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Douchebags , iPhones & Records Prices

BreezBreez 1,706 Posts
edited December 2011 in Strut Central
These clown ass fucks on their iPhones price checking vinyl is really beginning piss me off. It seems like every day it's more & more of these idiots hemming up the record stores. And they aren't even discreet about it. Just grabbing a huge stack of vinyl and finding a comfy spot to price check. I mean we all gotta handle our money and get our hustle on but this shit's getting ridiculous. For those Strutters that work in or own a store, how do you feel about this? How do you handle it when this happens?

  Comments

  • RAJRAJ tenacious local 7,783 Posts
    I've been doing it for years ... A lot easier with the Cee Frenzy app.
  • jaymackjaymack 5,199 Posts
    i stand in the beer store checking out the grades on beer advocate
  • BreezBreez 1,706 Posts
    RAJ said:
    I've been doing it for years ... A lot easier with the Cee Frenzy app.

    But are you just out in the open about it? I mean, I've checked on stuff here & there but not like these dudes are doing. I'm seeing dudes, literally, grabbing 50 records at a time and going to the back corner of the store and checking the whole stack. I just think it can cause prices to sky rocket at certain spots.
  • RockadelicRockadelic Out Digging 13,993 Posts
    I'm looking into Digging Drones for 2012!
  • edulusedulus 421 Posts
    my philosophy on pricing is that if you have to look it up, then it's probably not worth it to you. to be fair, there are some record stores that are price gouging on commons, but at the same time, if you don't know as a consumer what something is worth to you, then why are you buying it?
  • LaserWolfLaserWolf Portland Oregon 11,517 Posts
    I have no problem with it.

    People check prices, I have also had people check reviews, listen on youtube, checking for reissues and checking pressing variations.

    Nothing wrong with doing some research, and as long as they are not blocking the bins, or wasting my time, no problem.

    Not sure why you think it would cause record prices to sky rocket. It forces the seller to keep prices competitive.
  • DelayDelay 4,530 Posts
    LaserWolf said:
    I have no problem with it.

    People check prices, I have also had people check reviews, listen on youtube, checking for reissues and checking pressing variations.

    Nothing wrong with doing some research, and as long as they are not blocking the bins, or wasting my time, no problem.

    Not sure why you think it would cause record prices to sky rocket. It forces the seller to keep prices competitive.
    it's definitely harder to find steals in low end spots, and deals in boutiques.

    I flamed this dude out for c-frenzying once at the shop. He got on WFMU and whined about it that night. Honestly he sounded like a complete bitch and it kind of ruined any negative publicity he was trying to hand out, but It's true that nowadays, with yelp, ebay and a recession, you kinda just have to let that shit slide. Fighting it is futile.
  • dayday 9,611 Posts
    Rockadelic said:
    I'm looking into Digging Drones for 2012!

    ZING!

    Also TIL about

    jaymack said:
    beer advocate

    As far as googling/cee-frenzy/popsike, etc. I do it every now and then, but I try to be discreet about that schitt. I guess it's just how things are nowadays.
  • herbacios tweedherbacios tweed 445 Posts
    considering that Amazon has droves of people scanning books and cds with iphone / droid apps to both determine if they can get it cheaper online and send back competitive retail data i'd stfu and know it could be worse.

    http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/13/opinion/amazons-jungle-logic.html
  • Controller_7Controller_7 4,052 Posts
    Siri, how much are these 50 records worth? I don't want to be called an ass clown.

    I usually just go to the counter and plunk down like 50-75 records and say "ok, now which ones are actually good and tell me how much they're really worth." I usually score that way and it's way more rewarding than using an iPhone and I still keep my dignity.
  • HomeChoppingNetworkHomeChoppingNetwork 23 Posts
    I don't have a smartphone, but one of the main reasons I want to get one would be to assist me in record shopping. Not necessarily to price check, but just to get general information about the album, i.e., if the release date is not printed on the record or the sleeve.


