but find this to be a pretty poor side effort.  This is the second time secondspin has sent me the wrong item and it turned out to be a collectable.