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

duke86fan said:


TMR talking that real shit
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This video is great and I def recommend anyone to check it out, and is a big part of why I'm ditching VMP although for the most part they make a good product. The limits keep getting pushed and pushed to see how much music lovers and collectors are willing to pay. Their pricing says they want to compete with MoFI/Acoustic Sounds but the experience doesn't match that. Aside from website glitches and shipping issues, the product just doesn't compete either. A lot of these pressings aren't looking or sounding that high end, and I'm still getting exclusives from them with crappy paper sleeves and flimsy jackets.

It feels like they are slapping colors on vinyl and are trying to sell an image or experience rather than a product. This video makes me realize that the vinyl bubble is going to pop pretty soon as some of these prices climb out of control. At this point it feels like we're overdue for a market correction. I like the idea of VMP and I think it was started with the good intent of sharing great music, but as it has grown and grown too quickly to keep up with the increasing expectations. I can't say that I feel like they have a clearly defined goal at this point.
 
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duke86fan said:


TMR talking that real shit
Click to expand...

howmuchartcanyoutake said:
This video is great and I def recommend anyone to check it out, and is a big part of why I'm ditching VMP although for the most part they make a good product. The limits keep getting pushed and pushed to see how much music lovers and collectors are willing to pay. Their pricing says they want to compete with MoFI/Acoustic Sounds but the experience doesn't match that. Aside from website glitches and shipping issues, the product just doesn't compete either. A lot of these pressings aren't looking or sounding that high end, and I'm still getting exclusives from them with crappy paper sleeves and flimsy jackets.

It feels like they are slapping colors on vinyl and are trying to sell an image or experience rather than a product. This video makes me realize that the vinyl bubble is going to pop pretty soon as some of these prices climb out of control. At this point it feels like we're overdue for a market correction. I like the idea of VMP and I think it was started with the good intent of sharing great music, but as it has grown and grown too quickly to keep up with the increasing expectations. I can't say that I feel like they have a clearly defined goal at this point.
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Thanks for replying to this, I missed it when Dukey posted the first time.

I completely agree with everything that was said in this video and I like that he used the hip hop albums as a reference. Around 8-9 years ago the majority of my new purchases were hip hop albums (pretty crazy to look back at when I consider its almost 0% nowerdays) and even then labels and artists were selling limited runs for silly money.

A key example which he could have honed in on is the early Action Bronson releases. These were originally released by Chopped Herring Records, a UK based one-man label that drip-fed albums into the market. He would initially price them high and release a small number on his website, then as demand went up the next set would be released at a higher price, and again, and again, and again. A couple of years ago he 'found' another box of one of these releases and was selling them at £200 per copy.....they sold out within the day.

Adding to this I completely relate to his point of albums being bought as collector's items rather than something that's actually going to get played. With rap especially its tends to be a bravado culture and quite a few people like to be able to flex their limited records online. I bought a copy of Frank Ocean's Blonde when it dropped (obviously not knowing just how crazy the value would become). By the time it got to me here in the UK I saw how much the price was jumping so I just kept it sealed on my shelf, as its new value surpassed my want to play it. Maybe I was playing into the whole theme of this topic by doing that. Anyway, I sold it recently for a silly amount of money, more than anyone should ever consider paying for a record which you could just as easily stream for free. When I was messaging the buyer I wanted to make it clear that as it was never opened I cannot in good conscious grade the record but could assume it's in mint condition. He messaged me back to say that I needn't worry about that as he was not planning on ever opening it anyway. It just blew my mind that someone would want to own something that bad without even fully utilising it. Sure he could be seeing it as an investment, but he paid significantly over the discogs highest sold so that's a pretty risky investment imo.
 
i wish VMP had exclusively mentioned stuff like "hey we are doing" this because we wanna give all our ROTMS liner notes" or "we are planning a whole new track for 2021 and we need more money to make that happen" or even just "we are planning on getting one of the biggest ROTMs we ever got and we need more money to make it right" before being so mysterious
 
duke86fan said:
i wish VMP had exclusively mentioned stuff like "hey we are doing" this because we wanna give all our ROTMS liner notes" or "we are planning a whole new track for 2021 and we need more money to make that happen" or even just "we are planning on getting one of the biggest ROTMs we ever got and we need more money to make it right" before being so mysterious
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There isn't a palatable reason for the price hike or they would have mentioned it.
 
Both the new Mariah Carey exclusives have sold out! Both bundles sold out too! 🔥🔥🔥

Happy that both Mariah Carey exclusives don’t have a limited pressing run however! I’m sure more will be repressed and will appear back in store for sale soon! I’d hate to get a defected copy of Music Box or Emotions that couldn’t be replaced!

