Bobcat "I Need You" (1989) Vinyl - Surprise!

Record shopping is one of my favorite Saturday morning activities. One weekend, I was having a great morning thrifting when I drove past a store with nothing on the front but the word CD. I hesitated for a moment, but curiosity got the best of me. I busted a U-turn and squeezed into the tight parking lot randomly located right next to a Chinese buffet. lol.

Anyway, I walked in and immediately felt like I’d stumbled into a record and CD gold mine. The place was chaotic and wildly disorganized.

Collector Tip: If you’re into hunting for vintage records, the best shops are usually the most disorganized ones. Why? Because they often don’t fully know what they have, so prices stay low instead of being researched and marked up, especially when it comes to Black artists. That works in your favor if you’re trying to score gems at the lowest possible price.

I started digging through multiple boxes while sitting on one of the old office chairs scattered around for customers. That’s when I spotted a 99-cent box filled with records. I pulled one out, partly because, admittedly, there was a very fine Black man on the cover. Once I got past my lust, I realized it was DJ Bobcat.

Back in 1989, he released a single called “I Need You” under the name Bobcat on Arista Records. Such a cool find, and for only $1, how could I not grab it?

When I brought it home and pulled the record out of the sleeve, I was shocked to find two signed headshots and an original invitation to the album release party tucked inside. I was genuinely surprised and incredibly grateful to hold onto such special pieces of history.

Here’s a look, hope you enjoy them as much as I did!