Stupid Priced new records

[Baba Jonah]

JOKES PRICES. I dont understand why. . .am I missing something about how special this tune is? Seems to be the way these days for old tunes, fancy packaging, and limited runs. Is it any wonder people are torrenting tunes, copying mp3s and not using vinyl. Soon, if you turn up with a bag of vinyl to play everyone will assume your some sort of MILLIONAIRE. . .

roots is fast losing its appeal to people like myself on average wages in a place where the cost of living is a joke itself.

Please, think about the working man when releasing a tune, we're not all rich kids.

[Baba Jonah]

Not all new prices btw, just the obvious ones. I'm not a big fan of fancy packaging or complex label, just honest black wax in a paper sleeve, slashes the cost.

[MulatuAstatke]

Yes some people are certainly taking the ****. The real stand outs (eg. the Black Skull release) aren't even offering 'silk screen printing' or '500gram vinyl' or some other bull **** gimmick, just a normal vinyl at what must be for them 250% profit margins. 288 is defintely not a limited pressing either.

They do seem to be selling though..!

[Baba Jonah]

I hope the people are happy with the tune, at least its guaranteed mint condition I suppose.

[MulatuAstatke]

I guess its cheaper than buying the original. Still doesn't justify ripping people off.

[Mark T]

I assume it is down to the fact that records are selling in such small numbers. People have to make some money and you either make it on volume or on margin. If you have a low volume (which a few hundred would be) I imagine you have got to mark them up 200-300% to even make sense of all your costs. I've never produced records but having spent long years in sales I know that many people don't understand the true cost of things - cost of mastering, pressing, paper sleeves, royalties is only one part. Telephone, gas, rent, shipping, insurance, bookkeeping, etc etc etc it all contributes to the actual cost of an item.
As the vinyl market has decreased I think the sellers moved to allow volume high margin model to try and compensate - the perceived added value being presentation and limited pressing (i.e. collectibility).
That said, I don't like the high prices more than anyone else. But there are some great priced new items - those new Pablo 12' are a very fair price and as pointed out before way cheaper than the cost of originals in the 1970's in real terms, taking into account inflation.
Mark T

[TruthTown]

30 euro (or 27 pounds) for a new 12" is a ridiculous & prohibitive price IMHO.

Made in the ghetto some years ago...

[TruthTown]

I forget...

Isnt more expensive to record a new LP (recording, mastering, artwork...) than reissuing one 12"?

[MulatuAstatke]

Mark T: your reasoning is sound but doesn't apply to that black skulls reissue. As someone in the process of reissuing a 12" and can safely say that even if they used the best mastering, pressing plant and other things there is no need to charge that much. 300 is also not a small run at all by standards these days.

[edgar]

Mark T: your reasoning is sound but doesn't apply to that black skulls reissue. As someone in the process of reissuing a 12" and can safely say that even if they used the best mastering, pressing plant and other things there is no need to charge that much. 300 is also not a small run at all by standards these days.

250/300 is the minimum you can get pressed at most pressing places.

From what I've been told once, those things from France get shipped to Japan and back (and than sold from here in Europe) for the sole reason of tax evasion. guess all the shipping makes them expensive.

[lankou]

For certain reissues,i have to agree with you. For instance, i was quite baffled when a younger friend showed me Photographer reissues-with their fancy sleeves.
I couldn't help remembering when they could be found in bargain bins for 20p apiece in London second-hand shops in the early 90's.
No one would bother with them and the shop people would find it strange-if not ridiculous- when they saw some foreign guys buying them.
I didn't check how much the represses sell for, but, back in the day, that label surely wasn't amongst the top ones nor had the most original productions.
Early digital tunes on fairly expensive represses is jut strange,more like based on fake hypes- they work very well thanks to the web.
Also think that many 60's/70's represses can be too expensive, but as most are virtually impossible to find at a decent price and decent conditions, i may find an excuse once in a while.On the other hand,one has to find a balance between heart and reason.

[Roman]

30 euro (or 27 pounds) for a new 12" is a ridiculous & prohibitive price IMHO.

Made in the ghetto some years ago...

It's not a ridiculous price if only 100 - 300 copies pressed
It is a ridiculous price if 500 - 1000 copies pressed.

+ add taxes, postal service/shipping costs, production costs etc. Picture sleeves are bloody expensive to make 2. I am talking about Europe

[Baba Jonah]

It is a ridiculous price in a world where goods and services seem expensive to most people as average wages have not risen, therefore life is a struggle for the average person, unless you are a tradesman or doing some sort of some sort of specialised work where the wages are justified. To charge this much for a tune given this is not helpful, and is making the music on vinyl an exclusive thing for rich people rather than music for everyone.

People moan about torrents and mp3s but is it any wonder given this?

[Baba Jonah]

Also, on the same tip, why bother in the first place knowing half the potential audience will not bother buying it?

[Apostle]

From what I've been told once, those things from France get shipped to Japan and back (and than sold from here in Europe) for the sole reason of tax evasion. guess all the shipping makes them expensive.

That seems to make sense, the Dubstore reissues of Solomonic 12 inches were expensive for the same reason.