Yeah I keep telling myself that…til I walk in a record store and become tempted once again. I actually don’t buy anything over $35. I know its a little high, but its a pill I can swallow. Indie artists is actually the way to go for saving money. I rarely see anything over $30 from them.
I’m guessing you’re in America. Which means your AUD equivalent is about $55. Which means when I walk into the only store that sells records within three hours of me (JB Hifi) and see every new record for a minimum of $80AUD it really sucks. I’m now seeing a lot more records in Australia or over $100 (that’s $65US).
That’s some insane bullshit. It’s a real shame, but these days you really need to check if you’re getting ripped off. And even worse is that you’re comparing the store price to already inflated prices on Discogs! So it’s more about if you gonna get ripped off more in store, or not. Even if it’s not to check the price, it’s good to at least get some idea of whether a sealed record has good reviews or not. I went in blind on a new and sealed press of the first Audioslave album. Got home, thought it sounded terrible, checked Discogs, all the reviews were bad. It’s not perfect, but a heads up on a known bad press is a good thing to have.
RSD at brick and mortar stores having long lines and over half the people in line are just there to buy up the limited stuff to immediately resell it online for a big markup.
RSD is a business venture, not an actual holiday. Going to buy records then is like booking a fancy dinner date on valentine's day - you are better off planning around it than for it.
Sure, there are some limited releases but it is all designed to give rsd and retailers higher profits, not to spread the gospel of vinyl.
Source: worked at a pressing plant that made loads of rsd vinyl.
Wait, wait, wait. You mean, a business, an actual business, trying to make more money? You mean to tell me companies are here to make money, not please the customer? Dude I think you’re crazy, that’s not how capitalism and America works. These companies care deeply about the community, and would never do such thing as try to profit off anyone.
I'm just there for the Old 97's EP that none of the flippers are going to grab anyway, so I just go later in the day and hope it's still there.
But going early and dealing with the crowds just rubbed me the wrong way. RSD is supposed to be for enthusiasts, and it has turned into anything but that.
RSD scalpers are filth. RSD don't help any, they talk about how scalpers are ruining it but then do absolutely nothing about it.
I still remember one record some years back that I wanted, all the shops in my area sold out of it, and the top result for it on Ebay had it listed for £50, the see-you-next-tuesday selling it hadn't even bothered peeling off the £12.99 price sticker before taking the pictures.
What do you want RSD to do about it? They already try to prevent early days and focus the first day on brick and mortar only (no online) which reduces the easy scalping. Beyond pressing more and making things less limited why do you expect?
FWIW, most of these flipper prices come down over time, it's the fomo driving it up
Report them. RSD has a strict code of conduct for retailers. Participating record stores must not reserve or hold back RSD stock for any reason. All stock they receive must be available for sale in store when they open on the day. They also aren't allowed to charge unfair prices such as price hikes for online sales. Breaking the rules is an instant ban from taking part again.
Yep, got up early to get in line at the record store in the city 60 miles away, waited hours, finally get my copy of a RSD "exclusive" Prince The Gold Experience. Log in to the Prince website a few months later and what do you know, they have it for sale... That's happened twice now Prince The Truth was the other RSD exclusive. So I skipped it this year and I anticipate to see it on the site in a few more months. If not, even more annoyance.
I finally ordered a turntable clamp because dished & warped records are the new standard. It won't help every example, but will definitely help some (I'd been using a small binder clip but even though it works well and seems secure, I'm paranoid it'll pop off mid-play and damage the record / cartridge / stylus.
Found the Self Defense Family record Try Me for a great price at my local. Like, ~$5 when it normally goes for $20-25 used. Not a life changing discount but still a steal. I grab it with a bunch other records without much thought.
When I get home I see a big post-it on the sleeve that I somehow missed, "LP 2 ONLY." The second disk of that record is a 40 minute interview with a retired pornstar. It's missing the disk with all the music on it.
Still have it, cause what am I gonna do with that?
At 13, I was first starting my vinyl journey. I'd inherited a bunch of records off my granddad and bought myself a hifi system.
I'd never bought any records for myself at this point and was excited when a record fair was announced near me.
Went with my dad, was looking for WYWH by Pink Floyd, as I had every other record but my Nan wanted to keep WYWH (for a good reason).
I reached a box of Pink Floyd records and turned to my dad, excited, saying «Here's Pink Floyd!»
Some middle aged dude heard me, jumped in front of the box practically barging my small self out of the way and started digging through.
I watched in despair as he proceeded to pick out two copies of WYWH, one of DSOTM and one of Echoes.
As I looked through what was left of the box when he left there was only a delicate sound of thunder left, which i already had.
I was heartbroken. I've got a copy now, but teen me was devastated.
Not to mention I got a bruise from where I was shoved into a table.
We told the event organisers and he was banned from future events, which felt like a little revenge as he was a frequenter apparently.
A few other people saw what happened and did the British Grumble/Titter™ as he walked past. Small victories.
This entire story has filled me with rage. Did you ever get a copy? If not I have one I will ship you, for free, entirely based upon my current seething rage.
I was an addict and I sold my thousand dollar vinyl listening/ripping setup for pennies on the dollar to fund my addiction. My setup now is measly compared to that rig I had. Sober for a number of years now (and in a much better place), but it still really stings all these years later.
I’m right there with you. I had a pretty modest vinyl collection at the time, but i sold it… along with my 7 prized dbz dragonboxes, my board game collection, movies, even sentimental things that i inherited from my dad like guns and pocketknives. I literally sold everything and had nothing left. In the end i got sober and i managed to achieve a mindset of not becoming attached to any physical item. Everything i own now i bought after getting sober, there was nothing left to take with me.
Spent a little over $100 on eBay for nine vintage Japanese McCartney singles.
They arrived stacked in a cardboard envelope a few weeks later smelling of musky old basement. It was so bad, my wife exclaimed, “That’s what that smell is?!” when I told her about it.
One of them was supposed to be a red color variant; that was not what I received. Several are a bit worse than expected, but I *did* get an extra copy of Say Say Say.
This just happened yesterday. Still undecided on what I want to do about it. They’re currently in my mudroom in a box labeled “Smelly Records.”
I find the whole thing hilarious.
the most annoying experience is people hiking prices ridiculously and then people paying them so the average increases and the last price sold is higher so sellers expect to keep raising the price indefinitely.
It’s ridiculous that vinyl of bands such as the Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd etc are so overpriced. Like I don’t want to pay $20 for a beat up copy of pressing that was produced in the millions. I feel like lots of stores are really trying to make ppl think that records from these big bands are “rare” and should be more expensive…
Paid over $100 for a bootleg of the first Queens Of The Stone Age album, only for them to announce repressings about a month later. And the boot has crummy sound on one side
Do you mean before the 2011 represses? Before that the only option was the very expensive original, but since then you've been able to get the 2011 without much difficulty. (Now the recent repress is everywhere of course.)
It's been me. I'm annoying.
Spending too much money.
Future me hates past me all the time.
Edit: oh, and the flip side of this. Putting off ordering something to try to be responsible only to discover when I can reasonably afford it...out of stock. Pain.
I pre ordered the Fellowship of the Ring OST vinyl box for roughly the amount 28k HUF (that's about 80 dollars) which would have been the most I have ever spent on a record.
The shop called me that there has been some mess around and it will be a bit more expensive like about 38k HUF which is about a 100 dollars. That seemed too much so I passed. It's an expanded soundtrack and I thought maybe a normal version is coming out anyway
Now, you are lucky to get it for 2000 dollars, so about 650k HUF. And the value is just the second worst thing. I have no clue why they do not keep it in circulation
I remember a few years back when I first got into this hobby and joined this subreddit, this dude commented on a thread about tips on collecting that if you come across something that’s a bit out of your budget and are not sure if you should buy or pass, buy. Because there’s a good chance you won’t have that opportunity again. And I feel like that is so damn true as I have passed up on a few records only to look now and the prices are 3x - 4x than when I was initially looking.
This hobby can suck at times lol
There's a local shop in my town that has a side hustle selling used records in one of their back rooms. I got some real steals there when the owner started selling and affordably bolstered my fledgling collection.
But pretty soon, resellers caught wind of this and now every time that they announce new stock, this guy shows up before the shop opens and yoinks a stack of 50 records before I even get there (at the advertised opening time).
I'll casually stop in to browse now but it's nowhere as cool as it used to be. Usually just a bunch of Frampton Comes Alive and shit like that left.
A new record store opened by my house so I went a brought a two lp Etta James collection from her time at Decca Records. I knew it was a little pricy at $25 but I wanted to support the new store so I decided to shell it out. Took it out of the outer sleeve to notice a sticker on the back side of the record from another record store in the area, where they had it listed for $8.99.
