Experiences in buying music these days

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by Grant, Aug 19, 2002.

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  1. metalbob

    metalbob Senior Member

    Location:
    New Jersey
    Working in the biz on the distribution side, I agree with you all whole-heartedly. I work with retailers all day long. I'll occasionally find a knowledgable sales person at a chain store (i.e. Sam Goody, FYE, etc.), but their knowledge past 18 months ago is usually pretty minimal.

    In my prior position, I would spend 3-4 days a week in record stores and I can't tell you how many times I would have to help people find things that to me were reasonably common songs or CDs. It was almost daily.

    About the parents listening to music topic. At my old age of 30, I remember my dad playing Pink Floyd "Dark Side Of The Moon" on 11 and hearing the alarm clocks go off during the intro to "Time". My mom used to tell me that she went to see Bowie and Queen and Elton John in the 70s. I even went to see the Stones in 1989 with my mom and stepfather. Nowadays, you would never even know they liked music. Although, my mom did say she liked Creed about a year ago (I tried to stop from vomiting).

    I can't ever see myself getting to that point in my life where I am not into music anymore. Even if it is due to getting sick of all this new stuff. I would have to go back and find old 50s Jazz records or something.
     
  2. Paul Chang

    Paul Chang Forum Old Boy, Former Senior Member Has-Been

    I buy almost exclusively through mail order these days so I can care less about the help I never got anyway. It will be interesting to know how the young clerks today react to the treatment they receive 10-15 years down the road, if music products are still distributed in the same way then.
     
  3. Elton

    Elton I Hope Being Helpful, Will Make Me Look Cool

    Location:
    Carson Ca.
    To this day, I get asked about where thing are in a store. As a matter of fact, That's how I got my first job. I would go to my local mall (this a while back!) and go to the two stores in the mall (Record Bar and Musicland), and would wait in the stores, for people to have questions. If they were'nt near the counter, I'd ask people if they needed help. I would always tried to help the people that seem the most lost.

    I did that for three months. The people in both stores would let me do it! Sometimes they would try to stump me (my parents records came in handy there!). I was having fun, they got to know me, and they got cheap labor (sometimes a promo record). Then at Christmas time the people at Record Bar hired me for the season! I even won a display contest! After Christmas they hired me at Musicland. It payed for the Prom!

    To this day I'll help people that ask me, or look lost, because, Grant is right most clerks, give you the evil eye if you help someone before they do. But I will say that most of the people at the Tower's in the L.A. area take it as a friendly competition. :) It's fun but some time, they play for keeps. It's one way to stay sharp!
     
  4. Uncle Al

    Uncle Al Senior Member

    Location:
    Long Island, NY
    I've always found excellent sales help in my independant shop - the caretakers seem to know a lot about music. As a matter of fact, if you are a regular, the owners remeber your interests and direct you to goodies they may have recently gotten in. They will often break the street date if you are a good customer. This service DOES come at a price, if you want to buy a current popular title, you won't be finding that $12.99 sale here.

    Basically, when in your Best Buys, Circut City's (et al) you are there for the price. Ususally, I already know what I want when I walk in. Those types of stores are best for current popular titles.
     
  5. Khorn

    Khorn Dynagrunt Obversarian

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    You can't get too close to these beasties or you're taking your own life in your hands.

    Sorry for the TC but just couldn't resist. :D
     
  6. metalbob

    metalbob Senior Member

    Location:
    New Jersey
    This website is the official site of a coalition of independent music stores. I can't vouch for all of them, but I have been to several that are great stores. If you live in New Jersey, New York or PA and haven't been to Vintage Vinyl, you need to get in your car after work and go there! There are many other great independent stores that aren't listed on this site. You will normally find better customer service at an independent because these people are into the music. A lot of mall store employees could easily be working at Foot Locker next door.

    www.cimsmusic.com
     
  7. NoTinEar

    NoTinEar Suspended


    I cant agree more with the statement. This is really the whole quandary of shopping in todays society period. If you are going to buy into the whole ideal that its about the price of things, then think about that phrase/ideal, and what kind of salespeople and overall store is necessary to fill that need. I expect to get no help when i go into a Best Buy or Circuit City, other then possibly, and I said possibly, being able to have someone point out the general area that what i am looking for is in. Consumers have made price the most important thing when shopping, not features, knowledge of salesmen, or quality of sound, or availability, performance, etc. What they have made the important driving thing is PRICE. That alone means those types of places have to hire people who can help them make more money, because its about the price. The items are so low price and low margins of profits that they have to move lots of volume. Thusly they hire clerks, no offense to Kevin Smith. They basically hire people who don't know anything about there respective fields or very little, give them small training in that area, and then tell them to ring stuff up. That's all they are there for. Why should you expect more? I mean I really don't even have to have the conversation about the things I overhear in those stores in regards to electronics and features, etc. What a nightmare that is.

    Of course a specialty store in anything be it music, audio equipment, movies, books, etc is always going to cost you more in some way then some "mega- price-is-king" version. The most likely way with regards to music store is that the individual prices will be higher. For example, every time I go into the used cd store they are playing music. Most times its a new cd, not a used one. More often then not if I like what i hear I end up buying the new cd at full retail pop. That's because I expect to pay for the expertise of the smaller specialty store.

