I was in the garage getting down the Christmas decorations and I came across a box that strangely said…”Posters”.  It dawned on me rather quickly that these were posters that I had when I was younger and posters from when I worked at the Sam Goody Music Stores.

I couldn’t get the box down fast enough to see what was in there.  I was surprised at how many I still had after 25-30 years and what great shape they were still in.  There were a few slight rips or tears and maybe a little discoloration, but all-in-all I thought they were in great condition.

We will start with those from my personal collection that actually hung on my walls when I lived at home in my parents house around 25+ years ago.  First, you will notice the crystal looking candlesticks holding down the posters.  They have been rolled up for quite some time and wouldn’t stay open, so I had to have some help.

If you know me, then you know I had to have either Def Leppard or Kiss on my wall. Actually, I had both.  The Def Leppard posters were from High & Dry and Pyromania era live shows.

My Kiss posters were Kiss without make-up.  The first one is with the Animalize line-up and has the late Eric Carr and the late Mark St. John.  I think it is cool I have one with both of them.  The 2nd one is from Hot in the Shade and has Eric Carr and Bruce Kulick.

The only other two I still have from my teenage days that hung in my bedroom are one from Journey and the Frontiers era and then one from Krokus and the Headhunter album (which I just picked up on vinyl).

The next set of posters come from my days working at my favorite job I have ever had.  It was working at Sam Goody’s Music Store.  It was back in a day where I was in college and working to help pay for it and surrounded by music all the time.  Oh, the good ol’ days.  I would love to go back and do that job (if it paid what I currently make…otherwise not worth putting up with the public again).

The nice thing about having some seniority among the employees, I was able to have my pick of posters or promo cds that I could take when the store was done with them.  I think I got some good ones and a couple I think I wound up with because no one else wanted them.  Here are the ones I wanted to take with me:

Motley Crue’s Dr. Feelgood poster was a must. I loved that album.

Of course, I had to have the RUSH poster.

I wasn’t a huge Mr. Big fan, but it was a Rock poster so I had to have it.

Steve Vai’s Passion & Warfare.  The cool thing about this one as that I know it is 25 years old as he just released the 25th Anniversary Edition of the album.

And this Whitesnake one was cool because it was double sided (Steve Vai again)

Now there were 2 posters I ended up with that I am not sure why.

The Days of Thunder poster actually was two posters and I don’t know why have either of them (there is another one behind it of the same thing).

I also ended up with not one, but 2 Mariah Carey posters as well.  These are from her debut album.  I really did like that album and I think I thought she was hot so maybe that is why I ended up with 2 of the same poster.

Behind the cash registers were 2 light boxes that held these cool posters that were more a thick plastic than a paper poster.  I ended up with 4 of those as well.  They are pretty cool with the light shining behind them.

Don Henley – The End of the Innocence

Don Dokken – Up From the Ashes

Tesla – Five Man Acoustical Jam

And for some strange reason Nelson – After the Rain

I guess that will do it for my trip down memory lane.  I still can’t believe I actually have these and in such good condition.  My wife won’t let me hang them anywhere so I guess they will go back in the box for now.  I need a man cave!!!  Until next time…