vinyl geeks pay attention!
- Thread starter hoochmonkey9
- Start date
nervas
more crickets than friends
Ok, now this is just crazy, there are already a few of the triple decker records on eBay. There is one that ends in 16 hours and is already at $333.00 with 14 bids.... OK WOW, nevermind I just saw another one with a minimum starting bid of $10,000.00. The seller has to be insane, what a waste of time listing that. Even the $1,000.00 one is too far fetched. But I bet the no reserve ones will end up selling for close to $500.00!!! Insane!
mjp
Founding member
There are a dozen listings right now.
nervas
more crickets than friends
Ha, come on hank, you know Jack wouldn't want someone paying more than the $5.00 original value! Man, that $1,000.00 buy it now seems to not be sooo insane. I'm watching all of these listings and the first two listed end in about an hour, and my guess since there both in the mid $400.00 range is that they will go for over $500.00! Now, this is something I just could not ever justify. To pay $500.00 for something that cost $5.00 literally two days ago. It just seems wrong. I mean I don't think Jack, or third man records said another triple decker record will never ever be made? But I guess everyone wants their hands on the first one?
Interesting, I just looked at the location of the items. Every one of them but two are all in Tennessee, where Third Man Records is located. One is in Virginia and one is in Ohio. I wonder how long these people wait in line? I mean, it has to be for days I would imagine. And seemingly, all the ones for sale right now are ones bought at the store as opposed to the stupid random mail order. I don't know, if you didn't like the dead weather, or Jack White, it seems Tennessee would be a great little place to live, making a few hundred extra dollars a month on this stuff! HA!
I'm also trying to figure out what this proves about Jack White. I don't think many on here like him, but come on, there isn't another active band that could dream of drawing up this sort of attention, etc, especially doing it in the vinyl format. I mean, I've seen a few currently active bands, Pearl Jam to name one, where their limited edition stuff soars in value, BUT I've never seen anything like this, in my lifetime.
Interesting, I just looked at the location of the items. Every one of them but two are all in Tennessee, where Third Man Records is located. One is in Virginia and one is in Ohio. I wonder how long these people wait in line? I mean, it has to be for days I would imagine. And seemingly, all the ones for sale right now are ones bought at the store as opposed to the stupid random mail order. I don't know, if you didn't like the dead weather, or Jack White, it seems Tennessee would be a great little place to live, making a few hundred extra dollars a month on this stuff! HA!
I'm also trying to figure out what this proves about Jack White. I don't think many on here like him, but come on, there isn't another active band that could dream of drawing up this sort of attention, etc, especially doing it in the vinyl format. I mean, I've seen a few currently active bands, Pearl Jam to name one, where their limited edition stuff soars in value, BUT I've never seen anything like this, in my lifetime.
I wonder how many of the people who managed to get their hands on a triple decker in the store actually kept their copy and didn't purchase it solely for the purpose of making a small fortune on ebay. Jack surely isn't the one gaining any money from this. Maybe cultural capital or some shit but not economic. But he can't be as naive as to think that people won't be paying ridiculous overprice for it on ebay. He knew this when he made the record. The more I think about it the more I despise him for it.
mjp
Founding member
If that was true, Jack would make 10,000 of them, not 300. Then they couldn't be resold for a profit.
He knows full well this stuff will end up on eBay, and if it sells for some ridiculous amount, people will talk about it. They'll talk about his record company. It's marketing. You can wrap it up in a wacky gosh-aren't-we-counterculture package, but it's really nothing but marketing. That's all any limited edition anything is. You are giving something a value that it wouldn't normally have by making it scarce.
There's nothing wrong with that. But it shouldn't surprise you.
mjp
Founding member
No sarcasm there.
When someone who regularly sells more than a million copies of his albums releases 300 copies of something, what would be the expected result?
Point being, someone who sells a million albums could release 10,000 copies of something and it would still be limited. It would still be unusual. But everyone who really wanted it could get it without being screwed by an eBay middleman.
Making this thing a lottery or a contest or a subscription service only adds to the gimmickry of it. If you told me it was $5 a month I might have a different take on it. But he's charging outrageous prices and fucking you over if you want to hear all his music as well.
It all feels like some perverse rich guy hobby he does to amuse himself. If he really gave a shit about you he'd make sure you had access to everything he did. He wouldn't dangle it in front of you and say, "Isn't this awesome? You can't have it."
When someone who regularly sells more than a million copies of his albums releases 300 copies of something, what would be the expected result?
Point being, someone who sells a million albums could release 10,000 copies of something and it would still be limited. It would still be unusual. But everyone who really wanted it could get it without being screwed by an eBay middleman.
Making this thing a lottery or a contest or a subscription service only adds to the gimmickry of it. If you told me it was $5 a month I might have a different take on it. But he's charging outrageous prices and fucking you over if you want to hear all his music as well.
It all feels like some perverse rich guy hobby he does to amuse himself. If he really gave a shit about you he'd make sure you had access to everything he did. He wouldn't dangle it in front of you and say, "Isn't this awesome? You can't have it."
nervas
more crickets than friends
No, what I meant was, I am the one who intended sarcasm by saying Jack didn't want anyone paying more than 5 bucks....I'm certain he doesn't give a shit about what some fan in the middle of Nebraska or California is paying to hear, or collect this stuff.