    But really, if I'm at a shop and I see a record for $25 dollars, and hop on a smartphone and see the same record listed for 15 dollars including shipping on Ebay, I am probably going to opt for the Ebay jawn. I am all for supporting small businesses, especially record dealers still committed to having a store front, but not so much that I am going to pay out the ass for it.
  • DORDOR Two Ron Toe 9,905 Posts
    One good thing I would think would be not waiting on the one turntable in the spot to check out records.

    I've done that. Pull an interesting record. Pop the title into youtube and listen for 15-20 seconds. That can easily decide to buy, without me ever tying up the turntable so you serious dudes can get your game on...
  • The_Hook_UpThe_Hook_Up 8,182 Posts
    I find myself using YouTube to listen to 45s I'm not familiar with as well
  • eliseelise 3,252 Posts
    Breez said:
    These clown ass fucks on their iPhones price checking vinyl is really beginning piss me off. It seems like every day it's more & more of these idiots hemming up the record stores. And they aren't even discreet about it. Just grabbing a huge stack of vinyl and finding a comfy spot to price check. I mean we all gotta handle our money and get our hustle on but this shit's getting ridiculous. For those Strutters that work in or own a store, how do you feel about this? How do you handle it when this happens?

    I am guilty of being one of these clown ass fucks. Except, I used my Android.
  • BrianBrian 7,618 Posts
    The_Hook_Up said:
    I find myself using YouTube to listen to 45s I'm not familiar with as well
    if its on youtube its not worth buying
  • The_Hook_UpThe_Hook_Up 8,182 Posts
    Brian said:
    The_Hook_Up said:
    I find myself using YouTube to listen to 45s I'm not familiar with as well
    if its on youtube its not worth buying

    ok
  • buttonbutton 1,475 Posts
    I'd never do it to make sure some $18 LP im eyeing at a shop can't be had for 9.99 on ebay, I mean Jesus Christ. But I will do it to make sure that a $100 45 I'm holding can't just be easily attained in cyberspace for like $40. This tactic has saved my ass a few times lately, as I haven't memorized the prices of every single record ever made .

    It is something that's tacky to be obvious about, however
  • HollafameHollafame 844 Posts
    I'll often do a quick search to see if a $5 rando is somehow worth $100

    For the most part, its pretty easy to tell if something is over-priced.

    I also keep a running want list on my phone, which is easy to consult whilst in the stacks.
  • flatblackplasticflatblackplastic 1,209 Posts
    i think this is somewhat relevant to this thread since it deals with prices. there is a new store that opened up in the heights, houston. i havent been there yet since they were closed the past two days but will probably make it by there this afternoon after work.
    what do you guys think about their business model in regard to pricing?

    The shop???s pricing model is also different. ???We???re doing a big roll of the dice: There???s no fixed prices,??? Brown says. The stock will all be color-coded, with each color representing a price range. ???You get to come up, and it???s a negotiation,??? he explains. ???It???s a slight bartering system within a certain range. Obviously people are going to come in and say, ???I want the lowest price on everything,??? and that???s not going to happen. Our goal is to make deals, though. At the end of the day, if we just sell records we???ll do alright.???

    good? bad? necessary? stupid?

    here's where the quote came from:

    http://www.29-95.com/music/story/record-heights-vinyl
  • mannybolonemannybolone Los Angeles, CA 15,025 Posts
    Isn't the main problem here the "grabbing 50 LPs and going off into a corner"? If I were running a store, I'd just politely say, "I don't mind you doing research but you can't just haul off 50 records at a time to do it."

    It's like a listening station policy.
  • RockadelicRockadelic Out Digging 13,993 Posts
    mannybolone said:
    Isn't the main problem here the "grabbing 50 LPs and going off into a corner"? If I were running a store, I'd just politely say, "I don't mind you doing research but you can't just haul off 50 records at a time to do it."

    It's like a listening station policy.

    I think the main problem is that folks who spent years gathering knowledge that gave them the upper hand in record buying are pissed that this knowledge is now available for free to any dumbass who can afford an I-Phone.

