Why are so many record stores still closing?

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by radickeyfan, Jul 15, 2016.

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  1. Scott S.

    Scott S. lead singer for the best indie band on earth

    Location:
    Walmartville PA
    As discussed in another thread, if I had extra funds I'd go to more concerts. They are exorbitant. Most of the new music I like is indie. I do support them.
     
    Fullbug likes this.
  2. eddiel

    eddiel Senior Member

    Location:
    Toronto, Canada
    I know what you're referring to. What I was saying was that a lot of people don't bother with that and have moved to cheaper legal alternatives like streaming. They're not even concerned about having a digital file, just access to it.
     
    APH likes this.
  3. Scott S.

    Scott S. lead singer for the best indie band on earth

    Location:
    Walmartville PA
    True with the ability to stream on smart phones.
     
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  4. Pavol Stromcek

    Pavol Stromcek Senior Member

    Location:
    SF Bay Area
    At Amoeba? I've only sold records to the Bay Area Amoebas, but I have found that what they pay varies wildly depending on who you get at the buy counter. Fortunately, I know who to ask for at the SF Amoeba if I want a fair price (though admittedly, they might be more generous with me because they know me). But I've encountered a few major a-holes there in the past who offered insultingly (and dishonestly) low amounts, and I avoid them at all costs. But speaking generally, I don't believe they pay any more or less than their main competitor here in the Bay Area, Rasputin.
     
  5. hutchenstance

    hutchenstance Well-Known Member

    Location:
    Arlington, VA

    huh I thought there were tons of small stores... about 10 years ago I found a great GIlberto Gil record from 1968 there...
     
  6. Bingo Bongo

    Bingo Bongo Music gives me Eargasms

    Location:
    Ottawa, Canada
    Yep. Although they didn't have a big Record selection, they had high prices. I guess hardly anybody buys Records/CDs/Blu rays anymore, other than audiophiles on this Forum!
     
  7. The Elephant Man

    The Elephant Man Forum Resident

    Hopefully, supporting your favorite indie bands by finding ways to download their music for free! :--)
     
  8. Scott S.

    Scott S. lead singer for the best indie band on earth

    Location:
    Walmartville PA
    I mainly stream them but I do buy an occasional CD. I bought She Rose From The Dead. I bought MonaLisa Twins, both in the last few months.
     
  9. APH

    APH Forum Resident

    Location:
    Cambridge, England
    The typical setup now seems to be: quite large tv, games console, good speakers, sonos, spotify.
    Hard to argue with, when you see it.
    This is professional adults. More than one I know giving away all CDs, and were too young for vinyl or tapes.
     
  10. Marc Perman

    Marc Perman Forum Resident

    Location:
    Los Angeles
    They're now all Chase banks and Duane Reade drug stores -not really, but that's how Manhattan is going. Most of the Jewish delis and about half of the old school coffee shops have gone too. A few record stores have opened in Brooklyn in recent years, but it's far from a thriving scene.
     
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  11. I agree that for whatever reason, Amoeba, at least in SF is not a great used vinyl store.
     
  12. tspit74

    tspit74 Senior Member

    Location:
    Woodridge, IL, USA
  13. roughdiamondnickel

    roughdiamondnickel Forum Resident

    Location:
    Phoenix, AZ
  14. jjhunsecker

    jjhunsecker Senior Member

    Location:
    New York city
    None really, I went to Rough Trade in Brooklyn recently, and it was OK...I just can't stop recalling what we had here in NYC , when we had huge Tower, HMV, and Virgin stores, my favorite place J&R Music World, and tons of little shops in the East and West Village...alamost all gone now
     
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  15. jjhunsecker

    jjhunsecker Senior Member

    Location:
    New York city
    Not even that many of those left. And the few I've been in I found underwhelming
     
  16. Marc Perman

    Marc Perman Forum Resident

    Location:
    Los Angeles
    Saint Mark's Place between 2nd and 3rd alone had several good record stores. I come across used vinyl in LA with "Sounds" pink stickers from time to time. J&R was my favorite place too, I shopped there for decades.
     
