Definitive Audiophile pressings

[dansomeone]

It got me thinking, is this a legal practice in America? As music direct are in effect the manufacturer, would it not be considered as price fixing if they artificially restrict the number of units available for sale & then jack up the price.

I think on the Mofi minute this week, the Toad Hall store owner stated the they (Music Direct & MoFi) had completely sold out of more than 50 copies of the Miles Davis - Jack Johnson track (at $60), now this is showing as in stock at $125. I get that a retailer can set the price they want, but as Music Direct is the manufacturer and entirely in control of how much stock is available, wouldn't this be considered as price fixing?

This isn't price fixing, it's just pricing. Price fixing is where competitors agree to all sell their goods/services at the same price, which defeats the purpose of a free and competitive market. Here, Music Direct is pricing their goods at what they think the market will bear. If they are wrong, the goods won't sell, and they will adjust the price accordingly.

 

[Skalap]

Do I get to keep the shipping container that you send them in? I will need someplace to live.

You’ll need more than one container for the @Skalap j-jazz shipment...

View attachment 84421

For $5000 more, you can even keep the boat (the big blue one in the back, not the small in the front).

 

[Joe Mac]

This isn't price fixing, it's just pricing. Price fixing is where competitors agree to all sell their goods/services at the same price, which defeats the purpose of a free and competitive market Here, Music Direct is pricing their goods at what they think the market will bear. If they are wrong, the goods won't sell, and they will adjust the price accordingly.

Yeah it’s not price fixing it’s price gouging and blatant profiteering. Shitty behaviour and immoral, but not illegal in any way.

 

[bshikari]

I'm wondering if I can get some advice from people on this thread.

I'm looking to get a proper pressing of Kind of Blue, and I'm wondering if I should get the MoFi or wait for the UHQR. Any thoughts?

 

[dansomeone]

Yeah it’s not price fixing it’s price gouging and blatant profiteering. Shitty behaviour and immoral, but not illegal in any way.

I agree. If you are creating limited edition items to sell to collectors, then you know that once the edition sells out, prices will rise on the secondary market. I would prefer that MoFi set its initial price and make its profit from the volume of the edition and not also try to profit from the secondary market through its retail arm.

 

[Mr Moustache]

I'm wondering if I can get some advice from people on this thread.

I'm looking to get a proper pressing of Kind of Blue, and I'm wondering if I should get the MoFi or wait for the UHQR. Any thoughts?

I was in the same boat recently. Nobody heard the UHQR so . I bought the MoFi, it sounds great!

 

[RHANDMJ]

I agree. If you are creating limited edition items to sell to collectors, then you know that once the edition sells out, prices will rise on the secondary market. I would prefer that MoFi set its initial price and make its profit from the volume of the edition and not also try to profit from the secondary market through its retail arm.

I agree, but it's a bit of a catch-22. If they raise the production volume, it's no longer a limited edition, and those who jump on them due to collectability and exclusivity, may not be so eager to buy. Curiously, they may get less sales from a longer production run.
Sure, they are playing the collectors market. They sell out right away, they have much higher margins than on a $35 standard release, they recoup immediately and have zero inventory costs. And they get to sell Santana and BST once more, which is an easy sale to their demographic.
For Mofi, or Craft, or AP, what's not to like?

 

[Andy]

This isn't price fixing, it's just pricing. Price fixing is where competitors agree to all sell their goods/services at the same price, which defeats the purpose of a free and competitive market. Here, Music Direct is pricing their goods at what they think the market will bear. If they are wrong, the goods won't sell, and they will adjust the price accordingly.

I get your point & agree with your definition, but I think there are multiple methods of price fixing. It doesn't have to be competitors it can be concerned with collusion of the manufacturer & seller to fix a retail price. In this case they are (although not the same entity) part of the same organisation, there could be some collusion going on here, but there might not be. I am not a legal person & am definitely not describing anything to do with US law, I think you have Anti-trust laws that cover trust sort of thing. It is very different in the UK, and I don't profess to understand or be knowledgeable in UK law

My use of the term price fixing is probably wrong, but I think you get the point I'm trying to make.

 

[bshikari]

I was in the same boat recently. Nobody heard the UHQR so . I bought the MoFi, it sounds great!

Given that I'm in the UK, getting the MoFi for less than $100 seems quite hard. Is it worth paying almost double the face value for it?

 

[dhodo]

Given that I'm in the UK, getting the MoFi for less than $100 seems quite hard. Is it worth paying almost double the face value for it?

This one is pretty great if you want to save some money.

Miles Davis - Kind Of Blue

View credits, reviews, tracks and shop for the 2013 Vinyl release of "Kind Of Blue" on Discogs.

www.discogs.com

 

[Mr Moustache]

Given that I'm in the UK, getting the MoFi for less than $100 seems quite hard. Is it worth paying almost double the face value for it?

yeah that's tough, but I understand that's true for all MoFi titles over there? That sure would make me think twice about it too! Any idea how much the UHQR would be?

 

[dhodo]

This one is pretty great if you want to save some money.

Miles Davis - Kind Of Blue

View credits, reviews, tracks and shop for the 2013 Vinyl release of "Kind Of Blue" on Discogs.

www.discogs.com

Sorry, I meant to add, unless you have your heart set on the Stereo, of course.

Here are analogplanet reviews of this mono, which should be the same as the RSD one I have, and the MoFi.

