Believe it or not, the employee that prices used records on the only big record store we have doesn't use discogs, well he dosen't speak english. He knows about things like The Cure, U2, Black Sabbath, Madonna, Michael Jackson, Prince, Queen, Led Zeppelin. He knows about the most popular artists, classic rock and metal. He thinks Barry Manilow and Linda Rodstand records are valuable just because he knows the name. Luckily for me he dosen't know anyting or very little about post-punk, new wave, synth pop, hip hop, jazz, latin rock, funk or world music, so, as a result of that, my collection of those genres has grown exponentially. In 2020, since the pandemic, they started to put out a lot of records, promos mostly, they had on their warehouse from 25 years ago, it was like time traveling. I had some competition cause friends of mine, record collectors got to some of the best stuff, not all cause they are mostly metalheads so they left a lot of good records behind. Im still getting a lot of stuff till this day, not the most valuable records but a lot of rare $1.00 records.
Hi Vinyl Guru Lady!, yeah i think you're right, discogs have ruined it, but the best finds ever for me now are the vintage stores, the fea markets, and garage sales, yes! i am telling you those places to me are like a Treasure of some of the best lp,45, cassettes, 8-tracks etc. i have added about one-hundred or more lp's to my collection just in the past yr. or so. i've gotten to the point where i don't even bother to go to the store anymore, cause their too exspensive. Do you check out Flea markets? (by the way, i love your videos, TOTALLY AWESOME! YOU ROCK IT LADY!
I wish I could go back to the 80's with the money I have now and buy up all the vinyl cut-outs they were just trying to get rid of, then the CDs came out and they had even more vinyl was marked down, I did get a few to have the vinyl counterpart to my CD of whatever. now the vinyl resurgence made it all more interesting but soon made it unaffordable. I went to a record store recently that had moved to a new location, and it totally sucked compared to the previous location. I took a video of that shop when it was great. I have it here on UA-cam.
A lot of stores that have a large presence on EBay like Carolina Soul are selling collections on commission on there. The shop is run separately and can still get great records when they walk in for trade. But yeah digging takes more work these days for sure. Having a good relationship with the owners of your favorite shops helps in getting a heads up when good stuff comes in.
I don't see any change whatsoever in traffic in independent record stores. They're just as crowded if not more, and I live in the independent record store capital of the world (L.A.) with more stores in one geographic area than any other place in the world and whenever I go into a shop there's plnty of traffic. Moreover, even if some stores are filtering their pricing through Discogs, and are comparable to pricing, I'd rather buy "instantly" that wait for shipping from Discogs. Also, any shops that are saying "sorry that's for online only", are just being LAZY because they don't want to have to do the extra work to find a record and adjust their stock when it sells in store. I'm glad that you support the independent shops like you do. - TONE
@@TheVinylGuru Luling, just outside of New Orleans, and a good 40 miles from nearest shop. I buy mostly online at other mom and pop stores. Still into the vinyl. And look forward to another DJ video from ya. You are the coolest.
Great discussion! I think it tends to me more genre based - classic rock, as an example, not a lot of deals to be had. Hard rock and metal, not a lot of deals. Classic 70s soul? Deals to be had. 12" singles? Deals all over the map. It just depends on what you're looking for!
I should preface this by saying that I don’t have one tenth of your knowledge when it comes to used/vintage vinyl. I think every record store needs an online presence (new/used) to survive unless they’re in a prime City/location. I think there should be 1-2 employees who can barter prices with stronger customers but there should never be an “online only” section because you don’t want to “punish” in-person shopping. Great video as always VG
A pipe dream outside of the GTA, Ottawa, K/W unfortunately unless there’s a big shift back to physical media. You’d need ongoing access to collections being sold and to figure out how to beat the online sellers.
As I've already stated I enjoy online as well as visiting record stores. But after hearing your thoughts via this video, I must say that record were more fun back in the 70' & 80's. But the magic began to fade around the time CDs were introduced. I resisted CDs at first and was disappointed that record stores were stocking less records and more CDs. I live in Providence RI and back in the 70'-80's there were plenty of quality record stores selling both new releases and used. There was Round Again Records, Goldies, Tom's Tracks, Fast Forward Records, Lad's, The Beacon Shop, Strawberries, Academy Records and a few more whose names I have forgotten. Back in the day I would spend all Saturday morning into late afternoon visiting as many as I had time for. Now there are only 4 quality record stores; Olympia Records, Armageddon Records, Analogue Records & The Original Round Again Records still in business since the early 70's. The owner of Round Again is in his early 80's, very hip, a record collector who is into Jazz, Blues and show tunes. He doesn't know much about Rock, so you can still get good deals in that genre. Like one time I found the first four Killing Joke albums for $2.50 each. They weren't sealed, but in NM condition. I asked the owner what he knew about the band and he said as far as he knew they were just another punk band, which they are not. Thus the low price tag. So I went home delighted since the night before some one had told me to look into Killing Joke. My favorite record store now is Armageddon Records. Besides their store they also sell online through Discogs. I do a lot of business with them, trading in records to get records. But I agree that it was a bit more exciting back in the day, especially the cut out bins! The cut out bins in department stores like Zayers, Atlantic dept store, K-Mart and such were full of gold! Sealed records for .99 or sometimes even 2 for a dollar! My best finds in the cut out bins were the 3 Island Sparks albums, The Stooges first album, Flaming Groovies Teenage Head, Hapshash & the Coloured Coat debut from 1967. A gem of a record! (if you don't know that band they were Spooky Tooth without Gary Wright.) to name just a few. I passed up Paul Kossoff's Back Street Crawler back then, it was just a few dollars with a little cut corner. Now it sells for much more! I found a copy on Discogs for $25. It is used in VG+ condition so I am considering ordering it. So now that I think of it, I do miss record store crate digging back in the 70's and 80's. But you know what is cool? Nowadays I've been buying and listening to music that I didn't have time, or the money to buy and listen to back in the day. I mean there was so much great music coming out on a monthly basis back in the 60's and 70"s that I didn't have the time to hear it all. So now I can sit in the comfort of my home and order up records by bands from past that I never got into at the time. Like for instance I've ordered the Slade reissues on splatter vinyl, which is so exciting. I always liked Slade, but never bought their records. Now I have 6 beautiful colored vinyl copies to play with. OK, "I've got blisters on my fingers" from all this typing. Byfornow
I used discogs during lockdown a few times. But I still like finding stuff in the wild, online for me is only used as a last resort. Finding good alan parsons albums for a good price is extremely difficult in my area so I find alot online.
I found a near mint copy of Spring’s self titled German press for 15$ at my local variety mall but yes, it is getting nearly impossible to find any gold. Also, I’ve seen grossly mis priced albums where someone thinks that the record is worth more than it actually is because they don’t know how to navigate Discogs and find the pressing they have.
You are looking fabulous! I understand why record stores would get in on the online sales of course. But, yes, it creates the kind of situations of which you speak. Fortunately for me, I’m into a lot of stuff that has no real value presently, and often find cool stuff in the cheap bins.
