"ANNIE'S CHRISTMAS" - 1982, 1992 CBS / Sony Storybook CD

Even though Christmas is over, I did still promise a Holiday upload every Friday this December, so let's have one more rare story before 2022 begins!

"Annie's Christmas" is a 30-minute story featuring everyone's favorite redheaded orphan, and was originally released by CBS Records in 1982. What we have here is the cleaned-up 1992 re-release on CD by Sony Music Special products.

While I'm personally not a big fan of "Annie", I am a sucker for anything narrated by William Woodson!

Please note that this story is not the same as the later-released animated TV special.

This is the last upload of 2021; I hope you enjoy it, and I hope you've enjoyed all of the oddities and obscurities shared here throughout the year! Happy New Year, everyone!

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Internet Archive

YouTube

256kbps VBR

"WALT DISNEY'S STORY OF 101 DALMATIANS" - 1982 Disneyland Read-Along Record

Hello, Sanctum Dwellers! I hope everyone enjoyed their Holiday weekend!

Today I'm sharing a Disney Read-Along that actually has been shared by others online, but in some ways, not entirely.

This is Disneyland Records' "Walt Disney's Story of 101 Dalmatians", release in 1982 on record and cassette. This is, to my knowledge, one of (if not the) loudest Read-Along Disney ever produced; both the cassette and vinyl copies are known for major clipping issues.

Under Design and myself did the best we could to make sure this digitization didn't blow anyone's ears out!

MouseVinyl has the 1965 Robie Lester - narrated record, but even though it carries the same catalog number (305), they are not the same album. This one is narrated by Pongo and tells the tale of the movie, while Robie's tells an original story about Lucky the puppy wanting to become a TV star.

As stated earlier, there exits other copies of this online. However some have "tape hiss", some have the "Cruella DeVil" song cut off early, some were recorded using a video camera, and some have the aforementioned clipping issues. I'm hoping that this copy finds a nice balance among the others, or at least just gives listeners yet another option to enjoy.

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YouTube

192kbps CBR

*NOTE: Ads may be running on the YouTube upload,
as the music within has been Copyright Claimed.*

"A CHARLIE BROWN CHRISTMAS" - 1977 Buena Vista Read-Along Record

It just isn't Christmas without this story... and here's a version that's rarely heard.

Everyone knows the classic TV special by now, but there have been numerous adaptations over the years. This version, released in 1977 via Disney and Buena Vista (under the specialized "Charlie Brown Records" line), has never been fully digitized until now.

Oddly enough, MouseVinyl seems to have all of the other releases in the "Charlie Brown Records" series, except this one. Well, I guess it's up to me to fill in that gap; and it wasn't easy...

My copy was in rough shape, as I repeatedly listened to it during Christmastime as a kid. And before that, my mother would listen to it. I set out looking for a pristine copy to digitize... and the only sealed copy I came across was in Italy. It took almost 2 MONTHS to finally arrive at my doorstep.

I sent it away to the great folks at Under Design and they came back with this crisp, beautiful copy shared here.

To me, this is a perfect story to enjoy on Christmas Eve. I know I've enjoyed it for close to 40 years, and I hope you will, too. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

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Internet Archive

YouTube

192kbps CBR

 

*NOTE: Ads may be running on the YouTube upload,
as the music within has been Copyright Claimed.*

 

"NEW ENGLAND CHRISTMASTIDE" - North Star Records 1986, 1987 Instrumental CD

Here's a treat for everyone craving some lovely, classic-sounding instrumentals to play during their Holiday parties!

In February I shared the North Star Records album "The Wind In The Rigging" , a collection of Americana / Maritime / Folk standards played by a crew of extremely talented instrumentalists. Shortly afterwards, a Sanctum Dweller reached out to me with a rip of a follow-up from North Star called "New England Christmastide".

While I thanked this generous follower for sending me the music, the quality was on the lower side. However I thoroughly enjoyed the album, and set about trying to obtain a physical copy. I finally did late last month, and now I present the album to all of you in glorious 320k!

While it certainly isn't available for purchase anywhere digitally, it only seems to live on via YouTube videos and 30-second snippets on Internet Archive. I aim to remedy this issue with the copy I'm sharing.

Like its predecessor, this is a fantastic collection of songs if you enjoy this style of music. Please download and enjoy!

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320kbps CBR

"SID EFFECTS CHRISTMAS" - COMMODORE 64 HOLIDAY ALBUM

This isn't a rare album, per se, but it is one that I'd love to share so more people can discover it.

C64Audio.com, the site who produced a bunch of albums celebrating the music of the Commodore 64 system (including one I've already shared), released a Christmas album using the C64 SID chip setup.

It's 100% FREE via their website, and if you're a fan of Chiptune music, you may want to snag a copy.

You can download it HERE. Enjoy!

