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

dhodo said:
I took it as meaning the bubble of overpriced reissues selling well. I hope that's a bubble because there is no reason for something like that to cost $34. I don't see how that is a sustainable market price, but we'll see.
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I think (sadly) it is sustainable because vinyl is a boutique item and in collector/hobby markets $35 really isn't that much. A lot of us just feel the price creep from the last 10 years.

But records at $30-35 are selling out left and right. For the right fanbases, $35 isnt even causing a second blink of the eye.
 
TheThinWhiteDuke said:
I think (sadly) it is sustainable because vinyl is a boutique item and in collector/hobby markets $35 really isn't that much. A lot of us just feel the price creep from the last 10 years.

But records at $30-35 are selling out left and right. For the right fanbases, $35 isnt even causing a second blink of the eye.
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Since there are other artists/labels capable of selling single LPs for $20-25, yes, $35 is way too high even if certain fanbases are accepting of being seen as nothing more than an open wallet. It's what I'd expect to pay for a 2x LP or maybe for a new LP that's incredibly rare/limited (which we know this isn't). If the mastering were of audiophile quality and the pressing plant showed that they put effort into it, you could maybe make an argument, but again, this isn't going to check off either of those marks.

I'm betting this was VMP paying an obscene amount in order to get the licensing rights to press the only version available, and the customer bears the brunt. It's frustrating regardless, even if this particular album doesn't affect me.
 
TheThinWhiteDuke said:
I think (sadly) it is sustainable because vinyl is a boutique item and in collector/hobby markets $35 really isn't that much. A lot of us just feel the price creep from the last 10 years.

But records at $30-35 are selling out left and right. For the right fanbases, $35 isnt even causing a second blink of the eye.
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I know. That's what I'm saying doesn't seem like it is sustainable and feels more like a bubble. That collecting just because it's rare and not because of quality or any other concern. That's what seems like a fad.

I don't think reasonable priced records are going anywhere, but crazy priced reissues I think seem like they will come down or at least stop going
up. Who knows what's going to happen though.
 
serotonein said:
Since there are other artists/labels capable of selling single LPs for $20-25, yes, $35 is way too high even if certain fanbases are accepting of being seen as nothing more than an open wallet. It's what I'd expect to pay for a 2x LP or maybe for a new LP that's incredibly rare/limited (which we know this isn't). If the mastering were of audiophile quality and the pressing plant showed that they put effort into it, you could maybe make an argument, but again, this isn't going to check off either of those marks.

I'm betting this was VMP paying an obscene amount in order to get the licensing rights to press the only version available, and the customer bears the brunt. It's frustrating regardless, even if this particular album doesn't affect me.
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dhodo said:
I know. That's what I'm saying doesn't seem like it is sustainable and feels more like a bubble. That collecting just because it's rare and not because of quality or any other concern. That's what seems like a fad.

I don't think reasonable priced records are going anywhere, but crazy priced reissues I think seem like they will come down or at least stop going
up. Who knows what's going to happen though.
Click to expand...


Yeah i mean if you expand out beyond VMP (Which is its own case study of cranking out $30 records) if you look at RSD, at Grateful Dead reissues, the new Primus and Stereolab reissues, etc...these are selling out at $30+ price points and FAST. Hell, the new Jefferson Airplane woodstock 3xLP is $60 and people are still talking about excitement for preorder.

Look, im not trying to defend it- im just saying that the industry has figured out a price point that major fans have little qualms about paying. As wide ranging collectors we recoil at this because most of us collect a wide range of artists and genres but there are people that REALLY just want this Mariah or they budget for the new Dead live release and they dont really give a fuck if its $25 or $35 they are going to have it.
 
Melancholy_Melody said:
I grew up with these albums! I’m glad that they are doing Mariah, but I personally would have preferred “Music Box” or “Butterfly”. I’m also a little bit surprised at the colour. Mariah is so over the top, the gold seems understated!

Mary J Blige would be amazing! Particularly My Life or No More Drama.
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My choices for Mariah would’ve been “Emotions”, “Daydream” or “Butterfly”. So I’m very happy we are getting Daydream.

Daydream is an amazing album because the #1 hits on that album are all iconic and Mariah’s vocals on those three tracks are breathtaking. Fantasy is an irresistible, funky, summer jam. Mariah’s vocals sound carefree in the best way imaginable! Always Be My Baby is also a summery song, but more like strolling through a nice park, being a kid kind of summer vibe. It’s such a joyful song, with the uplifting pianos and sing along/finger-snapping melody. One Sweet Day is such a simple, corny and uplifting song that it does have a bit of a generic vibe, but the execution vocally is so heartfelt that it works so well. It almost turns out to be complex simplicity with how elegant One Sweet Day is.

Then don’t get me started with the song “Underneath The Stars”, one of Mariah Carey’s best songs ever, a song that was ahead of its time and a sound that became the core of “Butterfly”. Underneath The Stars is blissful, dreamy, hazy, and the song just melts in your mouth.

Elsewhere, you have the hip-hop soul, head-bopping “Long Ago”, and the gospel, chic, house/infused “Daydream Interlude”.

Everyone needs to pick up this VMP exclusive. It’s a classic and I think it will bring so much great nostalgia for a lot of people here. $34 is expensive however, but this exclusive is priceless and is much better than any of those “new release” exclusives where we get a different colour variant!
 
TheThinWhiteDuke said:
Yeah i mean if you expand out beyond VMP (Which is its own case study of cranking out $30 records) if you look at RSD, at Grateful Dead reissues, the new Primus and Stereolab reissues, etc...these are selling out at $30+ price points and FAST. Hell, the new Jefferson Airplane woodstock 3xLP is $60 and people are still talking about excitement for preorder.