In talked to an owner, he sold only online and now has a record store. I asked him why and he said, I need a place to sell all my cheap vinyl. No one buys that stuff online. So the good stuff goes on the web, the crap is in the shop 🙂
Collecting of anything was always about 'finding' those great things out in the wild. When a decent bank balance and an internet connection can simply buy anything you want for your collection to me it's no longer collecting, it's just shopping. If I won a million, I could go mad ordering everything I ever wanted from discogs - but that isn't collecting, that's hoarding
@@TheVinylGuru Because of the internet, like you were mentioning, there's no secrets anymore. You don't know anything that the guy behind the counter doesn't know. The mystery is sort of gone. The pleasant surprises are sort of gone. Even Value Village: You can get Dan Fogelburg for a good deal maybe but forget Deep Purple. For me the passion has dissapated. Anyway I'm trying to appreciate what I have now as the last two years have been out-bloody-rageous in spending. So,,,, since Feb I've only bought FIVE records. Congratulate me.
Hey Ms Guru! Looong time no see. Good video too. As a casual collector now (I bought most of my Lps in my youth in the 70s and 80s) I can appreciate your feelings about this subject. Everyone likes a deal. But the marketplace has certainly changed hasn't it? Some record shop owners are taking advantage of the resurgence of vinyl in their pricing and the way they sell online vs in store. Unfortunately the times they are a changing..... and not always for the best!!
Yes, sugar. You have been blessed getting all those great records at the perfect time. Things that to this day people are still listening too. Like bowie said...the golden years....
Kind of feels like what happened in comics when suddenly every person looked up prices in buyers guide. Remember years back when a buyers guide book was made for records, prices changed in one store I went to. Now stores look up online, or look auctions for prices. I also have a store near me with one guy to the side that just sells online cant buy in person.
In my area (Wisconsin USA) the record stores have absurd prices on used records mixed in with the expensive reissues. Few decent used record buys to be had. And that's ignoring the rare expensive stuff, too. It's equally obvious that the thrift stores (charity shops) are culling the "listed better money" titles to sell online at Ebay/Discogs prices. Rare to find any better titles unless they are in poor condition. Even the estate sales here (due to Covid) are being conducted as online auctions/high fixed prices. Very few possibiliites to be in the the physical presence of records to buy. So not much scrounging around in crates around here aside from the expensive record shops. It's all a money game now. Luckily I've been collecting since I was a kid, so 4000 LPs gives me lots of options for music to hear.
Garage sales/tag sales are few around here because people still are apprehensive about Covid. So they tend to be located all over the metro area and only occasionally have records to look at -- many times with those same Ebay prices on them! And yeah, I do sell some of my doubles for somewhat better money at a flea market but not at Ebay pricing. Some collectors appreciate that but there sure seem to be a lot of flippers looking for the steal of a lifetime out there.
There is still gold in the dollar boxes. Some places have a pretty high condition standard and many marginal records end up in their dollar bins. Older records could take a beating and still play decently.
It's not so much that Discogs ruined record stores. It's rather the record store owners who were pushed into this corporate mind state because of the pandemic. During the height of the 'rona they had to move their business to Discogs in order to sustain and i think that's where the whole Discogs dispatcher thing really got kickstarted. At least, that's my logic behind it. There's also a great clip of Frank Zappa where he talks about the decline of the music industry and a lot of what he said in that particular interview can be applied to record stores.
Hello Christiana All right hugs from Brazil, i believe that discocs is merely inspeculative astronomical prices and meaningles here in Brazil we are in a Heavy economic crisis when i open discocs with prices of National records i want to cry....
I find 100$ vinyls in record stores quite often, a lot of record store owners have little interest in music and are too lazy to check current demand for less common items.
@@TheVinylGuru Yes, some areas better than others. It's harder now than it was pre the Internet, but you still find quite a few high dollar ones that are not logged on discogs that the owners are unaware of, or too lazy to dig deeper into.
One of my local go-to record stores has finally succumbed to this and now posts their new arrivals immediately on the website same time as on their IG page. It stinks because before I might have to deal w/ a local or 2 racing there to get it before me, but now I'm competing w/ countless more because it is online for everyone to see and they are posting them on reddit vinyl pages too. I made a comment on one of their reddit posts about just this, how now I have to compete w/ everyone over my LOCAL store's drops, but they just gave me a generic "come on in I'm sure you'll find something", even though I stated I'd been going there for years. I wish I could have given them a virtual kick in the nuts right there but I just let it go and they'll get less of my business.
They do. But they never pay for collections if the profit margins dont make sense. I know people with stores. They walk away alot when its not worth it.
@@TheVinylGuru Some pay up if there's stuff in there for their own personal collection. It's tough to get stuff clean and to get all sellable titles. What do you do with the Diana Ross solo albums in a solid soul collection? Those are tough to move as are various artists compilations which often have single mixes. What about 45's?
Hey V.G. have you ever benn to berkeley ca home of Amoeba music ,Rasputins & others in what We call the east bay !Bargains Galore including free records .Cds .If ya know where to look..(My secret!!)
I was never a fan of Discogs to begin with. The decline of record stores is a combination of Discogs, streaming, and local rental real estate markets. I recently made of a major purge of my record collection. I used it to maximize price just as a store would do. I wasn't going to sell my 1st pressing of the Zombies first album that I found used for $18, sell to a store for $7, when I netted $150 online. Finding gold in a stack is becoming rarity in a store. The real gold finds are now in estate sales. But I don't have the time or patience to buy a collection of 1,500 albums for the two or three gems it may have. For record stores to make a real revival, they need to bring back the social element that once existed.
We’ve just started to get record stores outside bigger cities, here in Sweden, again. Now after the pandemic , they’re getting crowded. Theses stores are getting more and more new releases and reissues , but keeping the used sections aswell. It’s still very fun to spend an hour or two per week , digging away.
Listen babes...everything has its pros and cons. I would as its organized and helps you know what you have/own/need when youre unsure. I didnt get on it for years and then regretted it as it would have helped me dodge a few double purchases.
It's also infuriating when you bring up a record w/ no price tag on it and literally stand there as they go over the discogs prices for them. Do they ever give you something on the lower median side. Of course not, it's always right around the median or above.
Cool video! I don't think Discogs has ruined anything other than like you said.... record store owners getting fleeced. I mean, they invested a lot in the business and I think it would suck to lose money due to just not knowing any better. Sure, ignorance is the loss of the person...but it would still suck. Yes, finding a cheap record at the expense of someone's ignorance can be great or fun for one person...but the flip side would not be fun. Yes, finding those gems.... in a store....even if the price is typical retail(in my view) is still part of the magic! Cool video and question!
Great to see you making videos again. As for this topic, I reckon it all depends upon where you are and how "metropolitan" the city. Here in Columbus, Ohio, it's record store community is both vibrant and has NOT been subsumed by Discogs, at least not yet.
I agree with you. But if there is a positive from indie stores using discogs is that might start eliminating flippers. maybe? Store owners must hate seeing people in their store for hours running cat.#'s through discogs than coming up to cash with a dozen underpriced records. That I really can't fault the store owners for doing.
