John C. Knapp, Jr.
Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn
John C. Knapp, Sr.
Son
My father collects rock 'n roll vinyl records generally, but has perhaps the most complete collection of Beatles records in existence today.
In addition to the collection including probably the most complete collection of Beatles records in existence - LPs, EPs and 45s, UK and US releases, DJ copies, limited pressings, mono and stereo, Butcher Boy variations, etc., etc. - it was assembled almost entirely by hand by my father and his encyclopedic knowledge from garage sales, record meets, thrift stores and the like - long before Ebay and online retail stores. He's used the internet more recently to supplement the collection and sell off surplus, but the heart of it is the product of - and represents - thousands of hours of pre-dawn weekend mornings at garage sales and thrift stores to get the first pick at the new offerings.
In excess of 5,000 records.
In meticulously labeled and indexed sleeves on shelves in a secure location.
We grew up knowing that any family excursion could be detoured in a second if we happened to pass a garage sale. My father can spot a milk crate of records from 100 meters. He would leave the family in the station wagon running on the side of the road as he ran up the driveway to quickly rifle through whatever records there were. He would return to the car a few minutes later either with his arms full and a quick cheery assessment ("Roy Orbison 'Lonely and Blue' in Stereo for five bucks - its a little scuffed but that's a hundred dollar record.") or with empty hands and an explanation ("All classical and some 80's junk"). And on weekends, we kids would be coming down for breakfast just as he returned from his regularly scheduled collection rounds. We'd eat our cereal as he cleaned off the vinyl in the sink and confirmed the price and condition in Goldmine. And then - the best part - he'd test out the new records on his stereo at a volume that would rattle the walls and our mother's patience. Then there were the quarterly record meets at local American Legion halls when us kids would be conscripted into loading milk crates and boxes in and out of the station wagon and manning his table as he made his rounds and talked to other collectors. In fact, now retired, and in the age of Ebay, Dad still gets out to the sales and meets regularly to see his friends and follow collectors and see if he might happen upon something new.
Comments [12]
My brother John began his record collection when an aunt gave him a copy of Elvis Presley's first album. He was at Kennedy airport when the Beatles first arrived in America, and went to one of their early Shea Stadium concerts. His record collection is a labor of love carried out for more than fifty years, record by record. His enthusiasm for collecting and listening to music has never waned, and over the half century or more that he has treasured and played his records he has most enjoyed finding just the right recordings for other people. My own modest collection of Broadway cast albums was immeasurably expanded by his presents of rare records he found for me. He convinced my mother, a devotee of Bing Crosby and big band music, to listen to and appreciate the Beatles and other rock artists, and taught his four children to be open to all kinds of music; in addition to the vast array of rock artists that he has collected, his musical tastes range from opera, operetta and classical to Broadway, country, and jazz. Lately, he has been helping other people who have inherited record collections by advising them (for free) about the value of their recordings. He is a model of what a good collector should be: knowledgeable, passionate, and willing to share freely his love of music with a wide range of relatives, friends, and acquaintances.
Maybe CK does deserve to be a part of Dad's Records more than any of us!
John is one of my brother-in-laws. He treasures his record collection and very proud to show it off. Every Saturday morning he go around town to garage and yard sales to add to his collection. He has some priceless Beatles albums.
Totally awesome collection of records, to which my kids asked, "What's a record?" I think he might even have some bobble head dolls of the Beatles, does anyone remember?
I am an elementary school friend of Lorraine who is John's eldest daughter. I spent many of my days as a child and teenager playing/hanging out at the Knapp household. I will always fondly remember Mr. Knapp and his record collection. He is a wonderful father with a great family and a great record collection.
I am John's eldest daughter and child. My memories of Dad's record hobby go back as far as I can remember. From the extensive record cabinets in our tiny first apartment to his record room in our first house to the multiple rooms worth he has now. While at times my mom becomes exasperated at finding lakes of water on the bathroom and kitchen counters from record cleaning, she knows how much he loves it. I'm sure the extra cash he made over the years didn't bother her with four college tuitions to pay. My siblings and I never had to worry about our stereos being too loud since nothing could ever top my Dad's volume as he tested out his latest finds or play air guitar along with the Beatles. He loves to talk vinyl and cherishes the friendships that he has made over the years at conventions, flea markets, etc.
It's amazing how many records my Godfather has collected! Be careful handling them!!
I've been very blessed with many Uncles that have shared their interests with me while growing up. I absolutely attribute my first introduction to and ultimately my love of music-especially the Beatles- to my Uncle John.
I've been very blessed with many Uncles that have shared their interests with me while growing up. I absolutely attribute my first introduction to and ultimately my love of music-especially the Beatles- to my Uncle John.
I am John's other son, Andrew, and I still help him with the record shows. He is the go-to-guy for knowledge on many genres and the rarity of a paticular label. "Oh this record on a capital label that's about a $25 record. but if it where a first pressing on an apple label and mono it's $500" he would say. Most shows I'm there to just watch the table while he goes around swapping record knowledge and flea market stories with the other regulars. He is always happy to make his way back to the table with a couple of records that he purchased to complete an artist's collection or to add to a growing one. I don't think it really matters to him anymore how much he makes that day, he just loves collecting and socializing with other collectors. I remember seeing an article online about a rare Beatles record and when I mentioned it to him, he said that he already a few variations of it and some that aren't documented. I think ebay really launched his collection to a whole new level. It is like 10,000 garage sales all on one screen. He has quite an amazing collection.
As one of John's daughters, I remember going to the local Salvation Army with my sister to look for cool vintage clothes, and all of the guys that worked there knew our Dad as "John the Record Man". He had such a good relationship with the guys that worked there that they would hold records aside for him to look through before they'd put them on the floor.
I call it an obsession but I know he loves collecting and selling records and meeting people with the same interests.
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