Look, im not trying to defend it- im just saying that the industry has figured out a price point that major fans have little qualms about paying. As wide ranging collectors we recoil at this because most of us collect a wide range of artists and genres but there are people that REALLY just want this Mariah or they budget for the new Dead live release and they dont really give a fuck if its $25 or $35 they are going to have it.
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I feel like we are talking past each other.

I totally agree that that is the state of the market. I was just stating that it seems like that part of the market won't be sustainable long term, and may be a bubble, even if the fact that vinyl is back isn't. I'm not sure if you're disagreeing with that or not.

Edit:The only high priced reissue market that I don't think is as susceptible is the audiophile market, because those companies actually try to prove value (still sometimes overpriced as well). And those collectors are usually in long term through the 90s and all.
 
TheThinWhiteDuke said:
Yeah i mean if you expand out beyond VMP (Which is its own case study of cranking out $30 records) if you look at RSD, at Grateful Dead reissues, the new Primus and Stereolab reissues, etc...these are selling out at $30+ price points and FAST. Hell, the new Jefferson Airplane woodstock 3xLP is $60 and people are still talking about excitement for preorder.

Look, im not trying to defend it- im just saying that the industry has figured out a price point that major fans have little qualms about paying. As wide ranging collectors we recoil at this because most of us collect a wide range of artists and genres but there are people that REALLY just want this Mariah or they budget for the new Dead live release and they dont really give a fuck if its $25 or $35 they are going to have it.
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Aren't all of your examples (RSD, GD) limited quantity though? And JA is 3xLP. My original point was that for a single LP, not limited, and no "special" features other than color, $34 is hard to justify.
 
Shut up everyone! $34 is a bargain for Daydream because look how immaculate the colour variant looks! Plus, this is a true VMP exclusive of a classic 90’s album by the one and only Mariah Carey.

It’s like the Amalfi Coast. Accommodation wise, it’s expensive, but the dramatic mountains, quaint villages, Mediterranean blue waters and sunny and warm plantation. Being at the Amalfi Coast is like being in gold! It’s so luxurious, captivating and romantic. So of course you have to spend the $$$

Same with this Mariah Carey exclusive. It really is a “one of a kind”. The opulent colour variant and the album itself is so unique, it’s worth so much more than all those other exclusives in my opinion!
 
Jeff Lerner said:
Aren't all of your examples (RSD, GD) limited quantity though? And JA is 3xLP. My original point was that for a single LP, not limited, and no "special" features other than color, $34 is hard to justify.
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From a supply and demand standpoint, only being able to get it from one place is limited, just not in the same way. It certainly let's them charge whatever they want.
 
TheThinWhiteDuke said:
Yeah i mean if you expand out beyond VMP (Which is its own case study of cranking out $30 records) if you look at RSD, at Grateful Dead reissues, the new Primus and Stereolab reissues, etc...these are selling out at $30+ price points and FAST. Hell, the new Jefferson Airplane woodstock 3xLP is $60 and people are still talking about excitement for preorder.

Look, im not trying to defend it- im just saying that the industry has figured out a price point that major fans have little qualms about paying. As wide ranging collectors we recoil at this because most of us collect a wide range of artists and genres but there are people that REALLY just want this Mariah or they budget for the new Dead live release and they dont really give a fuck if its $25 or $35 they are going to have it.
Click to expand...

In some cases I agree with you, as just about anything released by The Grateful Dead sells out, so the price point is irrelevant. I think the quality there has also held up so nobody feels burnt for paying top dollar. Stereolab is a perfect counter-example, though, with high-quality 3x LP packages for ~$30. I wouldn't have been shocked if they were $50-60 each but grateful they weren't :)

RSD has definitely fed a lot of it, though that's also somewhat consumers' fault for not discerning between what's truly rare and what is the 50th repress or will be widely available a month later. I probably paid too much for some jazz reissues that day, but also knew the cost would be even worse on the secondary market.
 
NathanRicaud said:
Shut up everyone! $34 is a bargain for Daydream because look how immaculate the colour variant looks! Plus, this is a true VMP exclusive of a classic 90’s album by the one and only Mariah Carey.

It’s like the Amalfi Coast. Accommodation wise, it’s expensive, but the dramatic mountains, quaint villages, Mediterranean blue waters and sunny and warm plantation. Being at the Amalfi Coast is like being in gold! It’s so luxurious, captivating and romantic. So of course you have to spend the $$$

Same with this Mariah Carey exclusive. It really is a “one of a kind”. The opulent colour variant and the album itself is so unique, it’s worth so much more than all those other exclusives in my opinion!
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I think the point being made is that, to borrow your metaphor, some people's "dramatic mountains, quaint villages, Mediterranean blue waters and sunny and warm plantation" is that the album is mastered by a renowned engineer and taken from the best source available to make sure nothing sounds better than it. The color to them is like the paint on the hotel room wall and the album itself is available in other formats (having trouble shoehorning that one into the analogy!).

Your opinion is just as valid though!
 
bought clairo as soon as i saw the email and actually have a bit of hope for this one

1. its actually really cheaper to buy from VMP than straight from clairo herself.. since its 30 bucks for the album excluding shipping. meanwhile clairo is on sale for about 24 bucks for this varient. this could be seen as a negative (more chance of it being badly done) BUT
2. the time schedule here.. its not arriving until august, if i dont like it when it comes out next month i can just cancel my order (very unlikely seeing as i loved the 2 singles). but i am hoping this means that we are actually going to get more testing and preparation before they are mass produced... since they really did seem apologetic about stars having that pop on its release and other situations (sure this still causes problems for possible earlier exclusives like denzel and mort garson but i'll give you the info on that one on sunday). so im hoping after seeing so many problems happening recently with their creation process they actually want to improve and give a good release.
 
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