I agree that the freeby listing has gotten way out of hand. I too see lots of junk in other areas. This high line site has gotten a bit low lined. But business is business and you take the bad with the good. Gold mine you say. Go for it and then buy more of those high line pieces.......... |
I don't really want to start fussing with you over this because I know your opinion won't change. My question is how many times are you going to start a thread saying the same old stuff? We all know the prices for vinyl here have put a burr under your saddle and you don't like the free ads, but it seems to me, it's like television. If you don't like it, don't look.
I've bought a number of albums here and each one has been nearly perfect, professionally cleaned and placed in poyletheylene inner sleeves and plastic outer sleeves. I double dog dare you to do the same and sell them for a buck. Try walking in their shoes for a change and posts your results. Now, that would be a new thread! |
Yes it is annoying, to look for something I might want, and have to slog through mountains of trash, (Just like at the thrift stores!)
I am pointing out to those who care to read that most are overpriced junk!
And the same goes for this post, by the way, "If you don't like it, don't look."
I have purchased LPs on Audiogon also, and find the going pretty tough.
At least on eBay, I can just look at "Jazz" LPs or "classical" LPs.
And I just might sell some M- LPs IN A polylined new sleeve AND a 5 mil new outer... Because I am in this because it is a hobby... not a cash growing machine! |
Elizabeth I could not agree more. The prices of LPs here is outrageous! I rarely see anything special about the LPs except the price they are charging. I have purchased hundreds of LPs on Ebay, but I can't recall buying any here. I guess we're preaching to the choir though. |
I think it would help if sellers would post many albums in 1 ad instead of 50 individual ad's.Save a lot of listing space and quicker to read.Listing common albums is a waste of time unless sealed possibly.JD |
Elizabeth,
I too agree with you. I'm so sick of "Hi my name is Simon, and yes I have gone to the dark side, I could shit"! Not only are the prices outrageous but the sales pitch lacks creativity. |
What do you expect? People who drop 5g's for a turntable,15-20K on a pair of speakers, a coupla g's on interconnects shouldn't be shocked that the asking price for used albums on the site is 10 bucks. Do people with that much disposable income really go to thrift shops and flea markets? I just don't know. |
Elizabeth: It's great that you have plenty of free time to scour the thrift stores. For those that are busy making money, $10/record may be a bargain. Yours is a completely different mind-set, try to comprehend this.
Cheers! |
To answer your question, jsonic, most people that have the disposable income to drop $5k for a turntable, 15-20K on a pair of speakers and a couple of g's on interconnects are too busy making money to spend time in Thrift Stores. They are simply too busy.
Those with the time can buy records for a dollar. Those with little time can buy them here at their leisure for $10. |
I can comprehend that overcharging appears justified to some because:
These folks are loaded, so they won't care they are being overcharged.
These folks are too busy to know they CAN get most of these LPs lots of other places (not just thrift stores) for a LOT less.
The folks looking at these LP ads have a mind set that tells them that: "Of course these LPs are better, They must be, because they cost more!"
However these reasons are the same BS that makes $300 wooden volume knobs appealing.
It sucks and I just wanted to say so. I "comprehend" just fine, it's my 'moral compass' that may need to be reset to swollow this stuff? |
i am feeling the same way about tube sales here....
since the masses have begun to experiment with tubes, i have seen a great many here earn a pretty penny.....don't get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with letting the marketplace determine the value, however i agree with Elizabeths' observation "of course these LPS are better, they must be, because they cost more!", ...when looking at what tubes are selling here for, the bar is being raised by the uninformed, sort of a DOTcom boom in tubes. |
Seems like I struck a nerve with you, Elizabeth. Nowhere did I equate $300 wood knobs (They're actually $485, just so you know) with a $10 record. Nor did I state that their loaded, so take advantage of them. (You're really reaching there). What I did state is that some people work very hard so they don't have to get filthy digging through Thrift Stores. Their time is worth much more than the $9.82 that you saved. They value time, where you value your pennies. It's really a different mindset, one that I don't think you'll ever understand. Those that do, can afford the nicer things in life.
Best Wishes. |
Jest45@aol.com
HA HAH Hah ha hah ha haha....
