Trash Items
The Trash Items are a set of mainly promotional items which were issued by Mushroom Records (UK) LTD. between 1995 and 2002.
The Trash Items are some of the hardest to find collectibles out there and range from CDs to T-shirts. While the vast majority of them were issued as promotional releases some were commercially sold in stores or via the Garbage mailing list.
A Trash Item is defined by the index or catalogue number of the release. It has the following format TRASH XX where XX is a number.
Points of Interest
Trash 11, 39 and 45 were never fully issued so it is not known how many are out there for these releases.
No matter what anyone tells you Trash 5, 6 and 7 do not exist. If anyone tells you they have these items they are incorrect. I have this fact backed up in writing by Rob Jefferson who use to work at Mushroom Records (UK) LTD and name appears on a number of early promotional items.
Trash 09 and 10 are the same item, known as Trash09/10.
Where can I get them?
The best place to get them from is eBay or specialist record retailers.
They are normally more expensive to get than most other promotional items as retailers who understand the Garbage collecting scene will charge a premium just because it has the word TRASH as part of the catalogue number.
Therefore shop around to make sure you shop around just to be sure you get the best price.
Which are the rarest ones?
UK, TRASH 01, CD (Garbage)
These are really expensive if you find one, expect to pay well in the region of £100.00 if you find one. Although I did manage to purchase one in 2015 for £20.00, in 2011 I know of one which sold for £10.00 in London so it is possible to still pick up one cheap.
UK, TRASH 11, CD (Stupid Girl)
Back in 1996 these were really easy to get hold of but have since dried up. 500 were made but only 125 of them were issued.
UK, TRASH 20, T-shirt (Push It)
There are 2 sizes of these, large and small. It was said that only 50 were made of them. I heard a story from an employee of Mushroom Records that he had loads of them and played 5-a-side football in them all the time.
UK, TRASH 32, CD (Live Edition)
A 4 track CD sold by Mushroom Records to subscribers of the Garbage mailing list (postal) in the UK. The item retailed for £6.
UK, TRASH 39, 12″ Single (Androgyny)
500 copies were made but the release was never fully distributed. The majority which have surfaced had been sent overseas by Mushroom Records UK before they decided not to distribute it.
UK, TRASH 45, CD (Breaking Up The Girl)
Once again this release wasn’t fully distributed, only a few of these are out there.