I know he knows what he's doing by creating and making them such limited editions. I just don't get, why even as a marketing scheme this makes more sense? Let's say they did make 10,000.00, and still sold then for 5 bucks a pop, and they all sold, gross profit is somewhere around 50K towards his record company. So they make 300 at 5 bucks a pop generating 1,500 in gross profits. Now is the word of mouth, the talk generated really bring in the extra 48,500.00 that could have been generated?
I hate that third man records chooses to do it this way, but I am happy when I get my hands on one of these for a reasonable price. But I don't get it fully, because it seems he'd make more money in the end by just making it available to everyone.
I know he knows what he's doing by creating and making them such limited editions. I just don't get, why even as a marketing scheme this makes more sense? Let's say they did make 10,000.00, and still sold then for 5 bucks a pop, and they all sold, gross profit is somewhere around 50K towards his record company. So they make 300 at 5 bucks a pop generating 1,500 in gross profits. Now is the word of mouth, the talk generated really bring in the extra 48,500.00 that could have been generated?
I hate that third man records chooses to do it this way, but I am happy when I get my hands on one of these for a reasonable price. But I don't get it fully, because it seems he'd make more money in the end by just making it available to everyone.
I dont think its about money. As u nervas, and mjp say, its marketing. The music on the album is probably shit but that doesn't matter since he gains all this cultural capital in "hip" circles from producing something new and "groundbreaking". The absence of financial profit on this record he'll gain when he produces an ordinary album that people actually can afford. The dude plays at the white house - he's not really in any kind of financial craphole.
mjp
Founding member
It's funny that someone making limited editions complains that they don't make any money from them. Or not enough money, apparently. As if he didn't know there would be a secondary market for that stuff. Sure.
The problem for him is that a few of the records get onto the market and sell for an inflated price, and that makes the entire run seem more valuable. But it's not. If he puts out 100 copies of something and 5 of those copies sell on eBay for $250, that doesn't mean he could sell all 100 copies for $250 each. The rarity causes those secondary market prices, he knows that, he's using that rarity as a marketing tool himself!
So his argument doesn't make sense. If he wants more money to go to him and the artists, increase the price. Sell those 100 copies for $50 each and be done with it. The secondary market will still be there, but the company and the artists get a bigger slice of the overall pie.
And while we're on the subject, I wanted to post this when I heard about it, but decided not to. Now it seems relevant though, so how many of you bought the $500 White Stripes record player?
If you read the description, basically what you're getting for that $500 is a 7" single. Oh, and a bunch of boxes and a $9 Chinese record player.
And to think that people used to look down their noses at KISS for selling transistor radios and trading cards. How is this any different? (Hint: it isn't. Oh wait, the KISS radio was probably $7, so there's that.)
The 100 records thing is cool.
The problem for him is that a few of the records get onto the market and sell for an inflated price, and that makes the entire run seem more valuable. But it's not. If he puts out 100 copies of something and 5 of those copies sell on eBay for $250, that doesn't mean he could sell all 100 copies for $250 each. The rarity causes those secondary market prices, he knows that, he's using that rarity as a marketing tool himself!
So his argument doesn't make sense. If he wants more money to go to him and the artists, increase the price. Sell those 100 copies for $50 each and be done with it. The secondary market will still be there, but the company and the artists get a bigger slice of the overall pie.
And while we're on the subject, I wanted to post this when I heard about it, but decided not to. Now it seems relevant though, so how many of you bought the $500 White Stripes record player?
If you read the description, basically what you're getting for that $500 is a 7" single. Oh, and a bunch of boxes and a $9 Chinese record player.
And to think that people used to look down their noses at KISS for selling transistor radios and trading cards. How is this any different? (Hint: it isn't. Oh wait, the KISS radio was probably $7, so there's that.)
The 100 records thing is cool.
I had a KISS lunchbox in grade 5.
bospress.net
www.bospress.net
me too. Plus I had a bunch of their albums on 8 track...
What a twat this guy is. He exploits his fans and then complains that he is exploiting them to keep others from exploiting them. Twat.
reasonknot
Founding member
Yes.what a twat.I would never buy that pak.
But i bought two things yesterday.Milk and Mineshaft stuff.and a third attempt from bosp,still waiting on confirmation on that.
Sweet.
But i bought two things yesterday.Milk and Mineshaft stuff.and a third attempt from bosp,still waiting on confirmation on that.
Sweet.
nervas
more crickets than friends
I have gone both ways on the Jack White thing, for a while now. When I get the email about things like 100 glow in the dark records, or the triple decker record, or the $499.00 box set above, it just pisses me off. I know there are bigger fans, and definitely fans with more money than me. But I still consider Jack White and anything he's connected to as a favorite of all time, really only behind The Beatles, Iggy, Pearl Jam, Conor Oberst and The Ramones. But jesus man, when I saw what came in that $499.00 thing, I thought what the hell is this? I think the real overall value is about $100.00! The 7" is a re-pressing, you can get the original for about 100 bucks on eBay. I just kinda lost interest in trying to collect this shit anymore. I mean, I wasn't collecting Kiss stuff in the 70's, but I've always thought that stuff was available to anyone who wanted it. Oh well, whatever I think doesn't matter, Jack keeps doing it, and it always sells out faster than the last thing he put out.
Ah, screw it.
Ah, screw it.
