To Know Or Not To Know

Just got off the phone to my main record dealer from Canterbury. I went there on Saturday and had an average digging session. Found some cheap 12" in the local Oxfam and then saw him and bought some nice reggae re-issues and some original late 60's/early 70's rock and folk rock which i knew i would be able to sell on. The phone call went along its normal route of asking if he was ok and then checking to see if he had any new stuff in or was going on any interesting calls. Alas there was no new stuff and goodbyes were just about to be said before he mentioned that in a hall just behind his shop on the very day i was there on Saturday two women had brought a load of records to sell at a jumble sale. Some lucky buyer had stumbled on them and proceeded to buy masses of their stuff (singles for 25p and LP's for £1) and this stuff was a goldmine. One single he mentioned normally sells for £650!!! The buyer clearly didn't clean the women out as they did a boot fair on the Sunday and people were still finding gems.

It got me thinking along the lines of did i actually want to know this news. Or was i happy be oblivious to the fact that someone else had the luck for once. Ive had my fair share of luck where digging in the crates is concerned but it still irks me when someone else beats me to the loot. With certain records becoming rarer and rarer finding them is like winning the lottery. Think 200 copies in the world then take out the copies that are unplayable or smashed. Then take out the copies in private hands that will never be sold. Doesn't leave at lot.

Population of the world = 6.7 billion / 100 surviving copies of a record.

By any calculations they are not good odds.

My conclusion is i would rather know if only for the fact it may spur me on to new levels of digging where no stone is left untouched. Door to door vinyl enquiries anyone?