dorian gray
Returning videotapes
- Apr 8, 2004
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Best reason to post again: new Agalloch DVD is out
- Thread starter Crimson Death
- Start date
I gotta say, as someone who got into this band a bit too late to buy original versions of their albums on vinyl, I'm pretty happy about this boxset (just bought it yesterday). Okay, I already own the CD's and one used copy of AATG on vinyl that fortunately I didn't pay $200 for (got to trade it for some limited Isis) but I guess I'll be able to sell that. So yeah, even if it sucks that this was against the band's opinion, it's still pretty cool that I can have all these albums that I love, brand new and with extras, for less than what's usually the price of ONE of them on ebay.
Volxzorn
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- Jul 18, 2005
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I agree that vinyl is becoming a medium for the rich, but I don't believe it's just due to production cost issues (there are still new vinyl releases that hardly cost 5 bucks more than the cd version, major label or not. it's just that the labels have recognized the vinyl consumers for what they are. they're like the bon vivants of music, who despise the mass consuming ipod culture. They're die hard fans of music in general and some of their favourite bands in particular, which they feel the urge to support and get in touch with, and this works by buying everything they can get their hands on. That's why they collect madly and often blindly, the rarer the better, listening to a record that only 99 others on the whole planet have as well and for which they paid 200 bucks is like biting into a truffle.
I also fancy vinyl because of the whole haptic moment which makes me feel more connected to the music, and I just love the huge covers and all that shit. But this whole limited-to-less-than-the-number-of-girls-you-had-sex-with-pressing-shit just f*cks me up. Yes, I have bought the AATG orange/red bleed vinyl edition, but not because it's the rarest, it just looks the best of the three. What do I care how many others own the same record? And now what's preventing the labels from stopping to hand number every bogey they release and just re-release the same pressing everytime the prices on eBay are getting ridiculous. What makes the whole situation so absurd is that it's not the bands or the labels anymore that profit from this limited-one-time-pressing-fanboyism, but just a handful of eBay vultures who have Rise Above, Viva Hate or Profound Lore as their welcome page and rip the true fands off their hard earned money.
So, my question for Agalloch would be:
Why can't you ask TER or Viva Hate or Profound Lore or whoever's responsible now or then to just re-release the complete pressings and make them indistinguishable from the first pressings, you'd make some more bucks, the labels, too, the fans would be happier (and wealthier, in the long run), and the die hard collectors could still wank on their record being the almighty first press. Everyone would be satisfied, and the vultures would die.
Cheers
I also fancy vinyl because of the whole haptic moment which makes me feel more connected to the music, and I just love the huge covers and all that shit. But this whole limited-to-less-than-the-number-of-girls-you-had-sex-with-pressing-shit just f*cks me up. Yes, I have bought the AATG orange/red bleed vinyl edition, but not because it's the rarest, it just looks the best of the three. What do I care how many others own the same record? And now what's preventing the labels from stopping to hand number every bogey they release and just re-release the same pressing everytime the prices on eBay are getting ridiculous. What makes the whole situation so absurd is that it's not the bands or the labels anymore that profit from this limited-one-time-pressing-fanboyism, but just a handful of eBay vultures who have Rise Above, Viva Hate or Profound Lore as their welcome page and rip the true fands off their hard earned money.
So, my question for Agalloch would be:
Why can't you ask TER or Viva Hate or Profound Lore or whoever's responsible now or then to just re-release the complete pressings and make them indistinguishable from the first pressings, you'd make some more bucks, the labels, too, the fans would be happier (and wealthier, in the long run), and the die hard collectors could still wank on their record being the almighty first press. Everyone would be satisfied, and the vultures would die.
Cheers
mighty_amorphis
Ashes Against the Grain
Damn, that's a lot of girls you had sex with!
