We all have want lists, holy grail records, as well as records that we would do anything to get. We talked about that a few weeks ago here. Now imagine, by some strange force of the universe, a record on your list appears at your local record store, out in the field somewhere, or at a charity or boot sale. This very occurrence has happened to us many times, which leads us to deduce one thing: You were meant to get the records you have. Let’s get into it.
If you put yourself out there with certain wants, you were meant to have them”
You have to be totally rational about this theory though. It doesn’t apply to let’s say, a Salt “Hung Up” 45 or a Stonewall record, because that is simply supply and demand, and there are many factors that go into it. We are talking about your record wants, not fantasy wants, and believe if you put yourself out there with certain wants, you were meant to have them. I can think of three instances right off the bat that support our theory. When I was a teen, I was obsessed with hip hop. All I wanted was Eric B. and Rakim’s “Paid In Full” remix on 12″. For my birthday, my uncle took me to a department store and said: “Go pick out three records”. The first record on the shelf was the 12″ I wanted so bad. This changed everything for me. It changed the way I listened to music, the way I viewed sampling, and influenced me (with others) to be a DJ and digger. I was meant to have that record. In another instance, we once went digging at our secret spot with Eilon Paz of Dust and Grooves. He was going to dig for some records and he also brought his camera along the way. While we were digging, I found a long time want, “Hey Joyce” by Lou Courtney on 45. I could have easily went on ebay and pushed a button and bought it now. I didn’t, and it paid off. Finding it was way more satisfying than the instant gratification. I whole heartedly believe that the record was meant to come to me. One of the times I felt that this theory was the strongest was when I finally grabbed a copy of the Archie Whitewater record. Searching for it for years, it turns up randomly at a garage sale in my neighborhood. However, it was sold to someone else. I approached the guy, told him how I had been searching for years, and he gave it to me to buy. There was one of my holy grails and it just came to me randomly. An instance that happened yesterday really confirmed my theory. I don’t have a tremendous amount of time to dig these days, but go when I can. My local record store has been a great source of a variety of vinyl I’ve turned up as of late. Yesterday, it was busy. The jazz section was jammed with customers, so I randomly walked to the psychedelic section. After three records, there was the number one LP want on my list: Harumi’s S/T Verve Forecast record from 1968. Significantly lower than I had seen it at auction, I was flabbergasted to even think it would be here. When I pulled it out, the clerk said: “Oh that record is nuts, it’s so good.” I said “I know, it’s on my all time want list, I never see it anywhere.” Call it karma, call it fate, or know that you were meant to have certain records, I’m spinning it up on my turntable as I write this. Think about it, you don’t find records, records find you. 
Keep Diggin’!
Flea Market Funk 