"THE OWL THAT DIDN'T GIVE A HOOT" - 1970's Peter Pan Read-Along Record

Here's yet another Read-Along Record that I simply can't find any info about: "The Owl That Didn't Give A Hoot", released via Peter Pan Records.

This thing is so obscure that I can't even figure out what year it was released in. The UPC on the back was used multiple times by Peter Pan for various Read-Alongs, all released between 1971 and 1977, so I'm going to assume this is a 1970's release.

Written and Produced by Arthur Korb, this record tells the story of an Owl having trouble finding his "hoot". Korb was pretty active at Peter Pan, producing numerous albums and writing loads of songs, as well as crafting tunes for albums under the Power Records label. Having such a busy career, again I'm really surprised I can't find concrete info about "Owl".

I chalk this up as yet another forgotten record from the height of Peter Pan's popularity. Again, many Thanks to Under Design for helping me archive this rare story!

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Internet Archive

YouTube

192kbps CBR

"THE CHRISTMAS TALE OF ALFIE THE ELF" - 1980 Pennywhistle Read-Along Record

If you want to hear a truly obscure, long-forgotten Christmas album, look no further than this humble little tale, "Alfie the Elf".

This story about an extremely tall Elf (which predates the Will Ferrell classic by several decades) whom finds and rescues Santa is... well, it's odd. But that's not to say it's bad, and it definitely has some interesting roots!

The words and music from "Alfie" were written by Dallas McKennon, a legendary voice actor who worked for over 5 decades, voicing everyone from Gumby, to Archie, to loads of Disney characters. In fact, if you look at the artwork within "Alfie"'s pages, you'll see that they used Dallas' likeness; from the long, hooked nose to the huge white beard!

If you're wondering who exactly "Pennywhistle Productions" is, I don't have a clue. I can't find any detailed information on them, and according to Discogs, "Alfie" is the only album they ever released.

"Alfie" is a very hard record to obtain, let alone in decent shape. I had a heck of a time cleaning this up, even after Under Design's stellar digitizing work. I apologize for the hefty amount of static; perhaps in the future I can find a copy in better condition.

Regardless, the end result is a now forever-archived copy of the story of one of Christmas' lesser-known heroes. Enjoy the Christmas Jamboree!

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Internet Archive

YouTube

192kbps CBR

"THE CHIPMUNK STORY" - 1984 Kid Stuff Read-Along Record

Why not follow up a "Chipmunk" Read-Along with another one from the same year?

This is "The Chipmunk Story", a Read-Along Record from 1984 that tells the story of how Alvin, Simon, and Theodore entered David Seville's life. Much like the "Santa Harry" and "Chipmunks' Cruise" Read-Alongs, this is adapted from an episode of the "Chipmunks" animated series.

It's cute, and it has snippets of "Witch Doctor". A great listen for any "Chipmunk" fan. Enjoy!

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Internet Archive

YouTube

192kbps CBR

"THE CHIPMUNKS IN: SANTA HARRY" - 1984 Kid Stuff Read-Along Record

 

Hello everyone! I know I've been gone for quite some time, but that doesn't mean I've forgotten about the blog... and it definitely doesn't mean I've run out of rare media to share!

Just like last year, I'm going to devote every Friday in December to sharing an obscure Holiday-themed album with all of you! And to kick things off, I have a super-clean copy of Kid Stuff Records' 1984 Read-Along "The Chimpunks in: Santa Harry"!

For those not old enough to remember, "Harry" was a recurring villain in the 1980's "Chipmunks" TV show. He'd use costumes and aliases to attempt to trick Alvin and the others - or basically anyone in general - into getting their money. He was your basic sleazy con artist, and one of his most memorable appearances was in the episode "Santa Harry", which aired in 1983.

This Kid Stuff Read-Along is basically a point-by-point re-telling of that episode, albeit without the well-known "Chipmunks" opening theme (unlike other Read-Alongs of that era, such as "The Chipmunks' Cruise").

This one's a real treat for any "Chipmunks" fan; enjoy and let's get the Holiday Season started!

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Internet Archive

YouTube

192kbps CBR

 

PAUL SHANKLIN - POLITICAL SATIRE PARODY ALBUMS (1990's)

I'm one to generally stay away from Politics, and even when I get involved I veer to the Left on many (but not all) topics. However when I stumbled across these Paul Shanklin CDs recently, I knew I had to pick them up as they're hard to find, and unavailable anywhere digitally. I can't even find them on his website anymore.

For those who are into Conservative-leaning Political humor, those who enjoy reminiscing about the Clinton Administration's scandals, or simply a fan of parody tunes, you may get a kick out of these albums.

Included here are 1996's "Bill Clinton: Comeback Kid Tour", 1997's "This Land Was Your Land", and 1999's "Simply Reprehensible". Have a laugh!

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192kbps VBR

"DICK TRACY" Disney Audio Action Adventures - 1990 Cassettes

 

For the past few weeks I've been on a big "Dick Tracy" kick. So much so that I decided to go back and re-visit my digital rips of the 1990 Disney / Buena Vista read-along cassette series!

