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Where I spend my lunch money

Submitted by PaulKennedy on Sat, 07/05/2008 - 10:25.

Where does my lunch money go? Mostly records, my monthly subscription to Luxuriamusic, and oh yes, the occasional delicious sandwich. My most recent record-buying adventure was at the Minnesota Record Show in June. Honestly, I cannot tell you how much I spent; deals were made, cash flowed. Besides the record shops I frequent (Hymies and Cheapo Records), antique shops, and thrift stores, this is the best venue for variety. But the secondary benefits are the charm of its location and the sheer number of dealers and collectors. The show is held every other month in VFW post 246 in Uptown Minneapolis. Stepping into the building is a step into the past. To get to the record show you walk past the bar, through a hallway, through a small gathering room to a larger banquet room that also serves as bingo hall. This may be a sign of how drab my life is, but for me it is genuinely exciting to see a bingo parlor full of records and dealers. Among the buzz of dealers catching up with each other and the smell of hot dogs and other snacks permeating the room, I got lost in time. Along the way, I did speak with one of the dealers who fills in occasionally as a DJ for the sponsor of the show, KFAI. The next thing I knew it was nearly three hours later and I was in the bright VFW parking lot, stowing an armload of records in my car trunk. I looked back at the VFW building and considered going back for more. But, it had been a long time since breakfast, so I went home to make a delicious sandwich...and listen.