There must be quite a lot of Mariah Carey fans who are also VMP subscribers! 😄

I’m so excited to get these Music Box and Emotions! Can’t wait to spin them! 😎
 
yukbon said:
I think the phrase is "those who do not remember the mistakes of the past are doomed to repeat them"

Or possibly "misery loves company"
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Omg, I just looked up what ‘Misery Loves Company’ means and.....I am gagging! 😂😱

I know most people on here think those Mariah Carey albums are rubbish, but dang, Misery Loves Company is next level deep! 👀

And...I love that first quote too! It’s so true! That’s me 100% when I’m pick-packing/warehousing! My mind drifts off and I pick the wrong quantity or item, especially as we have to be quick too! 🤪

Mariah Carey’s vocals are 👌👌👌 on those two albums though! Can’t wait for those beautiful vocals to grace my home! 😍🤣
 
I think I’m really starting to prefer listening to vinyl in headphones. Listening to Saba - Care For Me rn and the little details I’m discovering are elevating this record to the next level for me ❤️. Headphone listening has just proven way more immersive for me as well, it’s very easy for me to get distracted and start fiddling with my phone when I’m listening to my speakers, but headphones just snap your attention in! I think it’s also because I live in a small apartment with my fiance and she’s sensitive to higher volumes so I rarely get to listen at my desired volume level. Anyways, Care For Me kicks ass 😂
 
Selaws said:
Thanks for replying to this, I missed it when Dukey posted the first time.

I completely agree with everything that was said in this video and I like that he used the hip hop albums as a reference. Around 8-9 years ago the majority of my new purchases were hip hop albums (pretty crazy to look back at when I consider its almost 0% nowerdays) and even then labels and artists were selling limited runs for silly money.

A key example which he could have honed in on is the early Action Bronson releases. These were originally released by Chopped Herring Records, a UK based one-man label that drip-fed albums into the market. He would initially price them high and release a small number on his website, then as demand went up the next set would be released at a higher price, and again, and again, and again. A couple of years ago he 'found' another box of one of these releases and was selling them at £200 per copy.....they sold out within the day.

Adding to this I completely relate to his point of albums being bought as collector's items rather than something that's actually going to get played. With rap especially its tends to be a bravado culture and quite a few people like to be able to flex their limited records online. I bought a copy of Frank Ocean's Blonde when it dropped (obviously not knowing just how crazy the value would become). By the time it got to me here in the UK I saw how much the price was jumping so I just kept it sealed on my shelf, as its new value surpassed my want to play it. Maybe I was playing into the whole theme of this topic by doing that. Anyway, I sold it recently for a silly amount of money, more than anyone should ever consider paying for a record which you could just as easily stream for free. When I was messaging the buyer I wanted to make it clear that as it was never opened I cannot in good conscious grade the record but could assume it's in mint condition. He messaged me back to say that I needn't worry about that as he was not planning on ever opening it anyway. It just blew my mind that someone would want to own something that bad without even fully utilising it. Sure he could be seeing it as an investment, but he paid significantly over the discogs highest sold so that's a pretty risky investment imo.
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I was watching this sneaker documentary the other day and it seems to me that's pretty much where vinyl is heading for some.

People just want to own something for a bit, take the instagram pics with it and then eventually move it on to buy something else with it. No one's really wearing those sneakers in the same way no one's really listening to the music. Kids even buying pairs of sneakers which don't even match their shoe size similar to those buying records without having a TT.
 
uvwxVinyl said:
I was watching this sneaker documentary the other day and it seems to me that's pretty much where vinyl is heading for some.

People just want to own something for a bit, take the instagram pics with it and then eventually move it on to buy something else with it. No one's really wearing those sneakers in the same way no one's really listening to the music. Kids even buying pairs of sneakers which don't even match their shoe size similar to those buying records without having a TT.
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The thing that's really crazy with the sneakers, is they disintegrate over time. Like even 10-15 years and they aren't wearable anymore because the rubber and plastic dries out and becomes brittle.
 
Mather said:
The thing that's really crazy with the sneakers, is they disintegrate over time. Like even 10-15 years and they aren't wearable anymore because the rubber and plastic dries out and becomes brittle.
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In the case of a sealed modern record pressing, especially considering your track record from VMP, there's a good chance the record is disintegrated on arrival!

I have Frank Ocean's Endless.. and I did open it up and play it from time to time. There are literally divots on the disc...I'm sure it's not an isolated case.
 
uvwxVinyl said:
In the case of a sealed modern record pressing, especially considering your track record from VMP, there's a good chance the record is disintegrated on arrival!