I originally ripped over a decade go ago for Children's Records and More, but the rips came straight from the Aux output on my Walkman and that particular blog no longer hosts any files... so I decided to give these tales another attempt at archival.

While there are a few rips up on YouTube, they're not exceptionally clear, or they have major clipping issues. I wanted to avoid that; this two-parter is one of the best fully-dramatized stories 1990's Disney ever produced, and I wanted to make sure the best possible copies could be made available.

So here they are, "Big Boy Turns Up The Heat", and "Everything Comes Up Blank", both narrated by the incomparable William Woodson, and featuring some legendary voice actors such as Jim Cummings, Tony Pope, and Corey Burton.

Enjoy!

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Internet Archive

YouTube

192kbps MP3

TRS on Instagram!

Hey everybody!

I know it's been pretty quiet here lately. A lot of stuff is going on behind the scenes.

Looking at the metrics for the blog, I see that the posts about flea market visits, slabbed comics, and anything that doesn't actually contain links to OOP Media seem to get very little views.

So I started sharing those things on Instagram, and they seem to get a lot more attention. In fact, sales on the Sanctum's eBay store have grown since I started sharing there! It's a lot easier than fiddling with Blogspot.

I won't be abandoning this blog, however! I currently have a large number of items being digitized to share here, and since I want these pieces of media archived for as long as possible, I'll be sharing them here first - always - as well as archiving them wherever else I can, be it Soundcloud, YouTube, or Internet Archive.

So if you just want to see cool random stuff like slabbed comics and cards, thrifting pickups, vintage and stylish shirts, and other things, please consider following me on Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/therandomsanctum/

And please continue to come back here to check for digitized copies of OOP vinyl, CDs, cassettes and software! I'm not through yet! 😉

SLABBED SATURDAY - TMNT #1... SIGNED!

Sent to CGC in December, Received in January, Signed in March... and now, finally, my boys are back home!

A few years ago I found a Third Printing of "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" #1 at a flea market for a dollar. Yes, you read that right. I still can't believe it; I come across some lucky finds, but this one is easily in my Top Five.

I held onto it for a few years and kept going back-and-forth on whether or not I wanted to get it graded and slabbed. And then, CGC announced that TMNT co-creator Kevin Eastman was going to do an in-house signing. Welp, that sealed the deal.

I immediately sent the book to Pressing Wizard Extraordinaire Gary Kendra at Impressive Comics. Then came the waiting. Hoo BOY, the waiting.

Finally, it arrived this past Thursday. The slab is clean, the signature is crisp and in a perfect spot, and best of all Gary took a crusty, dirty dollar book and turned it into a friggin' SEVEN POINT ZERO. For a roughly under $200 total investment, I now have an easy $1K+ Grail to add to my ever-growing collection.

Thank You to Mr. Eastman for the signing (and for helping bring our favorite Heroes In A Half-Shell to life!), Thanks to Gary for his always-excellent work, and Thanks to CGC for making this possible! COWABUNGA!

Thrifting Pickups - Week of 6/6/21

Kind of a slow week with only one major surprise...

I picked up a handful of common PS2 games from the flea market for $2 apiece, all of which are headed straight to this year's AbleGamers donation box.

Goodwill provided me with some $1 CDs; the live album "Good Friendly Violent Fun" from Thrash Metal legends Exodus was a neat find; it's currently OOP! I have a good friend who collects rare 80's and 90's Metal albums, so I'm gonna see if he wants it for his collection.

The soundtrack to "Once Were Warriors" is also an interesting pickup. Along with also being OOP, it's the backdrop to a fantastic, criminally underrated movie. Both the album and film are worth checking out!

And the big surprise of the week is "The Silent Majority", the lone outing from the fantastically strange Rock band Life Sex & Death. While the album can be purchased digitally via Amazon and other outlets, the physical CD itself is long OOP.

Mainstream Radio had no clue what to do with this band, which is a shame, because the album has some absolutely phenomenal tracks on it. If you're a fan of Shock Rock, early 90's Alternative, or want to see a performance that's a combination of Punk, Glam, Grunge, and even more (yes, really), then please check this album out. A single copy can currently be picked up via some blogger's eBay store...

Thrifting Pickups - Week of 5/30/21

Another week of thrifting yielded me even more GameCube games plus some interesting comics!

Three GameCube titles for only $3 apiece, plus a few semi-valuable PS3 sports titles for only $0.50 each was a great way to start my day at the flea market... but then came the comic books!

I'm always on the lookout for weird or obscure books if they're cheap enough, and so when I saw some special variants and a #1 I'd never seen before (Dee Snider's "Strangeland") for a buck apiece, I just had to grab them. Color me surprised when I did some research and found copies of "Strangeland" selling for upwards of Thirty Dollars!