    Ungoogleable is the new frontier.
  • flatblackplasticflatblackplastic 1,209 Posts
    mannybolone said:
    Isn't the main problem here the "grabbing 50 LPs and going off into a corner"? If I were running a store, I'd just politely say, "I don't mind you doing research but you can't just haul off 50 records at a time to do it."

    It's like a listening station policy.

    i would have to say yes. what are the odds that the records they didnt want to buy get put back in the right spot?
    slim to none i'd say.
  • tripledoubletripledouble 7,636 Posts
    wont the fallback be, "i couldnt find anything on it. it must be very very rare"
  • RockadelicRockadelic Out Digging 13,993 Posts
    tripledouble said:
    wont the fallback be, "i couldnt find anything on it. it must be very very rare"

    Yes...this is happening
  • barjesusbarjesus 872 Posts
    flatblackplastic said:
    i think this is somewhat relevant to this thread since it deals with prices. there is a new store that opened up in the heights, houston. i havent been there yet since they were closed the past two days but will probably make it by there this afternoon after work.
    what do you guys think about their business model in regard to pricing?

    The shop???s pricing model is also different. ???We???re doing a big roll of the dice: There???s no fixed prices,??? Brown says. The stock will all be color-coded, with each color representing a price range. ???You get to come up, and it???s a negotiation,??? he explains. ???It???s a slight bartering system within a certain range. Obviously people are going to come in and say, ???I want the lowest price on everything,??? and that???s not going to happen. Our goal is to make deals, though. At the end of the day, if we just sell records we???ll do alright.???

    good? bad? necessary? stupid?

    here's where the quote came from:

    http://www.29-95.com/music/story/record-heights-vinyl

    I talked to that guy briefly before the store opened and thought 'this store will suck. I get to haggle on every single record? Great!' But I haven't been by to it see yet. So I'm reserving my judgement.
  • flatblackplasticflatblackplastic 1,209 Posts
    barjesus said:
    flatblackplastic said:
    i think this is somewhat relevant to this thread since it deals with prices. there is a new store that opened up in the heights, houston. i havent been there yet since they were closed the past two days but will probably make it by there this afternoon after work.
    what do you guys think about their business model in regard to pricing?

    The shop???s pricing model is also different. ???We???re doing a big roll of the dice: There???s no fixed prices,??? Brown says. The stock will all be color-coded, with each color representing a price range. ???You get to come up, and it???s a negotiation,??? he explains. ???It???s a slight bartering system within a certain range. Obviously people are going to come in and say, ???I want the lowest price on everything,??? and that???s not going to happen. Our goal is to make deals, though. At the end of the day, if we just sell records we???ll do alright.???

    good? bad? necessary? stupid?

    here's where the quote came from:

    http://www.29-95.com/music/story/record-heights-vinyl

    I talked to that guy briefly before the store opened and thought 'this store will suck. I get to haggle on every single record? Great!' But I haven't been by to it see yet. So I'm reserving my judgement.

    i went by there and poked around a lil bit, almost everything is overpriced.
  • barjesusbarjesus 872 Posts
    flatblackplastic said:
    barjesus said:


    I talked to that guy briefly before the store opened and thought 'this store will suck. I get to haggle on every single record? Great!' But I haven't been by to it see yet. So I'm reserving my judgement.

    i went by there and poked around a lil bit, almost everything is overpriced.

    Any raers or just overpriced commons?
  • vintageinfantsvintageinfants 4,538 Posts
    Rockadelic said:
    mannybolone said:
    Isn't the main problem here the "grabbing 50 LPs and going off into a corner"? If I were running a store, I'd just politely say, "I don't mind you doing research but you can't just haul off 50 records at a time to do it."

    It's like a listening station policy.

    I think the main problem is that folks who spent years gathering knowledge that gave them the upper hand in record buying are pissed that this knowledge is now available for free to any dumbass who can afford an I-Phone.

    Ungoogleable is the new frontier.


    this is what real estate agents are currently experiencing. the 'information incongruity' gap becoming null due to easily accessible information via technology.


    c'est le future.
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