Are We Being Charged Too Much For Vinyl Records? Let's Break It Down

Keyboardist Jan Hammer Is Actually Pronounced Like Yon Hommer...The J In Jan Is Pronounced Like A Y...Hes From Prague~Czech Republic...And As U May Know~He Composed The Theme And Background Music For The Television Series:Miami Vice...But I Was Quite Surprised When I Found Out He Was In The Jazz Fusion Band Mahavishnu Orchestra~With John McLaughlin~In The Early 1970s...Some Of The Background Music He Composed That U Hear During Particular Scenes Actually Had Titles~Like Crocketts Theme~On One Episode...And On Another Episode~There Was A Pice Called The Chase...It Was During A Scene When Sonny Crockett & Ricardo Tubbs Was Chasing After The Bad Guys...Which Appeared On One Of 2 Miami Vice Soundtrack LPs...I Received The First Soundtrack Album Cassette For Christmas Of 1985...

unless there is extra artwork , booklets , easter eggs .., I will not pay over 30 bucks , no way , a rip off , it is insane

I do have a local record store that has some used vinyl and used CD's for $2 each and local thrift stores with vinyl .10 to .25 - that's more my speed...lol. Rarely will you find anything you want for those low prices...lol.

Great video, Melinda! I just spent $36 at a local record store on a vinyl copy of Black Sabbath "forbidden" (2024 Tony Iommi remix) because I really wanted it and couldn't afford the Anno Domini box sets. I feel guilty for spending that much because it ran me short for the month. I recorded it onto a CD-R. I still collect mostly used CD"s and have thousands of them. I like buying used CD's on Amazon. I must be the only one who looks at the dusty records sitting on Wal-Mart shelves...lol. Yes, AC/DC or a Queen record may be $28 dollars there but whose buying them??? New records are getting too pricey for me in my situation. I could have waited to see if Black Sabbath "forbidden" will come out on CD in November - that would have been wiser for me to wait for it to be broken out of the box set on its own. The tornado outbreak for Hurricane Milton was unprecedented for FL. We are o.k. but having (2) EF3 tornadoes here is very unusual - glad you guys are o.k.

Great video my friend and yes lps are getting too much for me even the Elvis lps like the FTD lps there going up this is why i am into cds again lol but i am thinking getting into Elvis on Tapes but not at this time lol you have a very nice collection.

YES YES YES!!

Until 2022, I owned a vintage record/turntable store for 20 years.

I have refurbished and sold thousands of vintage turntables and tens of thousands of vintage records.

Over that. I watched records skyrocket in popularity, And watched every company that had anything to do with vinyl and turntables really hike their prices very steeply.

My theory is that everyone in the industry believed this was a fad that couldn’t last, and therefore they were determined to cash in as much as possible while they can.

And for new records, even going back almost 10 years the pricing structure was very cynical. Normally business works on economies of scale: Something a
company will sell a lot of would be cheaper than something they sell only a few of.
But with records, the highest prices were on some of the biggest selling artists because they knew their customers were middle aged and could pay that much.

As a family man with 3 mouths to support, I came to the conclusion that I can't afford a vinyl music hobby, the LPs I like cost 5 times more than CDs.

I am on a limited budget and stick to looking for used vinyl. It is probably a good thing for my wallet that my taste for rather obscure progressive rock limits my purchasing opportunities due to scarcity. Usually when I finally discover one, the vinyl is in great shape because the previous owner just did not like it and played it once. Usually I will not spend more than ten or fifteen per album. There is always you tube for free listening. If money were no object I would not be so frugal. I enjoy your channel. Take care, from a 64 year old life long Floridian.

I am paying an average of 5 to 7 for used underground tapes, but that's stuff most people have never heard of released in runs of 50 to 100. They are analog too, but dont tell anybody. Lol😂😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅

This is partly why i've stuck with CD for physical music collecting, I can usually get used CDs for £2 - £3 these days. Though as an electronic music fan, many tracks were only ever released on vinyl, but I can't justify spending money on a turntable just for the handful of records I can't get on other formats. It would have to be a Technics SL-1200GR/GR2 as well.

CDs are also a lot more convenient than records, and I simply grew up with them in the 90s - plus cassette tapes and a few records, but CDs were the main format for music collecting for me. The only real downside with them is the brickwalled mastering that's so commonplace.

I prefer a small curated collection as well, hence I only buy the CD if I truly love the album, or cannot get it any other way. I've around 300-400 CDs at the moment (and 0 records as I sold the few I had years ago.)

You got to be insane to buy new records today, way Over priced regardless of inflation and if your paying more than $10/$20 single album/double album for used albums , again i question your sanity.

