Some Things Are Worth Digging For

Some Things Are Worth Digging For

Now we’re not pretending for one minute that crate digging for vinyl records is in the same league as an archaeological dig in the deserts of Egypt or the jungles of Columbia - that'd be a stretch for even the most hard-core vinyl junkie.

But the thrill of stumbling upon a record you’ve been looking for is still the kind of buzz that might make someone like Indiana Jones crack his whip with extra gusto.

We can just picture Indie making a turn over the mountain to Yesteryear Records, tipping his weathered fedora at the door before carefully digging deep through our back catalogue in earnest search of that Holy Grail find.

Maybe Offspring's out of print 'Conspiracy Of One' on red & yellow splatter with the bonus slipmat or the Foo Fighter's Medicine At Midnight on limited edition blue, a hard-to-find gem that disappeared quickly after first sighting. Or perhaps an individually numbered Communique from Dire Straits on the sought-after Mobile Fidelity label. Who knows what might be lurking in the Exclusives crate at Yesteryear?

Indie's just spent weeks on a dig in the Amazon, so he won’t be resorting to a mobile phone to check what it’s worth on that well known online marketplace that’s bigger than Texas. Nor would he need to stream it first to see if was as good as he remembered it being. He’d much rather trust in his instincts and go with his gut feel, much like we did in a bygone era.

Yesteryear recalls the days before technology took over the world. You’d hear a new single on the radio and head down to the local record shop as soon as it was released. There was no Spotify or iTunes at your fingertips.

If you were lucky you might get to skip through a few tracks on a set of sweaty headphones left behind by some guy with dreadlocks, but you’d more often than not, take a punt and buy it anyhow.

The best part though would be digging through the crates and coming across an LP you had long forgotten. Or hearing something brand new on the Shop PA that gave you goosebumps on first listen. Perhaps what Indiana Jones might have experienced when he first sighted the Lost Ark of the Covenant or drank from the Holy Grail?

Independent record shops are a tactile experience. Touch, feel, hear. Each has their own vibe. Every one of them run by music fans, passionate about records. The mega-stores can offer volume, but they can’t quite replicate the feel of your local indie store, where you feel like a person as soon as you walk in.

Yesteryear's online store is an integral part of what we do, but through our new home-based Record Shop, we’re also hoping we can offer a small slice of what we remember so well from days gone by.

It’s not about volume and never will be, but it is about trying to offer something unique and personalised, where you, the music lover, feel looked after.

And when you combine that with some time out in nature’s playground, you can’t go too far wrong.

So, hike the River Trail at Silvermine on your way over the mountain or take the world class Chapman’s Peak drive via Hout Bay to Yesteryear.

Take a leisurely stroll on Long Beach. Get the surfboard out in Kommetjie. Say hello to the penguins in Simonstown.

Something to eat or drink? Grab a pizza at Cafe Roux or a burger to die for at the Deep South Eatery in Glencairn. Or pull into the Aegir Project for a local brew. Beaches, mountains and first class cafes & bars everywhere you look. The list is endless.

So come for a dig at Yesteryear and explore the Deep South while you’re at it. You might not bump into Indiana Jones, but you might just discover another “indie” you’ll want to come back to again and again.

Visit our Record Shop page for updated trading hours and terms effective May 1, 2022

Cheers from Yesteryear

Last chance to win a R500 Voucher in our monthly Spin The Wheel

Entries close 2pm Sun May 1st

To enter, please name:

1) one of the 'Holy Grail' finds that Indiana was searching for at Yesteryear?

2) the 1st record you ever brought in a 'bricks and mortar' Record Shop?

And go ...