My sister my sister you are so on point yes Discogs ruined record collecting and destroy the fun of collecting now everybody think it’s Just buy Records to see can you end up with the most expressive Records that’s all you hear people now talk about the price of the record they own rather than the music that’s on the record . So sad 😞 I remember when records were the everyday working Man or woman blue collar entertainment now you almost got to be a freaking millionaire to enjoy . Great video peace ✌️ and blessings my sister.
Tbh I really like discogs. I do find used stuff no problem really at least what I'm looking for. I think greed and profit by exploiting the vinyl resurgence is what's ruined record stores. And nothing I mean nothing would irritate me more than seeing a record I've been looking for and them telling me this is for online only. So basically what does a record store have left to offer? Cheaper prices? No! expertise beyond what I can find from online? No! Rare find in the discount bin? No! Inventory? Definitely no! Access to all their sales? No! Unless while you're there you go online and purchase the record right on front of you and pay extra for them to ship...wtf? If I ever had a interest in spending my day having fun and digging thru bins/shelves at a record store I think it just died with this video. I mean...what's the point anymore?
I do agree that the 'grails', or harder to find records, are becoming an 'online exclusive' thing, and hardly ever hits the shelves in the store. In the end, we have to buy the way we want to shop, so hopefully everyone keeps on going to the stores, so they don't end up being more profitable to be online only
Totally agree. No longer find those nuggets & it’s also inflated the prices of not that rare records because of some peoples unrealistic expectations when selling on line. That’s ridiculous to not be able to buy stuff in the record store because it’s being sold online. Good discussion 👍
4:34 Yes, speaking of hidden secrets, I'm sure you experience this too, Vinyl Guru, that sometimes it feels as if a particular record album or CD was waiting just for you like a siren call beckoning you and saying, "Find me. Touch me. Hear me. Take me home." Haha! Sometimes, it's just uncanny how I'll almost get a tingling "Spidey sense" that I have to go to my local thrift stores immediately and sure enough, there were some amazing, eclectic or obscure records that would only appeal to me or to a very small percentage of the population. Those records were calling to me and now they're MINE. My preciousssssssss.... :)
I've been traveling around recently for stores and fairs to crate dig in, Discogs got me started during the Lockdown but I got fed up with poorly graded records and even warped ones in the post. I can go to a store, hopefully find something I want and check the condition there and then. What Discogs is useful for however is cataloguing my collection but I feel it's now a last resort for buying something esp with the high postage costs for Vinyl these days.
I think that the big problem is that I dig to play and not to create a fund to retire on. Dig?! This whole concept to collect and make cash is crap. I’m so tired seeing channels showing what their stuff is worth. Who cares except someone else who’s into makin cash. Those cats make me terribly sick. Why is it always about money? Get serious people money isn’t the end game in life. The end game is more about finding inner contentment. Ok so I’m showing my age but get a grip your money pigs! Wow so sad what it’s become baby. 🖖🚀
Rik, its brutal out in canada. To buy a record you like thats newly released that you ar itching to play...expect to spend 45-60 for a new LP. Really? Come on.
Right On Rik! Sadly it's been all about the money for decades as I can remember. People should just enjoy the pleasure from the music they love, period. The reality of even finding places with low prices comes down to having time off and traveling. Factor in the cost of fuel of traveling a few hours and most will just go to their city record stores. Take care and ☮️.
i havent watched the video yet but i feel like both shipping prices and the lack of mystery from discogs are the main reasons people are still loving record stores. it feels way better finding a 8/10 record in a bin than ordering a 10/10 from discogs.
obviously people price higher online understandably, but it drives all the new young collectors who don't have much money into the stores, where they have a chance of finding a badly priced grail without paying shipping.
Scavengering? It is honestly still possible? Thrift stores and charity shops yes but record shops alot of them have become gentrified and a bit blander. There's still stuff not on discogs and let's keep it that way.... Shhhhhhhh........
Exactly right but this has happened to all kinds of stuff over the yeas. Antique Malls for example ended up causing the same kind of problem by consolidating dealers in one space. If your interested in stuff that's not mainstream you can still find a bargain occasionally.
There is only one local record store where I live and the stock is limited - They do not sell online so what you see is what you get - I really don't enjoy looking for records anymore like I did years ago - Now used records are geared to eBay and discogs prices so why bother - I feel for the indie record stores trying to make a living, but I think they have to break away from the inflated discogs and eBay pricing and do what is best for them and their customers - I will buy from indie stores online if I can't get it locally as I feel it is important to support them - Today the new UMG prices go into effect so my vinyl buying will cease for many artists - An excellent video was posted yesterday by Toad Hall explaining the new pricing which would make a great topic for discussion - It will be interesting to see what direction the vinyl community will take because of this - Just my thoughts and concerns for what the future will bring.
I feel for them so much too. Toad Hall are good people. I love them. He raised a great point that has already been in effect in Canada and Europe for over 18 months now. Now that America is getting it, everyone is going to feel it.
Here in the UK the used record shops can’t survive the cost of running a shop and so need to sell online too, so it’s a bit of a two way street. But yes, it seems impossible to find anything rare or cheap these days…. Doesn’t just apply to records too, it’s the same with musical instruments and probably many other items, now everything is part of a global marketplace, so local bargains are no more.
I love crate digging at car boot sales here in England,I love digging at a used record store,I love digging at a record fair/show and I love mooching through Discogs,hunting out the records I want at a good price and there are plenty out there in Discogs land even with the shipping added on. It all depends on what floats your boat and how much you want it !!!
Most of my record digging is at thrift stores or antique malls with record vendors, particularly since prices have gone up substantially at other retail stores due to the vinyl revival as well as Discogs pricing which is a pity because it's harder and harder to find great deals. Plus, since record prices have gone up quite a bit and even at thrift stores (Goodwill, Salvation Army, Value Village, etc.), it's hard to find records for a dollar or two and therefore, I take fewer chances on records which means one misses out on potentially discovering all sorts of wonderful, eclectic music. However, I still enjoy the thrill of the hunt and that passion will never fade away. :)
Believe it or not, the employee that prices used records on the only big record store we have doesn't use discogs, well he dosen't speak english. He knows about things like The Cure, U2, Black Sabbath, Madonna, Michael Jackson, Prince, Queen, Led Zeppelin. He knows about the most popular artists, classic rock and metal. He thinks Barry Manilow and Linda Rodstand records are valuable just because he knows the name. Luckily for me he dosen't know anyting or very little about post-punk, new wave, synth pop, hip hop, jazz, latin rock, funk or world music, so, as a result of that, my collection of those genres has grown exponentially. In 2020, since the pandemic, they started to put out a lot of records, promos mostly, they had on their warehouse from 25 years ago, it was like time traveling. I had some competition cause friends of mine, record collectors got to some of the best stuff, not all cause they are mostly metalheads so they left a lot of good records behind. Im still getting a lot of stuff till this day, not the most valuable records but a lot of rare $1.00 records.
@@TheVinylGuru Guatemala City, yes it really was amazing but very very stressfull. You need to be in the store at an specific time and day to get the buried treasures from 25 years ago.
The good part of record stores over Discogs is no shipping costs .But prices are insane now .Hard to find any gems . Thrift stores will charge $30 for a record .I saw one for $79 once .In Value Village .
