Price Guides

[stomper45]

I only recently purchased the volume 3 (quick eh) of JM's price guide dunno if been said before...

Interesting to see all the changes since vol1, once printed in a useful guide prices were sure to go one way. Like all JM stuff its professionally presented, a very useful reference tool.

One thing slightly bugging me now is where an auction winning price (alway's a high one) is used instead of a set price.

Does this mean these said records are so in demand,that they should only be auctioned from now on = variable pricing.

Taking this further if more were price indicated in this way, the guide could become more of a "best of popsike" thingy, as all items sell for higher (or lower) if auctioned.

So have price guides been benefictial, knowledge v inflation ?

And how best to resolve the problem's of pricing in demand records?

With the ability of modern day scoundrels, must by the bootleggers guide #3 soon, how long before label pictures and matrix numbers (scratched or stamped) are essential info for all records listed over say £ 30.

[Guest Dan]

guides have been a nightmare. i've always bought most, though not all, of my records direct from the states, either on trips (i was lucky enough to have a job which took me there a lot and gave me plenty of free time while i was there ) or via contacts and latterly ebay obviously, because why give your money to dealers. and these days, thanks to the guides, there's very little point because the septics have them and price accordingly. you still find stuff but it's much harder, as i'm sure anyone who goes regularly will testify. (i think ebay has had a similar effect, and i'm not blaming john m or t brown for producing them. wish i'd thought of it, and found someone credible to front it. i'd guess the print cost for a manship guide is about 30p* per copy, if his print run is anywhere over 5,000, so there's probably more brass in the guides than in the records ).

so it's a thumbs down from me.

*if you're paying any more john, let me know and i'll get it done at 30p and we can split the diff.

[Paul R]

I don't know if it's been mentioned before, but I recently bought his Bootleg/re-issue guide. when it arrived it had a copy of his latest catelogue which contains a re-issue & "second pressing" section.

Why the big descrepancy on many of the values between the Bootleg Guide, and the Catalogue selling price?

Paul

[Larsc]

The price guides are pretty hopeless to use. Most of the time I read the prices as usd not ukp, at lst then they are of some use. The most accurate prices on cheaper records are when I read them as usd and cut them down 50%.

I'd like to see a guide that was put together by two british and two american dealers. That could possibly be a more reliable price guide.

[Chalky]

The price guides are pretty hopeless to use. Most of the time I read the prices as usd not ukp, at lst then they are of some use. The most accurate prices on cheaper records are when I read them as usd and cut them down 50%.

I'd like to see a guide that was put together by two british and two american dealers. That could possibly be a more reliable price guide.

How about one with all the info except the price, fill your own price column in and change as and when price shifts That would be more up to date

[Guest Dante]

How about one with all the info except the price, fill your own price column in and change as and when price shifts That would be more up to date

Excellent idea. But, do you really think that a dealer would do that?

Cheers

[Chalky]

Excellent idea. But, do you really think that a dealer would do that?

Cheers

who says it would be a dealer who does it?

[Guest Dante]

who says it would be a dealer who does it?

Mmmmhhhh. Sounds really interesting hehe

Coming soon, The REAL Price Guide! Includes colour label scans, matrix numbers, pressing plants and much more...

PS Doesn't includes prices

[Guest]

Mmmmhhhh. Sounds really interesting hehe

Coming soon, The REAL Price Guide! Includes colour label scans, matrix numbers, pressing plants and much more...

PS Doesn't includes prices

Price-less

[Chalky]

I've got my own on PC although needs a bit of an update

Mmmmhhhh. Sounds really interesting hehe

Coming soon, The REAL Price Guide! Includes colour label scans, matrix numbers, pressing plants and much more...

PS Doesn't includes prices

wouldn't be a price guide though would it if there was no prices

[Blake H]

Has the new price guide been cross referenced? ie artist-title then title-artist like the guiness book of hits etc.

