New Higher Vinyl Prices. Will You Stop Buying?

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by nightenrock, Feb 14, 2016.

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  1. Schoolmaster Bones

    Schoolmaster Bones Poe's Lawyer

    Location:
    ‎The Midwest
    Didn't vote, as I haven't noticed any significant changes in pricing.
     
  2. Bowieboy

    Bowieboy Forum Resident

    Location:
    Louisville
    Same here. It seems about the same as it was in 2011. There's a few ridiculously overpriced albums out there, and I'd never buy vinyl at FYE (who wanted $70 for The Weeknd's album) but Amazon, Barnes, etc... for new albums are about the same as they were a few years ago. Some new albums under $20, some over $30 (and usually they've double discs), most in the $23-27 vein, that's how it was five years ago. Plus with all the Amazon marketplace sellers, a $30 album can be had for $20 without much seeking. All my Music On Vinyl releases have been bought via Marketplace Sellers for an average of $23-27 and those "list" at 50
     
  3. Gaslight

    Gaslight ⎧⚍⎫⚑

    Location:
    Northeast USA
    I've heard of some upticks with certain labels - Mofi and Universal come to mind. But they might be the exception and not the rule...so far that one factor hasn't affected my purchases.
     
  4. Sax-son

    Sax-son Forum Resident

    Location:
    Three Rivers, CA
    In the mid 1970's, LP records had a list price of $5.98 or $6.98. When translated into today's inflation numbers that works out to approximately $24.00 and $27.00 respectively. A double album that cost $8.98 would be approximately $35.00. So vinyl costs are relatively the same when adjusted for inflation.

    What I am more concerned about are the tape sources used in these new vinyl reissues. If they are going back to analog sources, the pressing runs will be smaller for quality pressings. CD's can use the same digital masters to create millions of copies. Vinyl is a more manufacturing complex process so the comparisons are unfair. As far as I am concerned, if they keep the cost of a new single vinyl LP to under $30.00, I am OK with it.

    I see used LP's of "in demand" records for well over $30.00 and not even in that good of condition, so I welcome new pressings of vinyl.
     
  5. Tommyboy

    Tommyboy Senior Member

    Location:
    New York
    It depends. I'll pay more for the Mobile Fidelity and Analog Productions reissues, but will not pay for standard, money grab reissues from conglomorates such as Universal, who charge inflated prices and utilize pressing plants like United and Rainbo.
     
    Satrus likes this.
  6. Gaslight

    Gaslight ⎧⚍⎫⚑

    Location:
    Northeast USA
    But we didn't have $2.25 digital album downloads in 1975 - significant difference.

    Imagine if we did....that $6.98 back then would have ended up as a premium price. Just as it stands for those $30 LP's today.
     
    Bowieboy likes this.
  7. Bowieboy

    Bowieboy Forum Resident

    Location:
    Louisville
    I think the reason you can't factor vinyl prices from the 70s to today is because 30 years ago cd's retailed over $20 and now you can get them for $10 or less. It's actually kind of poetic and ironic that records used to be "the cheap option" and now it's vinyl that retails for 2-3x what the CD option goes for.
     
    Gaslight likes this.
  8. Sneaky Pete

    Sneaky Pete Flat the 5 and That’s No Jive

    Location:
    NYC USA
    Higher prices cause me to buy less, but they would have to be really high to cause me to stop buying LPs completely.
     
    The Trinity and Revolver like this.
  9. Sax-son

    Sax-son Forum Resident

    Location:
    Three Rivers, CA
    My point was directed towards vinyl folks and not those who are inclined to chose digital downloads. As far as I am concerned, the latter is disposable music media and has no tangible collection value. Yes! $6.98 was a lot of money in 1975. We bought good records anyway in spite of the prices.
     
    The Trinity likes this.
  10. Gaslight

    Gaslight ⎧⚍⎫⚑

    Location:
    Northeast USA
    I didn't buy music in my youth to collect them - I bought them to listen. If there was an option to buy an album for $2.25 versus $6.98 I suspect I would have opted for that much of the time. Even if that album had no re-sale value.

    My point being is that the inflation calculator doesn't work here. You've got digital downloads and CD's alike that are significantly less money to purchase, so that factors into the perception as to how much one will spend on a vinyl LP.
     
  11. Higher LP prices just make me be a cheaper cheapskate, to be quite honest. If new records aren't on sale, forget it.
     
    Ghostworld likes this.
  12. Kevin j

    Kevin j The 5th 99

    Location:
    Seattle Area
    nice try.
     
    The Trinity likes this.
  13. Kevin j

    Kevin j The 5th 99

    Location:
    Seattle Area
    hmmmm. i bought vinyl throughout the 90s, and prices were 15-20 bucks for a new record. i see those same prices today (although there are plenty of outliers).
     
  14. harmonica98

    harmonica98 Senior Member

    Location:
    London, UK
    The combination of the recent price rise and the poor exchange rate means that Analogue Productions and MFSL releases are now pretty much out for me. For regular releases if the vinyl isn't much of an improvement on the CD I will stick with the CD as these days it can be about 60% cheaper. I love my vinyl but...
     
  15. WhoDaresWins

    WhoDaresWins Forum Resident

    Location:
    Toronto
    I'm very selective when it come to buying vinyl because of the expensive cost.
     