Like anything else, Discogs is just a tool. Yeah, it’s annoying when a place just looks at Discogs and slaps on the highest price going with no regard to condition or anything…. But, as a collector, the trick has always been to catch places sleeping, even before Discogs. Even now in the Discogs age I’ve come up on some ridiculously valuable albums for cheap. As other people have mentioned, thrift stores such as Goodwill cane be decent come ups. I’ve even had good luck at Half Price Books, which is ostensibly a record store of sorts. It’s five years ago now, but I came up on a bunch of records at Half Price they clearly didn’t research before throwing into the $1 clearance section. All told, I got 60 albums for $60 with a collective value of about $1500, including one I flipped for $600. More recently, I’ve come up on an OG orange swirl pressing of Siamese Dream for $50, and median on that is $300+. Goodwill has been a decent source of things for me recently. In the past year I’ve gotten tons of records from Goodwill, including artists such as Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, The Who, Bob Marley, etc. The thing for me is that I’ve almost always been a collector of used records, and it’s the thrill of the hunt that drew me in, so I rarely am looking for anything specific. Plus, having been collecting as long as I have, all the prices these days are pretty crazy and I can’t imagine just getting into vinyl in the past couple years. I have so many records I spent a couple bucks on back in the day that are now worth anywhere from $20 to $100+, and I’m glad I was collecting when people were literally giving away their records. So, there’s still gold to be found, and fun to be had digging. And as far as a shop having something set aside only for online sales…that’s kind of odd. I’ve seen more of the opposite with brick & mortars posting new additions on social media and saying they’re for in-store purchase only. It stinks for me as somebody not near these shops, but I get it and I respect it.
For every used record I own, I had to dig through at least 400 records to find one that I found interesting that was also in decent shape, but that is part of the discovery of music and the thrill of the hunt. So, if I have roughly 3,000 records, that means I sifted through 1.2 million records over the past 25 years to slowly build my collection over time. :)
Sure record stores are losing alot of potential business or money from discogs and ebay or online buying and selling on other platforms... - everyone is a dealer now lol Its still fun for me... I find it amusing that even today many record store owners dont even use discogs or ebay to price and buy records... lol or so they say...
Great video Christina, I love the used record sections. I have 2 used record stores in Barrie. Great for digging, plus in Canada we have access to great Canadian bands not really available in the states or Europe. Give me a great quality OG pressing any day. Some reissues, depending on the source material are hit and miss. Love ya, take care!!
Discogs may take our record store crate digging but they'll never take our thrift store crate digging. Most gold I've found over the years has been in secondhand shops - oftentimes, cared-for personal collections that have been donated.
Hi Vinyl Guru. I agree with you about record stores. One of my local record stores does that plus the owners are just plain buttholes on top of that. Many estate sale sellers are also going down the overpriced rabbit hole.
🙋♂️ Christina 🌞 - These days , the real excitement is buying used 💿 at ridiculously low prices as the used wax is all marked up to full value 99% of the time. The only good deals are on soundtracks vinyl wise. Hope you have been enjoying all the shows ! I saw Blondie & Morrissey , Bauhaus.. Devo & others last weekend. ✌️
Hey I saw ur first I've listening to metal videos. Could you checkout and react to indianfolkmetal band called Dymbur. The song Child Abuse & Rape Culture. These guys write song on sensitive issues. Would love to see ur reaction to their song Child Abuse and their fusion of folk instruments with metal & Rap
Discogs is for me the solution when I'm more into looking for a specific album. The record store for me is the adventure to see what I will get home with me each time. On Discogs I'm more looking for a album with one or two in mind. So two sides of the coin, each with it's own pro's and cons 😉
For me the fun of looking for records is gone and also the channel i have, why making video's when your channel is not growing. Im thinking of selling my collection. Discogs is for me not fun, look at the insane price you have 2 pay for an album. So sorry 2 say but the fun of collecting vinly is gone
Discogs hasn't ruined anything. The market has gotten hotter, and so prices have increased. You aren't forced to pay stupid prices for used vinyl, but you don't have to complain how things used to be so cheap either. Once all the boomers die, there will be a glut of used stuff hitting the market all at once, and I suspect prices will come down again.
Discogs is just one of the reasons why record stores are falling and has made this hobby more predictable and boring, apart from much more expensive. That’s why I prefer the still amateur Rateyourmusic instead of Discogs: no economical interest involved in buying/selling. So I’d be glad to buy at discogs free record stores… if they can resist.
I love going to record stores and crate digging but I must admit that the higher prices now makes it less attractive. My favorite thing is to go dig in the used section but I noticed that you can't even find nice used records under 10 bucks now; it's very frustrating... And you're so right, now with Discogs is barely impossible to find gems at a low price... Records stores are well aware of what's going on and Discogs became like you said an essential tool for them. It's unfortunate for us collectors but it what it is... Great vid as always, sis 😊
So what do you think? Do you think Discogs slightly ruined or tampered with your local record stores?
Believe it or not, the employee that prices used records on the only big record store we have doesn't use discogs, well he dosen't speak english. He knows about things like The Cure, U2, Black Sabbath, Madonna, Michael Jackson, Prince, Queen, Led Zeppelin. He knows about the most popular artists, classic rock and metal. He thinks Barry Manilow and Linda Rodstand records are valuable just because he knows the name. Luckily for me he dosen't know anyting or very little about post-punk, new wave, synth pop, hip hop, jazz, latin rock, funk or world music, so, as a result of that, my collection of those genres has grown exponentially. In 2020, since the pandemic, they started to put out a lot of records, promos mostly, they had on their warehouse from 25 years ago, it was like time traveling. I had some competition cause friends of mine, record collectors got to some of the best stuff, not all cause they are mostly metalheads so they left a lot of good records behind. Im still getting a lot of stuff till this day, not the most valuable records but a lot of rare $1.00 records.
Hi Vinyl Guru Lady!, yeah i think you're right, discogs have ruined it, but the best finds ever for me now are the vintage stores, the fea markets, and garage sales, yes! i am telling you those places to me are like a Treasure of some of the best lp,45, cassettes, 8-tracks etc. i have added about one-hundred or more lp's to my collection just in the past yr. or so. i've gotten to the point where i don't even bother to go to the store anymore, cause their too exspensive. Do you check out Flea markets? (by the way, i love your videos, TOTALLY AWESOME! YOU ROCK IT LADY!
Preach on Sister !
The internet as a whole both enhanced and also ruined the collecting world forever. Not just records. EVERYTHING.
I wish I could go back to the 80's with the money I have now and buy up all the vinyl cut-outs they were just trying to get rid of, then the CDs came out and they had even more vinyl was marked down, I did get a few to have the vinyl counterpart to my CD of whatever. now the vinyl resurgence made it all more interesting but soon made it unaffordable. I went to a record store recently that had moved to a new location, and it totally sucked compared to the previous location. I took a video of that shop when it was great. I have it here on UA-cam.
