The Worst Pricing You've Seen at a Record Store

Discussion in 'Marketplace Discussions' started by LitHum05, May 6, 2019.

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  1. lazydawg58

    lazydawg58 Know enough to know how much I don't know

    Location:
    Lillington NC
    What I am saying is that paying $50, $100, $200 or more for a record as an investment or as someone that likes collecting for the sake of collecting I can understand. But paying that kind of money for an album when your purpose is to build a listening library isn't understandable.

    The 1st David Bowie album mentioned earlier for example is available as a vinyl reissue for $20-$30. Dark Side of the Moon, new 2014 pressing is $26.01 with free shipping. Led Zepplin II is $22.

    Reissues should hold down the price for common classic rock albums that aren't Robert Ludwig mastered LZ II albums in NM condition. It should create a leveling out of prices from these absurd inflated prices some sellers try to get for VG grade albums. On the other hand it stands to reason that those classic rock albums that haven't gotten a recent repressing because the general public hasn't created a spike in demand might see rising prices among vinyl enthusiasts.
     
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  2. Old Zorki II

    Old Zorki II Storm Watcher

    Location:
    near Tampa, FL
    I would totally disagree. Most of reissues sound very different ( I would not use word “worse” as tastes are different). Especially lesser known acts.

    And go holding prices.. May be for some records, but not for rare ones. How much cheaper Growers of Mushrooms became after recent reissue?
     
    Last edited: Oct 24, 2019
    Dennis Metz, LitHum05 and lazydawg58 like this.
  3. Andy Saunders

    Andy Saunders Always a pleasure never a chore

    Location:
    England
    Oxfam shops in The UK.:(
     
  4. lazydawg58

    lazydawg58 Know enough to know how much I don't know

    Location:
    Lillington NC
    I guess I should have qualified what I said. For audiophiles hearing differences in various masterings is a big thing. Most people aren't audiophiles, but just average listeners with average equipment, income and ears. Most people aren't going to compare the original pressing to the reissue, they are just going to listen and enjoy what they have and having Dark Side of the Moon at $26 is a lot more practical than having it at $75.

    So I do get it if you have thousands of dollars invested in a stereo in a perfectly positioned listening room, are upper middle class to wealthy on the economic spectrum, and your hearing is close to as good as it gets.

    But most record buyer aren't audiophiles are they?
     
  5. lazydawg58

    lazydawg58 Know enough to know how much I don't know

    Location:
    Lillington NC
    That is why I said, "common" classic rock albums. The ones that sold hundreds of thousands or more. Boston, Rush, Leon Russell, Rolling Stones, Allman Brothers, ZZ Top, Carol King, James Taylor, Roxy Music.
     
  6. Old Zorki II

    Old Zorki II Storm Watcher

    Location:
    near Tampa, FL
    I see.
    Now your point is well understood, and I tend to agree with it.
     
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  7. Old Zorki II

    Old Zorki II Storm Watcher

    Location:
    near Tampa, FL
    Yeh, but most of them are LESS then reprints, and it was this way for a long time.
    As you said -some people care less about quality, and in this case will simply buy beat up record very cheap )). And often in great shape.
    Why anyone will buy Linda Rondstatt or James Taylor new represses, if even in NM shape they can be had for 5 dollars everywhere?
    They will not get cheaper on used market just because now $25 180 gr represses available in Walmart...
     
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  8. lazydawg58

    lazydawg58 Know enough to know how much I don't know

    Location:
    Lillington NC
    I was a little clumsy with that one.:oops: I guess I mean they will stay reasonably priced and those that are more costly right now, in the $12 to $20 range at the higher priced used record stores might edge down a bit. A common used record should probably be significantly less than half that of the reissue so $5 to $8 might be about right at a brick and mortar, $2 to $4 at the consignment table and $1 or less anywhere else.
     
  9. LitHum05

    LitHum05 El Disco es Cultura Thread Starter

    Location:
    Virginia
    I paid $170 for a UK first pressing of Dark Side of the Moon. It’s the most I’ve ever paid for a record. But I don’t regret it. Listen to it in its pure analog glory at least once every two weeks.
     
  10. lazydawg58

    lazydawg58 Know enough to know how much I don't know

    Location:
    Lillington NC
    That's a lot of money! If you don't mind me asking, what kind of investment do you have in your stereo, what is it? The most I've spent is $50 for a Grateful Dead Steal Your Face. I had been looking for a good copy for a while and called a guy I know that sells at the Record Shows. I asked him to bring a copy of that and Europe 72 if he had them. I expected to pay half that but what could I say, $50 for it and $30 for the other one. I felt obligated so I bite the bullet and laid down the cash. Other than that I'm waiting on a single from Germany to arrive, (The O'Kaysions I'm A Girl Watcher on the original North State Label) that with shipping is setting me back $38. 90 % of what I buy is less than $2 that I clean up and either keep, give away, or sell for $4 at a consignment table. The other 10 % are things I collect, Capricorn label albums, local / regional artists, artists I saw in clubs or concerts in my youth, Bluegrass, Soul, and Blues. In those cases I will pay more, but seldom more that $10-$15. Most of those things are relatively inexpensive with the exception of Blues which almost always seems to be expensive.
     
