Closed my EB account after 20+ years

[99thfloor]

His new stock has certainly dwindled in the last few months but he has still been getting new stock from dub store records, digikiller, greensleeves/vp, etc. etc. until the last few weeks anyway. He has sent out discount codes for the last four years or so that I've held a wholesale account, so I wouldn't read too much into that, although the 50% and 60% off codes in the last week feels unprecedented.

No, he has not added new stock in quite some time and there is now almost nothing left from those labels. The few listings that have been added are n.o.s., probably clearing out the warehouse. There has been discount codes for a long time but they have never before amounted to more than 10-20%, so it is a big difference. You don't give 50%-60% discount unless you are just looking to get rid of things.

[danielmak]

I received those discount codes as well. I have a cart of stuff on hold but I honestly couldn't find enough stuff to meet the price from which the discount would be applied. Everything in my cart ranges from 79cents to $4.99. It was impossible for me to get to $100 or whatever it was to get 60% off. I don't buy vinyl so I was only looking at CDs.

[Mick Sleeper]

Just saw some chat on Facebook that indie record labels have been notified Ernie B's is closing; inventory on consignment is being returned.

[Ital Dokta]

Going to be a sad day when Ernie's is no more...I keep getting those discounts as well but there is basically nothing left I'm interested in ordering...

[Mick Sleeper]

Yes, sad indeed Ital Dokta. I'm frustrated that if I want to throw down for a bunch of modern reggae, I'll have to do it on Amazon! Although I suppose ordering direct from VP Records is also a choice.

[Mark T]

I like your photo Mick, you're looking better than when I last saw you.

It is ironic that he would go out of business when vinyl is on the rise again. Ernie always had a strategy of providing new product at the lowest possible price which was great for us buyers - but I'm not sure it's a good strategy for long term health of a company. I think the lack of good, new Jamaican product to sell must also have been a problem and like others mentioned already, he quit selling labels like Pressure Sounds, Soul Jazz etc.
Mark T

[jah_vaults]

END OF AN ERA

[edgar]

I like your photo Mick, you're looking better than when I last saw you.

It is ironic that he would go out of business when vinyl is on the rise again. Ernie always had a strategy of providing new product at the lowest possible price which was great for us buyers - but I'm not sure it's a good strategy for long term health of a company. I think the lack of good, new Jamaican product to sell must also have been a problem and like others mentioned already, he quit selling labels like Pressure Sounds, Soul Jazz etc.
Mark T

It's not a lack of of new products..

Nowadays ''everyone'' is selling new releases.. there are tons and tons of online webshops.. so a lot more competition. You can buy most on amazon also (which has probably even lower prices)

20 years ago he was one of the few selling this stuff.. but that changed....

[Billy_Boom]

US international postal rates have nearly doubled in ten years. Surely that was a factor in EB going under. I also think reggae record sales in the US have declined drastically from when I first started buying from EB around 2006. Serato djs are now cool for better or worse. EB's margins were thin and he needed to move a lot of records to keep the machine oiled. He unsuccessfully tried to adapt his business model to the indie rock and fashion accessory vinyl buyers that account for the resurgence of vinyl sales.

In a lot of ways EB is who got me deep into reggae. The store will be missed. Respect.

[ReggaeFire]

Honestly I think it’s the decline of the record store which killed Ernie. At one point he was probably the main supplier of reggae for large percentage of record stores across the entire United States. The direct-to-consumer sales via the web probably kept him afloat for awhile, but as is evidenced by this very thread it hurt his ability to make deals with his suppliers and caused his stock to decline, a vicious cycle.

I’ve been buying from him off and on for over 20 years (back when you had to order something like $100 per order for him to bother with you), the service will be missed. Like most others, I can’t think of a single complaint in all those years.

[jb welda]

The funny thing is, looking at his website, there isn't much sign of distress, other than clear out prices on total dead stock. it looks like he is still getting in new stock (not particularly reggae) but maybe I haven't been keeping up and its actually old stuff still listed as new. Anyway end of an era but I am sure he will get into something better, Ernie isn't a guy to just give up, but i suspect he got tired of having to deal with the business day in and day out for 20+ years.

one love
jb

[jah_vaults]

There is no mention on Ernie B site of closing down. Seems like business as usual. As mentioned Ernie B had started to also stock other genres of music a good maybe 5 to 7 years ago and was concentrating less on the reggae releases due to high prices etc.

I think due to the very high international and national postal prices which are still going up every year. Over the past 10 to 15 years you can imagine how much the postal prices and product prices have increased and will continue to increase.

If you had a big warehouse like Ernie to stock all these items you would then have very high rent rates and other bills to pay before even making a cent.

Needing to sell probably half a million dollars worth of records in a year to cover phenomenal costs etc

Seems this must also have not helped Ernie to survive these dreadful times.

Just for the liquidators to ship all the leftover bankrupt stock to another supplier would cost more then the items would get sold for in the long run.

Who ever takes the liquidated stock will probably get the stock for next to nothing but using air freight shipping costs would probably make the shipping costs a bit cheaper. So all the stock probably go to another country.

Hats of to Ernie B an impeccable honest foundation seller hard to come by nowadays will be missed.

[jb welda]

its been a long time since I have physically been at "ernie b"s storage space but last time I was, believe me, it was not a big warehouse. In fact, and I am sure this must have changed but maybe not, it used to be his headquarters was at his parents house, and then later, at his own. I recall going over to his original "warehouse" aka "the parents place" and being amazed that he had stacks of records throughout the house and taking up the entire garage. It was always a seat of the pants operation no matter how grand it might have seemed from afar. Ernie is a very humble guy and a very nice guy and one of the best people I have ever met in the reggae arena. My hats off to him for doing what he did, basically conquering the reggae distribution business after RAS pretty much gave up the ghost...prior to that they (RAS) were pretty much the biggest worldwide reggae distribution system, perhaps rough trade or fat shadow being bigger. But ernie has always been very close to the ground, and just had a great way of doing business (to most peoples mind anyhow, perhaps suppliers would offer a contrary opinion).

The thing is, if he is really sending out notice to suppliers and consignment people to call in their stock, then something serious is indeed afoot, despite how it might appear on his website

one love
jb

[rewfew]

Allow me to introduce myself and share the obvious and the hopeful. Since I see no indication his email has reached any posters here. I'd used this source to try to glean any insight into what was going on at EB's and concluded so much as all I've read that Ernie B's was soon not to be. I had sent a couple of emails to EB's expressing my regret with the obvious situation and gratitude for his service and presence over the years. A few days ago I received a form letter from Ernie stating that indeed EBrecords will be closing. In the post he also gave some insight of what had been going on for some time there, not the least of which, he was not even a part of the company and had not been so for some time. He and his brother had been in partnership since 2000. In 2015 he sold out his partnership to his brother which might account for the name change the company underwent. Apparently he went on to say a series of personal hardships including family illness, loosing his house and most of his assets befell him. He now is embarking on rising from the ashes with some financial help from friends and is calling his new enterprise Millions of Records.
http://www.millionsofrecords.com/
It's not up yet but you can get on a mailing list of the stock he has by registering on the link. Well, that's the extent to what I know and hope all of you B.F. enthusiasts are as hopeful as I am that he can make this happen. He's an important asset to all of us that collect the Reggae we crave. And a gentleman too.

[jb welda]

thanks for the info man

one love
jb