adventures into the unknown
Jun. 6th, 2010 11:23 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
davemerrillSo we went aimlessly driving around yesterday. Went to a record store in Oakville that we'd passed previously but had never gone into. First indication something's going on is the one wall full of cassettes. One wall, full of cassettes. Some were in those lockable security things. You remember when you went into The Record Bar or Turtles in 1985 to buy that new "cassingle" from, I dunno, Richard Marx or Arcadia or somebody, and it was in this plastic frame the cashier had to unlock? Yeah. So there were a lot of cassettes. There were a lot of CDs also in those security things. There were a lot of LPs. The little sign said they were consignment LPs and that the prices were set by the vendor. Okay, sure. What made it outstanding was that the prices weren't a little high. The prices were a LOT high. The prices had been smoking weed all week long, they were that high. Seriously, $20 for Genesis LPs. $30 for Black Oak Arkansas (!!) LPs. $30 for Black Sabbath LPs. Just garden variety buy 'em anywhere LPs, but in Oakville you can tack a zero onto the regular price. Okay, so let's check the used vinyl in the basement. Let's see what the actual store owner thinks vinyl is worth. Will it get cheaper?
Hah! You know those K-Tel AS SEEN ON TV compilations? You know how in every thrift store on Earth they are one or two dollars? Not here. Six dollars, ten dollars, twenty dollars. Carpenters LPs for $20- but it's still sealed! Yes, there's a reason it's still sealed. Nana Mouskouri Christmas LPs for $20. Def Leppard's PRYOMANIA - an LP that is still freely available in Goodwills across the nation for a buck- bargain priced here in Oakville at $14.99. We wandered through the basement, laughing at prices. And then we left.
I realize this is Oakville, which is a pricey suburb that prides itself on being classy. And I realize rent is probably at a premium. But I also realize that the pool of prospective customers willing to shell out outrageous prices for bad vinyl; well, it can't be large. This is a shop that's stuffed to the gills with albums, CDs, and cassettes (!!) still at their popular prices of eight or nine bucks each. Probably a fire trap. Owner should start slashing prices, moving some inventory. Not that he's going to have a lot of luck selling K-Tel compilations or Carpenters LPs at any price, but the stuff needs to move. Probably save his life.
Actually there was a dealer at Anime North selling new vinyl at premium prices. I suppose you can TRY to get $30 for LPs at an anime convention. No, not vintage anime vinyl, just re-issues of typical classic rock staples. Because that's what anime fans want, to spend $30 on Pink Floyd albums they can't listen to.
Speaking of outrageous prices, a few weeks ago we dropped into a Queen West boutique that had pop culture junk in the basement - books, records, toys, what have you. Nothing too amazing, but downstairs there was a box of books and magazines. I found two Japanese womens magazines from the 1960s. Mostly text but there were some cool old ads. No visible price so I took 'em up to the register. Dude wanted ten dollars each. Now if I hadn't seen entire shops full of vintage Japanese magazines in Kanda for a fifth of the price last summer, I might have bought one of them. But I guess I'm spoiled. I countered with a buck each. Dude looked apologetic, but did not counter-offer. I think they're still there along with their overpriced hipster nostalgia LPs and "ironic" t-shirts, if anybody's got ten bucks to drop on old magazines they can't read.
Crazy Grandma Price Guide fever - it's catching!!
Hah! You know those K-Tel AS SEEN ON TV compilations? You know how in every thrift store on Earth they are one or two dollars? Not here. Six dollars, ten dollars, twenty dollars. Carpenters LPs for $20- but it's still sealed! Yes, there's a reason it's still sealed. Nana Mouskouri Christmas LPs for $20. Def Leppard's PRYOMANIA - an LP that is still freely available in Goodwills across the nation for a buck- bargain priced here in Oakville at $14.99. We wandered through the basement, laughing at prices. And then we left.
I realize this is Oakville, which is a pricey suburb that prides itself on being classy. And I realize rent is probably at a premium. But I also realize that the pool of prospective customers willing to shell out outrageous prices for bad vinyl; well, it can't be large. This is a shop that's stuffed to the gills with albums, CDs, and cassettes (!!) still at their popular prices of eight or nine bucks each. Probably a fire trap. Owner should start slashing prices, moving some inventory. Not that he's going to have a lot of luck selling K-Tel compilations or Carpenters LPs at any price, but the stuff needs to move. Probably save his life.
Actually there was a dealer at Anime North selling new vinyl at premium prices. I suppose you can TRY to get $30 for LPs at an anime convention. No, not vintage anime vinyl, just re-issues of typical classic rock staples. Because that's what anime fans want, to spend $30 on Pink Floyd albums they can't listen to.
Speaking of outrageous prices, a few weeks ago we dropped into a Queen West boutique that had pop culture junk in the basement - books, records, toys, what have you. Nothing too amazing, but downstairs there was a box of books and magazines. I found two Japanese womens magazines from the 1960s. Mostly text but there were some cool old ads. No visible price so I took 'em up to the register. Dude wanted ten dollars each. Now if I hadn't seen entire shops full of vintage Japanese magazines in Kanda for a fifth of the price last summer, I might have bought one of them. But I guess I'm spoiled. I countered with a buck each. Dude looked apologetic, but did not counter-offer. I think they're still there along with their overpriced hipster nostalgia LPs and "ironic" t-shirts, if anybody's got ten bucks to drop on old magazines they can't read.
Crazy Grandma Price Guide fever - it's catching!!
