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The State of your Local Record Shop

yuichiyuichi Urban sprawl 11,331 Posts
edited February 2014 in Strut Central
Sup with 4 copies of the same title in the bins priced at $17.99 for some good but common titles?

I see this everywhere lately. Smart business tactic? or just laziness?

I know owners are trying to cash in on this vinyl craze or whatever, but who's really getting a thrill out of buying $23 copies of mediocre LPs?

I'm not complaining about the lack of records, because if the timing is right, there are plenty of decent records to go around; but what were once decent record stores have turned into bogus ones almost overnight.

  Comments

  • JectWonJectWon (@_@) 1,654 Posts
    yuichi said:
    Sup with 4 copies of the same title in the bins priced at $17.99 for some good but common titles?

    I see this everywhere lately. Smart business tactic? or just laziness?

    I know owners are trying to cash in on this vinyl craze or whatever, but who's really getting a thrill out of buying $23 copies of mediocre LPs?

    I'm not complaining about the lack of records, because if the timing is right, there are plenty of decent records to go around; but what were once decent record stores have turned into bogus ones almost overnight.

    Regarding the few local shops I live near...I see that with new releases/represses but not in the used section. I suspect the new records that I see at the stores are overpriced due to the cost to press vinyl nowadays...I recall an older thread on SS that goes into a bit of detail about how much it costs to press a quality record today...might provide some more input with respect to this trend you are seeing.
  • Arkay_EastArkay_East 6 Posts
    I live in Austin and I would say vinyl digging here will result in "fair" prices. For example my trip today yielded Skull Snaps and Cymande reissues for $11 each and an OG Electrifying Eddie Harris LP with a few surfaces scratches (plays fine) for $3.99 ...... So, decent if you have a listening collection but not many $1 "super buys"
  • LaserWolfLaserWolf Portland Oregon 11,517 Posts
    Portland continues to have the highest number of record stores per capita. Which keeps (used) prices reasonable.

    What blows my mind is $18.00 reissues of common records that can be had original nm for less.
  • JectWonJectWon (@_@) 1,654 Posts
    LaserWolf said:

    What blows my mind is $18.00 reissues of common records that can be had original nm for less.

    I see that in jazz a LOT...
  • yuichiyuichi Urban sprawl 11,331 Posts
    I see plenty of mediocre to good LPs in the bins that have STAYED in the bins over 6months, because it's priced at 17.99 or 24.99. Every other newbie that has started collecting records knows about Ebay.....Sure stores have overhead, but does it really make sense for a store to hold stale inventory like this?
  • soulcitizensoulcitizen 304 Posts
    My main local shop ethic

    "every record you can see in here is totally worthless unless one person is willing to buy it at the advertised rate or a close offer If they don't walk in the door we're out of business. It's about the customers."

    Sounds pretty obvious, but it's something many stores miss.
  • francois parkerfrancois parker formerly know as Parkz. 125 Posts
    My local record shopping experience is the best it's been in years.

    We have a world class shop for used records.
    A shop dealing in new releases.
    A new second hand shop that I hope will survive but they only sell the most common records, and have no idea about obscurities and condition.
    And a little market stall.

    Not bad.
  • KidProcrassKidProcrass 107 Posts
    Local shops around here seem to be pretty much the same as in last few years. Lots of reissues and some decent selection for average prices. Being in Canada tho i tend to spend more time on ebay then in actual shops these days. More likely to find better deals on soul and jazz as well as titles that never really made it up here. Not running into any black jazz records at the neighborhood spot any time soon..

    LaserWolf said:
    What blows my mind is $18.00 reissues of common records that can be had original nm for less.

    I was talking about that with a clerk from one of my local spots just last month. Who are these people dropping 15$ on Con funk shun reissues?
  • volumenvolumen 2,532 Posts
    KidProcrass said:


    LaserWolf said:
    What blows my mind is $18.00 reissues of common records that can be had original nm for less.

    I was talking about that with a clerk from one of my local spots just last month. Who are these people dropping 15$ on Con funk shun reissues?

    I assume they are people who are just buying on a whim to be cool. The record selection in large chain book stores is nothing but this so somebody is buying them. As stated you can pretty much cash in on any "fad" and find somebody to buy your knock off crap.

    It's funny how rare grail re-issues at a real record store are $10 and a Con Funk Shun re-issue a Boarders is $15. America, what a country!
  • HorseleechHorseleech 3,830 Posts
    volumen said:
    KidProcrass said:


    LaserWolf said:
    What blows my mind is $18.00 reissues of common records that can be had original nm for less.

    I was talking about that with a clerk from one of my local spots just last month. Who are these people dropping 15$ on Con funk shun reissues?

    I assume they are people who are just buying on a whim to be cool. The record selection in large chain book stores is nothing but this so somebody is buying them. As stated you can pretty much cash in on any "fad" and find somebody to buy your knock off crap.

    It's funny how rare grail re-issues at a real record store are $10 and a Con Funk Shun re-issue a Boarders is $15. America, what a country!

    I don't see the mystery here.

    First of all, there are a lot of people who just don't buy used records. They don't really know how to check condition, they don't know about different pressings etc and they have other things to do with their time than hunt for used copies of specific records.

    Would I buy something like this? Hell no, but I'm able to recognize the fact that not everyone is like me.

    In the early 80s you could buy a new $8.98 pressing of a Doors record or a $3 used one - how is this different?
  • LaserWolfLaserWolf Portland Oregon 11,517 Posts
    I understand it, but it still blows my mind.

    I went to a guys house to look at some records. He was the promoter of a regular antiques and collectors fair. He had a repro juke box, repo Elvis, Marilyn and James Dean dolls, his kitchen was filled with repro cookie jars, in his garage he had 2 repro classic cars. His brand new suburban house was a repro of a colonial Virgina house. (I doubt he thought of the house that way.) I get it, but it still blows my mind.
  • DelayDelay 4,530 Posts
    LaserWolf said:
    His brand new suburban house was a repro of a colonial Virgina house. (I doubt he thought of the house that way.) I get it, but it still blows my mind.
    Phony colony
  • DelayDelay 4,530 Posts
    LaserWolf said:
    His brand new suburban house was a repro of a colonial Virgina house. (I doubt he thought of the house that way.) I get it, but it still blows my mind.
    Phony colony
  • DelayDelay 4,530 Posts
    LaserWolf said:
    His brand new suburban house was a repro of a colonial Virgina house. (I doubt he thought of the house that way.) I get it, but it still blows my mind.
    Phony colony
  • DelayDelay 4,530 Posts
    LaserWolf said:
    His brand new suburban house was a repro of a colonial Virgina house. (I doubt he thought of the house that way.) I get it, but it still blows my mind.
    Phony colony
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