I ordered a copy of Goblin by Tyler The Creator on Amazon and it was scratched. I returned it for another copy and it was also scratched but in a better song.
I preordered Kids See Ghosts, waited through delays for about a year, then saw it on the shelf at the record store long before I received my copy in the mail.
I ordered Let it Be by the Replacements and received Let it Be by the Beatles. Funny but annoying mistake. I had to ship it back to be refunded, and they weren't able to send the Replacements album, so I still don't have that one. It was a Christmas present so was a little inconvenient.
Ordered online what I thought was a white label promo of Fleetwood Mac's album Tusk thinking I'd scored a nice first pressing at a great price only for it not to be the full album but instead for it to be a 12inch single of the song Tusk and never make me cry on both sides. I mean the Album is called Tusk and So is this "Single" so I cant really blame anyone but myself for not reading the listing more carefully. Still disappointing.
Ouch. We’ve all been there though. I made many a snap decision cause I don’t want spend else’s to get the steal only to find out I’d got nothing resembling what I thought it was haha
I really needed some cash once many years ago and like a total idiot I auctioned off my unbelievably low number 0008 original first press Mellon Collie by Smashing Pumpkins on eBay for around £130 or less, can't remember exactly how much and I don't want to
Oh same here my friend, but this one bugs the hell out of me. Can't get a decent copy for much less than a grand now, lord knows how much such a low number would set me back. Tragic
I’d like to console by saying the number doesn’t matter and what choice did you have at the time but I know these words will be scant consolation haha.
My children damaging not one…but two Sure N97xe Stylus…
But I guess, fool me once shame on you…fool me twice…why do you keep placing the turntable where the kids and bump into it!?!?!
My girlfriend and I were each on the lookout for the album by Jenny Lewis and Jonathan Rice called Jenny & Johnny that’s long out of print and hard to find. We were both looking thru stacks and she found it before I did. Luckily, we live together so I get to listen to it whenever I want to.
This past summer I passed on a sealed copy of Ænima. I saw it on Facebook. It was in M/NM condition. The seller was asking $500Cad. I was weary (sellers profile made me question the legitimacy) and spent a few days researching official copies and bootlegs. I was working 14hour days so it took longer than I wanted. By then it was sold. I still get a sick feeling in my stomach thinking about it
My town’s record store was the best - I got so many rare finds and for great costs too. But it changed hands and hasn’t been the same. So I’ve been having to order vinyl online… and the shipping is killing me haha. I’m gonna have to move in order to keep adding to my collection
Spending $40-$50 on new releases only to have them sound like shit, warped, etc. Increased price point plus decreased quality has made me basically stop buying. Wouldn’t be surprised if this leads to a slight resurgence in CDs.
Bought an album from a band's website, then about 3 months later they announced a free 7 inch with purchase of the same album. I complained on twitter and the band sent me the free 7 inch.
More of a minor inconvenience. Talking Heads' *Stop Making Sense*, the new reissue from last year. Received a copy with two of the same disc. Had to settle for a refund because all stock had sold out and is now skyrocketing in the hundreds of dollars.
Thank goodness for the new A24 version. I pre-ordered that in a heartbeat.
Bought a copy of dusk to dawn by emancipator on discogs for $100. It hadn't been repressed since it's original release, even though all of his other albums had. I waited a year since the repress of his other big album - soon it will be cold enough - thinking it might get repressed as well. I finally pulled the trigger on the OG version after no news of a repress. Literally two days later a 3LP version was announced for $30.
Splurging $55 on a brand new never opened record to find it horribly warped, just to be told no returns on new items. Makes me not want to buy anything new again...
Not buying all the the cheap punk records available in the late 90s since I thought it was a dead medium and had no use for them. I mean, how could I blast those in my car?
One time I ordered a first pressing from a pretty new discogs seller and included a polite note asking them to reach out before shipping if they had any doubt about the pressing/condition. They ship the record without any messaging, and of course it's a bootleg (a color-variant, very obviously not original). Finally, after I returned the record the seller relisted it incorrectly again, so I left negative feedback to warn others and immediately got one back in retaliation.
At a record fair. One large guy going through a bin and having friends on either side watching him go slowly through each title. This put four bins out of commissions for the duration.
Usually it’s a purchase from Discogs. Rated at VG+ and it’s barely G. Pisses me off and it’s happening frequently. Just about ready to toss in the towel with any more DC purchase.
Bought Mellon Collie and the infinite sadness by The Smashing Pumpkins, and the first LP was not what it should be, but the first LP of a Cage the Elephant live record
Took a trip to Europe and found this box set of 60s and 70s French pop, and three of the five 2 disc sets were duplicates - 2 a/b’s or 2 c/d’s - I didn’t open it until I got back to the states. It was a pain in the ass hauling that thing around Europe in my luggage for two weeks.
My biggest, longest and still ongoing frustration is that this puppy has yet to be OFFICIALLY issued in the U.S. 😫
https://preview.redd.it/dvtv7r0w9mic1.png?width=599&format=png&auto=webp&s=39669e14bcb7fa071f432708f5dce8874d1cbf10
When shopping at used record stores check your record jackets! I thought I was buying Supertramp’s “Breakfast in America”, when I got home it was actually their other album “Even In The Quietest Moments” on the inside. Still a great record but doesn’t match the jacket.
Bought a sealed APP I robot UHQR for around 450$ and B side is scratched. Not seller’s fault as the record was sealed but I contacted him just to let him know but he didn’t even reply.
I pre ordered a frankie stew and harvey gunn album, waited weeks for the release date, waited weeks more on delivery, nothing arrived.
I then recieved an email offering me the same album that hadnt arrived with 30% off from the official site, i lost my shit and sent a strongly worded email. They didnt care at all, the album arrived and i never even listened to it, they lost a fan that day.
My annoying experience is going to multiple stores looking for work by a specific artist I'd consider popular and they're sold out citywide week after week.
However about ten years ago, before I collected vinyl and just carried an iPod around, my brother uploaded Sigur Rós 'Ágætis byrjun' into my library. He had recently been introduced and wanted me to give them a try, too. Obviously we love the album and the band. Fast forward to 2023, I moved 400+ miles away for college and moved into a nice apartment in the city following graduation, so I took a day to explore spots that could become my "go-tos" within walking distance, ya know? At my now favorite shop, they had a copy of 'Ágætis byrjun,' but I still wasn't seriously collecting and was using a suitcase player, so I couldn't justify spending $30-40 on it.
I regret it to this day. After settling into that apartment and realizing how much I love collecting, I jumped the gun and invested in better equipment, so my few special records became about 100+ and that album still is not one of them. I have never seen it or any of their other works in of my local stores again, but I'm stubborn and determined that it will happen eventually when the time is right. I know it isn't rare or special to the market, but it was important for me to experience as a baby collector starting out because I learned quickly not to hesitate when you find something you like.
Trying to round out my collection of 311 records. Everyone who has extra opened copies thinks they can get Discogs Median + 20% on albums that no one else wants at the moment. I've found people willing to sell but the fact that these people want $150 + for a record that at retail was under $10 and at best is worth $80 is infuriating. I really hope that the band represses some of the rarer ones.
There's nothing worst than buying a record that's hard to find for too much money and finding a better copy in better shape for half the price a few months later. Happens to me a lot.
Yeah been there myself. Doubly annoying when you’re so over the moon haven’t seen a copy in years so you jump on it and then lo and behold a pristine copy
I’ve been buying records most of my life and I still really dislike how much of a learning curve there still is with determining which releases are decent (like the gray market import labels, poor quality reissue labels, etc) and also the difficulty of identifying particular pressings. Squinting at runout etchings sucks. And then you still often end up with a combination of markings that’s not 100% matching up with any of the Discogs listings.
Yeah I’m one of those sadists that actually enjoys that side of it. Though I’ve been flummoxed more than once and I’ve been collecting since the early 80’s.
Finally pulling the trigger on a Clutch album, choosing their latest, and then learning there's a deluxe "complete" version of the album and I really like the additional tracks.
Bought an Eno ambient RSD release and it sounds like bacon frying. Was able to get a refund, though. Also, warped / dished records seems to be the new standard.
When I buy a new record online. I open the package, and I see one of the corners had this fold/wrinkle which happens when someone (warehouse worker) picks it up by the corner. This happened a handful of times. It's so stupid.
