Amazon AU price watch thread...

Discussion in 'Coupons, Discounts & Sales' started by Jimmy Agates, Sep 20, 2018.

  1. westcj

    westcj I'm like a wombat on the rampage

    Location:
    Western Victoria
    Last edited: Mar 13, 2023
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  2. imarcq

    imarcq Men are from Mars, I'm from Bromley...

    Location:
    Sydney, Australia
    Yep. Some of my best sounding records are the ones pressed in the 60/70s before 180gm was even a twinkle in the record labels eye! I had read before that the thicker records need more time to cool down and that modern factories are too pressured to wait long enough, which explains more dished and non-fill records now than any time in LPs history. We are time poor! Assuming it does leave the factory flat, according to that article the only real bonus is the resilience of heavier plastic less likely to warp in transit...or being left all day at the back of an Amazon van in outer woop-woop! Also the increased weight of transporting your collection is definitely a factor they hit on. I can hardly lift my record boxes and I was lucky that a 7ft tall islander guy was one of my removalists here in Sydney. :)
     
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  3. Eskimo Chain

    Eskimo Chain Unwashed and somewhat slightly dazed....

    I totally get that 180 doesn't make any actually difference, I have some fantastic sounding Mofi albums from 70s and 80s that are only on 140, the copy of rumours I mentioned yesterday would only be 140 but I do prefer the feel of a 180 record when I put it on, you take the Intervention Records pressings for example, the earlier ones pressed at RTI, the weight feels good and they seem to polish the edges as well, such a high quality finish, I am happy to pay extra for that feel even though it means nothing sonically. I have started collecting some records on the Classic Records label as well, it's an expensive habit! especially on some titles but they sound so good! For my money the best reissue label of all time. Many of their titles were done in 140 and 200 versions, there is zero difference in the mastering, it was essentially the same plates used but on the resale market the 200g versions can go for twice as much!! (I know that the 200g titles have a different shape but i doubt that makes any difference) If anyone has ANY of the CR releases of the Led Zep stuff they want to get rid of, hit me up! 140 or 200
     
  4. westcj

    westcj I'm like a wombat on the rampage

    Location:
    Western Victoria
    Some very good points! I believe there is a psychology behind 180-gram records - when you pull a 180-gram record out of its sleeve - it does somehow feel "better". (The weight, heightened expectations?)

    Does this positive state of mind affect your listening of the record? It's heavy and sits nicely on your turntable - immediately you are thinking - "wow, this record has a great sound", when it really is just a bog standard pressing.
     
  5. westcj

    westcj I'm like a wombat on the rampage

    Location:
    Western Victoria
    I know it's off the track, but I am reading Clinton Walker's latest book- "Suburban Songbook, Writing Hits in Post War/ Pre-Countdown Australia", it is a great read.

    He makes the comment that Australian made records are some of the worst pressed records in the world. I would tend to agree, although I do have some colored vinyl records from Tiawan that really scrape the bottom of the audio barrel.
     
    Last edited: Mar 13, 2023
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  6. imarcq

    imarcq Men are from Mars, I'm from Bromley...

    Location:
    Sydney, Australia
    Maybe he doesn't have any Maxicut records cut at Studio 301 Sydney?
     
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  7. Big Swifty

    Big Swifty Forum Resident

    Received this today.

    It is USA and has Chris Bellman's initials in the runouts.

    I can see a Bellman cut from Europe on discogs but not a USA one so who knows....
     
  8. Eskimo Chain

    Eskimo Chain Unwashed and somewhat slightly dazed....

    What is the sound like? It's possible the US one is analogue and the European one is digital, the EU edition has some pretty variable reviews. I don't think I have a CB master I don't like but obviously he can be limited by the source material
     
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  9. Big Swifty

    Big Swifty Forum Resident

    Havent listened to it yet. I was going to return it but I just cant bring myself to do it. I might do a little shoot out later in the week between my various pressings.

    I'll let you know.
     
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  10. imarcq

    imarcq Men are from Mars, I'm from Bromley...

    Location:
    Sydney, Australia
    The Police Around The World

    LP+DVD $35

    Limited-time deal: Around The World Restored & Expanded Limited Edition Silver LP/DVD Server Busy

    [​IMG]
     
  11. Munger74

    Munger74 Forum Resident

    Absolutely correct. Those Maxicut’s are phenomenal! Really quite a ridiculous comment that Australian records aren’t well made. All the AC/DC Aussie albums sound amazing, the original Beatles Aussie first pressings are highly regarded,. Cold Chisel, The Angels and Midnight Oil first pressings sound great too and easily beat modern reissues. The list goes on and on.
     
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  12. westcj

    westcj I'm like a wombat on the rampage

    Location:
    Western Victoria
    I should make it clear that Clinton Walker was referring to original pressings, pre the current renaissance of vinyl releases and reissues. I agree with him, based on my experience. Off the top of my head, I can think of three original Australian pressed records that are well below their USA and UK equivalents in terms of sound quality - I am not a HiFi buff so the difference must be bloody obvious for me to notice! The first Clash LP, Doctor Feelgood's Down By The Jetty and Iggy's Lust For Live.

    Put many original Australian pressings beside the overseas release and the first word I think of is cheap! (I will exclude Tiawan pressings from this comparison!) The sleeve cardboard is thin, the records is inside a crappy plastic inner sleeve and the vinyl is dull, grey and thin (I know this is not necessarily an indication of a dodgy sounding record)

    I am happy to be corrected! Has anyone got examples of Australian original pressings (1950's-1990's) that sound better than their overseas equivalent?
     
