Vinyl question

It's all about the dificult proposition of maintaining profitability in a manufacturing situation with low volume sales numbers. Vinyl, while growing in popularity, is still a small, insignificant niche of the music industry. It's a lot more complicated to manufacture a vinyl release than you'd imagine. Pressing plants have been closing and it's harder to get production scheduled in the remaining quality facilities. Also, a record label has to get titles pressed in reasonably high numbers to gain some economy of scale in manufacturing so they can make a profit. Hence, demand may have to build for some time before it makes economic sense to reissue.

Demand is not as strong as you think it is. New releases these days rarely do pressings bigger than a couple thousand. Reissues can be higher, but only for proven sellers like Dark Side of the Moon. It's the low demand that forces prices for new vinyl into the $30-40 range.

For many of us, myself included, a big part of the attraction of vinyl is finding great stuff at Goodwill for 99 cents, or at used record stores for $5. It's lamentable that most new releases never see vinyl, and that reissues are scarce, but I'm too busy enjoying the last 50 years or so at 10 cents a song.

:-)

David

Pick up a nice record cleaning machine - a Nitty Gritty or VPI would do just fine. Then head out & search for your long-lost vinyl treasures. It's half the fun of vinyl. I once found a mint, half-speed mastered Willie Nelson "Stardust" for 50 cents. Lots of fun.

Of course, the other half is listening to real music on those little vinyl pies.....

Cheers, Ed