I have yet to come across anything incredibly rare or expensive this thrifting season, but that's not going to deter me... I'm sure a large Grail is just around the corner! Just have to keep thrifting, just like everyone reading this should be doing this Summer as well. :-)

Thrifting Pickups - Week of 5/16/21

Took a break from thrifting for a week, but came back last week with a vengeance!

The GameCube games (of which WWE Crush Hour is uncommon) were both $4 apiece and were both CIB. All of the other discs came from a "dollar table"! The HELMET CDs are all original prints; if you haven't heard "Betty", give it a listen, it's a great album.

The Diablo coaster set was also fairly cheap, and I was surprised to see how much it goes for; they may end up on the Sanctum's eBay page soon.

Lastly, the Nintendo DSi only ended up being $5, as the seller did not have a charger to prove the handheld worked. Luckily I had a charger at home, and after about an hour charge, it did indeed work... SCORE! It's always worth taking a risk as long as the initial cost is low!

As the weather gets warmer, more and more people will be setting up tables at local flea markets, and prepping for yard sales... don't miss out on the thrifting season! You won't know what's out there unless you go out and hunt!

"THE BERENSTAIN BEARS - HOW TO GET ALONG WITH YOUR FELLOW BEAR" - 1982 Kid Stuff Records Read-Along

Here's another incredibly short Kid Stuff Read-Along, which is less like a story and more like a series of lessons in manners.

"The Berenstain Bears: How To Get Along With Your Fellow Bear" is along the lines of the "Raggedy Ann & Andy" Christmas Read-Along in terms of tone and quality. In fact, it features the same narrator as both that record and "The Care Bears Help Out", so be prepared for even more sugary-sweet voice work!

While the overall message of the record is commendable: be nice to others, share, be helpful, etc. some of its wording wouldn't fit well in today's social climate. I mean, should you really force yourself to smile and/or be nice to someone who is continually mean to you?

Also, aside from the usage of "bear" in place of "man" or "person" is really the only thing tying this Read-Along to the "Berenstain Bears" IP; this script could've been tweaked and used for pretty much any other character.

It's also incredibly short, clocking in at just a little over 5 minutes.

The message means well, and the record is pretty rare... but it's only for die-hard "Bears" fans.

Internet Archive

YouTube

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192kbps CBR

"BUGS BUNNY'S SPACE CARROT" - 1977, 1984 Kid Stuff Records Read-Along

Today's post is proof positive that amidst all the drama and issues within the "geek" community, the YouTube community, etc... connections and friendships can still be made.

In my most recent submission to Under Design, I sent in my childhood copy of the Kid Stuff Read-Along record "Bugs Bunny's Space Carrot". My copy was in absolutely terrible shape, and for years I'd been hunting a brand-new copy to buy and digitize, but to no avail. So I decided to throw caution to the wind, and digitize my copy.

Welp... it was awful. Under Design did everything they could, and it still came out horribly. There was no way I could share it here.

So I started searching to see if anyone else happened to have a copy of this story... and lo and behold, I stumbled across Jon at GenXGrownUp.

A few years ago, he digitized his own copy and shared it via GXGU's YouTube channel. The clarity was fantastic, and so I immediately reached out to him asking if he still had the raw audio (as his video outro obscured the tail-end of the story in the video). He messaged me back within minutes, and for the next half-hour or so we chatted about our shared love of old Read-Alongs and other vinyl oddities.

I took the raw audio, cleaned it up a tiny bit more, added the necessary metadata, and now "Bugs Bunny's Space Carrot" is available for all Sanctum Dwellers to download and enjoy!

I cannot stress enough how grateful I am to Jon for initially sharing this; and I'm overjoyed to know there are others out there like me who appreciate these stories. Please check out GenXGrownUp and give them your support... oh, and enjoy the Read-Along as well!

Internet Archive

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192kbps CBR

"THE CARE BEARS HELP OUT" - 1984 Kid Stuff Records Read-Along

Here's one of the sweetest, gentlest Read-Alongs in my entire collection: 1984's "The Care Bears Help Out".

As the title suggests, it stars those lovable, pudgy Care Bears as they help a little boy overcome his fears and anxieties that come with moving to a new house in a new neighborhood.

The narrator just drips sugar as she reads the story, taking her time and speaking thoughtfully and slowly to the listener. This record was 100% made for toddlers and very, very little kids.

It's adorable. Give it a listen!

Internet Archive

YouTube

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192kbps CBR

Thrifting Pickups - Week of 5/2/21

I only made it out to the flea market once this past week, but hooo boy was it ever worth the trip!

First off, one of the "dollar tables" had a nice little selection of GameCube, PS1, and PS2 games. I grabbed a couple to split between my collection and this upcoming Holiday Season's AbleGamers donation box. Obviously I'm keeping the "Mary-Kate & Ashley" game for myself. I mean... how could I not?

