Buy into it or don't. You asked a question that read more like a statement and I'm really not sure what you hope to derive from it.
What I know is that I've seen numerous people regularly state that they are sticking around strictly for Classics. This has been consistently happening, at least since the old forum ended over a year ago, when there was a huge influx of cancellations. It's a sentiment that I've seen repeated consistently. So, if there's been a consistent wave of different people expressing this sentiment to me and it hasn't ended, then it doesn't feel like there's an end to it. The rest is semantics.
You mention classics and claim that the "novelty" is that VMP is "trying to keep those re-presses faithful." I'd argue that it has more to do with the quality of those pressings and that, genre-wise, there's a solid overlap with audiophiles, along with the curation of those titles and how that appeals to members who are interested in growing particular areas of their collections that may be lacking, such as jazz or blues, etc.
No matter how you slice it, you're still explaining different non-color reasons that people subscribe, so your claim that color is the main focus and they will leave without it, still crumbles under those examples. If your claim is that everyone just wants novelty, but not you, because you want substance, well... it doesn't really matter how many times you say "no offense," beforehand, you'll still sound somewhat elitist and judgmental in presenting that narrative, especially if people express that they don't feel that way and you respond that you think it's true, anyway.
I'm gonna be straight up with you and say that I don't fully understand the purpose of your questioning, other than you seem to suggest things that work to elevate and set yourself apart by forcing a narrative that I think holds very little weight. You're presenting it like you're asking a question, but if your initial question -- which, again, reads more like a statement, to be honest -- begins to veer off outside of your intended narrative, you force it back into those set parameters. So, you like music for the music. Cool. You believe most other people are collecting it for some superficial reason. Okay. I guess, you keep doing it the "right way" and let all these new jack suckers chase shiny objects like a cat with a laser pointer.
What I know is that I've been watching people complain non-stop about how VMP isn't offering as many true exclusives anymore and how their curation has mostly become variants. Then VMP announces something like Ladies And Gentlemen..., which has nothing but really shitty or very expensive alternatives, and people scream "FUCK! Now I guess I'm sticking around." What kept them here isn't a novelty or a color, but the chance to finally not have to buy some bunk Plain Recordings pressing. Idler Wheel was on black vinyl. When The Pawn? Black vinyl. Tidal? Black vinyl. What artist has crashed the site more than Fiona Apple? It's black vinyl. Is the "novelty" there that it's hard to get?
EVERY single time the records of the month are announced, people are complaining about the current availability and accessibility of what they've selected. More than that, the minute the guessing even begins, I watch the speculation filled with frustration about how something better not be one thing or another that's readily available elsewhere. Members of this forum are actively presenting links to alternate places to pick up other variants and selecting the ones that they like the most, or are cheaper. This is every day here and it has been since the beginning. Just look at the VMP variants of the Tidal Wave releases and how the pressing numbers are higher than the other variants. Plus, look in the guess threads and let me know how many people are guessing and asking for color variants in there. They're asking for specific titles.
If you want to believe that you have some superior take on vinyl collecting, great. We all probably do that with ourselves. I know; you said that you're not doing that and understand that other people care about the color variants and that's fine, it's just not your thing, or whatever. That's great, too. It still comes across a little condescending though.
If seem like you're asking a question you already have your conclusion for. It's just not one that I really agree with, because it's not one that I see a whole lot of evidence of. If VMP was releasing rarer albums that are in need of represses, but they weren't fancy colors, would there be a wave of canceled subscriptions? Well, since a ton of people have canceled, expressly because they feel like they can get the same albums elsewhere and are questioning the value of a membership on here on a daily basis, I guess you can come to your own conclusions. Arguably the most popular repress this month was Blossom Dearie.
I mean... technically, I've actually been collecting records longer than you have and am older than you. But who really gives a shit? Your post feels kind of patronizing and like you want everyone to admit that they only like fancy colors and will leave if they don't get them. Maybe they do and would. Maybe I just interact with people on here more than you do, but I believe that they have more nuance and depth than you're giving them credit for. Then again, maybe I give everyone too much credit and you're right that they would all leave. Maybe it doesn't matter. Maybe record collecting is objectively foolish, costs too much money, and is taking up way too much room in my home. Maybe we all enjoy it anyway and if we need to try and create tiers or categories, so that we can rank ourselves higher or differently, just to rationalize our own personal reasoning for being involved in this ludicrous hobby, when we're all really just a bunch of fucking idiots, anyway, then maybe we shouldn't even be worrying so much about what motivates everyone else.
For me, I probably have psychological issues with feelings of security and am terrified of losing my tether to the physical world as technology makes things increasingly more abstract, so I cling tight to physical objects. Is my connection more about touch than sound, then? Is that more or less noble than someone buying things based on visuals? I mean, it's all sensory. In the end, we're all basically just stupid animals. You can put an ascot and spats on a donkey, but it does nothing to change its nature.
SIDE NOTE:
Old people that "just don't get it" don't come across as "cool" and wise to a younger generation anymore than they ever did to us when we were the younger generation
