The rising cost of new Vinyl

I'm nobody. Not in the industry and don't have any marketing statistics.... So this is just the little guy drawing a line in the sand who will probably not get any attention for my ethical stand.

I love vinyl. I buy about 24-30 albums per year. Some of that is old used vinyl averaging under $8.00. About half is new stuff, mostly relavent modern music. It was averaging about $20 - $30 shipped to my door or purchased locally. Recently it's going to just about $40.00

I will never pay that again. I'm willing to go $30... No more.

So if you read this and your some marketing guy.... You will stop getting my money. Now I'm sure you've got some slick spread sheet saying you can gouge us and justify it by all kinds of excuses. But you should be happy to keep a good profit without getting so greedy you push people off. You think the young 20 ish folks buying are gonna keep up with the latest record fad if you start gouging like that? You'll kill it. New stuff won't keep coming out because there won't be enough market share because you got so greedy you gouged so deep you killed it.

Nope this little guy is cutting you off at $30.

Hope everyone steps up and tells the industry to go pound sand. You really want everyone to just go back to digital? You think you'll ever see profit that way when it will just get pirated?

Nope, you get $30 locally or shipped to my door no more.

Sorry Keith. Your new albums really well done and sounds beautiful on vinyl, but I can't buy it. It's too high.

 

I agree the prices are absurd. Luckily, I prefer buying older stuff (used mostly), and so it's not often that I have to cough up these astronomical dollars unless it's a re-issue on Record Store Day or occasionally a brand new 2015 release. And I think you're right that they're going to kill it for the young fans now getting into buying new vinyl.

 

I find very, very, few new records have cost 40+ dollars shipped to my door.

 

Funky 54 is 100% correct. I won't buy anything new unless its on sale (ie Gilmour for $29.99.) Prices need to come back down to acceptable levels. Maybe if we stop buying they'll come down.

 

There is a notice on one of the retail websites that Music Matters Blue Note releases are going up
from $35 to $40 in the near future.

 

Welcome to the real world.

 

Well if you are not buying vinyl you can afford the new Bob Dylan box set at $600 plus shipping! It's a win win.

 

I've run into this wall with the last 2-3 purchases. I went ahead with two thinking it was just that "one special album"

What pushed me over the edge is the new Keith Ritchards album Crosseyed Heart.

 

Last few years I've been buying vinyl over CD for new releases... but the price discrepancy in the past 6 months has made me change my story. 2 years ago I'd say it was about ~$15 a CD and $25-$30 for a record. I went to pre-order a record the other day and $11.99 for a CD vs $59.99 for 45 RPM LP. Absolutely absurd. Particularly when the LP is likely digitally sourced. I posted this on another thread, but its ironic I got into buying records in the 90s because it was a cheap way to load up on great music. (People were literally giving vinyl away to me!). Now its completely flipped. Everyone thinks their vinyl is priceless. And I've literally pulled CDs out of the garbage.

 

The reason for the high prices is because there's not enough collectors buying to bring the prices down.
They have to make a certain profit to stay in business and prosper.
I face the same thing with obscure DVDs

 

I think the opposite. The reason the prices are getting higher is because there ARE enough collectors buying to bring the prices UP.

 

I agree with the OP, $30 is high but still within reason. For $40 there's a world of great vintage vinyl I'd value more than a new, unnecessary double 45rpm release. Keep the new stuff affordable or risk losing customers.

 

Finally you Americans are paying the same Europeans have been paying for vinyl in years!

No, really, I feel for you. But I suggest using an Inflation Calculator and find out what vinyl cost in the '50s and '60s in real 2015 dollars. You'll find out we're actually paying more or less the same. Vinyl being cheaper a few years ago (or in the '80s, for instance) was actually an anomaly.

EDIT: And don't let get started on the price of shellac discs in the pre-LP era, which got you only 2 songs for like $20 (inflation-adjusted) — yet some of them sold in millions!

 

50 years ago, the price of a vinyl LP was about $3.50. Using your Inflation Calculator, you're getting a 2015 price of $26.50, which is way below $40 and perfectly fits the no-more-than-$30 mentality.

 

Inflation doesn't tell the whole story though. How much of your money back then was discretionary money compared to now? After bills, mortgage, car payment, etc.

I see the same argument with video games. Back in the 80s, NES games were $60, SNES game could go for around $80 sometimes. Video game prices now are about $60-$70. Based on inflation, shouldn't they be around $120 now for new PS4 games?

Anyway, I do think $30 is too much for a record. Can't justify it.

 

To a great extent, I can understand the current pricing structure...... there are licensing fees, manufacturing costs, (I'm sure Stoughton press doesn't give those beautiful covers away), tons of money goes into a limited production. Mastering engineers and studios aren't cheap. Look at the big picture, it brings everything into focus.

I am confused on some pricing that I've seen lately. One of them is Friday Music. Most of the online etailers charge anywhere from $25-32 for a single disc from them, but I have seen more than a handful of their titles on eBay starting at $9-10 each. Depending on your search, you can find these cheaper titles at that price because they aren't listed as "180 gram" or "Friday Music" or "audiophile". But what I want to know is how do these so-called $25-$30+ titles sell for substantially less money???

 

Factor in the unreliable nature of modern day pressings too.

 

Well, the Execs are once again clueless and they will ruin the only growing physical media sales they have because they can't help but raise prices to ridiculous levels. It got to where it was partly because LPs were priced well mostly. Now their greed is going to ruin it.

Wait till you see the prices for the Black Friday RSD releases. That day should single-handedly kill the entire revival.

 

^^^^This.

If we're talking about $30-35 for a really well done album, I think it's a bargain.

$30 from Analogue Productions with Stoughton jackets, Quality Records pressing, first rate mastering of original tapes is great value.
$20 for a United pressing that's warped and with a flimsy cover of a mediocre digital recording is a ripoff.

 

I'm waiting for the bubble to burst then we can pick up all these reissues nice and cheap. I'm only 41 I can wait a few years meanwhile I will purchase what I deem mandatory. Also people shop around David Gilmour just announced On an island repress and sound stage is selling for 39.99 for gatefold one lp (That's too fn' high!) I go to burning shed and they will ship it for 32, whats even funnier is soundstage is in Pennsylvania same as me but I have to order from England to save 8 dollars which I am willing to do.

 

just sat on something

 

Something else as far as pricing goes....... the sales at the online sellers can sometimes be quite attractive. A little better than 18 months ago, I received a email from Collectors Choice music. Everything on the site was 30% off. I spent over $600 on 2 separate orders. An example was The Doors LA Woman on Rhino 180 g vinyl. The price was something like $20.07 - the 30%, so for $14.05......... quite a nice price. Comparison shopping is a priority for me. Searching every angle has produced some extremely attractive pricing for me.

 

I was a record collector for more than 25 years now, but stopped buying records. I don't support such insane prices anymore. I will buy a CD for 12 Euro instead. I also skipped the new LUCIFER album on vinyl - it was 24 Euro...!!! I bought the CD for 13 Euro...that's the half price.

 

Price gouging for old technology-yup, that sounds about right.

 

Well, if we're going to consider inflation-adjusted pricing, then it should be mentioned that when vinyl was $3.50 it was a standard pressing that could often be stellar. Now we get this two-tier scenario where it's either reasonably priced and likely made on the cheap, or premium priced heavy-weight vinyl with all kinds of pedigree involved. Sure there were "Audiophile" alternatives back then, but truth is the run-of-the-mill pressings were usually pretty great value.