Charity Shop Trawl

[LMcD]

My neck of the woods is a bit of a desert when it comes to finding classical music CDs in charity shops. Yesterday, I donated a handful of CDs to a shop and on my way out stumbled, to continue the topographical theme, upon an oasis of bargain bins with a few jewels therein.

Three single CDs...

Haydn: Nelson Mass & Vivaldi: Gloria, LSO/Willcocks, Decca
Vaughan Williams: Mass in G minor, Elora Festival Singers/Thomas Fitches (organ)/Edison, Naxos
"French Discoveries": Various, ClassicFM

And some double CDs/box sets...

Rossini: Petite Messe Solenelle, Orchestra e Coro Dell'Accademia Nazionale Di Santa Cecilia/Pappano, Warner Classics
Elgar: The Dream of Gerontius & Sea Pictures, Hallé Orch & LSO, Janet Baker/Barbirolli, EMI
"Beecham Conducts Delius", RPO/Beecham, EMI
Mozart: Don Giovanni, Glyndebourne Chorus/LPO/Haitink, EMI
Verdi: Aida, Callas/Milan/Serafin, EMI

Total cost: £3.05

My donation beforehand lessened the guilt but I must admit to feeling slightly grubby.

Some of our local charity shops no longer sell any CDs or DVDs, saying 'there's no money in it', and others are currently charging as little as £1 for ten.
Oxfam's online shop has some unusual classical repertoire on CD and DVD, and postage is £3.95 for any order, regardless of how many different Oxfam shops post your items to you from around the country. My most recent order included a 6-CD set by Concerto Köln for £3.19.
Wob (formerly World of Books) also have a decent choice of classical CDs and don't charge postage unless you're in a hurry.

[gurnemanz]

Haydn: Nelson Mass & Vivaldi: Gloria, LSO/Willcocks, Decca

In the early days of CD you could sometimes pick one up very cheaply because it was sold just as the disc itself, without any booklet or inlay. At a time of life when kids and mortgage used up large chunks of our available funds this could be a useful option. Coincidentally, one which I acquired that way was that Willcocks Haydn/Vivaldi disc. I think I might have paid only 50p for it. Just pulled it off the shelf. It has a rather crudely printed contents insert which I had fabricated. The disc was 'Made in West Germany' - those were the days