The economics of LP reissues


If an out-of-print LP is selling for $150 or more when it (rarely) shows up for sale on an auction site, shouldn't this be indication of sufficient demand for a reissue? I won't claim to know how much it would cost to reissue a record, but I should think that someone who does know (and who holds the license) would be taking note of these sales and then putting things out at something like normal prices.
Phrased another way: If a couple dozen people show that they are willing to pay $150 for a particular album, does this mean that a few hundred (or more, one hopes) would be willing to fork over $25 for a new pressing of that same album? There is no easy way to answer that question, of course, but I'd bet it's often a yes.
hodu

Showing 1 response by kurt_tank

I somewhat disagree with Elizabeth, at least partially. I think that the record companies are indeed keeping an eye on this.

This has proved to be true based upon recent re-issues of Porcupine Tree's "In Absentia", Nine Inch Nails' "Downward Spiral", Tool's "Aenima", and Wilco's "Summerteeth", all of which were going for between $100 and $200 each on Ebay, prior to them being reissued. (I will be picking up the "In Absentia" reissue myself shortly, so "Thanks Record Company for noticing!" The rest of these I already own as original pressings.)

There are several records that would sell very quickly, and probably in fairly large numbers, were they to be re-issued. Records such as:

1. Dave Matthews Band- "Before These Crowded Streets", (currently running about $200+ on Ebay, used)

2. Smashing Pumpkins - "Mellon Colie and the Infinite Sadness", (also running about $200+ on Ebay, used)

(Now personally, I am not sure I want them to re-issue them, since I have original issue copies, and re-issues, especially if well done, would probably drive the price down of my original issue copy, at least I think they would. (However, if they cause the record to become even more popular, maybe it would drive the prices upward. I am not sure.)

However, I do agree with Elizabeth that there are a lot of rare records that would not be worth re-issuing, especially those that are not currently popular enough to actually get played, but merely produced for a very few collectors to stash away.

My two cents worth.