It simply doesn't work that way. Never. Have you ever saw a re-release that is indistinguishable from the earlier pressing? Up-to matrix numbers? Exactly, never. Even bootlegs are repressed with different matrix numbers, even if they look the same otherwise. The reason is simple - what is the point of releasing limited version if you make it "less limited" or even "unlimited" later? If a label/band want a limited pressing they do it and make no extra copies that have the same matrices. If they don't, they just don't do it. Very simple. Now, assuming albums are re-released and look exactly the same, except for the matrix number, do you really think it would lower the prices first pressing commands on Ebay? How many times were albums like Mayhem's Deathcrash or Burzum's Aske repressed? A lot. Can you buy the first pressing for less than 1000$? I doubt it.
So, in the light of the above, I have a question. Why do you really need a completely identical pressing? If you enjoy listening vinyl and appreciate it as a media, you will be happy with a pressing that has a completely different appearance (like Viva Hate wooden box) or looks the same, but has different matrix numbers. Right?
Edit: One more thing I forgot to add. I do despise people who buy limited pressings when they come out on the sole purpose of immediately putting them on Ebay for twice the price (see all VH wooden box offered on Ebay now). However, if you do spend 200 or whatever bucks to get a rare pressing years after it was released, for whatever reason, I do not see why someone (label in your suggestion) should "dilute" the pressing, thus lowering a value of your possession. I mean, I'm sure that of you buy The Mantle for 200$ and tomorrow it's value drops to 50$ because the label decided to add 2000 more copies to the pressing, you wouldn't be happy. So, I think the people you are going against here are those who buy things to resell them for a profit. I agree with you completely, but there is an easy way to solve this problem - 1 copy per customer. This was done for From which of this oak vinyl pressing with slipmat and look, the wonder, I saw it offered maybe 5 to 10 times on Ebay since it was released. Compare this with the wooden box and you will see the difference.
dorian gray
Returning videotapes
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mighty_amorphis
Ashes Against the Grain
Simple reason - why not? People are spending 100s of bucks on a wheel to play Need For Speed or, even worse, 100s of bucks on online games, like WoW. People are buying stupidest things for unreasonable prices. Vinyl is different. It's something you can appreciate both visually and audibly, something that you won't throw away after a couple of listens. It's a music in the best form that you can have.
you obviously didn't check the min. age requirement to post on this very fine forum.
mighty_amorphis
Ashes Against the Grain
Damn, I forgot what kind of people populate this thread. Sorry, won't happen again. And FYI, I gave examples of games, as something that I find very stupid to spend on, not something I do or know much about.
dorian gray
Returning videotapes
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In other words: they have lots of apparently disposable income? OK, I can see that as a good reason. But, let's say some vinyl pressing cost $1000. Why not just buy the $10 CD and spend the remaining $990 on an awesome guitar or something? I applaud you for spending money on something that's pretty cool (versus something gay like a wheel to play Need for Speed) but it just seems so....wasteful...to buy vinyl when CD exists. And this coming from a guy who hates mp3 and other scournful digital formats. Are you just taking my hatred of the ipod to another level? If that's the case, then more power to you.
mighty_amorphis
Ashes Against the Grain
Shit, I think I just revived the worse thread in history. Take care gentlemen, I won't be responding here anymore.
Volxzorn
Member
- Jul 18, 2005
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Damn, that's a lot of girls you had sex with!
Hehe, if there's ONE thing that makes you a huge chick magnet it's collecting rare metal records
The whole matrix numbers thing is exactly what I meant by saying the ultra hardcore collectors can still wank on their copy being first press. I might be a minority here, but I collect records, not matrix numbers. I'd be perfectly happy if Profound Lore released Pale Folklore on the same splatter vinyl but with a matrix nummer that goes 555-KISS-MY-ASS
But what interest could a label have in not re-releasing such stuff (besides underground credibility, of course)? The first thing I'd do as a label boss if I see record prices skyrocket like that would be a repress. Why should the black market have all the profit me and the band (who deserve it in the first place) could have? And you know what? Labels actually DO that (Rise Above, NoEvDia, lots of major labels who know better, )! And, if the re-release is largely indistinguishable, this actually can lower the prices of the first press, provided it's not a release from a label that does not exist anymore because its founder was murdered (Deathcrush, Aske), which, by simple logic, can't be re-released identically. But even the Deathcrush first press was a 1000 pieces strong, it also gained it's worth by it's impact in black metal and the vibe of burnt churches and murdered label bosses. Also it's more than 20 years old! The Pale Folklore vinyl release was 2005! And the Wooden Box came out this year, and already people are reselling it for the price of an Aske first press!
