Three friends to hold massive Vinyl Record Yard Sale July 16 in Mt. Prospect
They're back. To help meet the demand for increasingly popular vinyl records, three friends Bob, Bob and Fred - each with music industry experience and knowledge - will hold a massive vinyl record yard sale on Saturday, July 16. It will be 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. at 306 W. Hiawatha Trail, just off Route 83/Elmhurst Road, in Mount Prospect.
Each will have tables of records, CDs and more for sale.
The sale will also feature international pressings of popular musicians, CDs, and one-of-a-kind, out-of-print music industry books on a slew of artists.
"I've been doing this for 15 years," said Bob Szeliga, the record sale host. "We have all genres of music. Rock, jazz and blues are the best sellers. We each have varied stock, much of it hard to find. For instance, Bob Hurns also has several English first pressings, hard to find in the U.S.
"The massive collections Bob and Fred (Prellberg) bring to the sale make this a vinyl record sale mecca. Tons of people showed up all day for our last 'Three Friends' sale," Szeliga said. "It's fun to see people of all ages, including kids, buying records of bands they know and then trying new music based on recommendations from us or other customers. I've been seeing the same people here for years and the crowds keep growing. It's a fun atmosphere with music playing and customers talking to each other about records, concerts and music."
As for vinyl's popularity, record album sales grew 61% in 2021, outpacing growth rates for paid music subscriptions and streaming services, according to the Recording Industry Association of America.
Bob, Bob and Fred have every type of record you may want, a friend notes, and with their knowledge of music help people find what they're searching for and recommend artists they'd never heard of.
"For Saturday, I'll have a ton of new stock, including from a recent trip to the UK where I purchased hard-to-find English pressings of the Beatles, Bowie, Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath and more," Hurns said. "At our last 'Three Friends' sale we sold a lot, every artist under the sun. From rock to classic, punk, country, jazz, heavy metal, movie soundtracks, and comedy.
"Classic rock like Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath along with Michael Jackson, Adele, were flying out of the crates. Before we put anything out for sale, we all meticulously clean the records, the album covers and make sure the quality is there," Hurns added.
Hundreds of people of all ages from Mt. Prospect and around the area shop the "Three Friends" record sale. At the last sale in July of 2021, Led Zeppelin, Jimi Hendrix, Beatles, Santana, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Little Feat, and Rush were just a few of the artists that sold fast.
"I'd say they were sold within 30 minutes of opening," Szeliga said. "From each of us!"
"So, if you're looking for that certain album, we can help you find it. In fact, last year one customer was looking for a hard-to-find album that I didn't have with me, but I found it and will bring it this Saturday. I just hope he makes it," Hurns said.
"I usually have lots of new music," Fred said. "Much of it is still sealed."
Fred and Bob (Hurns) are also musicians. Hurns has four albums out and his music has been downloaded by people in more than 90 countries off all streaming platforms. Fred launched his new album just before the pandemic began.
"We all find new stock throughout the year. So, if you are looking for that hard to find album, we probably have it," Szeliga noted. The sale will go on rain or shine. Discounts are available.