For those of us who spin and collect 7″ records aka the little records with big holes, aka 45s, aka people asking “What are those things?”, we’ve always needed a way to carry them. When forty fives were king, there were many different types of 45 boxes a vinyl record enthusiast could transport their music with. Throughout the years we have tried to buy as many interesting cases to house our 45s. We have nautical themed boxes, psychedelic boxes, Triad boxes, boxes without handles (really?), double cases, flight cases, Tucker & Bloom 45 bags, People Records boxes, military steel boxes, and more. We’ve seen DJs carry their little records in tote bags, Star wars boxes, Patridge Family boxes, Bozo boxes, checked, swirled, & tye dye boxes, even carefully crafted cases such as The Ottbox and the ones John Manship has been selling as of late. I once did a gig with a reggae DJ who just put all of his 7″s (all JA pressings) in a suitcase. It was a heat filled old time suitcase that astounded everyone when he opened it. When he started spinning, mouths opened even wider. Yesterday we picked up one of our most interesting 45 boxes. A weird checkered box with steel hinges and a hard plastic (but steel looking) handle. It got us thinking. All of our boxes have a story, and we’d love to see photos of yours and hear stories about them, how you got them, what you use them for etc. That’s why the brother Skeme Richards who did a series on 45 boxes a while back and I are joining forces to do Funky Little Boxes, The Instagram page. That’s right people, we are asking our audiences to submit a photo and a short story about the box, what it’s used for, and where you got it. We will feature each unique story on the IG page funkylittleboxes. To submit your photo and story, shoot us an email here:

jamison@fleamarketfunk
info@hotpeasandbutta.com

Here’s a story about one of our boxes here at Flea Market Funk:

This box was bought for $12 from the infamous Stinkie Steve at ‘The Spot’ in Central Jersey. It is a double case with faux alligator green on the outside and some impressionist paper print on the inside. It’s pretty old, so the handle is not as sturdy as it should be, so I just keep all of my newer indie funk, soul, and the like in it in the lab. Before I knew better I sat for two hours with Stinkie Steve buying records, listening to him rant, looking at his price guide, and waiting for him to price this box. He came out with twelve bucks, so it pushed my records up to $4 a piece. He also told me he was a ballerina (in the modern sense) in a former life, then argued with a chair with no one sitting in it. True story. The things we put up with to get vinyl and a record box.

So start sending your photos of your funky little boxes to us, we want to hear your stories and see what you’ve got. Vinyl Rules, and 45 cases do too!

Keep Diggin’!