What can I possibly say...
Good luck! |
Hello,
One on the tenets of capitalism is "charge what the market will bear." The lp ads cost nothing to list and if one can foist off some of their useless titles, why not? Having been shopping and selling in the used lp market for nearly 30 years, I am amused when I see certain Audiogon sellers list and relist titles that quality used shops in Chicago would not even put in the racks for sale at any price. |
Where's Slappy when you need him?
Happy Listening or buying or whatever you people are doing here!
I have the bank account to buy anything I want but since I am into this hobby, I still know what a decent price is for something that I truely want. And price does nto always mean quality. |
I just hope that someday I'll be lucky enough to find that "mother lode" of LP's that I can buy for pennies per LP. Not much shows up in the thrifts around here 'cause most records have been gobbled up by collectors or the local used records stores or the blackhole of LP's. So I guess I'll have to start looking to estate sales or classifieds. But until then I still buy from my local used LP dealers and it seems that I pay about the same, maybe a few dollars less, as the asking price of many of the LP's listed here. I cannot buy small numbers of LPs without seeing what I'm getting so I don't buy used from the 'net. |
Interesting variety of responses! Thank you all!
For Dan_ed: Agree it is hard to buy sight unseen! Different folks' idea of what Mint or VG++ or Excellent, are so scattered over the possible map! I Get nervous when I read an ad on eBay that says the record is Mint and in the same sentence declare that the scratches won't interfer with the sound!
I still buy on the net because many records just are not available in a timely manner, even where I live with plenty of places to shop. |
You could say, Elizabeth, that you realize that some people have less time because they are working longer hours than you. A benefit is a greater income, one which will allow them to purchase records for $10 from Audiogon, eBay, or elsewhere on the 'net.
Back when I was in college, I had time to get dirty in Thrift Stores. I spent thousands of hours digging through boxes or record racks. Just imagine the money could I have made in those thousands of hours, even at just $10 per hour. Now fast forward to post college days and a $140K year income. Divide that by 2080 hours (52 weeks times 40 hours/week). Get the concept? |
jes45 - So how much are you earning the other 3760 waking hours (365 days times 16 hours/day less your 2080 working hours)? No question there are some people that are willing to pay a steep premium for having someone else do the work but my guess is that it wouldn't take much time to find most of the relatively common albums noted. Assuming 10 per hour sifting through the bins, well worth it at even $140K/year. |
Truth is, to make that income, you work longer hours than the average guy. I already own 10K records, so finding 10 records at any Thrift Store is impossible. I'd be very lucky to find one worthy of purchase per hour. This said, I'll gladly pay someone else $10/hour to find good records for me. Like I said, it is a mindset. It's okay if you can't understand it, many don't.
Regarding the other 3760 hours/year; I devote what little spare time I have to my family, to my friends, to my community (Rotary, religious men's organizations that raise money for charities and 5 hours minimum/week at the homeless shelter) and listening to music 3 to 4 hours daily. You may think that I have a warped value of time, I do not.
I'll add that I'm not a seller at Audiogon, nor elsewhere. I hope that sellers will not be discouraged from offering their records at Audiogon, even the $10 ones, after reading the majority of posts.
Happy record hunting. |
Jes45,
Your priorities seem pretty darn straight to me. I mow my grass for about 40ยข and it takes me about an hour. When I last hired it done while on vacation I paid $40 a whack. I don't mind paying an enterprising soul for their efforts. Man, do I love this country. Money allows one the freedom to spend as you choose. It doesn't bother me one whit to pay big bucks for some new vinyl and I fail to see that $10 for a used record that I've been wanting, in good condition, is too much. The sellers are offering a service here and I appreciate it.
There have been some reasonable thoughts from other folks in this thread that don't see things the way I do. Maybe what we would all like is for the albums that interest only us to be for sale but that's not going to happen in this life. It would be a lot of work for AudiogoN to write code to search software by genre for a free listing but that would be the biggest help that I can see. |
jes45 - Sounds like you do have plenty of better things to do than sort through bins, most of which, in the words of the MasterCard commercial - priceless.
Enjoy the music. |
