Used CD price gouging on the internet.

Anyone else here notice a trend recently on sites like Fleabay and Thiscogs (coughs) where the seller lists a CD or CD single with a exorbitant price? I watched a Def Leppard CD single go from $10 to around $80 in a time frame of an hour yesterday. I was like holy crap! I completely understand how the bidding process works. It really was the previous bidders fault for placing such a high bid amount on the item, which kind of reminded me of bid shilling. Do these folks realize they are being set up, ripped off and are over paying? What really upsets me even more are these new account overseas sellers listing CDs for double or triple of what they are really worth without even caring to use the statistics or actual price points as a guide. I'm honestly happy I purchased what I could a few years ago. I just feel sorry for the next bloke who has to encounter this phenomenon.

 

Apparently cd's haven't escaped skyrocketing inflation either. Sadly there isn't much out there that doesn't have optimistic pricing on it nowadays.

 

In the age of the smart phone with instant internet access, there is no reason to grossly overpay for any item whether online or in a retail store. Most releases aren’t so rare that a price comparison can’t be made.

Caution should be used buying any high priced disc via mail, especially if the seller is in another country and you have no history of buying from them.

 

"Optimistic" pricing is everywhere.
All the same ... Sellers who really want to sell will have to price realistically - it is a hard fact and corollary of a free market. People buying without checking the market (for lower priced alternatives all things equal) - lose their right to complain.

Interesting angle #1:
There is increasing stretch in the value of used (vinyl and) CDs. What I mean is - that most 2nd hand media are low value/near worthless by the time you factor in necessary shipping costs which are also rising fast (notwithstanding coerced so-called "Free" shipping) . Collectable rare items have increased in price massively - working much harder than money in the bank.
Regarding low value items - Sellers lose the incentive to sell for a pittance/small margin - especially when their own costs are rising. A lot of stuff disappears from the market altogether and permanently.

Interesting angle #2:
Are prices peaking - as the generation who couldn't buy first time around did buy second hand when they could afford it - but now themselves are dying off like the original owners before them.
More true of vinyl admittedly - but these general principles are also true of CDs.

An auction btw is an auction. Auction fetched prices are about the most realistic illustrations of worth than any other estimate. A country mile from a (theoretical) asking price.

 

CD prices are absolutely up.

i recall when 'every' single new CD was $9.99 (or less) on release day, and the sunday papers had flyers in them advertising the low prices.

i have also noticed prices for used CD's in store have gone up of late, by at least 2 - 3 bucks.

 

I don't know why? asking 100.00 for cd it better come with music video hologram too.

 

It has been interesting watching the pricing of Mosaic Records limited edition box sets. Some cd sets remain in demand with prices averaging $40 to $50 per CD, while others soared in price fro a time and then prices retreated to a level at which they originally were sold or even lower at times.

 

That would be interesting with a Divinyls album.

 

One thing that is bound to happen. As older collectors either pass on or downsize, there are bound to be some bargains popping up as sellers want to liquidate a collection quickly rather than try to sell it off
piece by piece at potentially higher prices. That's one advantage of archiving one's collection on a website where it can also be sold, it makes listing a lot quicker if the owner has already done a lot of the work.

 

I don't understand the OP. As a bidder, you can't be ripped off on eBay if you actually bid what you're comfortable paying.

 

It's all just a bunch of greedy flippers and resellers. I posted a 2-disc CD set for sale on FB marketplace, for only $8. No one wants to buy. So it just depends on the demand and the greed.

 

Flippers flip. How can you not find a decent cheap price on a new or used CD? Too many same titles are there by the dozens. Sure, the OOP ones get bids.

 

Asking $168 for Carly Simon's Spy sealed is little crazy.