  11. Old Zorki II

    Old Zorki II Storm Watcher

    Location:
    near Tampa, FL
    For me Capricorn recordings ar just great and inexpensive way to get a collection of good sounding southern rock records which sounds miles better then later digital “ remasters”. It helps to be a fan of Southern Rock of course ))).
     
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  12. Old Zorki II

    Old Zorki II Storm Watcher

    Location:
    near Tampa, FL
    When did you got for this money? 5ey have been much more pricey recently.
     
  13. LitHum05

    LitHum05 El Disco es Cultura Thread Starter

    Location:
    Virginia
    When did I buy it? I think around 2016. Right outside Washington, DC.
     
  14. Old Zorki II

    Old Zorki II Storm Watcher

    Location:
    near Tampa, FL
    So you played it 70 times since you got it, give or take? And it still in good shape?
     
  15. LitHum05

    LitHum05 El Disco es Cultura Thread Starter

    Location:
    Virginia
    I do alternate, though, because I have four other vintage pressings. It still sounds good, but was never quite as clean as some of my later ones.
     
  16. Old Zorki II

    Old Zorki II Storm Watcher

    Location:
    near Tampa, FL
    Amazing! I can no longer enjoy this record, as I heard it so many times, sometimes with a boost of certain herbal supplement I no longer use ))).
     
  17. Dennis Metz

    Dennis Metz Born In A Motor City south of Detroit

    Location:
    Fonthill, Ontario
    The profile page is your friend
     
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  18. InStepWithTheStars

    InStepWithTheStars It's a miracle, let it alter you

    Location:
    North Carolina
    I do think that there reaches a point at which it becomes psychological. Yes, it's very cool to own a first pressing of your favorite album in great condition. But I do agree that, unless there's no other good-sounding version, it does seem strange to spend the money and just not play it. But it's also natural to want to keep it in pristine shape and not play it. It then becomes a piece of art, kind of. It has the historical and sentimental value to you even though you're really not using it in its intended purpose.

    I generally try to avoid that, but I would be lying if I said I didn't do that from time to time. I have a few sealed Waterboys CDs which are exact duplicates of CDs I already have. I'll never open the seal or do anything with it. But it makes me happy to have. Of course there's a difference between $170 for a pristine first-pressing Dark Side Of The Moon LP and $1 at a flea market for a sealed Dream Harder CD, which Geffen produced tens of thousands of in 1993.
     
    Last edited: Oct 30, 2019
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  19. dreamingtree1855

    dreamingtree1855 Filthy vinyl spinning hipster millennial

    Location:
    New Jersey
    Bop Street here in Seattle has prices that are just stupid. Common classic rock records that are $10 in great shape at all of the other area stores will be beat up and priced at $25-30. Their "bargain bin" is all priced at $8 or $9! It's always a disappointment, but I keep going back just because I feel like there must be some treasures lurking in there. Haven't found any yet.
     
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  20. lazydawg58

    lazydawg58 Know enough to know how much I don't know

    Location:
    Lillington NC
    In a city as large as Seattle I'm sure there are a good number of used record options for buyers. What keeps a place like this in business? Is it their location, do they cater to higher income set of buyers? It seems like comparison shopping like you describe would lead to fewer and fewer repeat customers.
     
  21. Raunchnroll

    Raunchnroll Senior Member

    Location:
    Seattle
    With Bop St. its the huge inventory. I buy there maybe once a month or so. The more collectible/harder titles tend to be priced closer to market value. So while an $8 Styx LP might be at 24.99 (these seem to sell to the casual walk in non-collector types) a scarce blues record will be 79.99, about what they go for on discogs/ebay.
     
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  22. Raunchnroll

    Raunchnroll Senior Member

    Location:
    Seattle
    Why wouldn't it? Proper storage and handling + a good turntable = keeps it nice. I've many records I've played hndreds of times over the decades and they are still pristine.
     
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  23. lazydawg58

    lazydawg58 Know enough to know how much I don't know

    Location:
    Lillington NC
    Interesting strategy. So they have two types of customers, (1) high end collectors looking for obscure recordings and (2) casual buyers that probably are use to seeing new records in the $20 + range so they don't get sticker shock when they see similar prices for used albums. But they are giving up the (3) average collectors that buy common records in larger quantities and (4) bargin hunting crate diggers. So they sell fewer common records but at higher prices. It would seem to me that a lot of those casual buyers are going to either, eventually lose interest after they fill up that little record rack in the living room or gradually evolve into either type 3 or 4. At that point they would abandon this type of shop in favor of others. But I wasn't a business major so I might be totally clueless.
     
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  24. Old Zorki II

    Old Zorki II Storm Watcher

    Location:
    near Tampa, FL
    Wow, interesting. I read somewhere that after 70-100 plays record would start to significantly deteriorate (some treatments like LAST claim to increase this time). Good to know (I rarely play they same record in 3-4 month, so it would sound fresh anyway, but still.)
     
  25. lazydawg58

    lazydawg58 Know enough to know how much I don't know

    Location:
    Lillington NC
    Sometimes records that look good / pristine, even after cleaning play with a static sound. I've always assumed that was groove deterioration caused by a damaged stylus or improper tonearm setting. I thought if the turntable was set up properly and not a cheap player it would track with no noise or damage. Am I wrong about this?
     
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