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

[Nee Lewman]

No I wouldn't say that, it used to be the case that some store drops would be immediately in stock, that's pretty much never the case now and I would suspect it's linked to the drain on capital that the plant has been... their business model is now entirely funded by pre-orders and subscriptions and if those dry-up then they'll need to raise debt or equity capital which isn't cheap right now... they're essentially a vinyl pyramid scheme where the pre-orders from the next project are used to pay the bills from the previous project... I'm nervous for them...

Their exclusives were always preorders. Store drops of nonexclusive items used to be kind of on demand but the majority of their business has always been pay us now, we’ll send you stuff in a month or two.

Hell in the spreadsheet days you were basically building their order for them.

The difference has been that since the pandemic wait times were forever and still are.

 

[wmeugene]

Looked and my only pre-order is the Impulse Anthology. I was surprised I didn't have any others, but that in a way is illustrative of the point that others have made regarding curation. Since it was 40% off, I'm going to let that one preorder ride, but I don't blame anyone for pulling out given the Bandbox history and the questionable situation surrounding the pressing plant.

 

[Nee Lewman]

I’ve got Nilsson Sings Newman and Shabaka and 7 mos of a country sub left. I’ll give it a minute to see what happens.

Can’t wait to see how they spin this as Saddle Creek’s fault.

Also, Storf’s thread or whatever on Discord is strangely silent especially given the give us a plant update chatter there a week ago. Have they shut some stuff down?

 

[avecigrec]

Looked and my only pre-order is the Impulse Anthology. I was surprised I didn't have any others, but that in a way is illustrative of the point that others have made regarding curation. Since it was 40% off, I'm going to let that one preorder ride, but I don't blame anyone for pulling out given the Bandbox history and the questionable situation surrounding the pressing plant.

Mine was 40% off, but I canceled anyway. Things are tight at home right now, which made that decision easier. Were I working these days I'd have let it ride, but the money's of better use right now.

I still hope the set happens, I hope that it's awesome, and I hope I can eventually get one.

 

[Skalap]

Also, Storf’s thread or whatever on Discord is strangely silent especially given the give us a plant update chatter there a week ago. Have they shut some stuff down?

The more time I spent there the more I have a feeling it's full of paid people (or maybe even employees) trying to build some hype around each and every release.

 

[D Jilla]

Mine was 40% off, but I canceled anyway. Things are tight at home right now, which made that decision easier. Were I working these days I'd have let it ride, but the money's of better use right now.

I still hope the set happens, I hope that it's awesome, and I hope I can eventually get one.

I was thinking, "maybe I'll wait until they send some communication to respond to the situation" - then I immediately started laughing to myself because if there's anything we know, it's that they won't do that.

 

[avecigrec]

I was thinking, "maybe I'll wait until they send some communication to respond to the situation" - then I immediately started laughing to myself because if there's anything we know, it's that they won't do that.

Still waiting for them to communicate that they're sending replacement disc 2s to everyone who got ODB...

 

[Rowan]

The more time I spent there the more I have a feeling it's full of paid people (or maybe even employees) trying to build some hype around each and every release.

My guess was it’s mainly full of glee types trying to out glee each other. Like some competition around who could contrive excitement the most.

The internet is a truly fucked up place

 

[serotonein]

The difference has been that since the pandemic wait times were forever and still are.

I'm sure to some extent it depends on the plant and the pressing amount, but wait times have come way down in the last 6 months to a year. You're no longer told that you have to place your order up to a year out just to get in the queue.

What interests me is that VMP continues to be one of the few, if only, "stores" to sell exclusives but not actually ship them until a month or two after the release date. Nobody else has that issue, be it Barnes & Noble, Urban Outfitters, or a relatively smaller outfit like Rough Trade.

As for all the other stuff, I'm definitely in the 'wait & see' camp, but it does read as if they piled on as many accusations as possible to strengthen their case, even if they can't prove it. The board has to know that unless those guys were personally siphoning off the $, or actually did find a way to "own" the plant personally but paying for it with VMP $, they aren't going to be able to repay it even they are found liable for every penny. I'm sure they've all been well-compensated but it's not as if they were C-suite execs in tech or finance, with stock options to cash in.

I don't know if the board wasn't paying attention *at all* over the last 2 years, or when asked for a firm update on when the plant would finally be pressing records that could be shipped to customers didn't like the answers they received & went full nuclear in response. The end result is still the giant capital investment being presently non-functional. That the board also brought Matt back, even on an interim basis, doesn't bode well. I know we're missing a lot of went on behind the scenes, but aside from the plant & general expansion to acquire more members (multiple tracks, somanyanthologies) and continued Peter Principle advancement of tastemakers like Storf, I don't see what Cam was doing materially different than Matt.... leaving aside the other lawsuit from AB. Cam should have been fired for that immediately even if the only facts that were true were her being fired 3 days after sending an email alleging ongoing discrimination/reminding him of his non-response to previous allegations.

 

[MikeH]

I’ve got Nilsson Sings Newman and Shabaka and 7 mos of a country sub left. I’ll give it a minute to see what happens.

Can’t wait to see how they spin this as Saddle Creek’s fault.