  17. dkurtis

    dkurtis sonoftheFather

    The signature of a declining record market (as observed in the 1990's) is that the collectable records hold their value with select bands and titles increasing in value and the common records fall out. Each month, more and more titles get put in the 'common' category. In an increasing market, as JFK said - a rising tide lifts all boats. I believe that I am seeing the beginning of a declining 'used' record market. It is obvious that the consumer drives this market, but is also fair to conclude that there is a direct relationship between records sold and the offers that buyers make. It is a lagging relationship, but I believe that I am seeing buyer’s offers become less aggressive and far more selective. I took 20 records in to two different stores to sell today. These are the results: Store one has become more selective of titles and purchased 10 titles for $80. This offer was substantially more conservative given the titles than the previous 4 years. I then took the remaining 10 to Half Price Books. I am fully aware that they offer very, very, very little; however, they have become much more aggressive in their purchasing over the last 2 years due to higher sales and competition for the product. In the past, the remaining 10 would have been sold for $10-$20 to this Half Price Books - they offered $4. My answer was a very curt - NO. As I was browsing their used bins while waiting for my ridiculous offer, I noticed that their recent prices were about 50% of their earlier norms. In fact, I all but quit buying there because of the higher prices put on poor condition or common titles. Now this was not just the wrong buyer on the wrong day because they use nationwide computer pricing and companywide directives to make offers. Nor was this the wrong stack of records in bad condition. This is a trend that I have seen consistently developing over the last few months. I have seen the wide-open window of opportunity to thin my collection for the past 6-8 years, but I fear that window is beginning to close. It has made me move up my inventorying and thinning time deadline. What started five years ago, I now see needing to be complete this year. Sales prices have steadily fallen for most titles over these past 5 years and now seem to be picking up pace. This is just not my limited observation from Dallas, Texas as I have seen decreasing prices on Discogs also. As I inventory my collection, I research Discogs values in the event of calamity.
     
  18. Muggles

    Muggles Forum Resident

    Location:
    Midwest
    Less record stores, more Starbucks is what we need.
     
  19. dkurtis

    dkurtis sonoftheFather

    $5 coffee and lines out the door speaks volumes.
     
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  20. Deuce66

    Deuce66 Senior Member

    Location:
    Canada
    in Canada it's more Tim Hortons
     
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  21. jimac51

    jimac51 A mythical beast.

    Location:
    Allentown,pa.
    This has nothing to do with buying. If a record store has no presence of these superstar artists,unless they come and go so fast the store is always out of stock,this is probably not the store one would want to be in. And as for desirability 1/30/2017,I would suspect these artists are the most desirable in a store. I have no idea when you got out of junior high(I suspect a while since most places call these years "middle school" for 30+ years)but know that millions of folk are either just entering the market,returning to the market and to vinyl or replacing titles due to wear,upgrading,nostalgia,etc. Millions. But not me.I have no desire for any of these bands but find myself in record stores more than twice a week. And if the store is ignorant of these acts,I would leave and not return until they got their act together.
     
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  22. Danby Delight

    Danby Delight Forum Resident

    Location:
    Boston
    Millions? You really think "millions"? All righty then.
     
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  23. jimac51

    jimac51 A mythical beast.

    Location:
    Allentown,pa.
    While I've never been in a Canadian version of an HMV,a Philadelphia based one of years ago(late '90s) was out of sync the first time I was in. Jazz CDs on the second floor at the everyday high,high prices one found at Tower or Borders with the distinction of having a crappy selection,MOR artists that did not belong there,not very bright staff(knew nothing about Blue Note even though there was a huge co-op sign for a current hot Blue Note artist(maybe Norah Jones first album? So one had to go up an extra flight of stairs for less selection,high prices and idiots behind the desk. I smiled when they bellied up.
    I don't see the demise of HMV Anywhere as necessarily proof that "so many record are stores are closing" as this seemed to be a chain well past its due date. Once again,like the current dumping of department stores that tried to sell lots of different stuff and still get the customer to pay for the rent,this farce has to end sometime and 2017 may be the year. People will still buy the kind of stuff they offer,but no one wants it at Macys, Penneys,Sears,Kmart,etc.
     
  24. jimac51

    jimac51 A mythical beast.

    Location:
    Allentown,pa.
    No question.
     
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  25. Marc Perman

    Marc Perman Forum Resident

    Location:
    Los Angeles
    160,000.
     
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