And then came the biggest surprise... on a table full of mish-mashed stuff, there sat a Golden Age - sized comic bag and board, and inside of it was a picture of Marina Sirtis (who played Deanna Troi on "Star Trek: The Next Generation"). It appeared to be signed. While I'm not a "Trek" fan myself, I know a few people who are. I asked how much, and the seller said two bucks. I figured "what the Hell", and grabbed it.

Opened it up... and behind that signature were three more: another one by Marina, one by Johnathan Frakes, and HOLY CRAP one by Sir Patrick Stewart!!

I'll be sending these to Beckett Authentication and then deciding what to do next with them. What a steal! Like I keep saying, there are always deals out there to be discovered... go out and HUNT!

"WHO'S THE MAN?" 1993 Soundtrack CD

I am amazed that this soundtrack isn't available for download anywhere considering some of the artists attached.

This is the soundtrack for the 1993 film "Who's The Man?", featuring some absolute bangers from Erick Sermon, House of Pain, and legendary track "Party & Bull****" from The Notorious B.I.G.

In my opinion, this is a must-have for any fan of early 1990's Hip-Hop and Rap. Give it a listen! And if you want to grab a physical copy, you may want to check the Sanctum's eBay store...

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320kbps CBR

"POUND PUPPIES IN 'FUN FROM A TO Z'" - 1985 Peter Pan Read-Along

Here's a mid-1980's Read-Along from an IP you rarely hear about anymore: Tonka's "Pound Puppies" plush toy line!

I vividly remember listening to this story a lot as a kid, but going back to it, it's very poorly made. Not even the great Peter Fernandez's narration can save this from being a tedious tale.

I'd only suggest listening to this is you're nostalgic for the "Pound Puppies" toys, or more specifically, the Saturday Morning Cartoon of the same name. Still, a rarity nonetheless.

Internet Archive

YouTube

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192kbps CBR

Thrifting Pickups - Week of 4/25/21

Thrifting's been a bit slow the past few weeks, plus I've been busy with other things, so honestly I'm glad to have found anything of note over the past seven days!

The sealed C.S. Lewis slipcase contains two hardcover novels, "The Screwtape Letters" and "Mere Christianity". I found it for only a few dollars at Goodwill, and was shocked to discover that it usually retails for over $40 and up! Definitely a sweet find!

The two Burger King glasses from the original theatrical release of "Return of the Jedi" were only a dollar each... and considering how Disney wants to phase out any kind of physical collectible featuring the notorious "Slave Leia" outfit, I figured for that cheap of a price, I may as well grab them and hold onto 'em.

And finally, the children's album "I Have A Little Shadow" was also a dollar. When I couldn't find it available via the major outlets such as Amazon or iTunes, I decided to buy it so I could share it here. However, after doing a little more digging, I discovered it is available via the original musical team of Steve and Caitlin Klaper via Steve's Bandcamp page. If you enjoy the writings of Robert Louis Stevenson and enjoy musical renditions of his works, I'd highly suggest checking it out.

Nothing major, but still a few gems nonetheless; Summer is coming up fast, and that's when the real deals start popping up... can't wait!

SLABBED SATURDAY - "The Space Adventure" for Sega CD!

A little while ago, I posted that a friend of mine was downsizing his video game collection. In that post, I pointed out that he was considering sending one of his rarest titles, Sega CD's "The Space Adventure", to WATA for grading.

Well, he decided to go for it! It just came back, and he's absolutely ecstatic.

The game was, indeed, 100% Complete-In-Box (CIB), even including the Registration Card. WATA graded it at a whopping 8.5 CIB, making it - to the best of my research - the highest-graded CIB copy of this game in the world.

If you want to check out the game, I'd suggest doing a search for an ISO. The only (somewhat) legal download of the game is a Japanese port from the TurboGrafx-16, available via MyAbandonware.

Grading companies across the board are getting swamped: WATA, VGA, CGC, Beckett, you name it. That being said, if you happen to have any rare games, comics, or cards, you may want to consider having the patience to get them graded. You never know how desirable they may be in the future!

SLABBED SATURDAY - Impressive Comics does it again!

Back from CGC this morning!

 

More stellar work from Gary Kendra; check that "Hulk" 340!! This is the second time in a row Impressive Comics' taken a classic McFarlane comic from my childhood and magically turned it into a 9.8, the other being a "Batman" 423 1st print!

The "Castlevania" 1 is now one of only four CGC-graded copies in existence, making it one of my rarest books.

The only book for sale at the moment is one of the "Wolverine" 16s, which I've listed through ShortBoxed... however there may be others on the Sanctum's eBay store in the future!

Can't wait to see how my next batch fares!

SLABBED SATURDAY - Cards Get Slabbed, Too!

"Slabbed Saturday" isn't just for comic books; many other collectibles are encapsulated for preservation, including video games and trading cards!

Case in point: this past week some of my "Magic: The Gathering" and "Pokemon" CGC submissions came back, and I'm VERY happy with the results!

