WTF IS IT WITH WANNABE WHOLESALE (AP PART 2)
Jonny_Paycheck
17,825 Posts
Seriously, I mean no offense to my good friends, customers, cronies, and otherwise nice folks from lands far away. But this is starting to happen so often I just have to speak on it.I just had a guy from overseas call me telling me he had come to the shop before and bought some stuff (I remembered him) and that if I could get 2-3 copies of each title he bought he would love to come back and get more. And could I please give a discount price if he buys quantity? Because he has "friends" that would like this record also. Just the other day I had another overseas customer who wanted me to sell him a $30 record for $15. "I buy more for cheaper price". Well that and $2 will get me on the subway.LISTEN MOTHERFUCKERS. I don't sell records for my health. I sell them because I love music and I find that I am able to make a living knowing about it and selling it on vinyl. Audio Two 12" is $20, sealed. I have 6 copies. I do not have Nice & Smooth LP in triplicate, I have one copy it is $25 I think. I had another one but I sold it, because my rent is due every month and you only come here twice a year. And I am not here to help you make a profit with all your "friends" who are actually "customers". I cut 5-10% off the top of most big sales. I am not going to give you a record for 50% of what I myself can sell it for. Why do these motherfuckers think we Americans were born yesterday. Like I'm an idiot. I don't understand how on ebay you have these cats overseas that spend through the roof for records, and at the same time then you have these bottom-feeders that want to nickle and dime you on rare records. "$150? How about $80?" If I wanted to take $80 for the damn record I would've put that on the price tag. At least have some respect and offer me $100. Fuck boys.end rant.I love you guys. Seriously.No for real.For serious.YAY!
Comments
Sometimes I feel like jacking up my initial prices when I sell online. It's like dudes are always going to hit you up for a discount when they buy a few joints **and** when you give them the 5-10% off, they don't think it's good enough.. even when the original price is more than fair...
blah...
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You're now tuned into the muh'fuckin greatest
Turn the music up in the headphones
Tim, you can go and brush your shoulder off nigga
I got you, yeah
[Chorus: Jay-Z]
If you feelin like a pimp nigga, go and brush your shoulders off
Ladies is pimps too, go and brush your shoulders off
Niggaz is crazy baby, don't forget that boy told you
Get, that, dirt off your shoulder
[Verse One]
I probably owe it to y'all, proud to be locked by the force
Tryin to hustle some things, that go with the Porsche
Feelin no remorse, feelin like my hand was forced
Middle finger to the law, nigga grip'n my balls
All the ladies they love me, from the bleachers they screamin
All the ballers is bouncin they like the way I be leanin
All the rappers be hatin, off the track that I'm makin
But all the hustlers they love it just to see one of us make it
Came from the bottom the bottom, to the top of the pots
Nigga London, Japan and I'm straight off the block
Like a running back, get it man, I'm straight off the block
I can run it back nigga cause I'm straight with the Roc
[Chorus]
[Chorus Two]
You gotta get, that, dirt off your shoulder
You gotta get, that, dirt off your shoulder
You gotta get, that, dirt off your shoulder
You gotta get, that, dirt off your shoulder
[Verse Two]
Your homey Hov' in position, in the kitchen with soda
I just whipped up a watch, tryin to get me a Rover
Tryin to stretch out the coca, like a wrestler, yessir
Keep the Heckler close, you know them smokers'll test ya
But like, fifty-two cards when I'm, I'm through dealin
Now fifty-two bars come out, now you feel 'em
Now, fifty-two cars roll out, remove ceiling
In case fifty-two broads come out, now you chillin
with a boss bitch of course S.C. on the sleeve
At the 40/40 club, ESPN on the screen
I paid a grip for the jeans, plus the slippers is clean
No chrome on the wheels, I'm a grown-up for real
[Chorus + Chorus Two]
[Verse Three]
Your boy back in the building, Brooklyn we back on the map
Me and my beautiful beeeeeeeitch in the back of that 'Bach
I'm the realest that run it, I just happen to rap
I ain't gotta clap at 'em, niggaz scared of that black
I drop that +Black, Album+ then I back, out it
As the best rapper alive nigga ask about me
From Bricks to Billboards, from grams to Grammys
The O's to opposite, Orphan Annie
You gotta pardon Jay, for sellin out the Garden in a day
I'm like a young Marvin in his hey'
I'm a hustler homey, you a customer crony
Got some, dirt on my shoulder, could you brush it off for me?
