I bought into the Columbia House "get 13 records or tapes for 1 penny" deal in 1978. I had a hard time finding 13 I actually wanted. I just got a car, so I needed cassette tapes! I was a 16 year old rocker and there just wasn't too many R&R choices. I credit that "scam" in helping make my music tastes more eclectic. I picked up a Cars, Police, Steely Dan, Bob Dylan, Grateful Dead, and Kansas tape. I never would have considered any of these bands before and now I liked them all. I even got stuck with a couple of odd tapes because I didn't mail back the refusal card in time. Heatwave's "Boogie Nights" was obtained that way, and yes, I liked it too! Once I fulfilled the "buy 6 more at regular club prices" obligation, I was out and done. I had a paper route the previous two years, and all the money I made went toward my first car, Alpine Tape Deck, Pioneer Speakers, and 19 Cassette tapes. I learned a life lesson, but I also gained some cool and needed musical exposure.
Thanks
@-X- for bringing that memory back