Yes true What ever floats your Boat.I find it great to go to Local Thrifts and find Cds for a Buck.I dont have the money to buy expensive vinyl any more.Yes I have over 2,000 Lps.,4 ,000 cds ,cassettes and Reel to Reel tapes.Cds are coming back ,Big Time.
Did vinyl sales just hit the proverbial brick wall?
Interesting read here about the state of vinyl. Personally, I had no idea what the percentage of vinyl sales was “merchandise” never to be opened or played.
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Yes, records hit the wall at full velocity and broke into a million pieces, it brought a full standing ovation. However, that's the haters and there are many on Audiogon. I made a comment on how I love vinyl. I was attacked verbally. At 18 years old I had quite a collection of records. Before entering the US Navy I turned that collection over to my sister for safe-keeping. She let me down and sold them, I was furious and did not speak to her for almost a year. |
I am very skeptical of the claim that Boomers are disproportionately driving LP sales. According to Billboard, Tyler Swift’s Midnights was the biggest selling vinyl album in 2022 and her re-release of Red took the fifth spot. Here’s the top 10:
Perhaps I’m mistaken, but I don’t know a lot of Boomer fans of Swift, Styles, Lamar, or Tyler. A google search brings up several other sites that place Wet Leg’s debut at number 6. I hope Boomers enjoy Wet Leg, but from what I know of the band, Boomers aren’t their targeted demographic. The other reasons for my skepticism are admittedly anecdotal (as is the evidence presented to suggest this is all Boomer-driven). My 18 year old nephew buys LPs and plays them on a cheap turntable (thankfully, not a Crosley, but not much better). He’s into metal core and melodic death metal. I find it interesting that the bands he likes are releasing their albums as LPs. I doubt they’d be doing this if there were not an identifiable market for them. He told me that for him and his friends it’s not about the sound quality. They like having a tangible object. They like the artwork. They like colored vinyl special releases. They like watching the record spin on the platter. I’m friends with someone who used to own several hi-fi stores, including one in a college town. About 3 or 4 years ago he told me that he had college students coming in weekly in search of a turntable. He started selling entry-level Pro-Jects. He said he couldn’t keep them in stock. His other table brands were VPI and SME. Vinyl may well never be the dominant format again, but I suspect there will be plenty of vinyl fans and collectors long after the folks who remember seeing The Stones, Zeppelin, or even Fleetwood Mac live in their heyday are long gone. |
@mahler123 -audiophile releases are generally $40 and up. They use better vinyl, are better pressed with less pressings per stamper and are typically remastered which takes extra skilled labor. Regular LPs go for $20-30, depending on the label. my friend @limomangus - CD sales are shrinking. Maybe used prices are making a comeback, but not new ones. In many cases,you can’tgive them away. SACDs are a small niche in that market, and I don’t think their sales are broken out separately. I wouldn’t be surprised if SACD sales are doing much better than standard ones. |
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