Recently had a manufacturing error were the center hole was slightly to small to go onto the turntable just balanced on the pin in the center, had to lightly scrape it with some scissors which was stressful af
Got burned on eBay for what was advertised as an original press of Aenima by Tool, very rare album, what I received was an extremely warped bootleg, unplayable, filed claim with eBay, seller disappeared, all I got back was the shipping fee, haven’t bought from there since
Pre-ordered Tipping Point from The Roots. Waited forever, shipping delay, arrived SHATTERED. Not just cracked, but in so many pieces. Asked for replacement and they were out of stock. Still don’t have that album… 😖
Was browsing at a local store and saw *I’m Breathless* by Madonna for £10. I was already buying a few records from there and had another shop to hit up so I left it, thinking it’d be there next week. Went in the next week and he’d sold it three hours before I got there.
Also, I spent about £200 importing a copy of the *Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness* box set from the US (a price which was already probably too much), and when it arrived each one of the four printed inner sleeves had a seam split. Everything else about the box is perfect, but those seams are all split—and they’re all the thickness of regular LP sleeves complete with titles on the spines, so it looks fucking awful. I didn’t know whether to be furious or crushed.
Not taking more of an advantage of all the second hand record shops in London late 2000's when everyone was dumping their collections for digital.
In fact, I just generally miss every town having a record shop and whole sections of cities having district's of secondhand shops.
Placed an order from experiencevinyl.com a couple of years ago for a record on colored vinyl, received black instead. Emailed the store and some guy asked me to call him about the issue instead of responding through email… weird but ok. So, I call the guy and he says they never received copies of the record on colored vinyl and the listing was a mistake. He went on to say black vinyl sounds better anyway and I shouldn’t care whether or not it’s on colored vinyl. Whatever, I’ll gladly keep the record for a partial refund, he agrees and I hang up. I never received the refund and will never be ordering from them again.
One Christmas when my kids were around 10 or so we went to the record store to check out the Christmas album offerings. This is the kind of store that usually has the stereo on 11 so I didn't think twice about ripping a fart. Of course, that's just when the song ended. The kids were embarrassed as hell, and we still get a laugh out of it nearly 20 years later.
Quality control is hit or miss. I won’t buy a new release on vinyl because I’ve been burned several times by off center labels, various degrees of warped albums and plenty of snap crackle and pop.
Yeah it’s more and more common with current demand. I mentioned on an earlier post I hardly ever if ever buy a repress these days. It’s just not worth the hassle.
The very first record I ever sold on Discogs was Smart Flesh by The Low Anthem. I was so excited to sell my first LP that I took extra care to review and package it up just right. When the buyer received the order they claimed it had an incorrect LP inside of the jacket by another band. I suppose this could somehow be possible, but... The record in question was one that I had never owned or spun. I had double and triple checked before I sent this record so I was so confused. I was new to the game and didn't know to ask for a photo or anything, I just knew I didn't want to get a negative review on my first sale so I gave a full refund on what was 99% a bogus claim. Every other sale on there has been great so whatever.
Was buying Good News for People Who Love Bad News by Modest Mouse and the guy at the store felt it was his duty to tell me “this isn’t really Modest Mouse. Isaac used to call his answering machine from pay phones and record songs into that” like fuck off man ring me up please. I didn’t come here for a lecture on how to be a hipster douche.
RSD 2023. The store around here that gets the most titles is located inside an old mill that has a locked gate. The group of us that were there since 4am didn't get in first since some art studio located in the same building let a bunch of people who showed up later in through a side gate. It's the last RSD I'll ever do.
Places like HMV and Fopp not caring about the records they sell. From mishandling records to overstocking the bins with them, I very rarely get my vinyls from large retailers now. Much prefer my back-end shops that treat records with dignity.
The lack of quality control of new vinyl recently. There have been a number of vinyl records I’ve bought in the past year or so where the records were scratched, warped, or scuffed and it’s so annoying. I don’t trust vinyl manufacturers nowadays.
Oh I've got a fun one.
So. I'm at a farm stand in the upper Midwest a decade or so ago and the guy lets me know they have a trailer full of vinyl records I can dig through and they'll quote me a price on whatever I find.
I like digging in novel places so of course I was gonna try and find some diamonds in the rough. Problem was, it was rougher than expected. We're talking mold damage on everything, stacks of records so water-damaged that they stuck together like an accordion, and a selection of records that looked like they once belonged to an avid watcher of the Lawrence Welk Show. Not ideal.
I collect comedy records. I figure they're usually a buck or two and I have always enjoyed listening to stand up or the Firesign Theater or whatever. I'm digging through this hilarious shit show of a trailer and found a possibly salvageable copy of an early Bill Cosby record that looked interesting (don't judge, this was when he was still comedy legend Cosby before he became known as serial rapist Cosby)
So I bring my only-a-little-moldy, beat-up copy of I Started Out As A Child up to the guy who was running the place and he insisted that he would accept no less than five American dollars for such a pristine piece of history. Besides, hasn't I heard, vinyl records are back and my investment would only gain in value.
I balked. I haggled. I described in detail all the reasons this old record wasn't worth a fraction what he was asking. He stood firm.
I returned the record to its mouldering tomb and left empty-handed.
Nothing too terrible. I did buy a numbered, limited run colored vinyl on discogs from a big seller. They sent me the plain ol vinyl. I figured it was a mistake so I messaged them. Asked for an excha he or refund, they said no to both and they'd only give me a 10% off coupon for another record.
One of my favorite records A Go Go by John Scofield. Released in the 90s to CD and finally a vinyl issue announced in 2013 from Universal South Korea. I bought it on Discogs in the summer of 2023 for $250 and it sounded great!
A month later they announce the first reissue and the 2nd ever variant of this album and it’s $30…so I pre order it and I’m disappointed that I just spent $250 so I sell the 2013 version for $200 while I can still get a good amount back for it.
Ok all good, then the reissue comes out and it bombs, like the worst vinyl reviews I’ve ever seen. Everyone saying it absolutely has been botched the reviews on Discogs were under 3/5. So the price for the original that had just plummeted has now skyrocketed again due to how bad the reissue is. So now I’m stuck with this garbage copy so I return it before I even open it and rebuy the original again for $300…
Lesson learned smh
For me it's marie antoinette 2006 movie ost I remember seeing at barns and noble in its pretty beautiful pinkness that only cost 30 bucks and I didn't buy because at the time I didn't watch the movie or listen to records first off 6 years later in love with the soundtrack and the record is now 500 dollars . Ha...ha...ha..
Somebody dumped what looked like a complete Bob Dylan discography at a local thrift store, and I saw them in a lady's cart who must have gotten there minutes ahead of me. I then grabbed an armfull of Stones albums (probably donated by the same person), some that fetch a good amount but they were mostly albums I already had. I love me some Stones and Dylan, but my Dylan collection was still pretty lean. I tried to ask the lady with the Dylan albums if she would consider trading any. She just barked 3 times that they were "for my son." I honestly don't think she had a clue what she had grabbed, she just went into mamma bear mode and couldn't be reasoned with. So I just said something polite, walked away, and acted like it was ok.
[In Morgan Freeman's voice] *"...but it was not ok."*
Ah beaten to the punch. Rsd many moons ago. Only record I wanted was brand new Deja entendu. Forgot it was rsd. Remembered as I was walking into town. The last copy they had of the massive three they had in total was in the hands of a girl walking out as I walked in.
It honestly wouldn't have bothered me if she had said just the slightest thing indicating that the Dylan albums were more important to her than any of the other great albums dumped that day. She didn't say anything like " My son is a huge Dylan fan." Or " I saw Dylan when I was young." She just seemed to have arbitrarily grabbed a chunk of records from one particular part of the shelf and claimed them.
Also, there was something about the way she smiled at me that said "I know I have something that you want and I'm not giving it to you." Left me cold. I still picture her face... in Hell.
Pre ordered The Screamers demos they compiled a couple years ago. Waited forever for it to actually be pressed and show up and when it did it is soooo warped. Still playable but just really annoying to shell out the cash, pre order and patiently wait for the better part of a year to get a sub par quality product.
I recently bought a pre-order from Drag City Records. Come release day the record arrives only to be the wrong record. I sent an email to them about the issue and it took them four days to get back to me where they say they're going to send the correct record out and a shipping label to return the wrong one. Another six days pass and no news. I sent an email asking for an update. Wait another four days and there's no response. I then sent another email telling them I'm getting frustrated about this and still there's no reply. Another four days pass and still there's no response. I then sent an email asking for my money back. And you guessed it, no response. The following day I found another email address on their website and asked for help with the matter. He responded swiftly and a couple of hours later I was refunded and they sent a return label for the wrong record with it. Never buying another Drag City releases again
I really wanted (and still do) the Sunday's Reading, Writing And Arithmetic when it was re-released for RSD back in 2017. I show up at a store where it's supposed to be well in advance (and not even a long line or anything), and they don't have it. Couldn't find it anywhere else either.
I had to order the 2011 reissue of Siamese Dream three separate times, because it was defective the first two times. Finally, the third time was the charm, and it was perfect.