As I've said before its only a matter of time before there is an online price guide that can be altered/added to instantly, when the books stop making money it will happen

BH

[Pete S]

Has the new price guide been cross referenced? ie artist-title then title-artist like the guiness book of hits etc.

As I've said before its only a matter of time before there is an online price guide that can be altered/added to instantly, when the books stop making money it will happen

BH

There is one - or was one - Mick Fitzpatrick started one on the Night Owl site and invited people to add to it, I don't know if he finished the project or even what he's doing now (but I have to say he made an immense contribution to Northern Soul on the internet - he more or less kicked it all off), anyway here's a link https://www.nightowlclub.com/intro/intro.htm

you have to click the drop-down and choose database (northern).

[Guest WPaulVanDyk]

the idea of using your own prices is like you pay how much you want and then it would surely become that amount. But why is it always Northern soul price guides mentioned here. There is the record collector price guide good for using to price old soul records up

[Guest rachel]

the idea of using your own prices is like you pay how much you want and then it would surely become that amount. But why is it always Northern soul price guides mentioned here. There is the record collector price guide good for using to price old soul records up

Record Collector is UK labels only, isn't it? Certainly not a lot of use for obscure US productions....

[Cheapsiderecords]

I have purchased Rockin' Records, Manships and Tim Browns guides and use them purely for reference as I buy other types of music as trades for Soul stuff.

Does anybody really expect stuff to sell for guide price? How hard is it to find 45's in Mint unplayed condition nowadays

The funny thing here in Canada is Martin Koppell sells his guides at all the Toronto shows yet I still pick up stuff like Anne Heywood on Hondo for $3C, none of the Canadian sellers seem to have them?!?!?

So, price guides are handy reference tools and nothing more.

[Guest NASHEE]

Price guides should burn in hell.

Don't you think life was much nicer when a seller thought the record he was selling was a worthless piece of crap, so $2 was the perfect price???????

[Guest]

Rare Soul Price Guide Edition 4 is out in about 6 weeks.

over 500 pages with an average of 120 titles per page

all listing with A side & b-side label (plus variations) + release # value + catagory + all records that have been bootlregged using the original label name are highlighted

No auction prices will be quoted as they are sometimes inconsistant with value, BOTH ways.

It is our database of what we sell or would expect to sell any 45 for.

Totally updated with many 1000s of additions all researched over the past 2 years.

ON LINE PRICE GUIDE. will be available very soon for ALL catagories of soul & reggae & rock / pop 45s & LPs and prices will change all the time and info will be added on a daily basis as it is now. We would over 130,000 different collectable vinyl prices to view if we went on line today.

We are also compiling a new guide on BOOTLEGS the other one is 8 years old now and yes the prices are way out.

It will contain scans of the orginal & the bootleg on every title using the same label name. It is a masive job but most of it is in place now. Maybe be available early next year.

It is essential as in the past few months I've come across collectors who have bought

Bootlegs of:

John and the wierdest £2000

George Blackwell £700

Gwen & Ray £300

and many more all sold by dealers to seasoned collectors.

We were thinking of doing Price Guide edition 4 at a special discounted price to Soul Source members, I'll let you know the details soon.

As you the 30p price for printing the guide.. uuum I must be being majorly ripped of.

[Supercorsa]

It is essential as in the past few months I've come across collectors who have bought

Bootlegs of:

John and the wierdest £2000

George Blackwell £700

Gwen & Ray £300

and many more all sold by dealers to seasoned collectors.

I bet they were seriously peeved when they found out!

[Guest Baz]

Serious question John, are these prices going to be more realistic, or just hiked up prices of every thing?

Are we going to actually see any price drops in the new guide.

[Guest]

Serious question John, are these prices going to be more realistic, or just hiked up prices of every thing?

Baz,

you'll have to wait and see..

but i can assure you there are loads of price drops. and of course price rises..and some just remain the same.

