What is an Obi?

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by marmil, Jul 17, 2017.

Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.
  1. alexpop

    alexpop Power pop + other bad habits....

    Taking to a Japanese person they told me they threw away their obi's, but regreted it when they found out they increased selling value.
     
  2. EwaWoowa

    EwaWoowa Sexiest Monkey Ever...

    Location:
    Zürich
    I can't believe nobody has yet posted:

    "Order of the British Idiots"

    :angel:
     
    Gavinyl likes this.
  3. soundboy

    soundboy Senior Member

    Hong Kong music companies also do the obi thing....

    [​IMG] [​IMG]
    [​IMG] [​IMG]
     
  4. karmaman

    karmaman Forum Resident

    yes, and it's generally referred to as a deletion date. sometimes the dates are the same and the license is for a single pressing.
    it's really not advertising, it's relevant information that once bought leads many to toss them away. however, any japanese record dealer knows that the inclusion of an obi will impact on sales, even among the locals.
     
    Sytze likes this.
  5. karmaman

    karmaman Forum Resident

    absolutely and that's another use of the obi, to designate which pressing and from which year. changes in price can sometimes be made by over-stickering, but often a fresh obi is printed. and in the case of CDs, albums are endlessly reissued under campaigns like the 1000 yen ELO. sometimes the CD within, including the jewel case inserts, are unchanged and ONLY the obi is altered. completist collectors' nightmare.
     
  6. Sytze

    Sytze Senior Member

    Thank you for clearing that up. I remember having read it's advertising but I'm glad there's no truth in that. There must be a lot of cd's that got deleted after two years then...
     
  7. karmaman

    karmaman Forum Resident

    there is some advertising of course, better on the back of the obi than inside the booklet etc. but it's not the sole purpose of the obi certainly. the deletion thing means the end of the license, but it can and often is renewed and off we go again. honestly there are dozens of releases of the same album here, it feels endless. "OOP" refers only to one specific issue too... eBay sellers really milk that term.
     
    Sytze likes this.
  8. fumi

    fumi Forum Resident

    Location:
    United Kingdom
    The only obi you ever need to find.

    [​IMG]
     
    Dave likes this.
  9. Claude

    Claude Senior Member

    Location:
    Luxembourg
    The OBI on the Sam Records reissue mentionned in the opening post is rather unusual.

    Miles Davis - Ascenseur Pour L'Échafaud

    In France, these kind of OBIs only mentionning a critics prize are used for books. I've never seen it on records.

    I wonder if the OBI really existed for the original release or if Sam Records just made it up (the OBI not the prize, which is real).
     
    marmil likes this.
  10. Deek57

    Deek57 Forum Resident

    Aren't they mainly for Japanese folk who cannot read English..
     
    razerx and mr.datsun like this.
  11. mr.datsun

    mr.datsun Incompletist

    Location:
    London
    I wish there was a prize for the person who came up with the best definition of the acronym if it really was one. Optional Belt-Integrated?

    And it's also not a pronoun as some assume. So 'obi' not 'Obi'. I admit it is easy for English speakers to automatically assume some special status for the word and grab one or more CAPS to throw in.

    I think obi-strip probably makes it clearer for English speakers.
     
    Last edited: Jul 20, 2017
  12. mr.datsun

    mr.datsun Incompletist

    Location:
    London
    Other observations:

    I saw a range of Jazz CDs in Fopp Records that sported obi's with katakana (japanese phonetic script for foreign words) on them. They looked Japanese, but on closer inspection it said made in Europe. Fake obi! Misleading, too.

    Obis on European LPs do not turn me on. And also obis should loop around LPs top-to-bottom, not be an annoying spine-fold around that's hard to get back in a poly outer. imo.

    The ones at top of CDs are an annoyance because you cannot slip them inside the booklet – too long.
     
    Last edited: Jul 20, 2017
  13. Sneaky Pete

    Sneaky Pete Flat the 5 and That’s No Jive

    Location:
    NYC USA
    OBI is a common crossword puzzle word, but the clue usually relates to the sash used around the waist of a Kimono.

    I always kept the Obi's that came with my CDs and LPs just because I thought the Japanese Kanji looked cool.
     
    Dave likes this.
  14. Peter_R

    Peter_R Maple Syrple Gort Staff

    Location:
    Montreal, Canada
    Reading this thread has got me thinking that obis would have been useful in North America, too.
    It's too often that I've seen album art marred by UPC codes. An obi could have prevented that.
    Could also have contained the same information you'd see on a hype sticker.

    Personally, I never cared if a used CD came with or without the obi. In fact, I've saved money picking up titles that other collectors may have passed on.
    As long as the music is intact, I'm happy.
     
    Yost likes this.
  15. vinyl diehard

    vinyl diehard Two-Channel Forever

    Imagine kids years ago thinking that bubble gum hockey and ball cards would be worth anything.
     
    Spin Doctor likes this.
  16. Holy Diver

    Holy Diver Senior Member

    Location:
    USA
    I love Japanese CDs from the '80s, and I would never buy one without an obi. :shake:
     
    karmaman likes this.
  17. Spin Doctor

    Spin Doctor Forum Resident

    This is so sad, it's hilarious. Cause dude was dead serious...
     
  18. Holy Diver

    Holy Diver Senior Member

    Location:
    USA
    Confucius say, "What is more valuable, first Japanese pressing without obi, or second Japanese pressing with obi?" :)

    [​IMG]
     
    Last edited: Aug 2, 2017
    c-eling likes this.
  19. c-eling

    c-eling They're made of light,We never would have guessed

    I suffer from this conundrum, especially when they contain the exact mastering. I put both as equal :laugh:
    Value wise, not sure probably down for the major collector. I paid 7 bucks for it (CSR Triangle) so I'm not too concerned
    [​IMG]
     
    Last edited: Aug 2, 2017
    AlanDistro and Holy Diver like this.
  20. Holy Diver

    Holy Diver Senior Member

    Location:
    USA
    I don't know. Your Black Triangle is a rare CD pattern. Does it override the value of the obi of the second pressing?
     
  21. let him run...

    let him run... Senior Member

    Location:
    Colchester, VT USA
    I think perhaps to give other pieces of information to the Japanese buyer without altering the original artwork. Information that may be on the cover, but in English.
     
    altaeria likes this.
  22. c-eling

    c-eling They're made of light,We never would have guessed

    I guess it depends on what the buyer is looking for. I bit the bullet on a Front 242-Front By Front CSR with an OBI when I had a chance to go cheaper without. That Japan CSR Triangle I only paid like 7 bucks for, the Pastmaster was more.
     
    Holy Diver likes this.
  23. Holy Diver

    Holy Diver Senior Member

    Location:
    USA
    Some people say CDs without obi are incomplete, so I guess the market really likes them.
     
    c-eling likes this.
  24. let him run...

    let him run... Senior Member

    Location:
    Colchester, VT USA
    I've always assumed "Obi-strip" was being used when speaking about an obi on a CD, because they don't wrap around like an LP obi, but are just a strip along the side. Not a belt or sash.
     
  25. GodBlessTinyTim

    GodBlessTinyTim Forum Resident

    Location:
    Ontario, Canada
    I was going to say it's a funny-looking 20-dollar bill wrapped around the side of a CD, but that gets the idea across just as well.
     
Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.

Share This Page

molar-endocrine