    Last edited: Mar 14, 2023
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  13. Big Swifty

    Big Swifty Forum Resident

  14. Big Swifty

    Big Swifty Forum Resident

    Last edited: Mar 14, 2023
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  15. imarcq

    imarcq Men are from Mars, I'm from Bromley...

    Location:
    Sydney, Australia
    I was specifically referring to Aussie pressings mainly from the 70s/80s. Not modern re-issues. I'm not aware of too many current reissue Aussie pressings available today anyway? I think there might be a few small 'boutique' pressing plants in existence. Most sold on Amazon are pressed overseas aren't they?

    I'd agree with @Munger74 that there are plenty of great original Oz pressings from that earlier period. That's not to say there are not LOADS of crappy ones too...we all have them of course, made from inferior imported dupes of master tapes, plastic bag "rain hat" inside, flimsy covers with quickly reassembled artwork etc. However, there's always a bit of cultural cringe that sadly creeps in.

    If I was giving some examples of great sounding original Australian pressings I'd be recommending lots of 1980s EMI records cut using MAXICUT lathe by Studio 301...so there's Duran Duran, Kate Bush (my copy of The Dreaming is the best I've heard). There are a number of EMI Australian Beatles pressings cut by Don Bartley and Alan Parsons that are quite superb too. (Please refer to @Jae book and website for specifics). Beatles Greatest Hits II cut by Alan Parsons (this small detail is important) is a revelation...
     
    Last edited: Mar 14, 2023
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  16. imarcq

    imarcq Men are from Mars, I'm from Bromley...

    Location:
    Sydney, Australia
    Rain Hats
    .....great for wet Aussie weather..

    50Pcs Polylined Record Inner 12''Vinyl LP Sleeves,White AOD https://amzn.asia/d/0sbNjYS

    [​IMG]
     
  17. westcj

    westcj I'm like a wombat on the rampage

    Location:
    Western Victoria
    Very good point, I just find nothing in my collection that screams - "great Australian pressing" when compared to its overseas release. Case in point is Iggy's Lust for Life, a record I love. The original Australian release must be on the thinnest vinyl ever made, you can nearly bend it so the edges meet! I listened to it for years without any issues until I scored an original UK copy a few years ago - It now felt like Iggy was singing in my lounge and my Australian copy sounded like it had a ball of dust on the needle!

    You may be correct about cultural cringe, when I was younger there was always a sense of one-upmanship (one- uppersonship?) about having an imported copy over a local one and import record stores were much cooler to hang out in than Brashs
     
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  18. imarcq

    imarcq Men are from Mars, I'm from Bromley...

    Location:
    Sydney, Australia
    :)

     
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  19. imarcq

    imarcq Men are from Mars, I'm from Bromley...

    Location:
    Sydney, Australia
    I used to find it really easy to sell any of my Aussie pressings at a premium on eBay UK. There's always the attraction of 'the other' and collectors FOMO. Also, likewise, I'd buy common stuff for 50p or £1 at UK record fairs, bring back a full flightcase, and easily flip them all as 'rare UK imports' on eBay Australia :)

    However.... totally changing the subject....eBay Australia is now bloody awful. I just struggle to sell any of my stuff or get enough views unless I pay them upfront to "promote" my item. If you don't pay it gets hidden from most buyers, even if you use all the right keywords. This doesn't happen on eBay UK who also have lots of seller promotions (like 80% off fees for the weekend etc) not available here. How can a business model that purposefully hides sellers listings actually work?
     
  20. westcj

    westcj I'm like a wombat on the rampage

    Location:
    Western Victoria
    Agree with you about eBay, I have a mountain of records/CDs to sell (the CDs may become giveaways!) which I have put off for two years because I cannot stand having to deal with Ebay.

    I should do a record fair instead, however my wife has said she will not help me if I do one. She reminded me that she is still embarrassed about the last time I did one 15- 20 years ago, when I nearly had a teenage girl in tears by refusing to sell a Yes record to her, telling her she should have better taste at her age. - Whoops!
     
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  21. Big Swifty

    Big Swifty Forum Resident

    I take my unwanted/duplicate stuff to my local record shop and get store credit.

    On the weekend, I swapped a bunch of crappy stuff (for me) with a bit of cash for an Australian first pressing of Cream's Disraeli Gears.
     
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  22. Eskimo Chain

    Eskimo Chain Unwashed and somewhat slightly dazed....

    Bargain! I have picked up a few of these and they are all great! Like you Swifty I have been trading up on some stuff that I have, pretty sure I haven't lost any money on Amazon purchases and made money on quite a few
     
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  23. E.Baba

    E.Baba Forum Resident

    My 2c .

    I found AU vinyl generally to have a harsher top end. Actual sleeves always 'cheap'.
    Exceptions of course . Maxicut, Don Bartley and late sixties stuff where the metal plates were sent here.

    EBay. Stopped selling there ten years ago. Blatant ripoff. Sold for less to a local shop when I had more spares.
    I still sell at low rates locally or even give records away.

    However, I am about to list a collectors cartridge on eBay cos it's still the big buyer base.
     
  24. westcj

    westcj I'm like a wombat on the rampage

    Location:
    Western Victoria
    Ebay tries to extricate money from you in every step when you make a listing!
     
  25. westcj

    westcj I'm like a wombat on the rampage

    Location:
    Western Victoria
    Off the track (as usual), one thing that really bugs me about eBay these days is clueless record sellers, trying to jump on the vinyl bandwagon, describing the condition of their records as "Used"!
     

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