Prices are not guess work, every record we sell has it's own file data. We can see how many copies I've had in stock, how many have sold, when the last time we listed it and when the last time it was sold etc etc

IE This week I entered a record into the database I'd had 7 copies sold all of them @ £25 not listed it for 18 months. I "hiked" the price to £30

Equally I entered data on another 45, got 5 copies in stock, only sold one @ £30 i dropped the price to £20. as i now had six copies.

I was selling Marv Johnson - come on and stop - for £25 less than 3 years ago,

now it comfortably sells for £150, based on continuing demand and less stock and what the sales data tells me.

As I say in all the guides the price does include 17.5% VAT so you can expect to be able to buy from non-vat registered dealers at 17.5% less than we sell for, but it seldom works like that.

I don't feel we "hike" any prices, but we certainly do research and judge each 45 price on previous sales and availability, i don't think too many other dealers have that kind of stock history at their fingertips so they make an informed judgement on the price.

Although I do get excited about vinyl, "hyping" i consider anti-productive: you can only recommended a bad record once..nobody believes you on the next recommendation.

I can remember a rave review of a Gloria Gaynor MGM flipside in Manifesto so I bought 4 copies off GEMM. It was a peice of crap, i no longer believe in the writers recommendations or comments.

this forthcoming guide is by far and away our best work and it is all based on researched and the sales history data.

I'll look forward to you comments when you've read a copy of edition 4.

PM me I'll make sure you get a free copy!

Edited August 17, 2006 by john manship

[Guest Baz]

Thanks for your indepth reply John, the 'hiked' comment wasn't a dig in any way, first thoughts when i see the post was Oh no not another one, if you see where im coming from, Interesting to know about the VAT is included on all your prices, now i wonder how many people compensate for that when they are selling, and using the guide for pricing I take them as a guide and that is that, but alot of sellers do use them as a 'bible' and cast in stone.

Very kind of you to offer me one for nothing John, tell you what i'll cut you a deal, I'll do a indepth review, for the news and articles section of the site ready for the release

[Pete S]

John said

I was selling Marv Johnson - come on and stop - for £25 less than 3 years ago,

now it comfortably sells for £150, based on continuing demand and less stock and what the sales data tells me.

_________________________________________________________________________

Everybody else is now selling it for £100 though, the lucky ones get £125 tops - including Ebay sales - it's had it's day, so £150 is no longer the correct price.

Results are here:

https://www.popsike.com/php/quicksearch.php...0&currency=

the record has never reached £150 on Ebay. 80% of the copies sold in the last 18 months have gone for around £75.

Edited August 17, 2006 by Pete-S

[Guest WPaulVanDyk]

I know record collector uses UK issues mostly in the guide but that does not stop the magazine doing features that can cover forigen pressings like many US versions that get added to a discography to artists featured

[Guest]

John said

I was selling Marv Johnson - come on and stop - for £25 less than 3 years ago,

now it comfortably sells for £150, based on continuing demand and less stock and what the sales data tells me.

_________________________________________________________________________

Everybody else is now selling it for £100 though, the lucky ones get £125 tops - including Ebay sales - it's had it's day, so £150 is no longer the correct price.

Results are here:

https://www.popsike.com/php/quicksearch.php...0&currency=

the record has never reached £150 on Ebay. 80% of the copies sold in the last 18 months have gone for around £75.

Could have had one for £50................fourtnight ago

[Guest]

John said

I was selling Marv Johnson - come on and stop - for £25 less than 3 years ago,

now it comfortably sells for £150, based on continuing demand and less stock and what the sales data tells me.

_________________________________________________________________________

Everybody else is now selling it for £100 though, the lucky ones get £125 tops - including Ebay sales - it's had it's day, so £150 is no longer the correct price.

Results are here:

https://www.popsike.com/php/quicksearch.php...0&currency=

the record has never reached £150 on Ebay. 80% of the copies sold in the last 18 months have gone for around £75.