    So pick your poison. You have to have your own knowledge if you shop via the price or you have to pay the price if you want to shop the knowledge/help. Hopefully, the knowledgeable/help is something that will still be around in 15 years.

    Your mileage may vary of course..
     
  8. Craig

    Craig (unspecified) Staff

    Location:
    North of Seattle
    This thread reminded me that Tower Records is getting a new store ready here in Seattle (just up the street from the existing University District store). There were signs on the windows that seem to imply that they will be buying and selling used CD's, DVD's at this location. I hadn't seen this before at Tower and wondered if this is a new trend for them or just new here. Is this happening elsewhere?
     
  9. Metralla

    Metralla Joined Jan 13, 2002

    Location:
    San Jose, CA
    Craig,

    I live in San Jose, CA and I have 5 Tower stores within the radius of a half-hour drive (Campbell, Blossom Hill, Mountain View, San Mateo, Freemont) and only the Campbell store buys and sells used CDs/DVDs.

    Regards,
    Geoff
     
  10. Mike

    Mike New Member

    Location:
    New Jersey
    Great rant. You are right, we are the ones to blame. I don't ask for help when I go to the store so I really have no opinion as to the quality of service.

    One thing that does bug me is when they put used reseals in the racks and try to sell them as new. I see everyone doing it these days - the indies and the big stores. I'm now a cellophane expert.
     
  11. Paul Chang

    Paul Chang Forum Old Boy, Former Senior Member Has-Been

    Geoff,

    For a while I thought you had wiped out all the goodies in the Bay Area. Is it true? :(

    Your post just reminded me that one day I went to the Mountain View Tower Records to buy Queen: A Night At The Opera on DCC gold CD, of which I had seen a copy a few weeks earlier. Unfortunately it had been sold by the time I went back. I asked a clerk for it and got the "Why is this guy with a lady beside him looking for an opera singing queen?" look on her face. She was very nice to check the inventory for me. Then she called the Campbell (at which I had seen one too) and the San Mateo stores but was told it was not available at either.

    I went to Berkeley that day for other business so I swung by the Emeryville store but to no avail. Before I drove home I said to myself (and my wife), "What the heck I'm taking Nimitz Freeway to Campbell just to be sure!". Low and behold the only copy that I had seen a couple weeks ago was still sitting on the shelf. But I was told by the girl in Mountain View that some clerk working at the Campbell store had gone to look for it physically. I guess they don't like Olivia Newton John, nor are they Physical enough to play rugby. :winkgrin:

    I should have asked for a psychological inventory check. :sigh:
     
  12. teaser5

    teaser5 Cool Rockin' Daddy

    Location:
    The DMV
    Chain Music Stores

    I can't recall who the comedian is who used to do this bit about checking out at the record store and the clerk smirks
    "You still listening to this s***?" to which he replied " You still makining six bucks an hour?"
    Whenever we go to NYC for a show we always go to The Village for half a day and split up. The wife get's her funky clothes and I hit Bleeker Street with a passion. Recommended to anyone who's never been.
    Peace,
    Norm
    real name: George Carlin
    :cool:
     
  13. peterC

    peterC Aussie Addict

    Location:
    sydney
    I find myself regularly tempted to offer assistance if I see a customer asking a clerk a question on one of my "specialties"

    ......or if I see a kid with Let it Be in one hand and Revolver in the other wondering which one to buy.

    Invariably however I back out at the last moment for fear of rejection ("mind your own business ya old bastard"),

    EXCEPT once when I saw a young clerk filing Jethro Tull under "T". I told her JT is not a man so you ought to file it under "J".........

    ...........Um, I think she told me to mind my own business!
    (no, not really. She just smiled and then ignored my advice anyway).
     
  14. Metralla

    Metralla Joined Jan 13, 2002

    Location:
    San Jose, CA
    Paul,

    I can relate to your post completely.

    I completed my DCC Gold collection 6 months ago though, so I'm no competition now. That being said, I still notice them if I'm browsing, and pick them up and hold them - just for fun. I know what a thrill it can be casing 5 stores in an afternoon to dig up a nugget.

    I know that there are just a few new DCC Golds in the Bay Area. I've seen a couple at Rasputins in San Jose (Queen, The Pretender) and Tower Mtn View have 4 or 5 Sinatras. The double Judy Garland is in a couple of stores.

    So I won't be interfering with your treasure hunt for the Gold. I am into SACDs now.

    Regards,
    Geoff
     
  15. reechie

    reechie Senior Member

    Location:
    Baltimore
    Re: Chain Music Stores

    Heh, gotta remember that one!;)
     
  16. dcscott

    dcscott Go have another cheeseburger, Randy

    Location:
    Ontario Canada
    I picked up Jethro Tull's DCC Aqualung for $10.00 CDN in mint condition at the local Buy & Sell store.
     
  17. Dave

    Dave Esoteric Audio Research Specialistâ„¢

    Location:
    B.C.
    Umm I don't agree with the sentence of your statement. Have you been to Ebay recently? Media Play is now a member of the get the most $'s for a Mofi or DCC club.;)
     
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