Hi Melinda - glad to hear that you guys are OK. Personally I dont buy new records (LP's) I'm tend to pick up my LP's from thrifting, and you get some amazing buys for $2, $3, $5 AUD lol. No they're not audiophile but that just doesnt worry me - Mazzy quote - "Its The Music Stupid" - unquote. I cant afford those prices for records. I will occasionally buy a new record if the price is right. I love my CD's also and they will always win out hands down over records when it comes to these new releases / reissues where a CD can have numerous bonus tracks, box sets can have multiple discs at very very reasonable affordable prices. Records cant compete and so if you're a collector you're going to miss out on all that unreleased, live, demo's etc etc which we all love. Records just cant compete in that area. From what I understand physical media equates to about 15% of the total market, the rest is streaming. I think both records and CD sales are kinda stable or slowly tracking in an upward direction, however the prices of records is an issue which could stall that upward trend in sales. Thats why a lot of people are falling back onto the CD. Sorry to "Ramble On" Cheers Doug

LP's

Where's the Tiger picture?????

In 1980 I paid $8 for Steely Dan’s Babylon Sisters. That about $30 today. I won’t pay more than that for a new LP today. Ok, maybe $35!

Off topic but I’d like to share a bit of info. I was recently asked to appraise a record collection for an estate. In that collection…a mint copy of Bob Dylan-John Wesley Harding. Original 1968 mono release. I don’t think it’s ever been played.

I recently went to to my friends warehouse for his monthly sale, he has thousands of records and CD’s. No one is buying the CD’s for the most part. Anyway, I ended up with 37 CD’s for $65. Yes, I have paid too much for records but I’m trying to be more careful and very selective.

I totally agree with you. Memories of when I first heard a song 🎧 or record is so important to me. I also have a huge library of music. From vinyl, CDs and cassettes. Of course I play some albums more than others. But, I have so many great memories of the albums I own. 😊😊

Melinda, glad to hear you are safe. Your question about record prices ties into some feelings I've had about my record collection. I started collecting records again about 8 years ago. I've had fun buying and selling some great records and now have close to 700 records. Recently, I started playing some CDs as I have a collection of about 500. As the CDs played, it brought back memories of playing them in the 80s and 90s and a lightbulb went off for me. The reason I play records is that, for many of these albums, that's how I first heard them. And in some cases, that's the best way to hear them. For example, Boston and Van Halen are two records that have to be heard on a turntable. The CDs don't do them justice. However, albums like INXS' Kick or X and The Joshua Tree were released on CD and sound terrific. This the leads me to question why I even bought Kick on record. Does it really sound better on record or was it more the hunt to find the record? Tracy Chapman's self titled debut sounds fantastic on CD yet many of us have tried to find an LP for under $50. Why?

I'm 62 with a little tinnitus and don't hear much of difference on some records. For the time being, I've stopped buying records and have bought lots of CDs. I go through these lots, pull out the CDs I'm interest in, and sell off the rest (I just found a nice copy of the Best of Badfinger that I can play in the car). I guess, for me, it's always about the music and not necessarily pristine sound. I started listening to music on an AM transistor radio and that started my journey to FM radio, 8 tracks, cassettes, records, CDs, MP3 and streaming. Even today, I still listen to music on my clock radio while I lay in bed.

Thank you for your videos. Stay safe.

I bought the Chappell Roan Pink Pony Club on 7” 45rpm vinyl for. $34.99 just for a 45. That is expensive. But, it’s really hard to find. I bought it from the TikTok shop.

I just bought the new Coldplay album Moon Music 🎼 for $27.99. Which in my opinion is pretty reasonable. It’s one of those new eco friendly vinyl records. I wish you could do a review of these new vinyl records. To tell us how you think they sound. 😊

$59.98 for the Fleetwood Mac Mirage Tour 1982! Yikes! I have never heard this recording. I will try to find a CD on eBay!

OMG! $39.95 for the Beck/Jan Hammer Live! I have the CD. Maybe I have the original LP somewhere in my collection. I know I have the Jeff Beck Flash LP!

I've cut back on my used records purchases from eBay. I try to buy only original pressings. My limit for price was around $20 including shipping and tax.

Yes, new pressings at $25 and up are expensive! They are mostly made from digital files too!