Data says we sold 61 copies over the last 3 years the vast majority at £150 each all MINT some promos but mostly stock copies. Popsike quotes 21 copies some in dreadful condition, some listings reaching almost £150 gbp.

Last copy sold was to Barry Simpson in Perth, Oz. 2 days ago....Some collectors only want MINT unplayed, whilst others appreciate an e-bay bargain.

It's in the next guide @ £150 including VAT 61 sales backs that up.... that's how we price records on the data, not what e-bay does or what other dealers list them for.

But the £150 ceiling was reached after seeing it on soulfulkindamusic site @ £150 in used condition.

[Dave Rimmer]

Data says we sold 61 copies over the last 3 years the vast majority at £150 each all MINT some promos but mostly stock copies. Popsike quotes 21 copies some in dreadful condition, some listings reaching almost £150 gbp.

Last copy sold was to Barry Simpson in Perth, Oz. 2 days ago....Some collectors only want MINT unplayed, whilst others appreciate an e-bay bargain.

It's in the next guide @ £150 including VAT 61 sales backs that up.... that's how we price records on the data, not what e-bay does or what other dealers list them for.

But the £150 ceiling was reached after seeing it on soulfulkindamusic site @ £150 in used condition.

That should be clarified. I didn't sell a copy of Marv Johnson at £150. Perhaps you mean you saw it in Chris Anderton's sales page ?

[Pete S]

Data says we sold 61 copies over the last 3 years the vast majority at £150 each all MINT some promos but mostly stock copies. Popsike quotes 21 copies some in dreadful condition, some listings reaching almost £150 gbp.

Last copy sold was to Barry Simpson in Perth, Oz. 2 days ago....Some collectors only want MINT unplayed, whilst others appreciate an e-bay bargain.

It's in the next guide @ £150 including VAT 61 sales backs that up.... that's how we price records on the data, not what e-bay does or what other dealers list them for.

But the £150 ceiling was reached after seeing it on soulfulkindamusic site @ £150 in used condition.

But that is not a true reflection of the price, just because you sell it for 150 and your customers buy it for £150 - it looks like nobody else is doing so. Plus you can buy an unplayed demo or stock copy directly from Golden Gate Records website for $250 (£132) and they have been on there so long that they can't be selling any at that price.

What you're saying then, is that you don't take any notice whatsoever of what any other dealers (or ebay) sell records for. Therefore you set the rules and the prices. How can that be an accurate guide to prices that records are fetching if you only use your own data? Not being funny, but it's like the Government doing the retail price index but only asking Tesco for their figures and ignoring all the other supermarkets who may be selling items cheaper or more expensively.

Edited August 18, 2006 by Pete-S

[Guest]

But that is not a true reflection of the price, just because you sell it for 150 and your customers buy it for £150 - it looks like nobody else is doing so. Plus you can buy an unplayed demo or stock copy directly from Golden Gate Records website for $250 (£132) and they have been on there so long that they can't be selling any at that price.

What you're saying then, is that you don't take any notice whatsoever of what any other dealers (or ebay) sell records for. Therefore you set the rules and the prices. How can that be an accurate guide to prices that records are fetching if you only use your own data? Not being funny, but it's like the Government doing the retail price index but only asking Tesco for their figures and ignoring all the other supermarkets who may be selling items cheaper or more expensively.

To be honest Pete I take very little notice of other dealers prices, stock, comments or moans and groans. As I said previously, my data on each file tells me every I need to know. 61 copies sold says it all for me, why would i look at popsike 20 or so listings..most of them way less than mint??

As for Golden Gate records Barry is without any shadow of a doubt one of the finest record dealers in the world, and i'd never question anything he does..the man is an expert in his field and fast becoming an expert is ours.

We just sell vinyl at whatever price we think is appropriate using the sales history available to us. We often sell out of many titles before the ceiling is reached.