A lot of stores that have a large presence on EBay like Carolina Soul are selling collections on commission on there. The shop is run separately and can still get great records when they walk in for trade. But yeah digging takes more work these days for sure. Having a good relationship with the owners of your favorite shops helps in getting a heads up when good stuff comes in.
I don't see any change whatsoever in traffic in independent record stores. They're just as crowded if not more, and I live in the independent record store capital of the world (L.A.) with more stores in one geographic area than any other place in the world and whenever I go into a shop there's plnty of traffic. Moreover, even if some stores are filtering their pricing through Discogs, and are comparable to pricing, I'd rather buy "instantly" that wait for shipping from Discogs. Also, any shops that are saying "sorry that's for online only", are just being LAZY because they don't want to have to do the extra work to find a record and adjust their stock when it sells in store. I'm glad that you support the independent shops like you do. - TONE
I love record stores, used to be a hangout, but no more local shops for me to visit anymore.
Oh no! Where are you at?
@@TheVinylGuru Luling, just outside of New Orleans, and a good 40 miles from nearest shop. I buy mostly online at other mom and pop stores. Still into the vinyl. And look forward to another DJ video from ya. You are the coolest.
Great discussion! I think it tends to me more genre based - classic rock, as an example, not a lot of deals to be had. Hard rock and metal, not a lot of deals. Classic 70s soul? Deals to be had. 12" singles? Deals all over the map. It just depends on what you're looking for!
A new flea market opened in my area and I found a 12’ single with a poster for £5 when it’s worth £70 I was so happy 😊
Omg lets go!
I should preface this by saying that I don’t have one tenth of your knowledge when it comes to used/vintage vinyl. I think every record store needs an online presence (new/used) to survive unless they’re in a prime City/location. I think there should be 1-2 employees who can barter prices with stronger customers but there should never be an “online only” section because you don’t want to “punish” in-person shopping. Great video as always VG
You should own a store.
A pipe dream outside of the GTA, Ottawa, K/W unfortunately unless there’s a big shift back to physical media. You’d need ongoing access to collections being sold and to figure out how to beat the online sellers.
Luckily for me, my two favorite record stores won't sell their used inventory online. They want people to come in and dig and find the treasures.
I think they destroy themself, by just watching what happens and not taking their luck into their own hands
Fair enough, honey.
As I've already stated I enjoy online as well as visiting record stores. But after hearing your thoughts via this video, I must say that record were more fun back in the 70' & 80's. But the magic began to fade around the time CDs were introduced. I resisted CDs at first and was disappointed that record stores were stocking less records and more CDs. I live in Providence RI and back in the 70'-80's there were plenty of quality record stores selling both new releases and used. There was Round Again Records, Goldies, Tom's Tracks, Fast Forward Records, Lad's, The Beacon Shop, Strawberries, Academy Records and a few more whose names I have forgotten. Back in the day I would spend all Saturday morning into late afternoon visiting as many as I had time for. Now there are only 4 quality record stores; Olympia Records, Armageddon Records, Analogue Records & The Original Round Again Records still in business since the early 70's. The owner of Round Again is in his early 80's, very hip, a record collector who is into Jazz, Blues and show tunes. He doesn't know much about Rock, so you can still get good deals in that genre. Like one time I found the first four Killing Joke albums for $2.50 each. They weren't sealed, but in NM condition. I asked the owner what he knew about the band and he said as far as he knew they were just another punk band, which they are not. Thus the low price tag. So I went home delighted since the night before some one had told me to look into Killing Joke. My favorite record store now is Armageddon Records. Besides their store they also sell online through Discogs. I do a lot of business with them, trading in records to get records. But I agree that it was a bit more exciting back in the day, especially the cut out bins! The cut out bins in department stores like Zayers, Atlantic dept store, K-Mart and such were full of gold! Sealed records for .99 or sometimes even 2 for a dollar! My best finds in the cut out bins were the 3 Island Sparks albums, The Stooges first album, Flaming Groovies Teenage Head, Hapshash & the Coloured Coat debut from 1967. A gem of a record! (if you don't know that band they were Spooky Tooth without Gary Wright.) to name just a few. I passed up Paul Kossoff's Back Street Crawler back then, it was just a few dollars with a little cut corner. Now it sells for much more! I found a copy on Discogs for $25. It is used in VG+ condition so I am considering ordering it. So now that I think of it, I do miss record store crate digging back in the 70's and 80's. But you know what is cool? Nowadays I've been buying and listening to music that I didn't have time, or the money to buy and listen to back in the day. I mean there was so much great music coming out on a monthly basis back in the 60's and 70"s that I didn't have the time to hear it all. So now I can sit in the comfort of my home and order up records by bands from past that I never got into at the time. Like for instance I've ordered the Slade reissues on splatter vinyl, which is so exciting. I always liked Slade, but never bought their records. Now I have 6 beautiful colored vinyl copies to play with. OK, "I've got blisters on my fingers" from all this typing. Byfornow
I used discogs during lockdown a few times. But I still like finding stuff in the wild, online for me is only used as a last resort. Finding good alan parsons albums for a good price is extremely difficult in my area so I find alot online.
I found a near mint copy of Spring’s self titled German press for 15$ at my local variety mall but yes, it is getting nearly impossible to find any gold. Also, I’ve seen grossly mis priced albums where someone thinks that the record is worth more than it actually is because they don’t know how to navigate Discogs and find the pressing they have.
You are looking fabulous! I understand why record stores would get in on the online sales of course. But, yes, it creates the kind of situations of which you speak. Fortunately for me, I’m into a lot of stuff that has no real value presently, and often find cool stuff in the cheap bins.
Thank you and how fabulous.
In talked to an owner, he sold only online and now has a record store. I asked him why and he said, I need a place to sell all my cheap vinyl. No one buys that stuff online. So the good stuff goes on the web, the crap is in the shop 🙂
Collecting of anything was always about 'finding' those great things out in the wild. When a decent bank balance and an internet connection can simply buy anything you want for your collection to me it's no longer collecting, it's just shopping.
If I won a million, I could go mad ordering everything I ever wanted from discogs - but that isn't collecting, that's hoarding
The same way Ebay has "destroyed" flea markets. In 10 minutes you can assemble a decent collection that would have taken months or years to find.
Ding ding ding, Jeff.
Maybe you should open up a record store. It sounds like you definitely know your stuff!
Bless you! But it’s way to hard of a biz to start at this point
Lately I have left more and more record shops empty handed for the very reasons you stated. The fun is fading like the Beatles on "Hey Jude"
Trust me, sadly you arent the only one.
Yeah.
LOL simple and to the point
@@TheVinylGuru Because of the internet, like you were mentioning, there's no secrets anymore. You don't know anything that the guy behind the counter doesn't know. The mystery is sort of gone. The pleasant surprises are sort of gone. Even Value Village: You can get Dan Fogelburg for a good deal maybe but forget Deep Purple. For me the passion has dissapated. Anyway I'm trying to appreciate what I have now as the last two years have been out-bloody-rageous in spending. So,,,, since Feb I've only bought FIVE records. Congratulate me.
@@Amadeusthegreat100 Couldnt agree more. Passions totally sizzles in knowing that
It’s more sucky for people who are just getting started.
