Most vinyl collectors and DJs who have shopped records in New York are familiar with “The Thing.” On appearance its merely a small thrift store deep in Greenpoint, Brooklyn with very little discernible quality or uniqueness– really, its pretty much a dump. But in the back, is an even bigger dump– millions of vintage vinyls all at $2 a pop!

Today the inventory was so large that I found myself climbing one of the mountains of records. Standing atop of 3 stacked crates with my back touching the ceiling (probably 14 feet high) I leafed through random titles– that approach was the only way to access some of the newer stuff. On the flip side, I avoided the dank basement (where the fun really continues if you’re up for it) altogether but still came back with a few gems.

Image: The day’s winnings, gloves and dustmask (tools of the trade).