It obviously works both ways: Johnson Family Atlantic @ £20, jumps to mind...future high ticket tune often start here @ low prices..but that's how it works.

Yes your right, e-bay, your opinion, have no affect on our pricing. It a states clearly in every price guide we have ever produced this is what WE sell records for, it's NOT a bible and we make no suggestion everyone should match these prices. All price guides are open to opinion and we welcome yours.

But because it is our database there are no tricks, or tactical pricing ie Inticers @ £500 (i wish) it truly reflects our opinion which is why we call it MANSHIP'S PRICE GUIDE.

[Guest]

That should be clarified. I didn't sell a copy of Marv Johnson at £150. Perhaps you mean you saw it in Chris Anderton's sales page ?

sorry Dave i'm sure your correct, but hell the record flies out @ £150.. and maybe hris sold his less than mint copy for the same..? i dunno pleaseaccept my apologises

john

[Pete S]

Yes your right, e-bay, your opinion, have no affect on our pricing. It a states clearly in every price guide we have ever produced this is what WE sell records for, it's NOT a bible and we make no suggestion everyone should match these prices. All price guides are open to opinion and we welcome yours.

The problem is though, because it's the only one of it's type, it does actually become the bible and it's used as gospel by everyone. I'm watching the market really carefully lately and the way that rare records have come down in price in the last 6 months - apart from on your auctions - is incredible. I can't believe how easy it is to buy rare records at the moment. I don't mean ultra rare records, I mean solid oldies e.g. This Heart Of Mine, that sort of thing...no takers at $75...something has happened this year.

[Ged Parker]

To be honest Pete I take very little notice of other dealers prices, stock, comments or moans and groans. As I said previously, my data on each file tells me every I need to know. 61 copies sold says it all for me, why would i look at popsike 20 or so listings..most of them way less than mint??

As for Golden Gate records Barry is without any shadow of a doubt one of the finest record dealers in the world, and i'd never question anything he does..the man is an expert in his field and fast becoming an expert is ours.

We just sell vinyl at whatever price we think is appropriate using the sales history available to us. We often sell out of many titles before the ceiling is reached.

It obviously works both ways: Johnson Family Atlantic @ £20, jumps to mind...future high ticket tune often start here @ low prices..but that's how it works.

Yes your right, e-bay, your opinion, have no affect on our pricing. It a states clearly in every price guide we have ever produced this is what WE sell records for, it's NOT a bible and we make no suggestion everyone should match these prices. All price guides are open to opinion and we welcome yours.

But because it is our database there are no tricks, or tactical pricing ie Inticers @ £500 (i wish) it truly reflects our opinion which is why we call it MANSHIP'S PRICE GUIDE.

I, like many others, only use the guides as a guide. I have always viewed the prices as dollars and indeed tended to subtract the VAT when buying. I much prefer the Goldmine and Osbournes guides when buying though .

An online guide will be very useful, I assume it will be via subscription John?

I'd really like to be able to download the data to a PDA rather than carry a guide about my own excel wants list on my PDA is limited in terms of info and has what I am willing to pay rather than a 'guide' price. Not sure if type of functionality is feasable? I'm sure you would need to make sure it was secure or there would be hooky copies of the data in no time at all but it would be worth buying for sure.

In an ideal world price guides wouldn't exist at all but you can't uninvent them mind you in an ideal world it would be $4 to £1 and I would be the only buyer on ebay

[John Al]

The problem is though, because it's the only one of it's type, it does actually become the bible and it's used as gospel by everyone. I'm watching the market really carefully lately and the way that rare records have come down in price in the last 6 months - apart from on your auctions - is incredible. I can't believe how easy it is to buy rare records at the moment. I don't mean ultra rare records, I mean solid oldies e.g. This Heart Of Mine, that sort of thing...no takers at $75...something has happened this year.

