I can't help but think that an era will end in a few days when Tower Records' flagship store on Sunset Boulevard closes for good.

I made it there today. While it's depressing to see the inventory radically reduced and marked down to embarrassing prices, I did manage to scored some nice items. Heck, I got 90% off the Dual Disc of Bruce Springsteen's Seeger sessions! (think the guy who rang up my purchase messed up, there, it should have been only 70% off). Passed up the scores of copies of a Peter Frampton CD selling for $1, however. I hauled away a heavy bag of CDs and other items and spent only $30.

After completing my purchase at the front counter, my wandering eyes landed on two boxes overflowing with plastic bin dividers, shoved against the wall on the floor, behind the cash registers. I was thinking about asking if they were for sale, but then I was distracted by a huge Modern Times sign hanging on the wall. Someone allowed me to enter my name on a waiting list of people who want to buy the Modern Times sign. Then I left the store, forgetting to ask about the boxes of bin dividers.

As I was winding down Laurel Canyon Boulevard on my way home, I began to feel remorse for not inquiring, at the very least. I grabbed my receipt, found Tower's number and dialed it. My car weaved on both sides of the yellow line as I punched my way through Tower's phone system to get a live person on the line. When I did, I asked her if the bin dividers were for sale.

"Maybe," she said, cagily. "Make an offer."

"Uh, I dunno. Ten dollars?"

Long pause.

"OK. I can't guarantee that I'll save them for you, but come back today or tomorrow and ask for Christine."

So I turned the car around, climbed over the canyon, made it back to Tower, found Christine and bought the bin dividers.

There are thousands of 'em. Some of the ones that I see on the top of the box include Melissa Etheridge and Alex Chilton; others seem to be X Box-related. But I know that they can't ALL be crap. Since they no longer have bin dividers in the bins for the artists whose stock is depleted, I'm hoping that I will strike pay dirt and find the Stones . . . Jagger . . . Richards . . . Wood . . . Wyman . . . and maybe even Chuck Leavell.

These bin dividers are historic. For all I know, they have been used for the entire CD era. Some of them are filthy. They come with fingerprints and smears and celebrity DNA. I know for certain that Elton John pawed at least half of these things, as well as any other rock star who shopped Tower. Traces of cocaine? Undoubtedly.

The dividers I decide not to keep for myself to organize my own CDs may be mounted in frames and offered for sale on eBay. If all I need to do is earn back my $10 investment, I figure I'm in good shape.

When I tell my friends about this purchase, they probably will call for the men in the white coats. I'm posting here in hopes that anyone who has read this far will understand why I wanted these damn things.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2006-12-17 02:47 by Monkeylad.

Sounds as if you got yerself a nice load of crap . Congratulations !

neat story

I used to know a guy named Ben DeVider.

Hard to follow the logic on the dividers Monkeylad,but it sounds like you picked up a pretty good collection of music cheap. But it is sad to see Tower close. They have (had) a store in San Francisco that was a landmark for years on the corner of Bay & Columbus in Fisherman's wharf.

I remember going to Tower to pick up Stones albums on the day of their release. I vividly recall going there to buy Voodoo Lounge, Stripped (got a Stripped T-shirt along with that purchase) and the Rock 'n' Roll Circus CD. I guess by the time of Bridges to Babylon I had shifted to places like BestBuy, which usually had lower prices. Keith signed CDs at the Tower Records in New York; don't know about any appearances in the L.A. area.

If you go to the Tower on the strip, and have 30 cents to spare, you can buy a postcard showing the exterior of the store. Stripped is one of the albums depicted in paintings hanging in the parking lot in the photo on this postcard.

...is the store stripped yet?? what about other props,,, when is it completely over monkey????

6 more days, I think, and that will be the end.

I forgot to mention the props (store fixtures) that Soundcheck asked about. Some things are marked; if you're interested in other things, you should find the manager and ask. There is a notebook at the front counter where they are logging requests for promotional items, like the Modern Times sign I mentioned in my original post.

If Tower Records was ever a part of your life, you will want to at least go to the store and buy something cheap with the Tower logo on it. There are tins in two different sizes for sale for 60 cents and postcards for 30 cents.

In a blink of eye, it will all disappear,

What's a bin divider? Some sort of wall in the middle of a trash can?

JumpingKentFlash

Oh. These! I found a pic: [www.angrychiwawah.com]

JumpingKentFlash

Monkeylad Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I forgot to mention the props (store fixtures)
> that Soundcheck asked about. Some things are
> marked; if you're interested in other things, you
> should find the manager and ask. There is a
> notebook at the front counter where they are
> logging requests for promotional items, like the
> Modern Times sign I mentioned in my original
> post.
>
> If Tower Records was ever a part of your life, you
> will want to at least go to the store .....

........monkey,,, thanks for the info,, ill drop by tuesday.....

good deal imo

I can understand completely. Good for you that you bought those. It's a piece of you, your own history and life.

I understand completely. I was at an HMV store, and they had a 70% off bin. I bought $200 worth, including a bunch of Elton John's less popular titles (Victim of Love, 21 at 33, The Fox), three early Kate Bush titles, a bunch of Aerosmith albums pre-remastering, etc. about $5 each. Didn't need, em, didn't really want em, and might not play em, but now I can fill some gaps in my collection.

The Stones decorated Tower Sunset completely for B2B a few years back. I'll have to dig up the picture when I get home...

Stay tuned!