Picture discs had a bad rap for awhile due to inferior sound quality; however, by the late 1970s, most of the bugs had been worked out and they sounded just as warm and clear as regular vinyl. Nowadays, picture discs are commonly collected as wall decor; however, we recommend throwing 'em on the turn table once in awhile to hear albums the way they were meant to be heard, complete with subtleties and nuances that the super-compressed mp3s of today just don't have... 
Linda Ronstadt: "Living in the USA", circa 1978. Asylum Records was trying to turn Linda into a sex symbol with this album cover, even though most of her fans liked her just the way she was. All of the songs on this album are covers, but no one sings them better than Ms. Ronstadt...
Bon Jovi's "Slippery When Wet" was released by Polygram Records in 1986 and features a solo picture of pretty-boy Jon on the other side of the disc...
Strawberry Shortcake: "Over the Rainbow" is from the Limited Editon Collector Series, released in 1982 by Kid Stuff. Any girl (and a few guys) who grew up in the '80s will appreciate this record for nostalgia alone...if nothing else.
All records, including picture discs, start at $3.
It is quite possible that this early 1950s Bogen PT17X record player was used to entertain a military family during the war era, their heads clustered together while listening to the strains of jazz. Over sixty years later, 78s and old jazz records still sound clean and gorgeous on this self-contained player, which also plays 33s and 45s. It has input for external radio and microphones, as well as a detachable speaker that doubles as a carrying case. The speaker's tube amp was recently refurbished, only enhancing listening pleasure. (Both sides shown in slide show) $130