Fully agree Pete, record prices have dropped considerably in the last year. Which is great news for buyers but bad news for those dealers with high overheads. Thus - they produce sales aids and call them "Price Guides". We all know what they are (and how wrong they are) - even if nobody seems to want to say it out loud!! That people pay for them is amazing to me...........

I tend to use my own version on a spreadsheet. I update it with the last price I saw it listed for, or saw it sold on Ebay at. Thus I get an average price. I tend to ignore the glitches (Dells - Your Song for £146 one week, next week no bidders at £35, Flame N King £311 in March, £88 last week and £81 this week) and of course I only do it for stuff I think I might want or already own. There are also quite a few places on the internet for research.

You are right though - to be confronted by someone with no real knowledge clutching a "price guide" that you know is hopelessly wrong is almost as frustrating as a 4-0 victory a month after the World Cup ended. :angry:

Cheers,

J.

[Guest]

I, like many others, only use the guides as a guide. I have always viewed the prices as dollars and indeed tended to subtract the VAT when buying. I much prefer the Goldmine and Osbournes guides when buying though .

An online guide will be very useful, I assume it will be via subscription John?

I'd really like to be able to download the data to a PDA rather than carry a guide about my own excel wants list on my PDA is limited in terms of info and has what I am willing to pay rather than a 'guide' price. Not sure if type of functionality is feasable? I'm sure you would need to make sure it was secure or there would be hooky copies of the data in no time at all but it would be worth buying for sure.

In an ideal world price guides wouldn't exist at all but you can't uninvent them mind you in an ideal world it would be $4 to £1 and I would be the only buyer on ebay

"An online guide will be very useful, I assume it will be via subscription John?"

The site receives between 7.5 million to 9 million hits a month. A vast majority of these are "price checks" or info seekers.

We shall be doing a subscription based price check very soon for EVERY item on the site 130,000 different items at the mo' whether it be worth £1 or £15000. covering LPs, 45 in all genres. with info and prices changing daily.

We shall be offering checks on price, + sales, different variations, release dates, city of origin and any interesting info we can also add to comments. Bootleg to original definitions will also be available. Cost will be extremely cheap..per "look" as we want it to work.

It's a huge job to get set up, we are working on it now but it will be extremely useful and we hope popular. But will not replace our Price Guides which are essential in other ways..and also nice to have at hand.

Edited August 18, 2006 by john manship

[Pete S]

John, are you sure that figure is correct - 7 to 9 MILLION...I doubt all the websites in the world put together don't get that many hits in a month.

[Ged Parker]

We shall be doing a subscription based price check very soon for EVERY item on the site 130,000 different items at the mo' whether it be worth £1 or £15000. covering LPs, 45 in all genres. with info and prices changing daily.

What about things not for sale on your site? I wouldn't expect to pay to see the prices of stuff you have for sale? Maybe I'm being dumb? or maybe I should just use your sales lists as a price guide like it appears loads of people do.

John, are you sure that figure is correct - 7 to 9 MILLION...I doubt all the websites in the world put together don't get that many hits in a month.

If this is page impressions Pete its very high but not off the scale. There some 'specialist' sites that hit over 750,000 page impressions per Day

[Guest]

What about things not for sale on your site? I wouldn't expect to pay to see the prices of stuff you have for sale? Maybe I'm being dumb? or maybe I should just use your sales lists as a price guide like it appears loads of people do.

John, are you sure that figure is correct - 7 to 9 MILLION...I doubt all the websites in the world put together don't get that many hits in a month.

If this is page impressions Pete its very high but not off the scale. There some 'specialist' sites that hit over 750,000 page impressions per Day

it's to see a database of collectable vinyl & all auction prices & tracks listings for LP etc but on OUT OF STOCK items only, items in stock all the prices are obsviously free to view.

We have 40,000 + in stock diff. titles about 90,000+ diff titles out of stock.