I can buy CD's for $1 at my local thrift shop. DVD's are $2. I live in New Port Richey, FL

I didn't realize there was a colored vinyl 'Paranoid' release, but I have this gut feeling that Rhino is going to release this one in their Rhino High Fidelity series in the next year or so. I am not a huge fan of Sabbath but these first two albums are SO good. I have their first album on Rhino High Fidelity (I bought an unnumbered copy) and Kevin Gray I think has produced the best-sounding version I've heard. So clean and dynamic, and the vinyl and pressing are superb! That is why I'm holding out on 'Paranoid' for now (even though I have a Rhino reissue from a dozen years ago). If you don't have this version of the first album, reach into the couch cushions, dig up some coins, and buy yourself a copy! 😁

And I agree--records have gotten too expensive. I do, however, shop the sales hard and I will often wait months for a price to drop. As much as I hate to admit it, money is precious right now and if I can save a good chunk of money at BezosMart (Amazon), I'll do it. I don't bother with our local stores, as they mark up their new vinyl above and beyond list price. If it's $24.95 list, they'll sell it for $3-$4 more. One local store sells 45-RPM sets from Acoustic Sounds for $72.99, $13 more than the going price. (That is why I'll save up a few items on a wantlist and order them from The In Groove, as Mike prices his stock properly...and he often has sales.)

Speaking of cheap vinyl and clear vinyl...I got three of Atlantic's 75th anniversary pressings that came out on clear vinyl and while they may not be perfectly quiet, they are among the best clear vinyl records I own. And in total, were just over $60 for all three (Ray Charles, Wilson Pickett, Arthur Conley). However, the Donald Fagen album 'Sunken Condos' was released on clear vinyl and it has a constant gritty/hissy background noise, and is not enjoyable at all. I've owned it since release and only played it once.

I do think the audiophile labels are getting out of hand, though, but that's a discussion for another time. 😉 Take care!

I absolutely love both vinyl and cds even cassettes. But in this economy cds are way cheaper than vinyl!

Just got Our WiFi up in Augusta 10 days for electric to come on from Hurricane Helene. So refreshing to watch your Videos again. Thank you!!! P.S. So glad You are Safe!!!

Put the Fleetwood Mac album on my wish list

Look and have patience. Its amazing how much you can save if you take your time.
Do not pay 40 or 50 dollars for a regular lp. Just don’t do it. Obviously some special ltd things are up to you if they are worth it but some standard single lp release for over 30. Im out.
Try to remember all major labels are owned by huge multi national corporations. They not only sell the lps but they usually own most of the companies supplying the raw materials. Basically selling themselves the raw materials at a profit, then selling the finished product to us at a profit. They can basically manipulate both at will!

My biggest gripe with record cost rising is the fact, and I’ve been seeing this more and more recently, where like when I got Paul Stanley’s soul station album for about 40 dollars brand new and both records had significant smudge marks on them.

Glad you and your family are okay Melinda!

I recently got back into collecting vinyl and even back in 2012 or 2013 or so when i was just stopping i had always thought paying like $30 AUD or so was a rip off at times and now the price ranges are easily $40-60 usually and above easily even for just ONE basic ass vinyl LP its absurd given how this format (although is nice) is just not as good as digital in terms of fidelity with price to cost ratio you need to enter to even get to an enjoyable or audiophile level experience.

The only reasoning i can use to justify to buying this format anymore is once you see how they are made and how much effort it can take to craft a quality record and all the manual labour that goes into it from the lathe to press it can make sense to charge this much to an extent but even then it feels like pulling teeth. I would not buy this or any other format if i didn't like music so much that i want to support artists and own the albums I love I and would just stick to digital files/FLAC/streaming etc

I'd love to buy more vinyl - but even 2nd hand shops are massively overpriced.

I absolutely love that you usually share a little memory that’s associated with the music/album you’re talking about. That is such an essential aspect of music for me — the almost sense-memory feelings you get when you hear a song that had some sort of significance during a notable period, or even just a fleeting moment, in your life. It’s amazing what music can do, especially in those moments when you hear a song in a grocery store or in passing on the radio and it instantly brings you back to a moment you completely forgot about. It can really be magical. So thank you for sharing! So cool to hear what the same song or album means to different people, and which memories in one’s life it may trigger. 😊💙

Stopped buying vinyl albums , few reasons, price , flaws and space

Records are too high. But so is everything else. I am complaining and just paid $50
(Including shipping) for a gimmicky one. I have the disposable income to do so. If
I am correct I believe record sales might down this year.

I must be nuts, I buy the cd, if I really like the band or the album i buy the record. Ocassionally I only buy the record. That being said I have not purchased many this year of either or both.

Stop buying new production 180 gram vinyl. Instead, buy great condition previous pressings.

Vinyl records nowadays are not cheap, but those old records were terrible quality. They were often warped and I sometimes had to return them since they were unplayable. I used to pay $2.50 for them on-base, but you got what you paid for.

Vinyl costs to much. It's currently a fad, so there is a surcharge on vinyl to take advantage of it.

O know Harry, he's a great guy, he's given me many cool things

Interesting how Americans are commenting on tough Financial Times, however the growth of the US economy is the strongest in the western world, and by some margin. So you guys are the richest, would be an interesting debate with a mixed nations group, maybe its expectations

My biggest complaint isn’t price, it’s the poor quality control, my Oct delivery of 30 new titles, had 4 warped, and two full of crackles and pops. That’s a 20% failure rate.

