What is up with LP, CD, and LaserDisc prices here recently?

I've been collecting music/media for a while (say over 25 years or so). I've noticed a very rapid increase in prices recently. What I mean is that say Discogs shows the price graph with the three price points low to high, which most should gauge from. Say we have $9 low, $17 mid and $28 high. So..... with this new idiotic trend I see, almost every seller has a VG graded item (not VG+) listed at or around the high $28 price point. This makes absolutely no sense to me. I could understand getting $25 to $35 out of a VG+/NM- semi rare item from the 80s or 90s. Are sellers price gouging most of us now just cause they can and know we might pay it, just so they can make a extra buck or two off run of the mill stuff? I get it's their item and they have the discretion on what price they list it at. What I don't get or like is the item is a VG graded item and is "Generally worth 25% of Near Mint value" so the seller wants me to pay more for less?

 

What happens on the internet stays on the internet. Prices and grading are very fluid. Inflation of prices and grading is the norm. Regional differences and where stock is, and how well served an area is by record stores has an impact on what people are willing to pay. There is also generational perception and purchasing differences at play. It also seems to be a very narrow range of specific bands/artists that hold interest.

 

LaserDiscs?

Has there been a resurgence in popularity and a wave of nostalgia...?

 

Quite possibly. I collect LaserDiscs from Japan along with some US titles as well. Usually the ones with music videos. I've just noticed how prices have been inflated here recently with used items. I'm baffled

 

Another question...
Does any company manufacture new LaserDisc players now?

 

I believe that the last LaserDisc player that was manufactured was in the late 2000s.
From Wikipedia: Pioneer announced the end of LaserDisc player production in January 2009.

 

I still buy the odd one here and there... I actually prefer them to Blu-ray releases. Thinking of delving into VHDs soon... obtaining a player for those will be interesting.

 

Why do you prefer LDs over Blu-ray?

 

They are probably becoming older and more collectible. If you look at the big picture they weren't that popular to start with so there are not as many around as VHS or CD's. I would like to have a player but I would like more to have a CED player and discs and it never ends. Too many interesting things around and not enough money or space.

 

VHD are pretty rubbish quality compared to LD, barely better than VHS. Unless there is something on VHD and not LD or VHS. The tjing with VHS is that you can get a high-quality S-VHS player and capture in better quality than anything VHS will ever give you. VHD never lasted long enough to have a HLD-X0 equivalent player.

I bought a VHD player in 2013 for anime titles that never made it to LD (mainly VICTOR titles thanks, VICTOR). I have the best VICTOR and NATIONAL players.

But back on topic, this kind of thing is out of control. I have laugh and shake me head when some seller on ebay au has, say, Fernando 7" and calls it "rare". Same with Arrival and ABBA, two of the biggest selling records ever in this country.

 

There's something intrinsically cool with playing LDs... the sheer size of the disc, noise of a player spinning a disc (sad I know), video/especially audio quality... the whole experience feels like an event.
Video quality varies of course but music concerts/videos tend to have the best quality in terms of video/audio. Movies are a mixed bag, I can only think of one disc in my collection with terrible (almost unwatchable) PQ.


My only bug bear with the format is the longevity of the players and the fact it costs a fortune to import them from the US and Japan so I tend to only buy the titles I truly love.

 

Yeah, there's a couple of titles on VHD that haven't made LD that I was looking at the other night. In any case I doubt I'd splash too much money on VHD. As with Laserdisc releases the cover artwork is lush
I remember hearing about some new-old-stock Victor players for sale, although that's going back a couple of years... will have to find it again

 

I would advise being cautious with those new old stock players. They are usually the very cheap and nasty players from the end of VHD's life. The time VICTOR waa making them for karaoke. The VICTOR HD-9500/HD-X1 are the best from VICTOR and the NATIONAL ...gah, "something-something" 830 is the best non-VICTOR player. Brain is not working at the moment.

Although, with VHD you have the problem of either buying a junk quality "new-old stock" that should work perfectly. Or, a "best quality" player that is "junk" condition and may not play. I was lucky with both my VICTORs as they are perfect condition, back when no one outside Japan knew what VHD was, so they cost me a couple of hundred yen (then $200 shipping!)

I was not so lucky with the NATIONAL. It looks quite junky (these things have sat around junk stores in Japan for over 30 years and have not been treated well) which was fine for me, as long as it played. I always thought I would try for a nice condition one in Japan. It does not play, though. It starts up but when the stylus gets to the disc, it just returns to resting position after 3 seconds. It is a common problem apparently and it is not the stylus. I bought another unit for ¥500 recently because the stupid seller listed it as a "broken laserdisc player". They described the "tray not coming out" as a problem, lol! Should be here on the slow boat soon. I waa not paying EMS fees for another of those things.

 

Thanks for the useful advice I've come to the conclusion that I was born in the wrong decade (although I've known this for some time)

Here's where I saw the NOS Victor player... (this chap had issues with the loading mechanism from the get go (dried grease))



In any case I'd try for the HD-9500 you recommend - heh, I remember looking for a LD-S2 from Japan and my eyes almost popping out at the EMS postage (28Kg) I do like the LD-S1 too although similar postage Maybe one day.... and then there's all the import duty. I just run a LD-V8000 at home which I got for under $100 + shipping... at least these industrial players are built like a tank which'll last a little longer

 

Haha! I would LOVE to get an LD-X1/S2 from Japan! Prices for the units are now insane, but yeah, that weight is also a killer. My dream is still tye HLD-X0, one day.....

My HLD-X9 cost me $260 shipping via DHL (sadly! I do not like DHL. It was too heavy for EMS). Back in the good old days (I.E before July 2018) we only paid import duty on items over $1000. The HLD-X9 cost me $720 in or so in 2017, but thanks to the shipping charge and change in dollar by the time it got here, it was over the mark by about $20. So I then had to pay over $300 to those DHL bastards before they would release it. I was not impressed.

Thanks to our P.O.S government, and the homophobic bogan arsehole that now runs it, we have to pay 10% on every single cent we spend. They even had the nerve to put this on the SELLER! This is why I can no longer buy anything from Amazon.jp, Amazon.co.uk or any European Amazon. I had to go back to using a proxy in Japan to get my games from amazon. I hate this country sometimes.

 

I used to think my CLD-97 was heavy, until I got an LD-S2. I thought I was going to develop a hernia just unpacking it and getting it set up in my equipment rack. I guess to folks that are accustomed to moving high-end amps around it's not that bad, but by LD player standards the S2 is definitely a beast.

 

Indeed! The X9 weighs a tone and it is about two-thirds the weight of the X0 and I think it is a bit lighter than the X1/S2 as well. Back when there was actual quality put into expensive electronics. Nothing like the rubbish plastic BD/UBD players that are sold these days.

 

Per Pioneer LaserDisc - LaserDisc UK Web Site :

Both the CLD-97 and the X9 weigh 17 kg.

The X1/S2 weighs 28 kg.

The X0 weighs 36 kg.

 

Haha! That is why if I ever get an X0, it will be in person in Japan and that bastard will be with me all the way home!

I originally wrote that the X9 was half the weight of the X0, should not have changed it! It is a shame that such a high priced premium product like the X9 was downgraded so much from the X0, even the X1/S2 is better quality.