Amazingly,Yes, 7 to 9 million hits (or clicks) on the site a month is correct. We are hoping to hit 10 million in the winter months this year. But like I said I know a huge % are from collectors seeking info.

John

[Guest]

John, are you sure that figure is correct - 7 to 9 MILLION...I doubt all the websites in the world put together don't get that many hits in a month.

I know I was amazed when we started to get the official figures some two years back. They are documented and are correct, just goes to show how many soulsters out there are clicking of soundclips, pictures and seeking info. and occasionally we sell something..

[Martyn Pitt]

I know I was amazed when we started to get the official figures some two years back. They are documented and are correct, just goes to show how many soulsters out there are clicking of soundclips, pictures and seeking info. and occasionally we sell something..

That is 250,000 - 300,000 per day, and you only sell something occasionally... John you have got to start working on converting some of those lookers to buyers....have you considered a Summer sale

Martyn

[Pete S]

That is 250,000 - 300,000 per day, and you only sell something occasionally... John you have got to start working on converting some of those lookers to buyers....have you considered a Summer sale

Martyn

Sorry but there are only about 300,000 soul fans in the world, let alone that many everyday for a month. If you're going by clicks you can't use those as hits - one vistor might perform a thousand clicks per visit to the site.

[Guest]

Sorry but there are only about 300,000 soul fans in the world, let alone that many everyday for a month. If you're going by clicks you can't use those as hits - one vistor might perform a thousand clicks per visit to the site.

But that's the standard way of measuring 'traffic' on a website.

[paultp]

I know record collector uses UK issues mostly in the guide but that does not stop the magazine doing features that can cover forigen pressings like many US versions that get added to a discography to artists featured

I would be a bit sceptical about Record Collector's price guides. I used to frequent a shop in London fairly regularly and look through the Soul stuff, occasionally buying something. One day the chap said to me "Record Collector have asked me to do a piece on Motown with a price guide, would you give me a bit of a steer on prices?" I admitted to knowing nothing apart from a rough idea of UK Motown LP prices as I have quite a few.

I don't know what his guide was like as I don't get record collector but I did buy a copy of Martha Reeves - No One There off him, I keep it in the cardboard sleeve that came with it which bears the legend " Nice Motown - £5"

Edited August 18, 2006 by paultp

[paultp]

The problem is though, because it's the only one of it's type, it does actually become the bible and it's used as gospel by everyone. I'm watching the market really carefully lately and the way that rare records have come down in price in the last 6 months - apart from on your auctions - is incredible. I can't believe how easy it is to buy rare records at the moment. I don't mean ultra rare records, I mean solid oldies e.g. This Heart Of Mine, that sort of thing...no takers at $75...something has happened this year.

I started a thread the other week entitled "Are records getting cheaper" and used 3 that I'd recently bought off eBay as examples. Also my ebay sales bear out pete's comment that things are easier to buy but harder to sell, bootlegs (sorry 2nd issues) seem to make more money than good records.

As an amateur buyer and seller of records using predominantly eBay I find John's guide and web site invaluable. My knowledge is limited so when I see something that looks interesting that I don't know, I'll have a look at the guide and use the following loose set of rules:

Anything in the guide at 20 or under I ignore.

Anything between 20 and 80 I go looking for a sound file to see whether I think it is any good (this is after buying a tune blind that was guide priced at 75 and turned out to be absolute pants and could only be sold for a fiver)

Anything in the guide over 80 is going to be a good saleable record.

As I said this is just for stuff I don't know (which is a lot)

I buy things to try and sell on for profit so that I can afford to buy the records I want for myself, it doesn't always work. I've only been collecting for about 8 years so my knowledge is limited and my tastes change the more I hear but I would say that price guides ARE an invaluable tool for buyers and sellers alike, but they are just a guide. I just wish John wouldn't sell them abroad.

