One More Day of an Epic Vinyl Sale in Missoula

Walking into the Westside Theater on Shakespeare Street in Missoula, the vast quantity of vinyl isn't immediately apparent.

Stepping in through the garage door you're met with a pop-vintage clothing store from Oh, Goodie! Design Studio. Racks of clothes, furniture, and accessories are like an appetizer before what is the main course, if only by volume: the record sale.

It's impressive that for the last three years, Slant Street Records has hosted a sale of this magnitude. I attended in 2022 and again today, on the first day of this year's sale, and here are my takeaways.

Go With Hopes But Not Expectations

Finding a specific record among 20,000 albums will be challenging at best, but Colin and Mike from Slant Street Records are available to help. The reality is, it's more like a treasure hunt, than a library. There's not much rhyme or reason to where things are located. It's best to pick a box and start flipping.

*However: I jokingly mentioned to a friend I was hoping to find a somewhat obscure classical album at the sale. Reader, I found it. I'm thrilled.

But most of the joy is in finding things you didn't know you were looking for, but you're totally stoked about. For example:

I found Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, The Lewis Carroll Classic Complete on 4 LP Records and it includes a facsimile volume of the 1865 first edition of the book. (What?!)

I found a clean copy of "Merry Christmas" from Bing Crosby (which I was told is hard to find).

Earlier Is Better, But Not Essential

When I attended the sale in 2022 I went on the second day. I ended up bringing home a lot of esoteric finds. This year I attended on the first day and found myself with some "wish list" style picks, but again, I wasn't looking for them but was glad to find them.

Set a Budget

All records are only $3, so it's tempting to load up on absolutely every gem you find, but telling yourself "I'm only going to spend $30" or whatever your amount is will help you make the tough choices.

Trust Your Gut

There's a good chance, with over 20,000 records to choose from, you're going to find something you've never heard before but you really want to try. Sometimes this works well, and sometimes it doesn't. I bought a copy of the Bee Gee's "Cucumber Castle" in 2022 because I thought it looked hilarious.

But that's like judging a book by its cover. It doesn't always work out. You may be tempted to pick up that weird side project of your favorite artist, but ask yourself, will you listen to it? If not, will it spark some other kind of Marie Kondo-style joy? If the answer is yes, go for it.

The sale continues tomorrow Saturday, September 21 from 10 am-6 pm at the West Side Theater 1200 Shakespeare St.