Vinyl Me Please (store, exclusives, swaps, etc)

[Edd]

Hey Edd in my normal non VMP buying I would agree with that, probably 5 or 6 out of a collection closing in on 800. With VMP it was exponentially higher, nearer 15%. Mainly warps and some damaged jackets but also some pretty weak presses with no-fill or crackle. The former I put down to their poor packaging for shipping and potentially warehouse storage issues, the latter I think might be due to GZ being one of the more inconsistent pressing factories and some of their more extravagant colourways.

There is plenty of pressing plant. If one screw up a pressing with 15% of bad records, easy to take another one. Especially with so much quantity from VMP.
And about the mockup problem, pressing plant CAN « test press » the colour. So the mockup could be done with a real picture.
Really, I don’t get it.

 

[Kyuuji]

Really, I don’t get it.

From my experience between VMP and seeing your communications and responses from people subbed to Wax Buyer's I'd honestly say it could be as basic as a matter of care.

 

[ChristoBee]

FTL unsuscribe. It was beggining to be not really worth it with curation being what it is, but at those prices ? OUT.

 

[uvwxVinyl]

And about the mockup problem, pressing plant CAN « test press » the colour. So the mockup could be done with a real picture.
Really, I don’t get it.

That's what I thought and expected they would do but many on here said the test pressings only come in black.

Imo VMP is big enough to have a proper picture of the record before they sell it. They should have a product in hand rather than some mockup made from someone's interpretation.

I always found that to be a cop out to say "actual colour might vary" when your whole model is based on providing an exclusive colour.

 

[Rahawk2]

Are people getting emails allowing them to join at 299 for the year? I didn't get one but I would consider that. If I got 3 of them it would break down to the same 75 a month that I'm paying now.

 

[Skalap]

Real question here : I’ve been talking with a lot a labels lately and I’m used to press records, you know why.
Of course I’m talking much much fewer quantities but damage records (visually and sonically) are less than 1% from the plan and the same after shipping to buyers. I don’t know why this could be different for VMP?

I am surprised it's not more than 1% but I believe a lot of record buyers don't even know they have damaged records. Back in 2016, BBC did a study that showed that 48% of people who bought a vinyl last month have yet to play the record. It also says that early half of vinyl buyers (45%) said they had listened to the record on a streaming service before buying the physical copy (so do they actually play the record they bought). Also, a good number are both record collectors and music lovers. I don't want to offend anyone but many of us can buy the same record with different colors, artwork, pressing plant, etc... They certainly check the item visually but probably won't play the same record for the eleventh time so if there is a pressing defect on their copy, they'll maybe never know it. Then there are the flippers who may not even unpack their purchases.

 

[NathanRicaud]

This is all so overwhelming! I have no idea what's going to happen! I've got some weird feeling that VMP have some really good upcoming ROTM's or will just have some trick up their sleeve for them to pull back in people, even though they'll have to spend more than they used to.

I still can't believe the price hike in subscription costs and add-on subs. I've never seen a company do a price hike so extreme and sudden like that! I just don't know what's going to happen in the next month. I just feel there's going to be so much chaos on here and on Reddit about people complaining about the price they're being charged/not knowing they got charged extra etc.

I think I'm going to have a break from this forum and Reddit for a few weeks just because I know the VMP threads will all be complaints and about how people dislike VMP etc.

 

[radiodead]

Holy shit! Did I miss anything?

 

[Skalap]

This is all so overwhelming! I have no idea what's going to happen! I've got some weird feeling that VMP have some really good upcoming ROTM's or will just have some trick up their sleeve for them to pull back in people, even though they'll have to spend more than they used to.

I still can't believe the price hike in subscription costs and add-on subs. I've never seen a company do a price hike so extreme and sudden like that! I just don't know what's going to happen in the next month. I just feel there's going to be so much chaos on here and on Reddit about people complaining about the price they're being charged/not knowing they got charged extra etc.

I think I'm going to have a break from this forum and Reddit for a few weeks just because I know the VMP threads will all be complaints and about how people dislike VMP etc.

You know this forum is not about VMP anymore? There are 4 VMP threads IIRC and hundred of others non VMP.

 

[Bluecloud777]

I just feel there's going to be so much chaos on here and on Reddit about people complaining about the price they're being charged/not knowing they got charged extra etc

That's a good point I didn't think about before. For instance, their Email to me just mentioned that add-ons will increase to $33. No word about the general price increase of subscriptions.

"For the first time in over three years, the cost of a VMP add-on track will increase to $33 beginning with September Records of the Month. Why is this the case? So we can keep up with the rising costs associated with the high quality of our records."

So I've just learned about the subscription price increase by checking here and then by having a look at my account.

 

[Bluecloud777]

I think I'm going to have a break from this forum and Reddit for a few weeks just because I know the VMP threads will all be complaints and about how people dislike VMP etc.

And as @Skalap said, this forum isn't about VMP for the most part. If you don't want to read about the drama unfolding in these VMP threads, I suggest just to avoid them, but to enjoy the rest of this great amazing forum. I hope you will do so.

 

[Rowan]

Free

This is all so overwhelming! I have no idea what's going to happen! I've got some weird feeling that VMP have some really good upcoming ROTM's or will just have some trick up their sleeve for them to pull back in people, even though they'll have to spend more than they used to.

I still can't believe the price hike in subscription costs and add-on subs. I've never seen a company do a price hike so extreme and sudden like that! I just don't know what's going to happen in the next month. I just feel there's going to be so much chaos on here and on Reddit about people complaining about the price they're being charged/not knowing they got charged extra etc.