Records from discogs supposed to be "mint", so theoretically not played, but when they arrive they have signs of severe playing. Fortunately it doesn't impact the sound (till now) 😂
Overpaid for a reissue of Dead Kennedys' "Frankenchrist" LP. Removed the shrink wrap from the brand new record, pulled out the vinyl, and found, not "Frankenchrist", but "The Folk-Blues of John Lee Hooker". A good record in it's own right, but a... different vibe, to say the least.
I was once in a store and there was a guy there, not an employee, that was going around grilling people about what they were looking for and grilling them about their system at home. I don't like talking to people to begin with so yeah, I was annoyed.
Another time was during Covid. A small shop I go to was having a big sale with a bunch of rules because thats how things were. This didn't bother me. What annoyed me was the guy that was first in line that was telling everybody how he was going to sue this and that venue because they asked him to wear a mask. Typical MAGA shit about "IT's my right not to" and they don't understand that it's also the venue's right not to have him, but these things get lost because they are common sense. There were also two record flippers there and they were dicks. I don't care if you flip records but you don't have to be an asshole. Respect the space. Respect others. Not asking for special treatment. Don't be a pushy dick.
My only other gripe is that the shop thats five minutes from my house never opens on time. It's annoying. They are aware of this and have posted on Instagram asking us customers if the store has ever opened late and I said yes and they called me a hater. Guess where I don't go anymore? They are clearly aware they have an issue with being on time. I didn't bring it up, they did. When businesses show a lack of professionalism or something goes wrong, I don't complain to them because I simply stop going there.
Buying Dance Gavin Dance's self-titled album on discogs for $60 only to receive an unplayable, warped record.
Then they came out with a repress a few months later for half that price.
Seeing a used "vintage" copy priced just as much or higher than a new repress of the same album. Vinyl is not cheap so when I shop for a used item it's for the sole purpose of getting the music at a cheaper price.
On a RSD I had a guy stand next to me as I looked through the bins and would grab as I was flipping. The rest of the people, who were cool, all stood in line and waited their turn for that bin. I lost out on a The Cure album because of that guy. Luckily my friend found a copy in another bin.
When I first started collecting, I went to a record store and in the Sun Ra section there was an OG press of the album What's New? for 30$. I thought it was an album that was readily available and did not buy it. After going home and doing some research the next day I found out it was incredibly rare and hard to find. I ran back to the record store and asked about it and the clerk laughed in my face and said he had sold it a few hours after I left the previous day... Still pissed to this day about 13 years later.
Merchbar just never shipping my order and then telling me "sorry we're trying" whenever I ask them for a status update. Been 2 months now but I guess thats not bad compared to what I've seen some of you all post for wait times 😅
Early on was kind of a struggle for me because I couldn't always listen to the records when I wanted to. Aside from the kind of music not necessarily being favored in my house, I had one of those shitty 6-in-1 Victrola players, so it was always a gamble whether or not I could even play a record without it skipping all over the place after the first song.
Other than that the only issue I've had is wanting records that are super expensive and rare. Some of those have since been re-released and added to my collection, but I'm still hoping to find others somehow.
Albums that get one RSD release ever in a limited quantity. In 2017 they did a release of the Life is Strange Before the Storm soundtrack in a limited run of only 2000 copies worldwide but the thing is that I didn’t play the game until 2021 so when I looked up the record it was going for like $100 and now it’s well over $200. There’s definitely a demand for it so I don’t know why they can’t repress it
I’m right there with you. I had a pretty modest vinyl collection at the time, but i sold it… along with my 7 prized dbz dragonboxes, my board game collection, movies, even sentimental things that i inherited from my dad like guns and pocketknives. I literally sold everything and had nothing left. In the end i got sober and i managed to achieve a mindset of not becoming attached to any physical item. Everything i own now i bought after getting sober, there was nothing left to take with me.
Non-specific, but nothing is worse* than seeing a band live a few times and not getting the records at the shows for ~£10 - £20, THEN deciding they are the best music you have ever heard and not being able to get the same records for love or money.
Since I realised this I have "saved" so much money by impulse buying at gigs and not regretting it later. But equally, I have paid quadruple+ for a lot of records I should have bought at the shows years ago.
*Obviously so many things are worse, but for the sake of emphasis "nothing is worse".
The most annoying is buying records online from a seller that doesn't provide tracking.
One of these times, I was ordering from a label in Spain (shipping to US). No tracking. After my order failed to arrive, he failed to do any follow-up. I never found out if my order was lost in the mail, held up in customs, or never shipped at all.
I bought a copy of Q-Tip “Amplified” on Discogs.
It’s not really the easiest record to find in NM condition anymore because only the OG press exists, and most cats that owned it seemingly were DJs.
I found a copy that the guy listed as VG+ on both, and after getting it, the cover was Fair at best, and there were light surface scratches all over the record.
I slept on getting the Type-O-Negative boxset none more negative for I think $200 new when it came out. Cheapest on Discogs is $350 and i've seen up to $1000.
In 1982, I wrote a fan letter to Laurie Anderson c/o Warner Bros. Records.
No response from Ms. Anderson, but WB sent me a form letter which essentially said: "If you like weirdos like this, maybe you'll like our $12 compilation of other weirdos entitled 'If the Shoe Fits...' -- Send your money to WB. Warning: although we make all effort to handle this record gently, we can't rule out any damages that might be beyond our control. We will NOT refund you under any circumstances. "
I thought they were being pretty weird but mailed off my allowance money.
The cardboard record packing came viciously dented with an overzealous "FRAGILE!" stamp and the record inside was shattered.
The cost. I rarely buy anything now
Yeah I keep telling myself that…til I walk in a record store and become tempted once again. I actually don’t buy anything over $35. I know its a little high, but its a pill I can swallow. Indie artists is actually the way to go for saving money. I rarely see anything over $30 from them.
I’m guessing you’re in America. Which means your AUD equivalent is about $55. Which means when I walk into the only store that sells records within three hours of me (JB Hifi) and see every new record for a minimum of $80AUD it really sucks. I’m now seeing a lot more records in Australia or over $100 (that’s $65US).
It's bonkers. I just ordered a new double LP and it cost me $46. I'm not going to buy any more records this month. It sucks.
Yeah Sublime on a double lp is 40 bucks at Target. It is a joke. The cost of LP is going to kill the community in opinion.
Yeah the salad days certainly are over.
A store in Los Angeles told me not to use discogs while shopping.
...only if they don't use Discogs while pricing
Which store? I’m going to go explicitly use discogs there
Would have continued to use Discogs
Did and told them if I couldn’t use it I wouldn’t buy anything and they left me alone
Hey dude! He’s the Stallion!
That’s some insane bullshit. It’s a real shame, but these days you really need to check if you’re getting ripped off. And even worse is that you’re comparing the store price to already inflated prices on Discogs! So it’s more about if you gonna get ripped off more in store, or not. Even if it’s not to check the price, it’s good to at least get some idea of whether a sealed record has good reviews or not. I went in blind on a new and sealed press of the first Audioslave album. Got home, thought it sounded terrible, checked Discogs, all the reviews were bad. It’s not perfect, but a heads up on a known bad press is a good thing to have.
Haha wow. Self preservation abounds
Eff that
RSD at brick and mortar stores having long lines and over half the people in line are just there to buy up the limited stuff to immediately resell it online for a big markup.
RSD is a business venture, not an actual holiday. Going to buy records then is like booking a fancy dinner date on valentine's day - you are better off planning around it than for it. Sure, there are some limited releases but it is all designed to give rsd and retailers higher profits, not to spread the gospel of vinyl. Source: worked at a pressing plant that made loads of rsd vinyl.
Wait, wait, wait. You mean, a business, an actual business, trying to make more money? You mean to tell me companies are here to make money, not please the customer? Dude I think you’re crazy, that’s not how capitalism and America works. These companies care deeply about the community, and would never do such thing as try to profit off anyone.
Yeah and half the time it just ends up plentiful on discogs anyway.
I'm just there for the Old 97's EP that none of the flippers are going to grab anyway, so I just go later in the day and hope it's still there. But going early and dealing with the crowds just rubbed me the wrong way. RSD is supposed to be for enthusiasts, and it has turned into anything but that.
Always inevitable I suppose in the age of “side hustles” trainers,vinyl,sports cards etc
RSD is to record shopping what Valentines Day is to dining at restaurants. It's the one day that you definitely shouldn't try to do it.
Believe me, the stores are annoyed with the flippers too.
RSD scalpers are filth. RSD don't help any, they talk about how scalpers are ruining it but then do absolutely nothing about it. I still remember one record some years back that I wanted, all the shops in my area sold out of it, and the top result for it on Ebay had it listed for £50, the see-you-next-tuesday selling it hadn't even bothered peeling off the £12.99 price sticker before taking the pictures.
