Kurt is extremely selective about the condition and collectability of the records he includes in his semi-annual auctions. Thus records with various flaws and those that are not in particularly high demand by serious collectors are set aside as rejects. But just because they are "rejects" does not mean that there is not plenty of great music to be had. In many cases, the condition issues are primarily cosmetic and do not effect playing quality. Other condition issues such as cracks can render even a very collectible record nearly worthless - but if the crack is tight enough for a stylus to navigate through, my audio restoration equipment can, in most cases, easily take out the resulting "clicks."
There were several thousand records to go through - so Matt, Eddie, Christian and I each grabbed a bunch of boxes and sorted through for stuff that we wanted for our respective collections. I ended up driving back to Fort Worth with about 400 some odd records. Many of these will gradually make their way into the Radio Dismuke playlist as I get the time to transfer, restore and digitize them. Others I picked up fall outside Radio Dismuke's 1920s and 1930s popular music and jazz format. These include swing, big band, operatic and about 75 1940s era V-Discs. Much of the music on V-Disc I find to be of only marginal interest. But I find the label to be interesting both for the role the records played in World War II and the fact that they often contain recordings that were not made available commercially to the general public. Some of the records I picked up that do not fit the Radio Dismuke format might eventually be featured as "Extras" in my Hit of the Week updates.
Matt, Eddie and Christian each picked up a good number of records as well. All three have always been very generous about making their collections available to Radio Dismuke so it is very possible that some of their acquisitions will eventually be broadcast.
Kurt's facility - built from the ground up to his specifications - is always a fascinating place to visit and is as much a museum of early recorded sound as it is a successful retail enterprise. Below are a few photos I took while we were there - but they do not do the place any justice. Perhaps next time I go down there, I will get my hands on a video camera and see if Kurt would be interested in providing a video tour of the facility and the many items on display.
Kurt Nauck, owner of Nauck's Vintage Records
A display cabinet of assorted cylinder records. Nauck auctions feature all pre-microgroove formats of recorded sound from the 1890s through the end of the 78 rpm era in the late 1950s.
This is the shipping room where the approximately 10,000 items in each auction are carefully packed for shipment to winning bidders around the world. The funnel in the middle is a dispenser for packing peanuts. On the far left is a giant roll of bubble wrap.
The trademark Pathe rooster. This was originally an advertising display for a Pathe Records dealer.
This is the room in which the semi-annual Bidder's Request Program aired on Radio Dismuke is recorded.
Matt sorts through some of the records he picked out.
Christian looks through a box of vintage sheet music.
Matt and Eddie look through unsold items from previous Nauck auctions.
After our visit to Nauck's, Matt, Eddie and I introduced Christian to the gastrointestinal adventure known as Pancho's Mexican Buffet. I don't quite know how to describe Pancho's. Let's just say that when I was growing up in Dallas/Fort Worth during the chain's heyday there were locations all over town which were best avoided on Friday and Saturday nights as they were usually jammed full of families with screaming and hyper kids. Pancho's is an all-you-can-eat establishment. In the photo, Christian is pointing to the table top Mexican flag that diners raise to notify the wait staff that they would like additional helpings. Pancho's does NOT rate very highly as far as Mexican food is concerned. However, if one takes the mindset that the stuff Pancho's serves is not Mexican food but rather an entirely unique genre unto itself, it can be oddly addictive - or at least I think so. Every so often, I actually crave the stuff and have to go in and get my fix. Christian is still talking to us - so presumably it was not all that bad of an experience for him.
"Pancho" - the cartoon trademark of Pancho's Mexican Buffet
Poor Christian is probably not aware that the pose I am asking him to strike for this photo is the same one as the man in Pancho's cartoon trademark. Hmmmm. Give him a shave, a sombrero, and a fake Spanish accent and he could become a corporate spokesman and go around telling the world about the wonders of Panchos! (Hopefully he will still be talking to me after this!)
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