The end of LP collecting????


I don't know about most of you but I am a joe six pack fince kind of guy and it bums me out that I keep seeing prices of equipment becaome more and more rediculous.That's why, say with amplification I ike a companies like Quicksilver,Rogue,VTL etc where just getting a set up that sound sbetter than mid-fi (and of course there budget companies for source compenet and spoeakers) where buying their products does not insult your inteliigence,But being a guy whao over tha past 6 years ghhas amazzes a pretty decent collection of LP's off EBAY the party seesms to be over.Yes we all wish we bought items before we di (Micorsoft in '83) or a split window Corvette jst to store away the wholeLP thing at least one ebay (which dtermines prices at shows and shops) the prices over the past 12 or pwerhaps 18 months has just gotten totally out of hand.Lp's that could get over the couple of years say $60 in mint conditon (like a Prestige Miles) not regularly go for $100..Bassically prices have doubled or trippled in one year.I know supply /demand but the supply has been static but I find it weird that everyone and his cousin finally disocvered Ebay even though it's been a forum for years.Blue Notesin particular have eneded up primarily Japan for quite some time but now the prices have just gobne nuts.Yes a goofd copy of a lowproduction item like Tina Brooks (made propular by the Mosaic set wheu\ic revived (or in fact started his fame-read his bio it was sad a talented guy who recorded as a dideman for a few Blue Note guys like McLean,Hubbard, or Burrell) but he himself recoded 4 LP's for Lyon and Wollf.But sales were so poor with the first titled "True Blue" that the other 3 staid in the can until Cuscuna brought them out on Mosaic.all of a suden copies would reguarlly go for $1500 when 10 yeas before they were bought for $5 in some cut out bin.But now a regular Mobley 1500 series LP will go for $2K.Barney Wilen excellent (Buy it for $8 on CD on Vogue) goes for $2500.And jusyt last week I sawa Sihab Shihab "With The Dabish Radio Orchestra ": go for $1800 pounds.You do the conversion.Iam satisfied with my $25 CD re-issue.But it's all taken the fun out of it for me siunce the priceing ( three or four players WILL get an LP they want no matter what.I guess if I was woth a few million I woulkd be that guy.I am only glad that since 1995 or so with 2 bit K2 [processing CD's are finally soundiong acceptable not terribel like they did for the fisrt fifteen years of "the ultimate media".And some red book CD's sound as good as SACD's.Still there is nothing more depressing than wanmting a say Prestige LP and only having the CD otion (foget the OJC LP's.Re-melt wax combine with re-melt something that has made LP's in general suck sinc the late 60's).Thank goodness for comapines like Clasic Records which have made soemre-0issue using original tapes,stampers etc and in some cases sound as f\good as the oru\iginal LP>And then there are comanies like Mapple shade which use no board for EQ,compression, etc-no board at all just mike to tape.Then there is the Japanese comany Venus whose "24 Bit Hyper Magnum Sound" is incredible either on CD or LP.Take the terrrfic Archie Shepp Ballad LP's like "True Blue","Tru Romance' etc (four in all I think)The Lp's have a great tactile sound and warmth that only Lp's cab provide but of course you lose some of the fdynamic range you get with CD's.And all of this from digital tape so nobody can tell me that LP'scan only sound good with analogue tape-these LP's are great.I stopped running the jazz section of CD stereo equipment store 4 years ago and just before i left did CVD's start to sound "right".SACD's,DVD Audio,BlueLight or other digital formats maybe the salvation for a guy like me.But there some of my jazz Lp's that maybe got pressed in a few hundred companies and I am doubtfull all of them will make it to market.So maybe I should just borrow my freinds trumpet and play taps for my beloved hobby.The groove factor of the cover srt and it's size,finding a clean flat edge preesing with adep grove with "Rudy Van Gelder" and the little "ear mark(swirl) that indicated a fuisrt press well it's a pleasure that isn't going to vcome down the pipe that ofetn and while I like the fact that mire and mre folks seem to be digging the "New Thing" that is now 40 or 50 years old great the recent spike of LP's is just plain depressing.
Chazzbo
chazzbo

Showing 6 responses by r_f_sayles

WoW! And your point is.............? ;^)
The economy sucks and I've been finding things on ebay that shouldn't be gong for the price that I'm paying, it's a buyers market, if you can find the right item. Just a few short years ago people were beating each other up on the bids, paying way too much for a record. If anything, I don't see the rare titles I used to see because people like all of us are buying them up.
Remember, it's sad but true that we are only care takers of the Lps for a short while and some day someone else will collect what we leave behind, just like so many of the vintage ones in my collection, I wasn't around to buy every one of them new! If your familiar with Neil young’s new album and the song “this old guitar” I find it most apropos in this circumstance. I'll leave you with the words of Chad of Acoustic Sounds "buy now or cry later", And so it goes...Happy record hunting and listening!
DEATH To The LP!?
Just toke a quick reality check on the current state of the record collecting situation on the bay (US) only, here are some stats:

Total LPs 64,270 (as compared to 1559 CDs/ 706 SACDs)

5,533 said to be MINT

7,004 said to be SEALED

and 6,805 45RPMs

And if you were looking for a complete Classical library in one purchase:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=4795041618&ssPageName=STRK:MEWA:IT
(This just backs up what I was saying earlier in this thread unfortunately about record ownership being temporal.)

Heck, With my collection nearing that of Elizabeth's it would seem that some find great value in this dusty old imperfect medium.

I would guess our hobby is just about died... ;^)
Long Live the Long Play!
Happy listening!
Plinko, what makes you think there is any disgrace? I'm serious. I agree with Qdrone, to point out in others a disgraceful act, shame on you, what's wrong with you! Is it some how OK to go out and earn a buck wherever else, Oh! but not on the sacred Lp? Bull@#$%! Every loaf of bread you eat has a hundred taxes and profits associated with it why not the LP? That's some of the most hypocritical stuff I have heard on A'gon. I mean no personal offense to you my friend but, I strongly disagree with your ideas. Sorry.
It would seem that with all the new high end turntables, cartridges, and phono amps being bought out there today people might be looking for something to play on them.
It also makes sense that as more and more people get back into analogue play back and find out how superior it is, they might start looking for vintage vinyl.
I buy for listening pleasure and I also speculatively purchase for resale.
Right now my record collection value is growing at a greater rate than my 401K, so how foolish is it to invest in something I know and enjoy?
Why am I as a collector and appreciator (listener) some how exempt from doing what record companies and record stores have been doing since the beginning of their time?
I buy, sell, trade, horde...Lps. Oh ya and Listen to them a lot.
Happy listening!
Chazzbo, I think you wore the auditors here on A'gon out. The last time I made any reference to what someone might be smoking based on their vinyl LP comments they threw my comment in a dark place where no one will find it! The record collecting market in many ways shows a much bigger sociological picture as I think you were painting for those who care to listen. It’s not all dr*gs, S*x, and Rock n’ roll.
Cheers! (with the legal stuff, of course)
Chadnliz, IMHO Why do you even care to bother wasting your time and ours with comments that are neither value added nor at very least entertaining? This isn't the first time. Sorry. Happy listening!