[Chorus + Chorus Two]
You're now tuned into the muh'fuckin greatest
Best rapper alive, best rapper alive
Fuck what is asking for that type of discount especially on single or few but expensive purchases saying "you know that hundred dollar record can i give you 70 bucks for it" to you expect the owner to say "oh sure here is a free 30$ jawn enjoy" fuckouthere
Johnny im sure you pick up the phone and hear this and end up very pleased "cool I'll lose money!"
There are always gonna be ecords that I only break even or lose money on. It all evens out. It's part of the game. But at least have some respect when you step to a negotiation.
$100 ------> you buy quantity -------> he buy quantity -------> 75(yes)
$10,000,000------------->keep that shit(you're rich now, paychecks)
ok, I was at this out-of-the-way 'Android's Dungeon' type spot the other day & after looking through the unpriced mixed-up lps, twelves & dirty, unsleeved sevens - I come up to the counter with maybe 10 disco twelves( nothing too exciting, just like some less than choice discomix & hi-energy bobby orlando type shit) & a handful of rare multi-hundred dollar northern 45s.
in the past, all the twelves were 4 bucks each & japanese digging teams cleared out anything worth any money ages ago. the dude starts looking all the 12s up one-by-one on gemm & saying, "the cheapest one I see is $25, these are very rare, I can't sell them to you, blah, blah" & I'm all saying "Wow, golly gee-whiz, that rare huh?" & steeling myself so I don't get all aggro & push his atari 2600 monitor into his fucking lap. Then he looks up the 45s & they are all actually rare, so none of them are on there & he sells them to me for a buck each & I walk out pleasantly thinking 'you just fucked youself asshole'
what happened to actually having knowledge in your chosen field?
It actually seems like people know less than ever in the internetted world.
You think that's tough try being in the mailorder graymarket electronics business. I did that for five years. People trying to hustle you down to a $5 profit. People buying shit at a $5 profit and then returning it after they've used it. Fraud, scams, liars, thieves! More than 75% of the orders we received were fraudulent. Most were obvious (shipping to Nigeria, Indonesia, etc.; large quanity orders, etc.). Lost a $4000 camcorder once because one of my employees didn't realize that the person calling was using a voice modulator to disguise his voice. Said he had throat cancer and was talking through a voicebox. By the time I caught it it was too late. I gave the employee major shit for what should have been a huge red flag.
I'm so glad I work at a company now that offers a good service and stands behind their work. Damn, after writing this I feel a lot better about my job.
Johnny-just be glad you dont sell Elvis records...Elvis people are the FUCKING worst on the planet (god forbid they are a german elvis person) They piss and moan that you wont give them more than $2 for their goddamn RCA Elvis LPs when they want to sell them, but they will be the first to want to only give you a 1/3 of your asking price for an Elvis SUN 78...and as you can imagine, we get a LOT of these assholes here.
I'm pretty much the same way. I don't think I've ever asked for a discount. I might if I felt the condition was less than stellar but usually I'll just pass on it.
We give a price break at $100 - %15 for every straight $100 you spend.
Unless you're going to buy our entire $1 45 section - then you get it for $750 cash out the door (happened Tuesday night).
SONIC
Nah bro, I am super chill. Come in and shoot the shit with me. Tom Delay comes down and we have beers and shit. I smoke twiddle in my shop. I let Rape_Donkeys listen to distorted electro harp drones and Sound Of Collapsing Brick. This is not the sterile super clean NYC shopping experience. I am never aggro in the shop. I save that for the internets...
And people have come up way hard too. Back when I opened I sold $30 12"s for $5. I sold a $2000 45 for $50. Now it is time to get real. But I am not the dude that's like, "eh I can't sell that, I don't know what it's worth" I am the dude who will say "I can't sell that I am tracking the record" but usually I am down for a good trade offer or whatever. People want the raers. I am comfortable asking what I ask, entertaining an offer, and saying no if it's not to my liking.
