Vinyl so expensive rant

The Smiths weren't really that popular in the UK. Even less so in the US. Popular would be Alison Moyet or Michael Jackson.

 

The Smiths were the biggest "cult" band in the UK from 1984-1987. They never played arenas in the UK but that was almost certainly through choice. Their studio LPs either went to number 1 or 2. £25-30 for a quality copy of an original Queen is Dead is a very fair price.

 

To discover its true condition you must open and play it.
The best grade it can then receive is near mint as it has been played.

 

Sorry but 25-30 quid for a nm Queen Is Dead is not ridiculous.It's extremely competitive! A reissue will cost you 20-25 in HMV! You're point about Smiths originals not being rare is true.However nm Smiths originals is a different matter.
The same can be applied to any collectable record,including those that sold heavily on original release.You are falling over original Beatles,Zeppelin,Sabbath,Floyd albums on eBay and discogs.But truely ex or nm copies are rare birds! That's why you pay a premium for them.
I agree that the vinyl resurgence has brought out the chancers and that the internet has not helped in that the market is now much more global.However,I think you need to decide if you want originals or reissues.
The 'it's just a piece of plastic in a cardboard sleeve ' comment,whilst literally true,unfortunately does not hold water in any area of collecting.A piece of Chippendale furniture is just carved wood isn't it? It's about desirability against availability.
Anything is 'fundamentally worth'what the buyer is willing to pay,be it a can of baked beans,the Mona Lisa or an original Smiths L.P.It's called capitalism,and I fear we are stuck with it for the time being!

 

AMEN! Me too...

 

The whole marketing strategy surrounding the CD takeover in the mid 80's was a masterstroke.Not only the 'perfect sound forever ' bollocks,but also they managed to persuade millions to re-buy music that they already owned! And owned in a better sounding format! Just for a 'lifestyle 'change.The scourge of the minimalist!

 

EVERY market operates on the simple supply / demand law. The world - wide distribution dynamic just adds some flavoring. The same issues have occurred in Vintage Audio Gear, and other markets. Just 1 example follows:

About 15 years ago, I purchased a PIONEER Rt-701 single direction reel-to-reel deck in MINT condition on ebay for $75 + $15 shipping. Now, those units go for North of $350 , some have sold for $650 + $50+ shipping as recently as last Fall.

 

Classic and MFSL are limited edition and that's when they're new. Their titles fetch much more in the out of print market as a rule. Want to buy them, buy them when they are current and available. Not after the edition sold out. The licensing only allows these companies so many pressings, some can be renewed, some not renewable on that front.

 

The record market could go either way, based on the whims of the buying public. In the late 80's and early 90's, people were expecting sports cards to keep increasing, and look what happened there (with the exception of PSA 10s...)

 

Records are a good thermometer for many things in modern life. People say they're too expensive - and surviving 40-60 year old used goodies are certainly getting harder to find (and thus more expensive, generally) - but literally everything is getting more expensive. And to top that off, setting up rigid standards for purchases is just self defeating. A good example is those saying they will never buy a VG record. I have bought many VG records that play fantastic, some are even visually great, and I've bought many NM records tha had readily apparent visual and sonic defects. The grade means almost nothing by itself.

 

2021 may be the year I finally stop buying records.

I own about 1750 records that I've been collecting since 2003 or so -- I've really only had enough disposable income to really afford modern record collecting in the last 5 years, so the majority are from that timeframe.

Here's what I've concluded:

1) Record collecting is very expensive -- most new LPs are $25+ or more, which feels like a lot to be spending on 'any old' album (i.e. not a personal favorite, etc.)
2) Record moving and storing is a major pain -- I've moved with my collection 3 times now, and out of everything I own, moving the records is one of the worst categories of items to move.
3) It's easier than ever to find other ways to listen to music -- I'm not a fan of supporting Spotify necessarily, but between Spotify, Youtube, Soulseek, etc. you have a million ways to hear music, many of which are more convenient than putting on a record (and there are many more ways to support the artists these days as well with Bandcamp, Paypal, etc.)
4) What's really the point of owning an album anyway? I do love having the artwork, but it's a lot to pay just to have the artwork/physical item when it's heavy, it takes up space, no one really cares about your collection (i.e. 'showing off' isn't a valid argument for purchase), etc. etc.
5) So many newer pressings have issues -- I hate the feeling of paying $30 for an album, another $5 to ship it, and then it has a dish warp right out of the package.

I could go on, but these are just my thoughts. I guess I'm at a stage in my life where I feel more like I want to be unloading all of my crap instead of taking more in -- it'd be nice to have a collection of 100-250 records that really mean the most to me, but I think I could let the rest go and get on with my life.