Exactly. SO hard for people wanting to start
I love going to records stores, always have always will. Although Discogs has had a negative effect 😒
Hey Ms Guru!
Looong time no see. Good video too. As a casual collector now (I bought most of my Lps in my youth in the 70s and 80s) I can appreciate your feelings about this subject. Everyone likes a deal. But the marketplace has certainly changed hasn't it? Some record shop owners are taking advantage of the resurgence of vinyl in their pricing and the way they sell online vs in store. Unfortunately the times they are a changing..... and not always for the best!!
Yes, sugar. You have been blessed getting all those great records at the perfect time. Things that to this day people are still listening too. Like bowie said...the golden years....
@@TheVinylGuru yes I am ty. I can still remember waiting for Sam the Record Man's weekly sales for $5.99 of new releases.
Kind of feels like what happened in comics when suddenly every person looked up prices in buyers guide. Remember years back when a buyers guide book was made for records, prices changed in one store I went to. Now stores look up online, or look auctions for prices. I also have a store near me with one guy to the side that just sells online cant buy in person.
In my area (Wisconsin USA) the record stores have absurd prices on used records mixed in with the expensive reissues. Few decent used record buys to be had. And that's ignoring the rare expensive stuff, too. It's equally obvious that the thrift stores (charity shops) are culling the "listed better money" titles to sell online at Ebay/Discogs prices. Rare to find any better titles unless they are in poor condition. Even the estate sales here (due to Covid) are being conducted as online auctions/high fixed prices. Very few possibiliites to be in the the physical presence of records to buy. So not much scrounging around in crates around here aside from the expensive record shops. It's all a money game now. Luckily I've been collecting since I was a kid, so 4000 LPs gives me lots of options for music to hear.
Garage sales/tag sales are few around here because people still are apprehensive about Covid. So they tend to be located all over the metro area and only occasionally have records to look at -- many times with those same Ebay prices on them! And yeah, I do sell some of my doubles for somewhat better money at a flea market but not at Ebay pricing. Some collectors appreciate that but there sure seem to be a lot of flippers looking for the steal of a lifetime out there.
There is still gold in the dollar boxes. Some places have a pretty high condition standard and many marginal records end up in their dollar bins. Older records could take a beating and still play decently.
Definitely depends on where you live.
Records store are still fun for me. Online stores are secondary to me and should be to collectors
You nailed that
It's not so much that Discogs ruined record stores. It's rather the record store owners who were pushed into this corporate mind state because of the pandemic. During the height of the 'rona they had to move their business to Discogs in order to sustain and i think that's where the whole Discogs dispatcher thing really got kickstarted. At least, that's my logic behind it.
There's also a great clip of Frank Zappa where he talks about the decline of the music industry and a lot of what he said in that particular interview can be applied to record stores.
Love Zappa. And Madvillain
Hello Christiana All right hugs from Brazil, i believe that discocs is merely inspeculative astronomical prices and meaningles here in Brazil we are in a Heavy economic crisis when i open discocs with prices of National records i want to cry....
I believe it, the brasileros dont have it easy.
I find 100$ vinyls in record stores quite often, a lot of record store owners have little interest in music and are too lazy to check current demand for less common items.
It definitely depends on where you live
@@TheVinylGuru Yes, some areas better than others. It's harder now than it was pre the Internet, but you still find quite a few high dollar ones that are not logged on discogs that the owners are unaware of, or too lazy to dig deeper into.
One of my local go-to record stores has finally succumbed to this and now posts their new arrivals immediately on the website same time as on their IG page. It stinks because before I might have to deal w/ a local or 2 racing there to get it before me, but now I'm competing w/ countless more because it is online for everyone to see and they are posting them on reddit vinyl pages too. I made a comment on one of their reddit posts about just this, how now I have to compete w/ everyone over my LOCAL store's drops, but they just gave me a generic "come on in I'm sure you'll find something", even though I stated I'd been going there for years. I wish I could have given them a virtual kick in the nuts right there but I just let it go and they'll get less of my business.
Its honestly sucking. ocal shops everywhere here are doing it too.
Stores also have to pay up when buying collections as well.
They do. But they never pay for collections if the profit margins dont make sense. I know people with stores. They walk away alot when its not worth it.
@@TheVinylGuru Some pay up if there's stuff in there for their own personal collection. It's tough to get stuff clean and to get all sellable titles. What do you do with the Diana Ross solo albums in a solid soul collection? Those are tough to move as are various artists compilations which often have single mixes. What about 45's?
Ps dig your groove. 🖖🚀
Hey V.G. have you ever benn to berkeley ca home of Amoeba music ,Rasputins & others in what We call the east bay !Bargains Galore including free records .Cds .If ya know where to look..(My secret!!)
LIKE number 5 and that's no jive. :)
Hey hey, Jon. Been a while.
Five alive!
@@TheVinylGuru Hey, Christina. Yes, it's been a while. All the best as always. :)
I was never a fan of Discogs to begin with. The decline of record stores is a combination of Discogs, streaming, and local rental real estate markets. I recently made of a major purge of my record collection. I used it to maximize price just as a store would do. I wasn't going to sell my 1st pressing of the Zombies first album that I found used for $18, sell to a store for $7, when I netted $150 online. Finding gold in a stack is becoming rarity in a store. The real gold finds are now in estate sales. But I don't have the time or patience to buy a collection of 1,500 albums for the two or three gems it may have. For record stores to make a real revival, they need to bring back the social element that once existed.
You are so right about that, Kevin.
We’ve just started to get record stores outside bigger cities, here in Sweden, again. Now after the pandemic , they’re getting crowded. Theses stores are getting more and more new releases and reissues , but keeping the used sections aswell. It’s still very fun to spend an hour or two per week , digging away.
Thats amazing to hear.
Do you think it’s worth inputting our record collection on Discogs or are they using our info against us? Your rant makes me not like discogs now lol
Listen babes...everything has its pros and cons. I would as its organized and helps you know what you have/own/need when youre unsure. I didnt get on it for years and then regretted it as it would have helped me dodge a few double purchases.
It's also infuriating when you bring up a record w/ no price tag on it and literally stand there as they go over the discogs prices for them. Do they ever give you something on the lower median side. Of course not, it's always right around the median or above.
Couldnt agree more.
Cool video! I don't think Discogs has ruined anything other than like you said.... record store owners getting fleeced. I mean, they invested a lot in the business and I think it would suck to lose money due to just not knowing any better. Sure, ignorance is the loss of the person...but it would still suck. Yes, finding a cheap record at the expense of someone's ignorance can be great or fun for one person...but the flip side would not be fun. Yes, finding those gems.... in a store....even if the price is typical retail(in my view) is still part of the magic! Cool video and question!
Great to see you making videos again. As for this topic, I reckon it all depends upon where you are and how "metropolitan" the city. Here in Columbus, Ohio, it's record store community is both vibrant and has NOT been subsumed by Discogs, at least not yet.
That is one of the best states for this. I have a good friend out there. Says amazing shit.
I agree with you. But if there is a positive from indie stores using discogs is that might start eliminating flippers. maybe? Store owners must hate seeing people in their store for hours running cat.#'s through discogs than coming up to cash with a dozen underpriced records. That I really can't fault the store owners for doing.
