DIGGING FOR VICTORY
Mark O’Shaughnessy recalls a record-collecting trip to New Jersey with a roomful of secrets that still gives him the night terrors
Mark O’Shaughnessy
Around 1998 or 1999, New York City and New Jersey seemed particularly successful destinations for my digging partners and me; I can recall going to NYC and staying in the self-same YMCA in Midtown five times in the same year. It was on one such NYC/NJ trip that we went on a digging episode that still gives me cold sweats whenever I think about it. Talk about missed opportunities…
My digging buddy on this trip (worldrenowned Latin/jazz/Tropicália expert Mark Wimmers – hi Mark…) and I had spent this particular day in and around Princeton in New Jersey, trawling for five hours in the bins at the long-established Princeton Record Exchange and a few other spots in the town. Princeton is a must-visit destination on any NJ expedition. However, on this particular dig, the 7"s were thin on the ground… and this was our last day in the city.