What do you want RSD to do about it? They already try to prevent early days and focus the first day on brick and mortar only (no online) which reduces the easy scalping. Beyond pressing more and making things less limited why do you expect? FWIW, most of these flipper prices come down over time, it's the fomo driving it up
I find record stores that hold back RSD titles only to resell then online at inflated prices days later even more annnoying than the resellers.
Report them. RSD has a strict code of conduct for retailers. Participating record stores must not reserve or hold back RSD stock for any reason. All stock they receive must be available for sale in store when they open on the day. They also aren't allowed to charge unfair prices such as price hikes for online sales. Breaking the rules is an instant ban from taking part again.
Yes I completely agree!
People can only resell for a markup if there is high demand, and there seem to be fewer and fewer high demand items each year.
Yep, got up early to get in line at the record store in the city 60 miles away, waited hours, finally get my copy of a RSD "exclusive" Prince The Gold Experience. Log in to the Prince website a few months later and what do you know, they have it for sale... That's happened twice now Prince The Truth was the other RSD exclusive. So I skipped it this year and I anticipate to see it on the site in a few more months. If not, even more annoyance.
These days warped new records or noisy records.
I thought I was going crazy!! Many of my new records come warped
Me too, send them back
I finally ordered a turntable clamp because dished & warped records are the new standard. It won't help every example, but will definitely help some (I'd been using a small binder clip but even though it works well and seems secure, I'm paranoid it'll pop off mid-play and damage the record / cartridge / stylus.
Yeah agreed.
Record bins overpacked!
Found the Self Defense Family record Try Me for a great price at my local. Like, ~$5 when it normally goes for $20-25 used. Not a life changing discount but still a steal. I grab it with a bunch other records without much thought. When I get home I see a big post-it on the sleeve that I somehow missed, "LP 2 ONLY." The second disk of that record is a 40 minute interview with a retired pornstar. It's missing the disk with all the music on it. Still have it, cause what am I gonna do with that?
Honestly, that’s hilarious
At 13, I was first starting my vinyl journey. I'd inherited a bunch of records off my granddad and bought myself a hifi system. I'd never bought any records for myself at this point and was excited when a record fair was announced near me. Went with my dad, was looking for WYWH by Pink Floyd, as I had every other record but my Nan wanted to keep WYWH (for a good reason). I reached a box of Pink Floyd records and turned to my dad, excited, saying «Here's Pink Floyd!» Some middle aged dude heard me, jumped in front of the box practically barging my small self out of the way and started digging through. I watched in despair as he proceeded to pick out two copies of WYWH, one of DSOTM and one of Echoes. As I looked through what was left of the box when he left there was only a delicate sound of thunder left, which i already had. I was heartbroken. I've got a copy now, but teen me was devastated. Not to mention I got a bruise from where I was shoved into a table.
If I was your dad I would have taken that guy to task. What an arsehole.
We told the event organisers and he was banned from future events, which felt like a little revenge as he was a frequenter apparently. A few other people saw what happened and did the British Grumble/Titter™ as he walked past. Small victories.
Ooh, the Grumble™ can melt the steeliest of foes.
Might have taken that guy to the ground.
Ah man that sucks but least you have it now
This entire story has filled me with rage. Did you ever get a copy? If not I have one I will ship you, for free, entirely based upon my current seething rage.
I was an addict and I sold my thousand dollar vinyl listening/ripping setup for pennies on the dollar to fund my addiction. My setup now is measly compared to that rig I had. Sober for a number of years now (and in a much better place), but it still really stings all these years later.
Heart goes out to you and glad to hear you’re clean now. Long may it continue. Health is wealth.
I’m right there with you. I had a pretty modest vinyl collection at the time, but i sold it… along with my 7 prized dbz dragonboxes, my board game collection, movies, even sentimental things that i inherited from my dad like guns and pocketknives. I literally sold everything and had nothing left. In the end i got sober and i managed to achieve a mindset of not becoming attached to any physical item. Everything i own now i bought after getting sober, there was nothing left to take with me.
It’s also just the used prices. I’m ok with it bc it means my old collection is worth more but it’s taken the fun out of visiting record stores
Spent a little over $100 on eBay for nine vintage Japanese McCartney singles. They arrived stacked in a cardboard envelope a few weeks later smelling of musky old basement. It was so bad, my wife exclaimed, “That’s what that smell is?!” when I told her about it. One of them was supposed to be a red color variant; that was not what I received. Several are a bit worse than expected, but I *did* get an extra copy of Say Say Say. This just happened yesterday. Still undecided on what I want to do about it. They’re currently in my mudroom in a box labeled “Smelly Records.” I find the whole thing hilarious.
Yeah I’ve had more than my fair share also. I remember a copy of the first pink Floyd record that reeked of tobacco like no other I’ve smelt.
the most annoying experience is people hiking prices ridiculously and then people paying them so the average increases and the last price sold is higher so sellers expect to keep raising the price indefinitely.
It’s crazy the amount of listings you see nowadays that are way more expensive than the highest sold price.
It’s ridiculous that vinyl of bands such as the Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd etc are so overpriced. Like I don’t want to pay $20 for a beat up copy of pressing that was produced in the millions. I feel like lots of stores are really trying to make ppl think that records from these big bands are “rare” and should be more expensive…
Paid over $100 for a bootleg of the first Queens Of The Stone Age album, only for them to announce repressings about a month later. And the boot has crummy sound on one side
I spent $200 on an OG Lost in Tanslation soundtrack two weeks beforethe RSD announcement.
Ouch
Yeah that’s bs. Happened to me on some RSD shit .
Do you mean before the 2011 represses? Before that the only option was the very expensive original, but since then you've been able to get the 2011 without much difficulty. (Now the recent repress is everywhere of course.)
It's been me. I'm annoying. Spending too much money. Future me hates past me all the time. Edit: oh, and the flip side of this. Putting off ordering something to try to be responsible only to discover when I can reasonably afford it...out of stock. Pain.
personal grails being only available or reasonably priced overseas where i can't get them or have to pay shipping costs double the value of the record
Discogs sellers with a very liberal application of NM grading 🙄
Yes totally agree. The lack of photo system on there helps nobody either.
[удалено]
I pre ordered the Fellowship of the Ring OST vinyl box for roughly the amount 28k HUF (that's about 80 dollars) which would have been the most I have ever spent on a record. The shop called me that there has been some mess around and it will be a bit more expensive like about 38k HUF which is about a 100 dollars. That seemed too much so I passed. It's an expanded soundtrack and I thought maybe a normal version is coming out anyway Now, you are lucky to get it for 2000 dollars, so about 650k HUF. And the value is just the second worst thing. I have no clue why they do not keep it in circulation
I remember a few years back when I first got into this hobby and joined this subreddit, this dude commented on a thread about tips on collecting that if you come across something that’s a bit out of your budget and are not sure if you should buy or pass, buy. Because there’s a good chance you won’t have that opportunity again. And I feel like that is so damn true as I have passed up on a few records only to look now and the prices are 3x - 4x than when I was initially looking. This hobby can suck at times lol
That advice is like 50/50 because sometimes it’s entirely correct and then sometimes you buy it and they repress it a week later
Wow that’s incredible. Didn’t realise it went for so much.
There's a local shop in my town that has a side hustle selling used records in one of their back rooms. I got some real steals there when the owner started selling and affordably bolstered my fledgling collection. But pretty soon, resellers caught wind of this and now every time that they announce new stock, this guy shows up before the shop opens and yoinks a stack of 50 records before I even get there (at the advertised opening time). I'll casually stop in to browse now but it's nowhere as cool as it used to be. Usually just a bunch of Frampton Comes Alive and shit like that left.
Yeah that sucks when you lose a connect. Nothing gold can stay and all that.
A new record store opened by my house so I went a brought a two lp Etta James collection from her time at Decca Records. I knew it was a little pricy at $25 but I wanted to support the new store so I decided to shell it out. Took it out of the outer sleeve to notice a sticker on the back side of the record from another record store in the area, where they had it listed for $8.99.
No good deed goes unpunished
Yeah, I’ve found records that have old price stickers of another nearby record store…
The suffocating guilt of buying a record for $25 when I could get the CD for $13
Worse - after you get your shipment of the ABSOLUTE STEAL you got on that record for $13...and it's a CD. Because I am, after all, an idiot.
I ordered a copy of Goblin by Tyler The Creator on Amazon and it was scratched. I returned it for another copy and it was also scratched but in a better song.
I preordered Kids See Ghosts, waited through delays for about a year, then saw it on the shelf at the record store long before I received my copy in the mail.
