Are all these Special Edition records gonna kill the industry

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by Bhob, Sep 16, 2018.

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  1. Bhob

    Bhob Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Atlanta Ga
    I’ve noticed in the last year or so that there seems to be a lot of special release records - colored vinyl, picture discs, etc. with higher than the usual over the top prices. I remember back in the 90s when the comics industry almost destroyed itself with limited edition colored covers, foil, multiple covers. People got fed up with the higher prices and limited availability and just stopped buying. Are you buying into this?

    This was prompted by the soon to be released Jean Michel Jarre release that will be available with 2 different covers, but you won’t be able to choose which one you get. Will you avoid buying it because you don’t wanna get the lesser of the 2 covers, do you not care which cover you get, or will you not buy it at all?
     
  2. Chris S.

    Chris S. Forum Resident

    Location:
    West Babylon, NY
    That stuff is not a big deal to me. I don't buy picture discs so that isn't an issue and am ambivalent about colored vinyl. I usually buy whichever version cheaper.

    For me it's all about the pressing...I am happy with clean, good sounding copies.
     
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  3. Kiss73

    Kiss73 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Scotland
    Greed doesn't seem to be able to make the music industry implode....and god knows they've tried......
     
  4. vinylontubes

    vinylontubes Forum Resident

    Location:
    Katy, TX
    I don't think this is problem. The Millennials might be into this stuff. I personally couldn't care less about colored vinyl. And if wasn't for the mastering, I honestly wouldn't buy 180g vinyl. I personally think the special editions are more to spur impulse purchases. Vinyl will decline when people get sick of storing their vinyl just as it did in the 80s.

    An obvious thing that should be noted is that comic books aren't records. Comic books are continuously updated stories. Comic book stores have to sell monthly. You need a continuous stream of customers that come back regularly. Comic readers figured out that you don't have to actually do that. You can actually just wait for a story arc to complete and buy the collected comics bound in a single graphic novel. Music is much different than comics. Music closer to novels, where an author releases a book every few years. I don't see people complaining about special editions of novels being the downfall of book stores. E-readers much the same way MP3 players for music are obviously more to blame for closing of the large chains in both markets.
     
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  5. Chemguy

    Chemguy Forum Resident

    Location:
    Western Canada
    I don’t like it, but I’m not sure it’s going to wreck things.

    Annoying and innocuous.
     
    Jimmy B. likes this.
  6. ssmith3046

    ssmith3046 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Arizona desert
    Bring them on. The more the merrier. I only buy into what I want to. The music industry will survive.
     
    Last edited: Sep 16, 2018
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  7. INSW

    INSW Senior Member

    Location:
    Georgia
    Yes, this is what's going to kill the music industry.
     
  8. DeRosa

    DeRosa Vinyl Forever

    Special editions won't kill the industry, running out of things that people actually want to pay for is the much larger problem.
    It's not like the industry can rely on titles selling multi-million units regularly, feeding the revenue beast.

    Physical media are no longer necessary the way it was before streaming, youtube, downloading etc, so the reality may well be
    that outside of a comparatively small group of audiophiles and vinyl collectors, the only reason to "own" something is for a so-called special edition
    that has some reason to own it beyond the regular content that can be streamed.
     
    lightbulb, Usagi75 and Paully like this.
  9. Gaslight

    Gaslight ⎧⚍⎫⚑

    Location:
    Northeast USA
    No, because it's not a new thing and because, unlike the comics industry in the 1990's, you have digital sales and streaming.

    Vinyl itself is still a niche format, so picture discs and the like are tailored more towards collectors and completionists.
     
  10. They seem to be selling pretty well, especially the colored vinyl limited editions.

    Besides the music industry has tried every way possible to kill itself and it’s survived. I doubt niche special editions (that are clearly selling) will be what does it lol.
     
    lightbulb likes this.
  11. Vaughan

    Vaughan Forum Resident

    Location:
    Essex, UK
    Well, I don't know I'd go as far as to say it's destroying anything - but I do think people have allowed themselves to be drawn into a nasty spiral of commercialism. Needless Limited Editions, needless colored Vinyl - as though you're going to put the damn disc on the wall, or use it as a lamp shade - Record Store Day exclusives, and so on. None of this needs to exist, it serves no purpose other than to drive up prices.

    The worst though is that so many have bought into it. In fact, I'm coming across people who wallow in it, and actively think it's great there are so many exclusives. Instead of telling you about the great music they have and enjoy, they start by telling you what their collection is worth in $ terms. It's nauseating.

    A medium is a vehicle, nothing more. Some prefer CD, some Vinyl, but at the end of the day what ought to matter is the music. Enjoying the music as music. Yet now consumers have bought into this idea that records are "collectables". Like the series of useless of Bowie 7" singles most people don't play. WTF. WTF has happened to music fans?

    David Bowie comes to Vinyl - in Limited Editions. Some of his best his music has been on sale since the early to mid-70's - yet today it's a Limited Edition. Like they won't just release it again later. As if this is your last chance to ever get it on Vinyl.

    But do I blame the record labels? Not entirely. Most of the blame sits with the people that buy into it. People that pay too much for recordings. People that buy mostly to speculate. People who buy as an investment. (Yes, there have always been collectors, but what they collect wasn't made by marketing departments with the express intention to make a collectable).