That why I said it was better pre discogs, bc people just had to KNOW about records. And were rewarded for KNOWING YOUR SHIT. That art is lost now.
My sister my sister you are so on point yes Discogs ruined record collecting and destroy the fun of collecting now everybody think it’s Just buy Records to see can you end up with the most expressive Records that’s all you hear people now talk about the price of the record they own rather than the music that’s on the record . So sad 😞 I remember when records were the everyday working Man or woman blue collar entertainment now you almost got to be a freaking millionaire to enjoy . Great video peace ✌️ and blessings my sister.
I freaking love you, watching you on lets talk records atm and its cracking me up.
Beautiful Mikki is showing her Pat B icon blue wax. What a cutie.
Tbh I really like discogs. I do find used stuff no problem really at least what I'm looking for. I think greed and profit by exploiting the vinyl resurgence is what's ruined record stores. And nothing I mean nothing would irritate me more than seeing a record I've been looking for and them telling me this is for online only. So basically what does a record store have left to offer? Cheaper prices? No! expertise beyond what I can find from online? No! Rare find in the discount bin? No! Inventory? Definitely no! Access to all their sales? No! Unless while you're there you go online and purchase the record right on front of you and pay extra for them to ship...wtf? If I ever had a interest in spending my day having fun and digging thru bins/shelves at a record store I think it just died with this video. I mean...what's the point anymore?
I do agree that the 'grails', or harder to find records, are becoming an 'online exclusive' thing, and hardly ever hits the shelves in the store. In the end, we have to buy the way we want to shop, so hopefully everyone keeps on going to the stores, so they don't end up being more profitable to be online only
Yes they are...where are you based?
@@TheVinylGuru San Francisco 😊
Totally agree. No longer find those nuggets & it’s also inflated the prices of not that rare records because of some peoples unrealistic expectations when selling on line. That’s ridiculous to not be able to buy stuff in the record store because it’s being sold online. Good discussion 👍
Appreciate you, Ben.
4:34 Yes, speaking of hidden secrets, I'm sure you experience this too, Vinyl Guru, that sometimes it feels as if a particular record album or CD was waiting just for you like a siren call beckoning you and saying, "Find me. Touch me. Hear me. Take me home." Haha!
Sometimes, it's just uncanny how I'll almost get a tingling "Spidey sense" that I have to go to my local thrift stores immediately and sure enough, there were some amazing, eclectic or obscure records that would only appeal to me or to a very small percentage of the population. Those records were calling to me and now they're MINE. My preciousssssssss.... :)
lmao hahaha my precious. How cute.
I've been traveling around recently for stores and fairs to crate dig in, Discogs got me started during the Lockdown but I got fed up with poorly graded records and even warped ones in the post. I can go to a store, hopefully find something I want and check the condition there and then. What Discogs is useful for however is cataloguing my collection but I feel it's now a last resort for buying something esp with the high postage costs for Vinyl these days.
I think that the big problem is that I dig to play and not to create a fund to retire on. Dig?! This whole concept to collect and make cash is crap. I’m so tired seeing channels showing what their stuff is worth. Who cares except someone else who’s into makin cash. Those cats make me terribly sick. Why is it always about money? Get serious people money isn’t the end game in life. The end game is more about finding inner contentment. Ok so I’m showing my age but get a grip your money pigs! Wow so sad what it’s become baby. 🖖🚀
Rik, its brutal out in canada. To buy a record you like thats newly released that you ar itching to play...expect to spend 45-60 for a new LP. Really? Come on.
Right On Rik! Sadly it's been all about the money for decades as I can remember. People should just enjoy the pleasure from the music they love, period. The reality of even finding places with low prices comes down to having time off and traveling. Factor in the cost of fuel of traveling a few hours and most will just go to their city record stores. Take care and ☮️.
Great video. I have not been able to buy a proper album for many years without paying a lot of money for it here in Iceland.
So sad what is going on in Europe with Vat.,..
i havent watched the video yet but i feel like both shipping prices and the lack of mystery from discogs are the main reasons people are still loving record stores. it feels way better finding a 8/10 record in a bin than ordering a 10/10 from discogs.
obviously people price higher online understandably, but it drives all the new young collectors who don't have much money into the stores, where they have a chance of finding a badly priced grail without paying shipping.
You are right. Its why I still go to stores.
Scavengering? It is honestly still possible? Thrift stores and charity shops yes but record shops alot of them have become gentrified and a bit blander. There's still stuff not on discogs and let's keep it that way.... Shhhhhhhh........
Exactly right but this has happened to all kinds of stuff over the yeas. Antique Malls for example ended up causing the same kind of problem by consolidating dealers in one space. If your interested in stuff that's not mainstream you can still find a bargain occasionally.
Yes, all those antique roadshow type of shows have given everyone fuel to think everything that they own is gold. lol
I haven’t had fun record digging in a long time. Everyone prices off discogs now and its lame and boring most of the time.
There is only one local record store where I live and the stock is limited - They do not sell online so what you see is what you get - I really don't enjoy looking for records anymore like I did years ago - Now used records are geared to eBay and discogs prices so why bother - I feel for the indie record stores trying to make a living, but I think they have to break away from the inflated discogs and eBay pricing and do what is best for them and their customers - I will buy from indie stores online if I can't get it locally as I feel it is important to support them - Today the new UMG prices go into effect so my vinyl buying will cease for many artists - An excellent video was posted yesterday by Toad Hall explaining the new pricing which would make a great topic for discussion - It will be interesting to see what direction the vinyl community will take because of this - Just my thoughts and concerns for what the future will bring.
I feel for them so much too. Toad Hall are good people. I love them. He raised a great point that has already been in effect in Canada and Europe for over 18 months now. Now that America is getting it, everyone is going to feel it.
Here in the UK the used record shops can’t survive the cost of running a shop and so need to sell online too, so it’s a bit of a two way street. But yes, it seems impossible to find anything rare or cheap these days…. Doesn’t just apply to records too, it’s the same with musical instruments and probably many other items, now everything is part of a global marketplace, so local bargains are no more.
Exactly, sweetie.
I love crate digging at car boot sales here in England,I love digging at a used record store,I love digging at a record fair/show and I love mooching through Discogs,hunting out the records I want at a good price and there are plenty out there in Discogs land even with the shipping added on.
It all depends on what floats your boat and how much you want it !!!
Its the passion, Nicky!
Most of my record digging is at thrift stores or antique malls with record vendors, particularly since prices have gone up substantially at other retail stores due to the vinyl revival as well as Discogs pricing which is a pity because it's harder and harder to find great deals. Plus, since record prices have gone up quite a bit and even at thrift stores (Goodwill, Salvation Army, Value Village, etc.), it's hard to find records for a dollar or two and therefore, I take fewer chances on records which means one misses out on potentially discovering all sorts of wonderful, eclectic music.
However, I still enjoy the thrill of the hunt and that passion will never fade away. :)
I do too, but since you are from here...you get how intense the competition is now.
I was just at a goodwill that was asking $5 for Chipmunks Christmas.