John's web site is also an invaluable tool, for reference and for sounds, but there are loads of web sites with sounds available so better to say the internet is the tool. I'm not sure how keen I am about a subscription based service though but the data John has is extremely valuable and so should be charged for, just not sure whether I would pay except in extreme circumstances e.g. purchasing a very valuable record.

BTW I do ocassionally buy records from John's site so I feel its OK for me to use it for my own research

[Pete S]

But that's the standard way of measuring 'traffic' on a website.

No it's not...what about those counters which tell you the exact number of vistors. Otherwise I could visit a site, tap on it all day and it could say it had 9 billion clicks

[Guest]

No it's not...what about those counters which tell you the exact number of vistors. Otherwise I could visit a site, tap on it all day and it could say it had 9 billion clicks

In the 'web development' industry it is a standard way of measuring traffic on a site, yes they will also have stats for 'visits' and a hundred other things but generally it is the 'hits' figure that is used to measure traffic on a website.

The number of hits that JM gets is huge and even if every single person did 500 clicks he's still getting a massive number of 'visits'. As for your earlier remark on 'All the websites in the world not getting that many visitors' I'd bet you a large amount of money that eBay sites alone get very close to 7 million visits a month.

[Dave Moore]

No it's not...what about those counters which tell you the exact number of vistors. Otherwise I could visit a site, tap on it all day and it could say it had 9 billion clicks

Pete,

Just for interest sake...

The way "Hits" are recorded I think is that when someone clicks on a page ALL the assets on that particular page are counted, therefore if you click on a page with 50 pictures on it, each picture represents a "hit". That's how I had my stats explained to me.

Regards,

Dave

www.theresthatbeat.com

www.hitsvillesoulclub.com

www.soulclub.com

[Pete S]

In the 'web development' industry it is a standard way of measuring traffic on a site, yes they will also have stats for 'visits' and a hundred other things but generally it is the 'hits' figure that is used to measure traffic on a website.

The number of hits that JM gets is huge and even if every single person did 500 clicks he's still getting a massive number of 'visits'. As for your earlier remark on 'All the websites in the world not getting that many visitors' I'd bet you a large amount of money that eBay sites alone get very close to 7 million visits a month.

I'm sure they do, but come on, a soul records website getting more vistors than ebay, can we just put this into perspective. I bet major retailers like HMV and Virgin don't get more than 10,000 real hits per week

[Guest]

I'm sure they do, but come on, a soul records website getting more vistors than ebay, can we just put this into perspective. I bet major retailers like HMV and Virgin don't get more than 10,000 real hits per week

I think you're really underestimating the number of people that use the internet Pete. It's a staggering figure and continually growing.

If you have an eBay shop then spend 10 minutes looking at your traffic reports...so far this month alone my shop has had 4348 visits from different people and 20,618 clicks. Those are the real figures from Omniture and my shop is tiny compared to the like of JM or HMV & Virgin.

[Guest]

Just found this as well, the definition af a visit is:

While one person may visit your store and view your store home page three times, your feedback page twice, and several other pages once each, the Unique Visitors report records that person as one "unique visitor" for the time allotted. Note that if an individual visits your store from both home and work, he/she will be counted as two distinct visitors.

[Guest Dan]

As you the 30p price for printing the guide.. uuum I must be being majorly ripped of.

i know what printing costs, john. if you're paying much more than 30p a copy on the sort of print runs i was talking about then, given that you have no deadline to meet and can go anywhere in the world for your printing, i'm amazed. you'd get them knocked out for that easily in china or singapore (certainly based on the guides i've seen - if you're including lots of glossy full colour pics in your new one it might be a bit more). of course, if you're only printing say 1,000 copies the price goes up.

[Mike]

on hits and all that

have to say that while hits may be used on dev side etc

wouldnt agree with people using them to demo the actual use of a website

page views or visitors would give a better real world view

always used to use "views" rather than hits when passed them on up here, as the "hits" figure is just too unreal

can dig out and throw up stats for here if anyone interested