Btw: If they don't, they just don't do it. Yes, and if people shit on my lawn, they also just do it. Still, I have the right to complain about it and many people would agree, right?
Also I have the right not to like the wooden box reissue as much as the former releases. Partly because it's f*ckin expensive and just screams 'buy 10 more of me to rip off people who don't buy me fast enough, they deserve it!", partly because although it is really neat it just does not appeal to me as much. I like the original covers just better, and the original colours, too. If it was the other was round, I'd have shut up and bought it. Besides, as Agalloch have often pointed out, they were against the release and see no profit from it, which underlines my point that the situation became so absurd that the bands who should get the main support get ripped off, too. Also I can hardly believe that there are that many bands out there that take pride in the fact that only the richest of their fans can enjoy their nicest releases. I would actually be mad as hell if I knew that in the age of Rapidshare there are fans out there dying to buy my music on vinyl and care for the packaging, but can't do so just because there aren't enough records.
Of course I would not be happy if I just bought a record for 200 bucks and the next day it gets repressed, but then again, I would not be near as angry as I am if I have no chance to get a record for a reasonable price that's barely 5 years old, or, in case of the wooden box, barely half a year! And the latter is the case way more often these days. I wanted to order one of the die hard editions of the new Ghost & Electric Wizard records. They sold out quicker than a Rammstein concert! This just is no fun anymore. And by allowing only 1 order per customer for a limited to 100 pressing, you just have 100 different lucky bastards who were quick enough instead of maybe 60. If you already can tell that people will bash their brains over a record, why make it so ridiculously rare in the first place? Just for underground credibility? And if you really want you can easily avoid the 1 per customer rule. Just ask mom, dad, bro, sis and some of your friends, bam!
The ONLY way to avoid such a nonsense is: raise the pressing, re-release if needed, and no info on the pressing numbers.
Volxzorn
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I don't hate mp3 (but I do hate Ipods). Wanna know why I buy records? I like the huge covers and booklets, the haptics, the crackles, the different vinyl colours, the fact that it's big in your bookshelf, and the fact that contrary to CD you can tune the sound to your liking by choosing different phono cartridges. And why do I pay as much as 100$ (my most expensive yet) for a record? Partly because I can - to a certain extend, partly because of this whole limited pressing shit I'm complaining about and mainly because IT'S WAY COOLER THAN CDS!!!
Dick Sirloin
please... stay safe
- Jan 6, 2004
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einride
your best friend
- Feb 29, 2008
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if you feel like crying about people spending hundreds of dollars on vinyl records then you have so fucking little perspective on the world of spending money on stupid shit
i think the most important question here is who the FUCK CARES. spend your stupid money on whatever stupid shit you feel like, it's all a big fucking circus of meaninglessness anyway. everything you've ever bought is stupid shit, including your novelty-size automobile mr. romanian man (i don't think you actually own a MINI, i haven't really been paying attention, but those things are ridiculous. i'd have more dignity in a 1:400 scale barbiemobile)
i think the most important question here is who the FUCK CARES. spend your stupid money on whatever stupid shit you feel like, it's all a big fucking circus of meaninglessness anyway. everything you've ever bought is stupid shit, including your novelty-size automobile mr. romanian man (i don't think you actually own a MINI, i haven't really been paying attention, but those things are ridiculous. i'd have more dignity in a 1:400 scale barbiemobile)
einride
your best friend
- Feb 29, 2008
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Volxzorn
Member
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yo tyler durden! buying expensive stuff is nerdy, everything's useless, we're all gonna die, what a provocative opinion. is it also your dignity that makes you spend your precious time commenting stuff that as you say nobody gives a fuck about? how ridiculous is that?
btw, i'm neither romanian nor do i have a car. not that this has anything to do with the discussion in the first place.
Disgustipated
Cynical.
The nig wasn't talking to you. He was talking to the romanian guy, who has a car.
Volxzorn
Member
- Jul 18, 2005
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