I think I'm going to have a break from this forum and Reddit for a few weeks just because I know the VMP threads will all be complaints and about how people dislike VMP etc.

To be honest I think it gets lost that there are people like yourself who actually work for VMP and who will be mega impacted if they go under as opposed to the likes of me that can just shop elsewhere. I'm not entirely sure you and other staff there are necessarily at the forefront of their mind when they do shit like this

 

[Siglet]

Has it really been three years? Hi JOE, For the first time in over three years, the cost of a VMP add-on track will increase to $33 beginning with September Records of the Month. Why is this the case? So we can keep up with the rising costs associated with the high quality of our records.

​ I​

 

[LeeVing]

That's a good point I didn't think about before. For instance, their Email to me just mentioned that add-ons will increase to $33. No word about the general price increase of subscriptions.

"For the first time in over three years, the cost of a VMP add-on track will increase to $33 beginning with September Records of the Month. Why is this the case? So we can keep up with the rising costs associated with the high quality of our records."

So I've just learned about the subscription price increase by checking here and then by having a look at my account.

This is the same email I got. Just mentioning the add-on.

My 3 month sub ends in September, so I should have received the full email according to their various twitter posts.

 

[LeeVing]

Has it really been three years?

No...this was also a lie. They increased prices since 2016.

 

[NathanRicaud]

You know this forum is not about VMP anymore? There are 4 VMP threads IIRC and hundred of others non VMP.

Of course! I do lurk on some other threads too and love the Needles&Grooves forum in general, but I'm mostly active on the VMP threads! I love the Wax Buyers Club thread, the Fresh Grabs, What's Spinning, Jazz, Hip-Hop and other threads, but I'm 90% active on the VMP threads!

I love this Needles&Grooves community though! I love you and everyone on here! And I love how caring everyone on here is too! But I mainly go on Needles&Grooves for the VMP threads and I just know most people's sentiments towards VMP at this moment with what has just occurred, is very negative (understandably so). And I'm such a baby too! I think I just don't want to see all the posts I'm seeing right now in the next 2-3 weeks. I'm more than happy to read all of it now and talk about it and I'm happy everyone is discussing their feelings, but I just know I'll be a bit heartbroken hearing about how everyone is dropping out and why everyone is cancelling their membership and this and that. Will be good for me mentally to have a break too! When I got banned from the VMP forum and took 3 months off it, I got used to it and didn't mind it actually. So I might try it again, but only for around 2-3 weeks! ☺

 

[Siglet]

No...this was also a lie. They increased prices since 2016.

That’s what I thought.

 

[LeeVing]

That’s what I thought.

Add-ons have been at the $23 price, but they're splitting hairs when saying they haven't increased prices.

 

[Edd]

From my experience between VMP and seeing your communications and responses from people subbed to Wax Buyer's I'd honestly say it could be as basic as a matter of care.

Well, as I much as I want my record club to be bigger, the comparaison can't stand. Wax Buyers Club is microscopic and a one man "business".

That's what I thought and expected they would do but many on here said the test pressings only come in black.

Imo VMP is big enough to have a proper picture of the record before they sell it. They should have a product in hand rather than some mockup made from someone's interpretation.

I always found that to be a cop out to say "actual colour might vary" when your whole model is based on providing an exclusive colour.

A classic TP is black. If you want a TP to get a good idea of what the variant will look like, it costs much more money. But I think VMP can afford it.
The option we've choose at Wax Buyers Club is to get our ROTM at our HQ and then take it in picture. It is a bit complicated but at least there is 2 avantages :
- the mockup is specific
- I'm sure i can send ROTM on time. And this is a pretty huge deal.

Maybe the "actual colour might vary" is usefull for special vinyl like splatter? Because in this case every record is different?

I am surprised it's not more than 1% but I believe a lot of record buyers don't even know they have damaged records. Back in 2016, BBC did a study that showed that 48% of people who bought a vinyl last month have yet to play the record. It also says that early half of vinyl buyers (45%) said they had listened to the record on a streaming service before buying the physical copy (so do they actually play the record they bought). Also, a good number are both record collectors and music lovers. I don't want to offend anyone but many of us can buy the same record with different colors, artwork, pressing plant, etc... They certainly check the item visually but probably won't play the same record for the eleventh time so if there is a pressing defect on their copy, they'll maybe never know it. Then there are the flippers who may not even unpack their purchases.

It must be more than 1% yes. I was just sharing our figures at Wax Buyers Club.
About vinyl buyers who do not hear their records, I might be one of them from time to time… I've got some records here in my collection I've just listened one time and forgot I got it.

 

[NathanRicaud]

To be honest I think it gets lost that there are people like yourself who actually work for VMP and who will be mega impacted if they go under as opposed to the likes of me that can just shop elsewhere. I'm not entirely sure you and other staff there are necessarily at the forefront of their mind when they do shit like this

Hey there! Stop trying to make me look as if I am sponsored by VMP, only care about VMP!

I shop at a few record stores here in Melbourne (On Monday, I'm going to go to my local to get PJ Harvey, Talking Heads and Joy Division), and get records flattened occasionally, buy cleaning stuff and sleeves etc, and shop at other record places to get high quality releases (Speakers Corner, Sam Records, MoFi, Analogue Productions etc)! I'm a current of Wax Buyers Club and will survive completely fine if VMP go under and happen to not exist in the future. I'll be all good! I just love VMP so much, that is all! ☺