Poll : Current Record Buying Habits

[Mike]

Going for a members poll this time around

A suggestion from @Twoshoes who suggested the poll and the questions based on an past poll.

' With recent threads concerning recent new releases as opposed to reissues, limited releases and not least Covid which must have had an effect on people buying would it be timely do you think to do the survey again? '

So have put together a poll based on the 4 suggestions for questions...

  My reason for the suggestion came about by the various discussions recently about the issue of limited releases, I wonder how big the market is for tunes like Kim Tibbs, I also wonder have buying habits changed post Covid so maybe a question Covid related. 

 

As always the idea behind such polls is to give all a chance to pass on their views and to get some worthwhile discussion going, so once posted your choices, then make sure ya post up reasons/takes/points etc below...

 

 

[Chalky]

No Lp option?

[Mike]

8 minutes ago, Chalky said:

 

lp and cd q's added 

[Amsterdam Russ]

Have to say that apart from the occasional new release I’ve pretty much stopped buy records now. Prices for original 45s have steadily risen over the past few years and today they are either unaffordable or do not offer value for money.

Where cheaper items are concerned, ridiculous postage costs and Customs/VAT charges on items bought outside the EU can double the price paid (I bought a 3-DVD set from a UK seller on eBay just recently. Once postage, VAT and handling charges were factored in, the £16 I paid for the DVDs became £32 in total. That’s just ridiculous).

Additionally, items that get picked up by Customs for additional charges are taking about five weeks to come through. I no longer know if items are lost in the post or whether they’re sitting in Customs. This is super frustrating for both me and the seller and is another reason why the desire to buy 45s has diminished.

[Happy Feet]

Limited releases, immediately attracts the sharks , drop the word Limited and it just becomes first come first served , and don't mention numbers until they're all sold , it's a limited market anyway so why should someone who had nothing to do with the making of the record make more by buying a few copies.

Promos of old classics released again and again don't get that either .

 

[Twoshoes]

First off thank you for taking up my suggestion Mike.

I currently buy about the same as pre Covid. A mix of predominantly originals, an occasional splurge on reissues of tunes not so much that I couldn't afford on an original issue but go for more than I would want to pay. Also buy new releases. 

  I have no strong views either way on the rights or wrongs of limited releases, fully understand buyers frustrations when they miss out. Happy Feet's suggestion above seems a reasonable one  to at least perhaps stop people buying multiple copies for profit, not 100% sure it would though. 

  

  

[Modernsoulsucks]

Amsterdam Russ's first paragraph sums it up for me when it comes to Northern.

However I do buy quite a lot of reggae 12"s and 7"s mainly from 70's and 80's as to me they're very affordable.

I did treat myself to a mint Soul Bros "Train to Skaville" on Ska-Beat which was expensive but nothing like Northern prices.

As for so called cheapies I was amazed at the prices and number of unsold copies of 45s on Discogs when I did that 50p and above list on here this past week. 45s that haven't sold on my list for £2 are £5 and above on Discogs.

[Chalky]

I've never hung on to collections of anything.  When Lifeline finished I was a bit disillusioned/lost my mojo as they say, off went the 45s or most of them.  I began to collect Lps and have probably enjoyed collecting them more than 45s.  45s, generally new releases although I am trying to stick to the unissued with occasional quality reissue of which I could never afford the original.  I don't really Dj now, only occasionally so what I buy is for me, no thinking will it work on the floor etc.

[Stephen Houghton]

Slowed down a bit now ,prices leave me bewildered sometimes ,but demand is high.treat myself sometimes 

[Mal C]

Interesting views, which mirror alot of what Ive been doing for the past few years. I don't know who is paying these prices for theses expensive but common soul 45s, but I would say, like houses, never buy at the top of the market, you will always lose your money.

[Happy Feet]

Back to the thread , still buying everything new that makes my feet happy , oldies within my budget , lots of UK releases old and new , albums instead of expensive 45s and the odd cd , I'd say about 40 items a month.

My wife says you don't need anymore records but she doesn't get it , sold up early 90s to pay for house restoration, since then , have had to build an extension to house them , don't know why can't explain it must be some sort of addiction , off now to the man cave ' Sunday Night Is Soul Night ' and to play all this week's buys and the odd beer or three cheers 

[Soulfusion]

Historically my buying preferences have been for original artist albums. Vinyl into the 80's until CD took prominence into the 90s but now back to vinyl. Since arriving on this site I have started buying 45s, mainly from the likes of Diggin' Deep, MD, Soul Direction, Soul Junction, LRK, Soul4Real, North Broad Street etc. and being amazed at the quality of the music that has either not been issued or didn't see a large scale  release before.

I listen to music through internet radio, mixcloud and in Media on Soul Source. Not bothered with streams/downloads, although I have a fair amount of music on Amazon Music, Bandcamp and downloads through music I have physically purchased.

I still purchase the occasional CD, mainly compilations which I view as "mixtapes" for future vinyl purchases or where the CD has more value (tracks) on CD over vinyl, the recent Laura Rain CD being a good example.

Edited June 7, 2022 by Soulfusion
Edited comment that deviated from OP

[Soulfinger]

I still buy at the same rate as pre-covid. I buy around 5 each of 45's, albums and CD's a month. My main change is that I no longer buy from the US having been stung once too often for ludicrous customs charges. 

[Steviehay]

Think i'm buying roughly the same on 7's as i was before ,but L.p's i have upped up on due to some L.p only tracks AND NEW RELEASES but i'm cutting back on them now due to pressing plant problems ,pre order and lack of records pressed the market has gone ballistic on prices over the last 4 -5 years covid orchestrated ?? 

[Mike]

interesting reading

last couple of days so if you ain't added your take or posted your comments yet , times against you