    Gavinyl likes this.
  16. nightenrock

    nightenrock Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Music Matters for one. Plus all these guys set the pace. They go up and then the others chase them. I'm sure their costs are going up. Is it the plants increasing their prices? Is it the labels charging more for licensing? I wonder if the industry will shoot themselves in the foot again, by setting the price so high that people will once again turn to "free" downloads.
     
  17. mikemoon

    mikemoon Forum Resident

    Location:
    Atlanta, GA
    Yes, they went up a year ago. I haven't ordered one since. Not saying they aren't worth it, I'm just not as tempted. They do produce a quality product.

    You can only go up so high. This is already a niche market. If they understand marketing at all, they will know the threshold to stop or they will go out of business. It's as simple as that.

    I think Mofi and AP held prices at $29.99 for years, maybe 15+? So I can see a $5 increase every 15 years. When I first got into vinyl 7 years ago Classic was charging $32.99 then. When Impex entered as a new label they started at $32.99. Intervention Records entered the market this year at $34.99 before AP and Mofi raised their prices. The owner at IR actually has ties to Music Matters so I'm sure he got with them on the market before he set his price, understanding the market himself as well.

    My main thing is that they stay a price for a while and produce quality. To me it's all about quality. I'm not a bargain shopper but I also don't want to overpay. Life is too short to moan and groan. These guys will either understand how to do it or not. It's up to them.

    That's a good point because CDs basically held no value to me for 10 years because of free downloads. If you look at the price of a CD in the 90s, it was obviously the most overpriced piece of music ever sold to us and look what happened. Now you can get brand new CDs for $4.
     
    nightenrock likes this.
  18. misterclean

    misterclean Forum Resident

    Location:
    Cleveland, Ohio
    Why don't the major labels just release quality, well-mastered (AAA) reissues themselves instead of licensing titles to the boutique labels like MFSL and AP? Prices could stay around $20-25 that way. Think of those premium Rhino and WEA reissues as an example.
     
  19. krlpuretone

    krlpuretone Forum Resident

    Location:
    Grantham, NH
    To be fair, the extraneous prices associated with releasing records have skyrocketed...

    Yes, licensing costs have increased.
    Mastering costs have increased.
    Production costs have increased, and production delays are a huge issue to small labels, when they pay 50-60% upfront cash and then wait 6-9 months (best case) for records to hit their shipping docks.
    But other non-technical issues affect vinyl costs; transportation and warehousing of vinyl is also a huge percentage.

    I agree though; history has proven that time and again, major labels will find a way to **** it all up through pricing and shortcuts.
     
    nightenrock likes this.
  20. tank64

    tank64 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Michigan
    I'll be the contrarian.
    If I want a complete Beatles Box Set in NM condition or better, my main options are:

    1. Chase great pressings (UK Paraphone or German DMM) of each album, probably pay $30.00-50.00 per album. Maybe more.
    2. MFSL set running $800.00 and up on Ebay.
    3. Blue Box (UK pressing) is $1000.00 or more.
    4. Re-issue running around $300.00 in mono.
    5. Japanese Red Mono set at $150.000. That is not a typo.

    The latest Mobile Fidelity Grateful Dead American Beauty (18ogr 45rpm) is running $49.99 at most on line stores, while an original green label Warners
    can range $65-$100 on Ebay. Relatively expensive re-issues are quite cheap in many cases compared to the cost of getting an original on vinyl.

    There are exceptions where you can find relatively inexpensive originals, especially in classical as others have mentioned. I love CD's, and purchased over a dozen off Amazon in the last month.
    However, if your main passion is vinyl, you pay the price.
    Just my opinion.
     
    sonofjim and krlpuretone like this.
  21. Chemguy

    Chemguy Forum Resident

    Location:
    Western Canada
    But not down to any reasonable level at all. It's just too much. I can afford it, but I won't spend $30 on a new album. I'll bargain hunt to where I can get it for cheap, for a new release. Otherwise, it's used, used used for me...
     
  22. No Static

    No Static Gain Rider

    Location:
    Heart of Dixie
    I try to keep at a certain dollar amount in mind for my monthly music purchases. If it doesn't go as far as it used to I'm not looking for bargains hard enough.
     
  23. krisjay

    krisjay Psychedelic Wave Rider

    Location:
    Maine
    I certainly hold off on buying things until I see lots of reviews and opinions, but, in the end I will still buy what I want.
     
  24. Digital Morphine

    Digital Morphine Forum Resident

    Location:
    Here
    For the most part I shop at indies/fairs or buy stuff mail order. If there's something i gotta have, then for the most part I go for it. Any doubts about the cost usually ease off when I can afford to eat something other than beans on toast. I thought everyone here done this? :)

    Wow. My ass just bit a hole in my seat.....forgive my ignorance but is that normal? That's a lot of beans...
     
  25. copter76

    copter76 Forum Resident

    Even sundazed sell their vinyl at 24,99...
    The last time I ordered something from sundazed was a big sale with vinyl at 7,99...
    The new vinyl I bought this year was pretty cheap, Bowie last álbum at 17,99 euros at amazon italy, wolfmother new álbum at 17,99 euros (preorder at amazon.de), Beatles mono box set at 200 euros in my indie store on sale
    I want to some record fairs (saturday I will go to another in Gent) and found some baratos at 10 and 5 euros too...
     
    Last edited: Feb 15, 2016
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