Also, Storf’s thread or whatever on Discord is strangely silent especially given the give us a plant update chatter there a week ago. Have they shut some stuff down?

don't think any of those are being pressed at VMPressing so don't see why they would be affected much... i also am not shocked that with the litigation going on, VMP isn't gonna comment on most of this stuff on discord.

the only update I saw today was that anything that was going to be pressed at VMPressing is going to be pressed elsewhere now. those details will be communicated once those details are locked in. it's gonna be wild if after all this, Impulse ends up being pressed at GZ...

 

[bdrummond]

So so far is that three of us that canceled Impulse today?

the only update I saw today was that anything that was going to be pressed at VMPressing is going to be pressed elsewhere now. those details will be communicated once those details are locked in. it's gonna be wild if after all this, Impulse ends up being pressed at GZ...

Wow, I somehow missed this part, what a clusterfuck.

So now I feel like canceling was perhaps premature, and the right move all at once. I'm sad to not get anything at the end of the day, but maybe that $300-some Canadian dollars + $70 customs was still too steep for GZ pressed records.

And honestly, where does that put the ship date of Impulse now? December?

 

[Mather]

don't think any of those are being pressed at VMPressing so don't see why they would be affected much... i also am not shocked that with the litigation going on, VMP isn't gonna comment on most of this stuff on discord.

the only update I saw today was that anything that was going to be pressed at VMPressing is going to be pressed elsewhere now. those details will be communicated once those details are locked in. it's gonna be wild if after all this, Impulse ends up being pressed at GZ...

Yeah I mean I think this has gotta be the end of any VMP audiophile pressing dreams. I cannot imagine the pressing plant will be doing anything with VMP going forward. BACK TO GZ BOYS

 

[Hemotep]

don't think any of those are being pressed at VMPressing so don't see why they would be affected much... i also am not shocked that with the litigation going on, VMP isn't gonna comment on most of this stuff on discord.

the only update I saw today was that anything that was going to be pressed at VMPressing is going to be pressed elsewhere now. those details will be communicated once those details are locked in. it's gonna be wild if after all this, Impulse ends up being pressed at GZ...

Yeah this is not good news. No way Dead box and Impulse won't be even more seriously delayed now.

 

[MikeH]

The more time I spent there the more I have a feeling it's full of paid people (or maybe even employees) trying to build some hype around each and every release.

Eh I don't think it's entirely true at all. definitely a lot of people who really like the service but also a fair share who don't hype everything and know not to buy stuff that's just a color variant if it's more money.

 

[bdrummond]

Yeah this is not good news. No way Dead box and Impulse won't be even more seriously delayed now.

Yeah, like worst case, it's delayed again.
Worst, worst case, they try and rush it and it ends up a noisy mess.

 

[wmeugene]

Yeah this is not good news. No way Dead box and Impulse won't be even more seriously delayed now.

I would imagine though that they’ve known this for a few months now at least, law suits like this take a long time to prepare. So I don’t think it is unrealistic to think that the current time frames might actually be correct.

 

[serotonein]

... i also am not shocked that with the litigation going on, VMP isn't gonna comment on most of this stuff on discord.

If they have even a half-competent legal team, every employee has already received an email telling them to not comment on any aspect of the lawsuit, including the people involved

Funny enough, I remember back when we were telling Matt, repeatedly, that if he refused to regularly update the "members" on what was going on, then maybe they should hire a VP of Communications. The company could sure use one now.

 

[bdrummond]

I would imagine though that they’ve known this for a few months now at least, law suits like this take a long time to prepare. So I don’t think it is unrealistic to think that the current time frames might actually be correct.

But correct me if I'm wrong, the last impulse update was based on it still being pressed at the new plant right? From what I'm hearing - or trying to follow along with - is that this will now be moved, which means it has to fit in with the new pressing plant's schedule, no?

 

[Nee Lewman]

don't think any of those are being pressed at VMPressing so don't see why they would be affected much... i also am not shocked that with the litigation going on, VMP isn't gonna comment on most of this stuff on discord.

the only update I saw today was that anything that was going to be pressed at VMPressing is going to be pressed elsewhere now. those details will be communicated once those details are locked in. it's gonna be wild if after all this, Impulse ends up being pressed at GZ...

I didn’t necessarily expect a response, just that in a thread where everyone was talking about the plant less than 7 days ago there are like no posts.

 

[MikeH]

So so far is that three of us that canceled Impulse today?

Wow, I somehow missed this part, what a clusterfuck.

So now I feel like canceling was perhaps premature, and the right move all at once. I'm sad to not get anything at the end of the day, but maybe that $300-some Canadian dollars + $70 customs was still too steep for GZ pressed records.

And honestly, where does that put the ship date of Impulse now? December?

To be clear--not saying it is definitely being pressed at GZ. It may end up being RTI or something. I'm on the fence about cancelling it. I think I got 40% off and all with store credit.

Yeah I mean I think this has gotta be the end of any VMP audiophile pressing dreams. I cannot imagine the pressing plant will be doing anything with VMP going forward. BACK TO GZ BOYS

I doubt this lawsuit gets settled anytime soon, but I could imagine that one possible settlement could be VMP taking over the plant....

Here's a good writeup a buddy of mine who is a lawyer did based on the complaint that was actually filed:

"Vinyl Me Please" Thread*

I've read the complaint. Here are the paragraphs I found interesting, some with my thoughts. Paragraph 8: more than 20,000 current subscribers....

forums.stevehoffman.tv

lots of strange stuff in there. How did VMP's board not realize any of this prior to now?