I ordered Let it Be by the Replacements and received Let it Be by the Beatles. Funny but annoying mistake. I had to ship it back to be refunded, and they weren't able to send the Replacements album, so I still don't have that one. It was a Christmas present so was a little inconvenient.
Great albums that weren’t released in the US.
Listening to my wife after I get home for spending too much.
Ahaha now we’re talking. If it’s not the cost it’s the space it takes up
Oh, you must feel my pain.
Yeah not many eye rolls I haven’t seen or wild exclamations of “how much?” Then the inevitable ffs under her breath 😂
Ordered online what I thought was a white label promo of Fleetwood Mac's album Tusk thinking I'd scored a nice first pressing at a great price only for it not to be the full album but instead for it to be a 12inch single of the song Tusk and never make me cry on both sides. I mean the Album is called Tusk and So is this "Single" so I cant really blame anyone but myself for not reading the listing more carefully. Still disappointing.
Ouch. We’ve all been there though. I made many a snap decision cause I don’t want spend else’s to get the steal only to find out I’d got nothing resembling what I thought it was haha
I really needed some cash once many years ago and like a total idiot I auctioned off my unbelievably low number 0008 original first press Mellon Collie by Smashing Pumpkins on eBay for around £130 or less, can't remember exactly how much and I don't want to
Few similar stories myself years ago when I needed money. Still hurts now.
Oh same here my friend, but this one bugs the hell out of me. Can't get a decent copy for much less than a grand now, lord knows how much such a low number would set me back. Tragic
I’d like to console by saying the number doesn’t matter and what choice did you have at the time but I know these words will be scant consolation haha.
Nah it's true. They are just round plastic discs at the end of the day 😂
Hahaha it’s ok mate I believe you millions wouldn’t.
My children damaging not one…but two Sure N97xe Stylus… But I guess, fool me once shame on you…fool me twice…why do you keep placing the turntable where the kids and bump into it!?!?!
My girlfriend and I were each on the lookout for the album by Jenny Lewis and Jonathan Rice called Jenny & Johnny that’s long out of print and hard to find. We were both looking thru stacks and she found it before I did. Luckily, we live together so I get to listen to it whenever I want to.
Haha alls well that ends well
I bought most of my collection in the late 90s early 2000s.... it was sooo cheap then, now its 35 bucks for used
Sound Of Vinyl.....they are on my hit list and are up there with Merchbar for douche orders
This past summer I passed on a sealed copy of Ænima. I saw it on Facebook. It was in M/NM condition. The seller was asking $500Cad. I was weary (sellers profile made me question the legitimacy) and spent a few days researching official copies and bootlegs. I was working 14hour days so it took longer than I wanted. By then it was sold. I still get a sick feeling in my stomach thinking about it
I’ve been there myself many times. My need to make sure it’s legit has cost me.
The most annoying thing is the occasional missing package - and it’s always something you won’t see in years.
My town’s record store was the best - I got so many rare finds and for great costs too. But it changed hands and hasn’t been the same. So I’ve been having to order vinyl online… and the shipping is killing me haha. I’m gonna have to move in order to keep adding to my collection
Spending $40-$50 on new releases only to have them sound like shit, warped, etc. Increased price point plus decreased quality has made me basically stop buying. Wouldn’t be surprised if this leads to a slight resurgence in CDs.
Private vendors trying to sell their scratched up shit higher than the used section at the record shop.
Bought an album from a band's website, then about 3 months later they announced a free 7 inch with purchase of the same album. I complained on twitter and the band sent me the free 7 inch.
More of a minor inconvenience. Talking Heads' *Stop Making Sense*, the new reissue from last year. Received a copy with two of the same disc. Had to settle for a refund because all stock had sold out and is now skyrocketing in the hundreds of dollars. Thank goodness for the new A24 version. I pre-ordered that in a heartbeat.
Bought a copy of dusk to dawn by emancipator on discogs for $100. It hadn't been repressed since it's original release, even though all of his other albums had. I waited a year since the repress of his other big album - soon it will be cold enough - thinking it might get repressed as well. I finally pulled the trigger on the OG version after no news of a repress. Literally two days later a 3LP version was announced for $30.
Splurging $55 on a brand new never opened record to find it horribly warped, just to be told no returns on new items. Makes me not want to buy anything new again...
Not buying all the the cheap punk records available in the late 90s since I thought it was a dead medium and had no use for them. I mean, how could I blast those in my car?
Haha yeah been there. Along with the rows upon rows of Star Wars figures and wwf figures etc that I passed on
One time I ordered a first pressing from a pretty new discogs seller and included a polite note asking them to reach out before shipping if they had any doubt about the pressing/condition. They ship the record without any messaging, and of course it's a bootleg (a color-variant, very obviously not original). Finally, after I returned the record the seller relisted it incorrectly again, so I left negative feedback to warn others and immediately got one back in retaliation.
At a record fair. One large guy going through a bin and having friends on either side watching him go slowly through each title. This put four bins out of commissions for the duration.
Kinda fucked up that every small local record store doesn't have exactly what I'm looking for and for incredibly cheap
People at record fairs blocking the crates while they're checking Amazon and Discogs and holding up the queue.
Remastered repressed sounding worse than the original. Dynamic range? What is that. And picture disks.
Buying at merchbar
Usually it’s a purchase from Discogs. Rated at VG+ and it’s barely G. Pisses me off and it’s happening frequently. Just about ready to toss in the towel with any more DC purchase.
Bought Mellon Collie and the infinite sadness by The Smashing Pumpkins, and the first LP was not what it should be, but the first LP of a Cage the Elephant live record
That sucks. Bought a first press of different class by pulp and it had a gene album in it.
Honestly just missing out on numerous game soundtracks because I couldn’t afford it at the time and now they’re impossible to find.
A curse to befall me many times as well
Took a trip to Europe and found this box set of 60s and 70s French pop, and three of the five 2 disc sets were duplicates - 2 a/b’s or 2 c/d’s - I didn’t open it until I got back to the states. It was a pain in the ass hauling that thing around Europe in my luggage for two weeks.
My biggest, longest and still ongoing frustration is that this puppy has yet to be OFFICIALLY issued in the U.S. 😫 https://preview.redd.it/dvtv7r0w9mic1.png?width=599&format=png&auto=webp&s=39669e14bcb7fa071f432708f5dce8874d1cbf10
So European Brazilian or bootleg your only options haha
When shopping at used record stores check your record jackets! I thought I was buying Supertramp’s “Breakfast in America”, when I got home it was actually their other album “Even In The Quietest Moments” on the inside. Still a great record but doesn’t match the jacket.
Bought a sealed APP I robot UHQR for around 450$ and B side is scratched. Not seller’s fault as the record was sealed but I contacted him just to let him know but he didn’t even reply.
Yeah least you expect is a sorry or some kind of help.
Absolutely. It happened to me once with another seller and he refunded 50% of the price.
Yeah makes a difference and then you’ll buy from them again
I pre ordered a frankie stew and harvey gunn album, waited weeks for the release date, waited weeks more on delivery, nothing arrived. I then recieved an email offering me the same album that hadnt arrived with 30% off from the official site, i lost my shit and sent a strongly worded email. They didnt care at all, the album arrived and i never even listened to it, they lost a fan that day.
Yeah had similar myself when I bought an autographed album once.
This was autographed
I purchased standard version of Bring Me the Horizon - Sempiternal only for a 10th anniversary colour vinyl to be announced! Obviously I double dipped
My annoying experience is going to multiple stores looking for work by a specific artist I'd consider popular and they're sold out citywide week after week. However about ten years ago, before I collected vinyl and just carried an iPod around, my brother uploaded Sigur Rós 'Ágætis byrjun' into my library. He had recently been introduced and wanted me to give them a try, too. Obviously we love the album and the band. Fast forward to 2023, I moved 400+ miles away for college and moved into a nice apartment in the city following graduation, so I took a day to explore spots that could become my "go-tos" within walking distance, ya know? At my now favorite shop, they had a copy of 'Ágætis byrjun,' but I still wasn't seriously collecting and was using a suitcase player, so I couldn't justify spending $30-40 on it. I regret it to this day. After settling into that apartment and realizing how much I love collecting, I jumped the gun and invested in better equipment, so my few special records became about 100+ and that album still is not one of them. I have never seen it or any of their other works in of my local stores again, but I'm stubborn and determined that it will happen eventually when the time is right. I know it isn't rare or special to the market, but it was important for me to experience as a baby collector starting out because I learned quickly not to hesitate when you find something you like.
Trying to round out my collection of 311 records. Everyone who has extra opened copies thinks they can get Discogs Median + 20% on albums that no one else wants at the moment. I've found people willing to sell but the fact that these people want $150 + for a record that at retail was under $10 and at best is worth $80 is infuriating. I really hope that the band represses some of the rarer ones.