The crown jewel is a Lotus... a "Jeweled Lotus"! I pulled it from a "Commander Legends" Collector Pack that I bought at 2nd and Charles, and immediately sleeved it and set it aside for grading. Good thing I did; pack-fresh, unpressed, and it returned a Gem Mint NINE POINT FIVE! It **may** make its way to the Sanctum's eBay store; I'm still on the fence about it, lol.

"Gaea's Cradle" is one of my favorite cards from MTG. I regrettably sold my "Urza's Saga" copy for around $120 well over five years ago, and regret it immensely. Now, that print of the card is kinda out of my price range... so I'm scooping up the next-best thing, the gold-bordered "Championship Deck" editions! I had two of them come back as Near Mint 8s, and I'm super happy to have them. Absolutely NOT for sale.

My copies of  Pokemon's "Mallow" (Mint 9) and "Olivia" (Near Mint + 8.5) aren't pictured here because they quite literally sold as soon as I announced I had them!

The box of "Time Spiral Remastered" is an added bonus in this pic; my local game shop managed to get a few booster boxes of this elusive, hot set... and I was able to grab my copy for only $150! It's staying sealed. If you find any boxes under $200, I would highly suggest grabbing them.

If you have any already-valuable cards in what you believe to be Mint condition, it may be worth your while to submit them to CGC, PSA, or Beckett and have them slabbed... it may pay off big in the future!

 

Thrifting Pickups - Week of 3/21/21

Things are looking better and better on the thrifting front as the air warms and the sun shines for an extra hour a day!

My semi-local 2nd and Charles yielded me some excellent comics for only $0.95 apiece, including a virgin variant "Regular Show" #1, the "death" of Steve Rogers, and two copies of "Mystery Girl" #1, which is currently being optioned by Netflix!

While not the best MGS title, I picked up two factory-sealed copies of "Ground Zeroes" for $8 apiece.

"Fall Down Laughing", the autobiography of the late, great David L. Lander ("Squiggy" from "Laverne and Shirley") was a Goodwill find. This now-OOP 2-CD set is currently available via the Sanctum's eBay Store.

And finally, I was able to score a pristine sealed copy of the comic-and-cassette combo pack "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Complete Adventure" for around $30! I bought it with the sole intention of cracking it open (GASP) and sending the comic to get slabbed by CGC. There are only a tiny handful on the CGC census, and I want to add one more copy to those numbers.

If anyone wants to hear the awesome audio adventure, you can grab your copy right here on the TRS blog!

I hope all Sanctum Dwellers are also making the best of the great weather, and heading out to find their own deals; you never know what you'll find unless you look! Good Luck!

"TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES: THE COMPLETE ADVENTURE" 1989 Random House Cassette

In late 1988, Random House Publishing (in association with Archie Comics) published a special comic book that collected the original 3-issue "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Adventures" miniseries into a single volume. Packaged with it was a 90-minute full-dramatized read-along cassette.

I listened to that cassette so much as a kid, I'm honestly surprised it survived and digitized so well!

I could go into more detail about the comic and/or cassette, but honestly they've already been extensively researched and talked about via more diehard TMNT fans:

https://tmntcomics.wordpress.com/category/random-house/ and
https://turtlepedia.fandom.com/wiki/The_Complete_Adventure! both have loads of info!

I recently came across a sealed copy of this (of which I will be cracking open to get the comic itself graded by CGC) and it inspired me to give my childhood copy the digital treatment. I hope you enjoy it!

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192kbps CBR

Thrifting Pickups - Week of 3/14/21

Finally things are picking up in terms of... uhm, picking up things.

I had a great day at the flea market earlier in the week, where I stumbled across a bunch of uncommon PS2 games for only $5 apiece... and they're all CIB!

The "Magic: The Gathering" deck boxes were also five bucks each, and each one contained a mish-mash of older cards. Nothing huge, but definitely worth what I paid.

And finally, the single Sega Dreamcast title cost me one lone dollar!

A few of these items will be cleaned up and make their way to the Sanctum's eBay store, so keep your eyes peeled!

Thrifting Pickups - Week of 3/7/21

Very, very slim pickings this past week as the cold weather continues (come on, Spring, where are you?), but it included two hits for two very different reasons:

First, I found a super-clean copy of legendary LP "Whipped Cream and Other Delights" by Herb Alpert. I love this iconic album. No, really, I love it a LOT...

And second, I came across a very rare copy of "The Night Angel Trilogy: 10th Anniversary Edition" by Brent Weeks. This thing isn't even available anymore via the author's own website, and the cheapest copy on Amazon is close to TWO HUNDRED DOLLARS. Absolutely crazy!

I'm hoping that the weather warms up soon, so the flea markets will get back into full swing; I need a bigger thrifting fix, and fast!