    The industry is in a sad position, imo. Once again, they don't really know what to do. They give everything away on streaming platforms. They're killing off CD. They're playing with Vinyl - as though it's scarce (it's really not, unless it's designed to be scarce). I have no idea what is next. Part of me no longer cares, since I'll be able to buy what I want in my lifetime. But I often find myself raising an eyebrow at the ridiculous things people do to get music they like in a splatter pressing - because, you know, it looks cool man going around and around on the turntable. Or are they holding it up to the light? Or are they boring their friends? Or - more likely - they're looking on Ebay hoping the secondhand price is on an upward curve. And no, people aren't in any noticeable way getting bored of hyped prices.

    Yeah - disgraceful, imo. But mostly, just plain sad.
     
  12. If I Can Dream_23

    If I Can Dream_23 Forum Resident

    Location:
    United States
    This echoes my thoughts.

    I don't think that having a million and one specialty records out there is even a new thing to begin with. But even if it were, the more options for a music lover to physically see or buy, the better.

    The same with multiple versions existing for a "normal" reissue. It's great that we can choose whether we want to go the exorbitant route and purchase the super deluxe. Or just pick up the standard LP/CD. Or something in between.

    I mean, there's certainly no harm to these endless specialty products being available. The worse that can happen is they won't sell because you are busy buying the physical products you do enjoy. :)

    The open market always sorts this stuff out.
     
    ssmith3046 likes this.
  13. Michael

    Michael I LOVE WIDE S-T-E-R-E-O!

    they know there isn't much time left to drain, milk, suck the coin out of the same collectors that they have been using for the past 35+ years (I'm one of them) with their endless re-masters, reissues, etc and that goes for physical video media as well...so, they are piling them on folks...The millenniums sure ain't going to support this reissue madness....then they'll kill physical media and milk them with streaming...LOL. Win, Win...
     
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  14. Thievius

    Thievius Blue Oyster Cult-ist

    Location:
    Syracuse, NY
    I think this is way down on the list personally, with streaming at or near the top.
     
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  15. If I Can Dream_23

    If I Can Dream_23 Forum Resident

    Location:
    United States
    Yes.

    If enjoying the purchase of a RSD item or a Yellow Submarine picture disc is the worse thing that we (or the industry) has to worry about, then life is good! :)
     
  16. Scott in DC

    Scott in DC Forum Resident

    Location:
    Washington, DC
    I don't think so as long as there is also a regular, single LP version of the album in question. I also don't care much for picture disks and multiple LP versions of single LPs (with out takes, etc.) and don't buy them. On the other hand I do like being able to purchase LPs that I don't have, especially those that are too expensive or hard to find in decent condition on the used market, such as original Blue Note LPs.

    As long as single LPs reissues are available I don't see a problem with "special editions" for those who want them.

    Scott
     
  17. As long as they come with marbles I'm happy.
     
  18. leeroy jenkins

    leeroy jenkins Forum Resident

    Location:
    The United States
    You may have just noticed it in the last year, but this has been going on forever. Did people avoid buying In Through the Outdoor in 1979 because they couldn't tell which of 6 possible cover variations they were buying? Did anyone that bought the white vinyl white album in 1978 already own a copy on black vinyl? Picture discs, etched vinyl, colored vinyl, cover variations, limited editions, etc...nothing new.
     
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  19. ibekeen

    ibekeen Forum Resident

    Location:
    California
    I like how the record companies were suing napster users because they refused to see downloading as an incoming trend they could have controlled. Seriously, how many times do I have to buy "Help" by the Beatles to truly outright own it? Vinyl, cassettes, comps, 8tracks, reissued vinyl etc etc etc
     
  20. ytserush

    ytserush Forum Resident

    Location:
    Northeast US
    For me it depends on the band and the release.

    Unless I'm a huge fan of the band or the release, I generally don't bother.
     
  21. zen

    zen Senior Member

    :laugh:
     
  22. BigBadWolf

    BigBadWolf Forum Resident

    Location:
    Kernersville, NC
    It's only worth anything to another person if they're willing to pay that amount for it. If nobody is willing to purchase part or all of a collection at the price you put on it, it's worthless. Yes, you can vaule it yourself, and maybe someone else can, but ultimately it's just another item in your home
     
  23. Buddy>Elvis

    Buddy>Elvis Senior Member

    Location:
    New Zealand
    I don't think it will kill the industry as they're doing it to try and save their revenue streams. What it will do is suck up valuable pressing time and cause more delays due to the limited number of pressing plants. Indie band X has to wait 6 months to get their 45 pressed due to Record Company Y sucking up resources due to another 100 RSD releases of questionable merit.
     
  24. aphexj

    aphexj Sound mind & body

    Late-stage capitalism: when the bourgeoisie abandon all luxury goods like special editions, and the record pressing plants are overturned and colour vinyl runs red in the gutters underfoot
     
  25. Bhob

    Bhob Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Atlanta Ga
    I bought (and still own) all 6. Nifty idea...if you don’t overdo it.
     
    leeroy jenkins likes this.
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