Records are fun. This is way chiller than my last job. I have a blast. It is a warm, friendly shop. I don't get mad when dudes don't buy shit. I don't mind dudes asking for discounts or offering slightly less than the price tag. I get mad when dudes insult my intelligence.
did chris take each record in the back- to prevent it from being the only "Street Corner mint-on-the-floor 45 collection"?
out the door? nuts.
YES
Yeah but what about the fuckers who refuse to sell it to you because they CAN'T find it on the internet. Makes you want to break the record in half and slash their jugular with a record shard.
True. But the explosion and ease of ebay plus things like popsike has made having a "chosen field" kinda obsolete. You just have to look everything up on the internet and you're an "expert". You're a northern soul "expert", you're a boogie "expert", you're a psych "expert". Guys (shoppers and dealers) just buy low all over the place and sort it out later, selling what is worth dollars on ebay. The shotgun approach to record consumption has taken over rather than expertise and knowledge.
Sonic
hahaha... yeah me neither.
really though i dont mind when folks come through and dont buy anything. if im cool with you... but you get these kids sometimes that just want to waste time and hear a bunch of shit and then write it down. uhhh... okay i guess. but ive stopped selling to these type of individuals.
In the past I've always tried to hook up people when I could. Like, the record is $20 and dude is like I'll give you $15. Well, if I've seen the dude buy before or is someone I know or he's buying a few hundred bucks worth, I'd more than likely make it happen.
But when people walk in and are like "Why is the 12" $40? I'll give you 15 for it." I might be like I'll give it to you for 35 no tax and still people are like "come on man, nobody is going to give you 35 bucks for it"
This is where you straight up look them in the face and say:
"And nobody is going to give me 15 for it either!"
Dude in my 10+ years of buying & selling to & for stores. I must have a million stories of wholesale shit. When I was suppling product across Canada and Europe. In the end I just locked down 5 good stores that never gave me problems and always paid. But fuck doing wholesale to another middle man. Especaily on such a small scale. Off 3 of the same record? FUKKK that... Try 50+ maybe.
The entire bin over there in the corner? Holy smokes!
The bin was pretty tired actually, you know the type of action Street Corner's bin gets, and we were planning on scrapping it all and put all new stuff out, but handy dandy Japenese buyer dude showed up just in time. He did it once before, about a year ago, bought the entire bin.
that's exactly it, but just looking shit up on the internet provides no context - I got mad props for the old school dealers who can just look at a record, give at a spin & wreckanize a rare jewel.
that kind of knowledge is geting rare.
tip my hat to Larry Ray etc.
One thing that Tom Noble told me, hopefully I'm not blowing him up (!) but I find it to be very true - know the sound. know what sound people are after. There's so much unknown shit - especially 45s and 12s - you just gotta trust your instinct and roll with it. If you're sitting there waiting for something to show up on ebay or popsike it's not gonna happen when you're dealing with records where there are sometimes only a handful of known copies.
That dude's forgotten more about records than half of this board currently knows.
Ha! This reminds me of a record store owner here in BA. When I buy at least 1 record, he's like my best friend, we talk about records, the weather, the uncertantity in life, etc. When I don't buy shit (because that day I didn't find shit and not as a personal insult) it's like:
Me: Chau, nos vemos (Bye, see you) free real-time translation
Dude:
WTF is wrong with you? I keep going there because I truly enjoy these moments.
Oh, one day I asked dude for a poly sleeve for a record I was buying. He went: I can't put every cheap record in a sleeve. A FUCKING POLY SLEEVE!!!!! I BOUGHT HUNDREDS OF RECORDS THERE!!!!!!!
Anyway, luckly, I enjoy this kind of moments
if you are in a big city & have ways to move your records for top prices, hey grand, ask what you can get. what pisses me off is these po-dunk one-horse town twerps who are asking for the 'going world rate' thanks to the internet.
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Johnny, not sure if you remember, but I was in NYC for a couple of days the other week and popped in to check the store out (catching heat from my boss when I got back, as I was supposed to be working).
Really nice store you have there... lots of nice stuff and the vibe was chilled. Well worth the visit.
Out of all the stores in NYC now, I'll prioritise TSL and Good Records as my first visits.
Good > TSL
not quite yet but the squad at Good is much more entertaining than the dudes at TSL. plus theres a bench at Good that helps out the old folk like myself.
both bathrooms need some serious work though...