I have Frank Ocean's Endless.. and I did open it up and play it from time to time. There are literally divots on the disc...I'm sure it's not an isolated case.
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Imagine getting your records sealed and professionally graded like they do comic books lol
 
TheThinWhiteDuke said:
Imagine getting your records sealed and professionally graded like they do comic books lol
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Oh god that'd be awful. I will say, the vinyl market reminds me a lot of the sports card market. In the 80s and 90s, it was so oversaturated that it became kind of a gimmick. Nowadays, its a several billion dollar industry. I know people who live off of buying and selling football and baseball cards. Its kind of similar to vinyl where they've come up with different variants, numbered cards, etc. - things people seek that are more rare than the standard versions. My brothers are really into it and one of them found a Giannis Antentekounmpo rookie card, buried in a box from years ago, that is about $3-5K depending on what grade he gets when they return it. Insane! Not sure where it will go eventually, but it definitely has had a major resurgence from its down years and is still a very popular hobby.
 
bobomac2 said:
Oh god that'd be awful. I will say, the vinyl market reminds me a lot of the sports card market. In the 80s and 90s, it was so oversaturated that it became kind of a gimmick. Nowadays, its a several billion dollar industry. I know people who live off of buying and selling football and baseball cards. Its kind of similar to vinyl where they've come up with different variants, numbered cards, etc. - things people seek that are more rare than the standard versions. My brothers are really into it and one of them found a Giannis Antentekounmpo rookie card, buried in a box from years ago, that is about $3-5K depending on what grade he gets when they return it. Insane! Not sure where it will go eventually, but it definitely has had a major resurgence from its down years and is still a very popular hobby.
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I joke about the sealed/grading because if that were ever going to happen, then the Steve Hoffman crowd would have already been doing it to preserve their final-copy Pet Sounds and Parlophone Beatles pressings.

I have heard the 90s comic/trading card analogy used before- but I've always disagreed. I think people dont take into account how CHEAP that stuff was...for a kid it was a lot of money but adults could just buy up those collector issues and trading cards by the CASE. And then the entire collector base grew up and discovered rock music and girls. Records are just way more expensive to invest in and have a much, much longer track record of success long term.

EDIT: I will note that in 1993 it was incredibly uncool to like comic books
 
TheThinWhiteDuke said:
Imagine getting your records sealed and professionally graded like they do comic books lol
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I wouldn't be surprised if we get to that point you know. I used to buy/sell comics as a side hustle and people will literally pay silly money for slabbed comics. It tends to cost around £50 to get a comic slabbed (although the higher the value the more you pay) and you have no idea of what grade it will be until it gets back to you. I know of several people (online, not 'real life') that would get a comic back to see the grade isnt as high as they want, crack it open and send it to be pressed and cleaned, then have it sent back to CGC to be graded and slabbed again.

Apart from the cover art, people want these for their monetary/trading value or the hype of owning it, they certainly are not reading it.....because they cant. Very similar situation to records nowadays for some people, so the logical next step would be for someone to make money off the back of this by slabbing them.
 
TheThinWhiteDuke said:
I joke about the sealed/grading because if that were ever going to happen, then the Steve Hoffman crowd would have already been doing it to preserve their final-copy Pet Sounds and Parlophone Beatles pressings.

I have heard the 90s comic/trading card analogy used before- but I've always disagreed. I think people dont take into account how CHEAP that stuff was...for a kid it was a lot of money but adults could just buy up those collector issues and trading cards by the CASE. And then the entire collector base grew up and discovered rock music and girls. Records are just way more expensive to invest in and have a much, much longer track record of success long term.

EDIT: I will note that in 1993 it was incredibly uncool to like comic books
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I will say, I’ve seen my brothers drop several hundred on a box of cards that has less than 5 cards, blind buy gamble. The prices have gone up a lot for quality stuff. You can still buy cheap packs/boxes, but they’ve created a whole new level of high quality products - akin to audiophile releases.

Example: 5 cards, $300+ 2020 Topps Museum Collection Baseball Hobby Box
 
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I rejoined their website because it said that the Mariah bundle was limited to 1000 copies.. and then I turned around and saw that it wasn’t. And when I talked to the customer service rep, he didn’t even point that out at first. It took him like 4 days to respond to my cancellation request, and now when I tried to order the bundle as a non member a few minutes ago..it’s said that it was sold out. Hopefully it’s restocked, but at this rate I dunno. Im mad the rep wouldn’t just cancel my membership (refund the $43) and let me keep my order for the bundle. The difference between mbr price and non member price is only $6. I’ve been through the same thing a few years ago when I was lied to about another pressing. They are truly shady. Smh.
 
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