"JACKET OFF" - Pennsylvania Six-5000 1993 CD

"Pennsylvania Six-5000" is known as one of the oldest and most memorable phone numbers in American history, as well as being an iconic song performed by Glen Miller and his Orchestra in the 1940's.

However, on the East Coast "Pennsylvania Six-5000" is also widely known as the name of the Acapella group housed within The University of Pennsylvania.

The group has rotating members as students graduate, but the group in and of itself has been around for several decades, and continues to this day.

In 1993, the then-active members of the group recorded an album, "Jacket Off" (a play on "jack it off", cover complete with man in bathroom stall, and back cover with a cartoon sperm). As far as I can tell, this album is absolutely nowhere online.

It's full of comedic covers and parodies (as is the group's trademark) and it's a joy to listen to if you're a fan of Acapella, parodies, or both!

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Thrifting Pickups - Week of 2/21/21

Due to the bi-weekly dumpings of ice and snow in my area, chances for thrifting have been slim as of late. Thankfully there was at least one decent day weather-wise over the past weekend, so I was finally able to head out to the flea market.

I walked away with a hard-to-find First Edition of "Now, Ameriky", an original CD print of a classic Run-D.M.C. album, a CIB copy of an excellent Wii title, and a complete collection of EA Sports games that usually has a disc missing!

All of these items will be making their way to The Random Sanctum's eBay store, so keep your eyes peeled and make sure to Follow us so you don't miss out!

THE DEAR JANES - "NO SKIN" 1996 CD

In the mid-1990's, in the wake of the Grunge movement, record labels scrambled to have as much of an eclectic roster as they could get. A Folk revival was already on the move, and Geffen Records brought us The Dear Janes, a duo comprised of two female vocalists: one American, one British.

While they released their debut in 1994, their Stateside debut came two years later, with 1996's "No Skin". It's an album that spans from the sultry to the somber, with Ginny Clee and Barbara Marsh's harmonies sinking deep with each breath.

I'm having a hard time finding their 1994 CD, but I came across "No Skin" at a Goodwill and, after seeing it was available absolutely nowhere online, I decided it needed to be shared. The very few videos on YouTube seem to always have people commenting "I wish there were more of these songs online", and the official Dear Janes site hasn't been updated since 2007 (and even then, most of the content was from their then-recent album "Skirt").

Fans of female-led Folk should really enjoy this one. Give it a listen!

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"ARTFULLY BEATLES: THE 25th ANNIVERSARY SALUTE TO THE BEATLES - VOLUME 1" 1986 Jazz Pop CD

On this day exactly 60 years ago, The Beatles performed live for the very first time, at The Cavern Club. They played a 1:00 PM lunchtime session and received £5 in payment.

Three years later, they'd appear on "The Ed Sullivan Show". And from there, the rest is history.

In 1986, on the 25th Anniversary of the legendary band, Artful Balance Records released this compilation of instrumental covers of classic Beatles tunes. A little bit ElectroPop, a little bit Jazz, these takes are really unique!

This album is getting hard to find, and has apparently never been released digitally. For those who'd like to have a physical copy of this rarity, the Sanctum's eBay store happens to have one.

Hopefully there are some renditions here that even the most diehard Fab Four fans can enjoy!

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BIG Retro Video Game Sale on the TRS eBay!

Just a quick announcement to let Sanctum Dwellers know that starting today, the Sanctum's eBay Store will be offering up a selection of awesome retro video games!

I have a friend who is downsizing and selling off his collections. We still have a ton of comic books to go through, and we already made our way through his MTG cards. Now it's time for the games, and there are some doozys in here!

The complete "dot HACK" series, several titles in the "Tales" series, two "Growlanser" entries, "Fatal Frame II", "Arc The Lad"... there's some serious stuff in this stack!

We may end up sending "The Space Adventure" to WATA or VGA.

So if you're not following the eBay store yet, DO IT NOW! There are always new random collectibles being added every week... and once an item sells, it may never appear again!

"THE WIND IN THE RIGGING" - North Star Records 1985, 1994, 2006 CD

Here's a little oddity that I've actually had a hard time getting information on.

"The Wind In The Rigging: A New England Voyage" is a collection of instrumental Americana / Maritime standards (and a few originals) released by North Star Records. I've come across release dates as old as 1985 and as recent as 2006. Hell, the copy I picked up from a Goodwill didn't have a single date on it anywhere.

There's a whole slew of classically-trained musicians on this album, but the primary credit appears to belong to multi-instrumentalist Everett Brown.

It's damn near impossible to find online, and prices swing from $80 to $350+. The copy available via The Sanctum's eBay store is one of only three currently available worldwide.

For anyone into Sea Shanties, New England culture, Americana, or simply into relaxing folksy music, this is a great album to listen to. It immediately evokes images of hoisted sails and seaside taverns. Give it a listen!

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"MICKEY UNRAPPED" - 1994 Walt Disney Records CD

....