Vinyl has been priced out of reason since those who didn't and still don't know its limitations were suckered into buying vinyl.

Begin with the fact that, regardless hype about weight -- "180" -- it, and the stylus, begin to wear with the first playing.

And there is the added stylus-in-groove distortion added as perceived "warmth".

And storage is a problem, especially with reports of off-gassing.

I began as a child with 78s. I ended up with a ton of vinyl occupying space that could be put to better use.

One of the worst albums I got that was disappointing was Blood Sugar Sex Magic. I was actually hoping the inner sleeves were of all the tattoo photos and lyrics. And get a crappy white paper sleeve. The upsetting part is that this makes that mile long fold out on the cassette looks better.

I recently had an QC issue that dawned on me about "those marks" on a brand new album. It was the recent reissue of Taking Tiger Mountain by Brian Eno. And the worst part is not the album. It's the actual sleeve. Pulled out a brand spanking new album with weird scratches on them. And only on 1 side. And low and behold. The flipback part of the inner jacket has a very sharp edge. So thats what the record has been rubbing up against, for who knows how long since it came out of the factory. I think these are maybe 3 or 4 years old by now. But once again. Cheap ass paper sleeve, and a brand new not mint album for $46. Its actually 40, but the tax.

It just brings up the fact that I just don't know how people can trust brand new records at the insane prices. I'm almost dreading to open 1 of the 3 copies of that RSD Sweetheats Of The Rodeo albums. Those were mark down to half price. Still, $57.75 is not cheap for an album. But sure beats paying $100 + shipping online. That's why I snagged all 3 when the store did a big half off sale. Watch all 3 copies be destroyed.

I was fortunate to work in Radio Broadcasting from 1969-2008…and one of the perks was getting promo copies of the latest vinyl releases. When the CD format came out in the early 80’s..I like many others dumped my vinyl for the new format. I use to frequent a local flea market in my town and became friendly with a guy there who sold vinyl… Feeling nostalgic not so much for the music, but the packaging which I felt was one of the downsides of the CD format. At a few dollars a pop..I started a vinyl record collection…. bought a turntable and started grooving to vinyl again. I didn’t completely convert to vinyl…after all I was still getting promo products from the record companies..only this time in CD format. In the early 2000’s vinyl production was slowly making a comeback…and I started buying new pressings of some of my favourite albums..at around $15 each. The record companies realizing there was money to be made in the vinyl renaissance…ramped up production and their catalog. Record stores were popping up everywhere. Dealers putting out ads ‘We will buy your vinyl records’..adding used product to their inventory of reissues. Turntables were being manufactured again….but they were not cheap. Surely enough, the cost of vinyl followed suit…and that’s where we are now. Not only are we being gouged on groceries…but also vinyl. I can not believe the price on new vinyl these days. I eventually dumped my vinyl, once again…at a tidy profit….and am happy to return to my land of CDs….which I can acquire at garage sales for a dollar or less for a CD.
For me..the bottom line..is not the delivery system…it’s the music. Back in the 60’s I was content to listen to the Beatles on a transistor radio. “Yeah,yeah,yeah!”

I took a month off from buying then went overboard on a road trip to Athens, Ga. Gosh they have awesome records stores there. I have run out of room in my tiny house. And yes, poly inner and outer sleeves should be a requirement for almost all albums (save for the dollar bin).
Prices have become insane. In the past 25 years I've seen what used to be $4 records turn into $25 records and beyond. "Well, back in my day." I started buying records about the same time I started driving. Gas cost $1 per gallon back then. Now it costs $3 and change. I think it's safe to say vinyl inflation is not as high as gas price inflation. Car have become more efficient, but I'm not sure about record pressing plants. But I suppose both gas and vinyl are luxuries, technically.
I feel like it's going to have to level off at some point. Vinyl is a fad that ebbs and flows. Now people laugh at cassettes and CDs they way they used to laugh at me when I said I listen to vinyl. With Discogs the market has just become oversaturated and every little thing is available at your fingertips, but it'll cost you. And many, but not all, record stores now have Discogs prices, which is really getting insane. What's the point of going to record store if I can just buy the same thing online. Well, you can save on shipping. And you can inspect that supposed "VG+" record in person. I've also recently setup a CD player in the living room and am going back to that format. It's kinda fun. Still not nearly as fun as vinyl, but I'm not going to re-buy my entire CD collection on vinyl. CDs are fun for the car though. Cassettes and CDs are slowly creeping back as viable physical forms of experiencing music.

Count yourself lucky you are in the US the forthcoming Beatles Albums are $30 on the US Beatles website. Here in the UK they are the equivalent of $43 USD on the UK Beatles website.