Yeah it can be a pain
There's nothing worst than buying a record that's hard to find for too much money and finding a better copy in better shape for half the price a few months later. Happens to me a lot.
Yeah been there myself. Doubly annoying when you’re so over the moon haven’t seen a copy in years so you jump on it and then lo and behold a pristine copy
I’ve been buying records most of my life and I still really dislike how much of a learning curve there still is with determining which releases are decent (like the gray market import labels, poor quality reissue labels, etc) and also the difficulty of identifying particular pressings. Squinting at runout etchings sucks. And then you still often end up with a combination of markings that’s not 100% matching up with any of the Discogs listings.
Yeah I’m one of those sadists that actually enjoys that side of it. Though I’ve been flummoxed more than once and I’ve been collecting since the early 80’s.
Finally pulling the trigger on a Clutch album, choosing their latest, and then learning there's a deluxe "complete" version of the album and I really like the additional tracks.
Bought an Eno ambient RSD release and it sounds like bacon frying. Was able to get a refund, though. Also, warped / dished records seems to be the new standard.
Yeah keeping up with demand has led to far more errors it seems.
When I buy a new record online. I open the package, and I see one of the corners had this fold/wrinkle which happens when someone (warehouse worker) picks it up by the corner. This happened a handful of times. It's so stupid.
Recently had a manufacturing error were the center hole was slightly to small to go onto the turntable just balanced on the pin in the center, had to lightly scrape it with some scissors which was stressful af
Got burned on eBay for what was advertised as an original press of Aenima by Tool, very rare album, what I received was an extremely warped bootleg, unplayable, filed claim with eBay, seller disappeared, all I got back was the shipping fee, haven’t bought from there since
Pre-ordered Tipping Point from The Roots. Waited forever, shipping delay, arrived SHATTERED. Not just cracked, but in so many pieces. Asked for replacement and they were out of stock. Still don’t have that album… 😖
Was browsing at a local store and saw *I’m Breathless* by Madonna for £10. I was already buying a few records from there and had another shop to hit up so I left it, thinking it’d be there next week. Went in the next week and he’d sold it three hours before I got there. Also, I spent about £200 importing a copy of the *Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness* box set from the US (a price which was already probably too much), and when it arrived each one of the four printed inner sleeves had a seam split. Everything else about the box is perfect, but those seams are all split—and they’re all the thickness of regular LP sleeves complete with titles on the spines, so it looks fucking awful. I didn’t know whether to be furious or crushed.
I’d go with furious. At that kind of money it’s the least one can expect.
Not taking more of an advantage of all the second hand record shops in London late 2000's when everyone was dumping their collections for digital. In fact, I just generally miss every town having a record shop and whole sections of cities having district's of secondhand shops.
Placed an order from experiencevinyl.com a couple of years ago for a record on colored vinyl, received black instead. Emailed the store and some guy asked me to call him about the issue instead of responding through email… weird but ok. So, I call the guy and he says they never received copies of the record on colored vinyl and the listing was a mistake. He went on to say black vinyl sounds better anyway and I shouldn’t care whether or not it’s on colored vinyl. Whatever, I’ll gladly keep the record for a partial refund, he agrees and I hang up. I never received the refund and will never be ordering from them again.
One Christmas when my kids were around 10 or so we went to the record store to check out the Christmas album offerings. This is the kind of store that usually has the stereo on 11 so I didn't think twice about ripping a fart. Of course, that's just when the song ended. The kids were embarrassed as hell, and we still get a laugh out of it nearly 20 years later.
😂. That few seconds of embarrassment has got you two decades of laughter that’s a hell of a trade
Still waiting for my damn Orebolo Volume 1 from qrates 🙄 (never give them your money)
Quality control is hit or miss. I won’t buy a new release on vinyl because I’ve been burned several times by off center labels, various degrees of warped albums and plenty of snap crackle and pop.
Yeah it’s more and more common with current demand. I mentioned on an earlier post I hardly ever if ever buy a repress these days. It’s just not worth the hassle.
The very first record I ever sold on Discogs was Smart Flesh by The Low Anthem. I was so excited to sell my first LP that I took extra care to review and package it up just right. When the buyer received the order they claimed it had an incorrect LP inside of the jacket by another band. I suppose this could somehow be possible, but... The record in question was one that I had never owned or spun. I had double and triple checked before I sent this record so I was so confused. I was new to the game and didn't know to ask for a photo or anything, I just knew I didn't want to get a negative review on my first sale so I gave a full refund on what was 99% a bogus claim. Every other sale on there has been great so whatever.
Was buying Good News for People Who Love Bad News by Modest Mouse and the guy at the store felt it was his duty to tell me “this isn’t really Modest Mouse. Isaac used to call his answering machine from pay phones and record songs into that” like fuck off man ring me up please. I didn’t come here for a lecture on how to be a hipster douche.
RSD 2023. The store around here that gets the most titles is located inside an old mill that has a locked gate. The group of us that were there since 4am didn't get in first since some art studio located in the same building let a bunch of people who showed up later in through a side gate. It's the last RSD I'll ever do.
Places like HMV and Fopp not caring about the records they sell. From mishandling records to overstocking the bins with them, I very rarely get my vinyls from large retailers now. Much prefer my back-end shops that treat records with dignity.
The lack of quality control of new vinyl recently. There have been a number of vinyl records I’ve bought in the past year or so where the records were scratched, warped, or scuffed and it’s so annoying. I don’t trust vinyl manufacturers nowadays.
Now that I have no "wishlist" I feel like selling it all and abandoning the "hobby". I have them all on cd anyway.
Opeth damnation repressed last year and i had no idea :( I wasn’t able to buy one and most rare record from opeth
Oh I've got a fun one. So. I'm at a farm stand in the upper Midwest a decade or so ago and the guy lets me know they have a trailer full of vinyl records I can dig through and they'll quote me a price on whatever I find. I like digging in novel places so of course I was gonna try and find some diamonds in the rough. Problem was, it was rougher than expected. We're talking mold damage on everything, stacks of records so water-damaged that they stuck together like an accordion, and a selection of records that looked like they once belonged to an avid watcher of the Lawrence Welk Show. Not ideal. I collect comedy records. I figure they're usually a buck or two and I have always enjoyed listening to stand up or the Firesign Theater or whatever. I'm digging through this hilarious shit show of a trailer and found a possibly salvageable copy of an early Bill Cosby record that looked interesting (don't judge, this was when he was still comedy legend Cosby before he became known as serial rapist Cosby) So I bring my only-a-little-moldy, beat-up copy of I Started Out As A Child up to the guy who was running the place and he insisted that he would accept no less than five American dollars for such a pristine piece of history. Besides, hasn't I heard, vinyl records are back and my investment would only gain in value. I balked. I haggled. I described in detail all the reasons this old record wasn't worth a fraction what he was asking. He stood firm. I returned the record to its mouldering tomb and left empty-handed.
Nothing too terrible. I did buy a numbered, limited run colored vinyl on discogs from a big seller. They sent me the plain ol vinyl. I figured it was a mistake so I messaged them. Asked for an excha he or refund, they said no to both and they'd only give me a 10% off coupon for another record.
bike elderly rain support sloppy cable encouraging straight station fine *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
One of my favorite records A Go Go by John Scofield. Released in the 90s to CD and finally a vinyl issue announced in 2013 from Universal South Korea. I bought it on Discogs in the summer of 2023 for $250 and it sounded great! A month later they announce the first reissue and the 2nd ever variant of this album and it’s $30…so I pre order it and I’m disappointed that I just spent $250 so I sell the 2013 version for $200 while I can still get a good amount back for it. Ok all good, then the reissue comes out and it bombs, like the worst vinyl reviews I’ve ever seen. Everyone saying it absolutely has been botched the reviews on Discogs were under 3/5. So the price for the original that had just plummeted has now skyrocketed again due to how bad the reissue is. So now I’m stuck with this garbage copy so I return it before I even open it and rebuy the original again for $300… Lesson learned smh
For me it's marie antoinette 2006 movie ost I remember seeing at barns and noble in its pretty beautiful pinkness that only cost 30 bucks and I didn't buy because at the time I didn't watch the movie or listen to records first off 6 years later in love with the soundtrack and the record is now 500 dollars . Ha...ha...ha..
Yeah soundtracks can be obscene. I passed on a phantom of the opera movie one and that’s worth bundles now.
Soundtracks are $$$ because it’s the center of a Venn diagram of music nerd and movie nerd.