Miles Davis "Kind of Blue" Monophonic Reissue From Sony/Legacy: An Analog Planet Exclusive!

Over the past few Record Store Days Sony/Legacy has slowly been rolling out on 180g vinyl much of the Miles Davis catalog, mastered from original analog tapes. This coming Record Store Day, November 29th, the label will release on vinyl Miles and Monk at Newport, Jazz Track and Kind of Blue. At...

www.analogplanet.com

Mo-Fi's "Kind Of Blue": Kind of Blah? (Updated 10/28/15)

Ed. note: I mis-read an interview in which Mark Wilder, who in 1997 produced the remix from the original three track tape used for this reissue, said he'd produced another transfer for the 50th anniversary box. That transfer was from the 1997 two track mix but done using a different playback...

www.analogplanet.com

 

[wmeugene]

I enjoy my MoFi Kind of Blue and I think it sounds great. I can't see myself feeling the need to upgrade it.

 

[Andy]

Sorry, I meant to add, unless you have your heart set on the Stereo, of course.

Here are analogplanet reviews of this mono, which should be the same as the RSD one I have, and the MoFi.

Miles Davis "Kind of Blue" Monophonic Reissue From Sony/Legacy: An Analog Planet Exclusive!

Over the past few Record Store Days Sony/Legacy has slowly been rolling out on 180g vinyl much of the Miles Davis catalog, mastered from original analog tapes. This coming Record Store Day, November 29th, the label will release on vinyl Miles and Monk at Newport, Jazz Track and Kind of Blue. At...

www.analogplanet.com

Mo-Fi's "Kind Of Blue": Kind of Blah? (Updated 10/28/15)

Ed. note: I mis-read an interview in which Mark Wilder, who in 1997 produced the remix from the original three track tape used for this reissue, said he'd produced another transfer for the 50th anniversary box. That transfer was from the 1997 two track mix but done using a different playback...

www.analogplanet.com

I have the mono, it's pretty great & got be got from the UK at a reasonable price.

 

[bshikari]

yeah that's tough, but I understand that's true for all MoFi titles over there? That sure would make me think twice about it too! Any idea how much the UHQR would be?

$175-200 if we look at the older titles Hopefully I can import them for less though!

Sorry, I meant to add, unless you have your heart set on the Stereo, of course.

Here are analogplanet reviews of this mono, which should be the same as the RSD one I have, and the MoFi.

Miles Davis "Kind of Blue" Monophonic Reissue From Sony/Legacy: An Analog Planet Exclusive!

Over the past few Record Store Days Sony/Legacy has slowly been rolling out on 180g vinyl much of the Miles Davis catalog, mastered from original analog tapes. This coming Record Store Day, November 29th, the label will release on vinyl Miles and Monk at Newport, Jazz Track and Kind of Blue. At...

www.analogplanet.com

Mo-Fi's "Kind Of Blue": Kind of Blah? (Updated 10/28/15)

Ed. note: I mis-read an interview in which Mark Wilder, who in 1997 produced the remix from the original three track tape used for this reissue, said he'd produced another transfer for the 50th anniversary box. That transfer was from the 1997 two track mix but done using a different playback...

www.analogplanet.com

I saw the MoFi review and it seems like it's pretty great. Not super set on the stereo. I only have a stereo pressing (the blue vinyl columbia pressing), so I could easily get a mono to compliment it or an upgrade on the stereo

 

[Andy]

yeah that's tough, but I understand that's true for all MoFi titles over there? That sure would make me think twice about it too! Any idea how much the UHQR would be?

Yeah, the UHQR will be expensive. A uk seller has it up for £135, but when it becomes available we might be able to import it for less than that.

Miles Davis - Kind Of Blue UHQR 45 ( Clarity Vinyl ) - 45rpm 200g 2LP Box Set

snvinyl.co.uk

 

[Andy]

$175-200 if we look at the older titles Hopefully I can import them for less though!




I saw the MoFi review and it seems like it's pretty great. Not super set on the stereo. I only have a stereo pressing (the blue vinyl columbia pressing), so I could easily get a mono to compliment it or an upgrade on the stereo

It would be amazing for those of us this side of the Atlantic, if VMP started retailing more AP titles & maybe even the UHQR Blue note.

Hopes someone from VMP reads these pages & takes note

 

[Mr Moustache]

Yeah, the UHQR will be expensive. A uk seller has it up for £135, but when it becomes available we might be able to import it for less than that.

Miles Davis - Kind Of Blue UHQR 45 ( Clarity Vinyl ) - 45rpm 200g 2LP Box Set

snvinyl.co.uk

the 45 will likely be $125, so not much of a difference with the conversion?

 

[Andy]

the 45 will likely be $125, so not much of a difference with the conversion?

The exchange rate I definitely going in our favour at the minute. £135 = $184, so about $60

edit - which is about what Acoustic Sounds charge in shipping

 

[Mr Moustache]

$175-200 if we look at the older titles Hopefully I can import them for less though!




I saw the MoFi review and it seems like it's pretty great. Not super set on the stereo. I only have a stereo pressing (the blue vinyl columbia pressing), so I could easily get a mono to compliment it or an upgrade on the stereo

My stay in the US will be limited, so I'm sure not shy about buying AP and MoFi titles (and now Craft!) while I'm here, because I know that when I move back in Europe, the prices for these will be even more steep!