This... is just PAINFUL.

It's Mickey, Goofy, Donald, and the rest of the gang taking turns giving wholesome spins to early 1990's rap and R&B hits such as "Whatta Man", "Ice Ice Baby", and "U Can't Touch This".

It's as bonkers as it sounds, and there's a good reason Disney has never, ever re-released this album.

You've been warned.

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SLABBED SATURDAY - Dual Adam Hughes CGC SS!

Been waiting a while for these to come back! Trinity Comics hosted an exclusive signing event with legendary cover artist Adam (AH!) Hughes and I just couldn't pass up the opportunity.

His run of "Catwoman" covers is nothing short of incredible, and his cover for the semi-recent "Superman" #12 is a personal fave in no small part to the obvious homage to the opening of the classic Supes Paramount/Flesicher theatrical shorts from the 1940's.

I'm not sure if I'll ever part with these slabs, but I routinely put others up for sale on the Sanctum's eBay store, so keep an eye out! And be sure to follow Trinity as well as other CGC-authorized stores such as Alpha Omega Certification and CGC themselves to get your own signed books!

Thrifting Pickups - Week of 1/10/21

This was definitely a prosperous week, as I only ended up hitting two locations yet still managed to find well over $200 worth of goodies!

A visit to 2nd and Charles netted me "Asterix & Obelix: Kick Buttix" for PS2 and "Crime Life" for the original Xbox. Thanks to prior trade-in credit, I paid zero dollars out of pocket.

Everything else in the picture came from a Goodwill stop; the discs were all $1 apiece and "1999" was a whopping $2. I got a kick out of seeing a CIB copy of "Halo" that wasn't an NFR or GOTY edition!

Just goes to show that, even in the midst of a pandemic and a recession, there are still plenty of treasures to discover... #ThriftingIsntDead !

"BACK IN TIME II" - Commodore 64 Remix CD - 1999

If there's one thing I love, it's old SID Chip music. And growing up with a Commodore 64 as my first ever computer, I grew quite fond of the machine and the tunes its games produced.

Fast-forward a decade and change later, and I discovered the awesome website c64audio.com, which featured pure SID chiptunes, as well as some lovingly-crafted remixes of classic C64 game tracks.

For a very short time, they even had their most recent remix albums available for sale in a physical form, including "Back In Time II". I purchased this CD because it contained some killer tracks from a few of my all-time favorite C64 games such as "Forbidden Forest" and "Batman: The Caped Crusader".

This is an excellent collection, and I'm honestly surprised it isn't available for download anymore, especially since c64audio IS still releasing chiptune and remix compilations, even under the "Back In Time" series name.

These songs deserve to be heard and appreciated by any Retro Gaming fan. Please give 'em a listen!

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IDEAL WORLD - "THE MADHATTER'S LAST TEA PARTY" 1997 CD

 

For the first time in a long time, I'm stumped. I mean absolutely STUMPED... because for the life of me, I can't find a single shred of information online about this band or their album.

This is "The MadHatter's Last Tea Party" by the band Ideal World. It was released in 1997 through Hand In Hand Records (which is apparently either gone, or turned into a modern indie label run by teenagers). The jewel case has no UPC. There is no information on Discogs. The whole album is a mystery, I tell ya!

It's a pretty bog-standard late 1990's Rock album. The styles shift all over the place, although tracks such as "Looking At Me" and "Disarray" show some obvious Faith No More influence. The opening track "What Choices Do I Have?" is one of the best of the bunch, a simple and straightforward Pop Punk track with a catchy chorus.

If anyone anywhere has more info on this one, please feel free to share in the comments. Until then, simply enjoy this mysterious offering that's as bizarre as the Mad Hatter himself!

**UPDATE 2/7/21: Well holy crap, I found some sites attributed to this band! There's an Official Site as well as an Unofficial one and even a third site! Sadly, none of these have been updated for well over a decade...**

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"SMURFING IN THE AIR" 1984 Kid Stuff Read-Along Record

Here's one of the hardest-to-find "Smurfs" Read-Along records, "Smurfing In The Air". It's one of the most famous short tales in the classic "Smurf" run of the 1980's, being reprinted in various formats such as in a paperback as well as a comic book.

This story features the same narrator and music as Kid Stuff's other "Smurf" Read-Along released in 1984, "Smurf's Daydream". If you enjoyed that story, you'll more than likely enjoy this one, as well.

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UNDERGROUND LOVERS - "DREAM IT DOWN" 1994 CD

It's always odd to me to find that the biggest albums of certain bands' careers end up being lost in the aether, available nowhere online to stream or download.

Such is the case with "Dream It Down", the 3rd album from Australian Indie Rock / Electro Pop band Underground Lovers. It was one of their more commercially successfulefforts (albeit their last on Polydor), and spawned a few singles.

It's absolutely a 1990's album through and through, and anyone who enjoys ballad pop will dig this one.

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