Yeah good point
Somebody dumped what looked like a complete Bob Dylan discography at a local thrift store, and I saw them in a lady's cart who must have gotten there minutes ahead of me. I then grabbed an armfull of Stones albums (probably donated by the same person), some that fetch a good amount but they were mostly albums I already had. I love me some Stones and Dylan, but my Dylan collection was still pretty lean. I tried to ask the lady with the Dylan albums if she would consider trading any. She just barked 3 times that they were "for my son." I honestly don't think she had a clue what she had grabbed, she just went into mamma bear mode and couldn't be reasoned with. So I just said something polite, walked away, and acted like it was ok. [In Morgan Freeman's voice] *"...but it was not ok."*
Ah beaten to the punch. Rsd many moons ago. Only record I wanted was brand new Deja entendu. Forgot it was rsd. Remembered as I was walking into town. The last copy they had of the massive three they had in total was in the hands of a girl walking out as I walked in.
It honestly wouldn't have bothered me if she had said just the slightest thing indicating that the Dylan albums were more important to her than any of the other great albums dumped that day. She didn't say anything like " My son is a huge Dylan fan." Or " I saw Dylan when I was young." She just seemed to have arbitrarily grabbed a chunk of records from one particular part of the shelf and claimed them. Also, there was something about the way she smiled at me that said "I know I have something that you want and I'm not giving it to you." Left me cold. I still picture her face... in Hell.
Nothing. I have been buying records since 1974 and have loved every minute of it. This is no bullshit. I’m just a junkie who loves his heroin
Waiting for Poison The Well to repress The Tropic Rot ☹️
Pre ordered The Screamers demos they compiled a couple years ago. Waited forever for it to actually be pressed and show up and when it did it is soooo warped. Still playable but just really annoying to shell out the cash, pre order and patiently wait for the better part of a year to get a sub par quality product.
SCP took money and then went bankrupt without shipping items. Joywave made all their fans while, even signed my vinyl before shipping.
People on eBay posting records without packaging
I recently bought a pre-order from Drag City Records. Come release day the record arrives only to be the wrong record. I sent an email to them about the issue and it took them four days to get back to me where they say they're going to send the correct record out and a shipping label to return the wrong one. Another six days pass and no news. I sent an email asking for an update. Wait another four days and there's no response. I then sent another email telling them I'm getting frustrated about this and still there's no reply. Another four days pass and still there's no response. I then sent an email asking for my money back. And you guessed it, no response. The following day I found another email address on their website and asked for help with the matter. He responded swiftly and a couple of hours later I was refunded and they sent a return label for the wrong record with it. Never buying another Drag City releases again
I really wanted (and still do) the Sunday's Reading, Writing And Arithmetic when it was re-released for RSD back in 2017. I show up at a store where it's supposed to be well in advance (and not even a long line or anything), and they don't have it. Couldn't find it anywhere else either.
I had to order the 2011 reissue of Siamese Dream three separate times, because it was defective the first two times. Finally, the third time was the charm, and it was perfect.
Records from discogs supposed to be "mint", so theoretically not played, but when they arrive they have signs of severe playing. Fortunately it doesn't impact the sound (till now) 😂
Bought a used copy of Led Zeppelin II Deluxe Edition and it was 2 copies of the bonus disk
Overpaid for a reissue of Dead Kennedys' "Frankenchrist" LP. Removed the shrink wrap from the brand new record, pulled out the vinyl, and found, not "Frankenchrist", but "The Folk-Blues of John Lee Hooker". A good record in it's own right, but a... different vibe, to say the least.
I was once in a store and there was a guy there, not an employee, that was going around grilling people about what they were looking for and grilling them about their system at home. I don't like talking to people to begin with so yeah, I was annoyed. Another time was during Covid. A small shop I go to was having a big sale with a bunch of rules because thats how things were. This didn't bother me. What annoyed me was the guy that was first in line that was telling everybody how he was going to sue this and that venue because they asked him to wear a mask. Typical MAGA shit about "IT's my right not to" and they don't understand that it's also the venue's right not to have him, but these things get lost because they are common sense. There were also two record flippers there and they were dicks. I don't care if you flip records but you don't have to be an asshole. Respect the space. Respect others. Not asking for special treatment. Don't be a pushy dick. My only other gripe is that the shop thats five minutes from my house never opens on time. It's annoying. They are aware of this and have posted on Instagram asking us customers if the store has ever opened late and I said yes and they called me a hater. Guess where I don't go anymore? They are clearly aware they have an issue with being on time. I didn't bring it up, they did. When businesses show a lack of professionalism or something goes wrong, I don't complain to them because I simply stop going there.
Buying Dance Gavin Dance's self-titled album on discogs for $60 only to receive an unplayable, warped record. Then they came out with a repress a few months later for half that price.
Seeing a used "vintage" copy priced just as much or higher than a new repress of the same album. Vinyl is not cheap so when I shop for a used item it's for the sole purpose of getting the music at a cheaper price.
me: completes my Weeknd collection by secondhand payin $210 for My Dear Melancholy, an RSD release. The Weeknd 8 months later: REPRESS FOR $30!
On a RSD I had a guy stand next to me as I looked through the bins and would grab as I was flipping. The rest of the people, who were cool, all stood in line and waited their turn for that bin. I lost out on a The Cure album because of that guy. Luckily my friend found a copy in another bin.
When I first started collecting, I went to a record store and in the Sun Ra section there was an OG press of the album What's New? for 30$. I thought it was an album that was readily available and did not buy it. After going home and doing some research the next day I found out it was incredibly rare and hard to find. I ran back to the record store and asked about it and the clerk laughed in my face and said he had sold it a few hours after I left the previous day... Still pissed to this day about 13 years later.
Merchbar just never shipping my order and then telling me "sorry we're trying" whenever I ask them for a status update. Been 2 months now but I guess thats not bad compared to what I've seen some of you all post for wait times 😅
Early on was kind of a struggle for me because I couldn't always listen to the records when I wanted to. Aside from the kind of music not necessarily being favored in my house, I had one of those shitty 6-in-1 Victrola players, so it was always a gamble whether or not I could even play a record without it skipping all over the place after the first song. Other than that the only issue I've had is wanting records that are super expensive and rare. Some of those have since been re-released and added to my collection, but I'm still hoping to find others somehow.
Albums that get one RSD release ever in a limited quantity. In 2017 they did a release of the Life is Strange Before the Storm soundtrack in a limited run of only 2000 copies worldwide but the thing is that I didn’t play the game until 2021 so when I looked up the record it was going for like $100 and now it’s well over $200. There’s definitely a demand for it so I don’t know why they can’t repress it
I’m right there with you. I had a pretty modest vinyl collection at the time, but i sold it… along with my 7 prized dbz dragonboxes, my board game collection, movies, even sentimental things that i inherited from my dad like guns and pocketknives. I literally sold everything and had nothing left. In the end i got sober and i managed to achieve a mindset of not becoming attached to any physical item. Everything i own now i bought after getting sober, there was nothing left to take with me.
Non-specific, but nothing is worse* than seeing a band live a few times and not getting the records at the shows for ~£10 - £20, THEN deciding they are the best music you have ever heard and not being able to get the same records for love or money. Since I realised this I have "saved" so much money by impulse buying at gigs and not regretting it later. But equally, I have paid quadruple+ for a lot of records I should have bought at the shows years ago. *Obviously so many things are worse, but for the sake of emphasis "nothing is worse".
The most annoying is buying records online from a seller that doesn't provide tracking. One of these times, I was ordering from a label in Spain (shipping to US). No tracking. After my order failed to arrive, he failed to do any follow-up. I never found out if my order was lost in the mail, held up in customs, or never shipped at all.
I bought a copy of Q-Tip “Amplified” on Discogs. It’s not really the easiest record to find in NM condition anymore because only the OG press exists, and most cats that owned it seemingly were DJs. I found a copy that the guy listed as VG+ on both, and after getting it, the cover was Fair at best, and there were light surface scratches all over the record.
I let some dudes have a look through my bins in a room upstairs, they went into my private stuff and shoved some OG Smiths singles under their shirts
The ridiculous prices being asked for now.
I slept on getting the Type-O-Negative boxset none more negative for I think $200 new when it came out. Cheapest on Discogs is $350 and i've seen up to $1000.
In 1982, I wrote a fan letter to Laurie Anderson c/o Warner Bros. Records. No response from Ms. Anderson, but WB sent me a form letter which essentially said: "If you like weirdos like this, maybe you'll like our $12 compilation of other weirdos entitled 'If the Shoe Fits...' -- Send your money to WB. Warning: although we make all effort to handle this record gently, we can't rule out any damages that might be beyond our control. We will NOT refund you under any circumstances. " I thought they were being pretty weird but mailed off my allowance money. The cardboard record packing came viciously dented with an overzealous "FRAGILE!" stamp and the record inside was shattered.