Are all these Special Edition records gonna kill the industry

Vinyl is gradually turning from the everyday music medium that it was, into a premium/niche/hipster thing that is enjoyed by the few and costs more. As people die and record collections are being dismantled there will be fewer and fewer that will have to
pay more and more of the industry’s huge costs.

 

And I'll be in my bunker as roving packs of radioactive street gangs scour the abandoned cities, looking for the last remaining record flattener

 

They aren't going to kill the "record" industry. It died a long time ago. There probably aren't enough record buyers to turn a profit on sales of basic packages at a lower cost so the only alternative is to create special editions with features attractive enough to sell at jacked up prices to turn a profit.

 

The industry should take out a lot of things if they want to grow, such as the gimmicks: picture disks, coloured vinyl, a "special edition" that differs from the normal release due to added postcards and sticker on the cover, etc. They also should remove the added compression, noise reduction, etc.

That leaves a good quality product, with hopefully good value for money. The record companies used to think they are a monopoly and don't have to be too concerned about their market. Times have changed, and they are the cause of their own wrong-doing. And instead of trying to cement their remaining consumers, they insult us with over-priced trinkets. It doesn't cut it with me.

 

Someone made a comment earlier that has stuck with me. Needless Limited Editions, high prices, colored Vinyl, and people more concerned about resale value than the music...... the suggestion was that physical sales is now a "collectables market". I sort of dismissed the idea on my mind, but over the days I've come to begin to realize that this acutally has some validity. Huge box sets, exclusive versions from particular vendors, signed prints.....

I ought to go back and credit the person that wrote it - but I'll be damned if they're not correct. Sad.

Okay - I went back:

 

I don't like the idea of "manufactured rarity" i think this whole limited edition thing is being abused, there's too much of it now.

I'm just happy with a decent quality basic pressing in a good quality cover and inner sleeve.

I'm not buying any new vinyl and probably won't buy very much as the prices are outrageous, especially here in Australia with shipping costs.