Me and my vinyl mafia have the thrift store vinyl market in toronto cornered lol
Believe it or not, the employee that prices used records on the only big record store we have doesn't use discogs, well he dosen't speak english. He knows about things like The Cure, U2, Black Sabbath, Madonna, Michael Jackson, Prince, Queen, Led Zeppelin. He knows about the most popular artists, classic rock and metal. He thinks Barry Manilow and Linda Rodstand records are valuable just because he knows the name. Luckily for me he dosen't know anyting or very little about post-punk, new wave, synth pop, hip hop, jazz, latin rock, funk or world music, so, as a result of that, my collection of those genres has grown exponentially. In 2020, since the pandemic, they started to put out a lot of records, promos mostly, they had on their warehouse from 25 years ago, it was like time traveling. I had some competition cause friends of mine, record collectors got to some of the best stuff, not all cause they are mostly metalheads so they left a lot of good records behind. Im still getting a lot of stuff till this day, not the most valuable records but a lot of rare $1.00 records.
Where are you based? Sounds amazing.
@@TheVinylGuru Guatemala City, yes it really was amazing but very very stressfull. You need to be in the store at an specific time and day to get the buried treasures from 25 years ago.
The good part of record stores over Discogs is no shipping costs .But prices are insane now .Hard to find any gems .
Thrift stores will charge $30 for a record .I saw one for $79 once .In Value Village .
Thats very normal here in Canada.
Like anything else, Discogs is just a tool. Yeah, it’s annoying when a place just looks at Discogs and slaps on the highest price going with no regard to condition or anything…. But, as a collector, the trick has always been to catch places sleeping, even before Discogs. Even now in the Discogs age I’ve come up on some ridiculously valuable albums for cheap. As other people have mentioned, thrift stores such as Goodwill cane be decent come ups. I’ve even had good luck at Half Price Books, which is ostensibly a record store of sorts. It’s five years ago now, but I came up on a bunch of records at Half Price they clearly didn’t research before throwing into the $1 clearance section. All told, I got 60 albums for $60 with a collective value of about $1500, including one I flipped for $600. More recently, I’ve come up on an OG orange swirl pressing of Siamese Dream for $50, and median on that is $300+. Goodwill has been a decent source of things for me recently. In the past year I’ve gotten tons of records from Goodwill, including artists such as Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, The Who, Bob Marley, etc. The thing for me is that I’ve almost always been a collector of used records, and it’s the thrill of the hunt that drew me in, so I rarely am looking for anything specific. Plus, having been collecting as long as I have, all the prices these days are pretty crazy and I can’t imagine just getting into vinyl in the past couple years. I have so many records I spent a couple bucks on back in the day that are now worth anywhere from $20 to $100+, and I’m glad I was collecting when people were literally giving away their records. So, there’s still gold to be found, and fun to be had digging. And as far as a shop having something set aside only for online sales…that’s kind of odd. I’ve seen more of the opposite with brick & mortars posting new additions on social media and saying they’re for in-store purchase only. It stinks for me as somebody not near these shops, but I get it and I respect it.
WOah Half priced books is insane! We dont have that in Canada but it sounds really cool. Amazing
For every used record I own, I had to dig through at least 400 records to find one that I found interesting that was also in decent shape, but that is part of the discovery of music and the thrill of the hunt.
So, if I have roughly 3,000 records, that means I sifted through 1.2 million records over the past 25 years to slowly build my collection over time. :)
Im impressed at your tenacity.
Sure record stores are losing alot of potential business or money from discogs and ebay or online buying and selling on other platforms... - everyone is a dealer now lol Its still fun for me... I find it amusing that even today many record store owners dont even use discogs or ebay to price and buy records... lol or so they say...
Rare souls.
No
Great video Christina, I love the used record sections. I have 2 used record stores in Barrie. Great for digging, plus in Canada we have access to great Canadian bands not really available in the states or Europe. Give me a great quality OG pressing any day. Some reissues, depending on the source material are hit and miss. Love ya, take care!!
I love you as always, honey. See you soon hopefully in the summer?
Discogs may take our record store crate digging but they'll never take our thrift store crate digging. Most gold I've found over the years has been in secondhand shops - oftentimes, cared-for personal collections that have been donated.
They also have gotten drier though. The competition is wild. You probabl live in a great area for that
My local thrift store now (goodwills) takes used records and puts them on eBay 😩
Hi Vinyl Guru. I agree with you about record stores. One of my local record stores does that plus the owners are just plain buttholes on top of that. Many estate sale sellers are also going down the overpriced rabbit hole.
Oh my gosh. No....sucking....
🙋♂️ Christina 🌞 - These days , the real excitement is buying used 💿 at ridiculously low prices as the used wax is all marked up to full value 99% of the time. The only good deals are on soundtracks vinyl wise. Hope you have been enjoying all the shows ! I saw Blondie & Morrissey , Bauhaus.. Devo & others last weekend. ✌️
Im so happy to hear. Yes the shows are bringing everyone's mood up.
Hey I saw ur first I've listening to metal videos. Could you checkout and react to indianfolkmetal band called Dymbur. The song Child Abuse & Rape Culture. These guys write song on sensitive issues. Would love to see ur reaction to their song Child Abuse and their fusion of folk instruments with metal & Rap
Discogs is for me the solution when I'm more into looking for a specific album. The record store for me is the adventure to see what I will get home with me each time.
On Discogs I'm more looking for a album with one or two in mind. So two sides of the coin, each with it's own pro's and cons 😉
Yes, it is good for specifics, its true. I agree, it is the adventure in the store though. Perfect way of putting it, Melvin. Pros and cons indeed
For me the fun of looking for records is gone and also the channel i have, why making video's when your channel is not growing.
Im thinking of selling my collection. Discogs is for me not fun, look at the insane price you have 2 pay for an album. So sorry 2 say but the fun of collecting vinly is gone
Oh no.....if you need any advice, feel free to reach out. Dont feel discouraged.
Discogs hasn't ruined anything. The market has gotten hotter, and so prices have increased. You aren't forced to pay stupid prices for used vinyl, but you don't have to complain how things used to be so cheap either.
Once all the boomers die, there will be a glut of used stuff hitting the market all at once, and I suspect prices will come down again.
I agree. You have a killer YT username btw
Record stores are worse than GameStop now. Never sell your vinyl to a record store.
Bad experience?
Discogs is just one of the reasons why record stores are falling and has made this hobby more predictable and boring, apart from much more expensive. That’s why I prefer the still amateur Rateyourmusic instead of Discogs: no economical interest involved in buying/selling. So I’d be glad to buy at discogs free record stores… if they can resist.
I love this comment. What is rateyourmusic?
I love going to record stores and crate digging but I must admit that the higher prices now makes it less attractive. My favorite thing is to go dig in the used section but I noticed that you can't even find nice used records under 10 bucks now; it's very frustrating... And you're so right, now with Discogs is barely impossible to find gems at a low price... Records stores are well aware of what's going on and Discogs became like you said an essential tool for them. It's unfortunate for us collectors but it what it is... Great vid as always, sis 😊
You are a Canadian, so you understand how bad it has been here.