Miniaturized record player lets good tunes roll.

Used record stores, garage sales, dark basements -- you never know where the urge to spin wax will strike. But you can't haul around a turntable now, can you? Go ahead and unearth those old Night Ranger LPs, 'cause "Fresh Gear" has a portable record player perfect for getting your groove on anytime, anywhere.

Low-fi, high-kitsch

Straight from Japan, the toy-like Vinyl Killer takes the form of a Volkswagen Type 2 Camper Van. It comes equipped with a stylus under its "chassis" and a speaker under the roof. Switch on the 9-volt, alkaline-powered Vinyl Killer and the bus cruises along a record's grooves on thick rubber wheels while blaring music through the roof.

Words of caution

Record collectors and DJs will adore the Vinyl Killer. But storeowners will cringe at the thought of this pocket-sized hippie bus. The Vinyl Killer has no volume control and is set louder than normal conversation level. Scratchy and tinny sound quality just might get you banned for life.

As the name suggests, Vinyl Killer can wear your records down over the course of numerous plays. Do not play your mint 1971 Jimi Hendrix import with this one. Old disco records collecting dust in your attic are fair game.

Not for singles

About 5 inches long and 3 inches tall, the Vinyl Killer works best on a record lying flat (duh). The plastic-bodied bus plays only 33-1/3-rpm records (it won't play 45-rpm or 78-rpm vinyl correctly).

The rare and collectable Vinyl Killer costs between $80 and $150.