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

Yeah waiting on Blossom in addition to Fiona and Aretha. No expectations on Blossom Dearie either. Almost kind of hoping my package doesn’t get here until after Christmas. I’d rather not someone swipe it from my porch like last year and miss out on the Blossom Dearie.
 
Dead C said:
When I see those comments on reddit now, it's mindboggling to watch people defend it saying, "my order's fine" or "the migration is just gonna make everything better." These people are surrounded by flames at all times.

As with here, the whole forum was spread out a bit, it wasn't 100% fucked in every crevice, although when you came there, it began to bleed slowly into every place. I'd imagine you'd probably go into one place to discuss something and see someone bitching, go into another unrelated thread and see someone else complain. It makes sense. This situation on reddit though... I don't know. Who could read this wrong?

I mean, I don't really think "naivety" even fits here, regarding your optimism way back -- we've all had it -- because that suggests something you should have been aware of. Why should anyone expect a record club to set fire to itself this way? I don't know about anyone else, but, even after everything, I was still blindsided by the forum shutdown. Maybe that was naive, too, in retrospect.

For someone feeling like they found a community, people complaining about what seem like non-issues could also feel like those people are a detriment to it. In reality, it was often a reflection of the community when we had each other's backs. A lot of people got off the fence quick with that shut down announcement and it was really unifying. I remember seeing you go in on them and thinking, "oh shit!" because you were on that before I even saw the post or knew it was happening.

I think most of us are pretty realistic about how much VMP doesn't give a shit about us. Believing they shut down the forum for any justifiable reason or some long term plan for our benefit would be naive. Although, finally responding with a forum that can't get away from them like this wouldn't surprise me. I bought the Fiona. I bought the Mobb Deep. We do what we do and we make decisions based on what works for us as individuals. I have no expectations they will improve, but if they pull off some miracle, more power to them. I'd be happy to see them make things right for anyone getting the shaft, but I'm obviously skeptical as to how that would happen. If/when they don't, I'm just filling up some extra gas canisters.
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I think when the announcement about the forum closing came out, I was just disappointed because I knew that we, as customers, had just lost. What we lost was VMP as we knew because it signaled what a lot of people had been talking about and what we've come to realize, that those in charge have no idea what they're doing or at least are guided by something other than curating a premium product for its members.

My disappointment was around what this signaled, a departure from what VMP promised to deliver, a service to a community of vinyl enthusiasts. Think of it as if Starbucks tried to sell coffee while telling its customers that the environment and experience (which is what they are really selling) was going away because they needed to refocus on curating a new customer experience to be revealed at some time. The company would tank because they have now lost the one thing that made them different from a Tim Hortons or a Dunkin Donuts and the lowest price would win the customer's order. This is basically what VMP did, they killed off the one thing that would allow them to be something special. And so my anger was fueled by my disappointment because something I enjoyed was going away and being replaced by something that is now merely a transaction.
 
Here’s some fuel the fire. I haven’t been a member for 5 months now, but I did purchase the Blossom Dearie as a guest and pay the $5 up charge for shipping. I got a shipping notification 5 days later. It looks like they’re definitely prioritizing new customers vs. members
 
serotonein said:
While all of the negativity is incredibly well-earned, and I've had my fair share of complaints (has anyone who's on Classics received their December box, or even a shipping notice, yet?), I want to note that my Wild Flag showed up last week. There was no damage to the jacket, and the record is flat and plays clean. It also happens to be one of the prettiest records I own.

View attachment 26221

This doesn't make them any better than Newbury, but still made my week better.
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Looks better than the mock up actually. Nice.
 
CCKrone said:
I think when the announcement about the forum closing came out, I was just disappointed because I knew that we, as customers, had just lost. What we lost was VMP as we knew because it signaled what a lot of people had been talking about and what we've come to realize, that those in charge have no idea what they're doing or at least are guided by something other than curating a premium product for its members.

My disappointment was around what this signaled, a departure from what VMP promised to deliver, a service to a community of vinyl enthusiasts. Think of it as if Starbucks tried to sell coffee while telling its customers that the environment and experience (which is what they are really selling) was going away because they needed to refocus on curating a new customer experience to be revealed at some time. The company would tank because they have now lost the one thing that made them different from a Tim Hortons or a Dunkin Donuts and the lowest price would win the customer's order. This is basically what VMP did, they killed off the one thing that would allow them to be something special. And so my anger was fueled by my disappointment because something I enjoyed was going away and being replaced by something that is now merely a transaction.
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I get what you're getting at, but as someone living in Seattle who has worked in coffee and, at one point, even the Starbucks warehouse, the analogy misses the boat, for me, in certain ways, while at the same time, landing perfectly on others.

What Starbucks is selling is the idea of high end coffee that, in reality, is actually just full blown trash. They could still successfully sustain themselves as a walk up. They even have products in stores. That's their market. Anyone with any real knowledge and/or has worked at legitimate small roasteries out here, not only knows better, but is tired of people thinking a macchiato is a giant caramel latte.

@duke86fan recently made a reference to "used" records being less appealing over on reddit. Meanwhile, I come from a world where I know people and shops that hold OG pressings in much higher regard, if not also holding some disdain for the reissue market. Different demographics.

VMP just shifted their focus away from real quality and community toward fancy colors and new customers distracted by novelty. They used to have a healthy mix, which is what made them great. The product wasn't super pretentious, but it wasn't all flavor of the month bullshit and fluff either. There are people in this forum who listen to noise and black metal communicating with Taylor Swift fans and even giving each other the heads up about releases without judgment. We've kept that going.

I've been collecting records for two and a half decades. I don't know that I'd be going out and buying a new table and getting into this if I wasn't already too deep in this game. But, my niece just did. There will always be new people stumbling in ready to be marks lured in by snakeoil record knowledge cool guys. "I work at VMP." Great.

Starbucks has always been garbage. Most people don't realize there are better options and, some of them, walk around smug sipping burned espresso soaked in candy, completely unaware that they are turning their noses up to people fully unimpressed by them. Get exclusives. Have status.

VMP is a company. They fuck up too much and
they aren't the only game in town. Like you said, they're abandoning the only real things that make them unique and give them value from the flexibility and price point to the community, exclusivity and customer service. Starbucks knows you can't destroy them, because they have other ways to move their product and a name embedded into our culture on par with Nike or McDonalds. I have to wonder what VMP believes it still brings to the table, once every element of appeal they possessed is completely rotted away or abandoned by choice.
 
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Dead C said:
@duke86fan recently made a reference to "used" records being less appealing over on reddit. Meanwhile, I come from a world where I know people and shops that hold OG pressings in much higher regard, if not also holding some disdain for the reissue market. Different demographics.
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The less appealing thing doesn't mean I hate used records btw, I got that big stack with Paul Simon, miles Davis, Niel young, and Frank zappa all from a friends old records, and I'll gladly buy a VG+ LP from someone. the thing is that I just have a bit of an anxiety with used records, because of more logical things like the chances of having to evaluate quality and old techniques I can't stand (of your album is in automatic record change style I can't fucking stand it). To more paranormal stuff that my delusions come up with..

I just personally find new to be a better experience but I understand the preference for originals
 
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