On-line Stores & Sellers

Started by Expresso, July 02, 2007, 09:09:12 AM

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DavidW

Quote from: vandermolen on April 28, 2023, 11:52:52 PMI read yesterday that HMV is reopening its flagship store in Oxford Street, London  :)
However I wonder how much classical music will feature. This is partly the result of demand for Vinyl and CDs ( :o ) growing, not to mention the return of the audio-cassette. What goes around comes around!

There is a growing nostalgia for tapes, usually from gen Z who didn't grow up with them!  It is not on par with vinyl though.

Franco_Manitobain

Quote from: DavidW on April 29, 2023, 05:06:24 AMThere is a growing nostalgia for tapes, usually from gen Z who didn't grow up with them!  It is not on par with vinyl though.

Yes, my 17 year old nephew has obtained a lot of used cassette tapes.

VonStupp

Quote from: Que on April 29, 2023, 04:27:20 AMAudio cassettes were a menace!  :o 

Agreed, although I would take an audio cassette over an 8-track.
VS
"All the good music has already been written by people with wigs and stuff."

Madiel

Quote from: Que on April 29, 2023, 04:27:20 AMAudio cassettes were a menace!  :o 

Their advantages - portability and recording ability - are superfluous nowadays.

If the world ran purely on practicality, a great many things would be different.
I am now working on a discography of the works of Vagn Holmboe. Please visit and also contribute!

Spotted Horses

I have to say Prestoclassical is no longer attractive vendor for downloads. I was looking to purchase a lossless download of a Naxos release and was surprised to see it listed for $13.00. I'm sure the price for Naxos releases was lower in the recent past. I found the qobuz download store selling the same release for $5.99.
There are simply two kinds of music, good music and the other kind. - Duke Ellington

DavidW

Quote from: Spotted Horses on May 06, 2023, 09:15:42 PMI have to say Prestoclassical is no longer attractive vendor for downloads. I was looking to purchase a lossless download of a Naxos release and was surprised to see it listed for $13.00. I'm sure the price for Naxos releases was lower in the recent past. I found the qobuz download store selling the same release for $5.99.

Yeah I've already seen Hyperion recordings sold way higher than what you can find straight on their website.

Brian

I'm noticing a recent drop in the number of online US retailers that are viable for new releases. Specifically, the problem is Amazon: I just looked at some new releases and many (the Prokofiev Collector's Edition, Pierne Edition, Prazak Quartet big box, Emerson Quartet big box) say they are imports stocked by Amazon UK that will be shipped from England. I wonder if Amazon is not bothering to ship a lot of new classical into the US until individual requests come through.

This situation has created a price-matching system - now ImportCDs charges about the same as Amazon for any new release (once you count shipping). It's a bit like airlines or internet service providers. Since options are so few, everyone charges the same thing and nobody seems to offer sales.

Spotted Horses

Quote from: Brian on May 11, 2023, 08:30:53 AMI wonder if Amazon is not bothering to ship a lot of new classical into the US until individual requests come through.
Quote from: Brian on May 11, 2023, 08:30:53 AMI'm noticing a recent drop in the number of online US retailers that are viable for new releases. Specifically, the problem is Amazon: I just looked at some new releases and many (the Prokofiev Collector's Edition, Pierne Edition, Prazak Quartet big box, Emerson Quartet big box) say they are imports stocked by Amazon UK that will be shipped from England. I wonder if Amazon is not bothering to ship a lot of new classical into the US until individual requests come through.

This situation has created a price-matching system - now ImportCDs charges about the same as Amazon for any new release (once you count shipping). It's a bit like airlines or internet service providers. Since options are so few, everyone charges the same thing and nobody seems to offer sales.

I don't think that is how it works. The label would import the product and Amazon would buy it from the U.S. distributor. Maybe Amazon decided the local distributor is not offering a decent wholesale price. I noticed the "amazon global store" stuff mostly for stuff that the label hasn't made available in the U.S. for instance, the Talich Quartet's Beethoven Box on La Dolce Volta.
There are simply two kinds of music, good music and the other kind. - Duke Ellington

Brian

Ah that would be a more knowledgeable explanation. So in this case, the marketplace would be complicated because Amazon US is not playing ball with Warner and Universal.

Spotted Horses

Quote from: Brian on May 11, 2023, 10:18:16 AMAh that would be a more knowledgeable explanation. So in this case, the marketplace would be complicated because Amazon US is not playing ball with Warner and Universal.

Something like that.

One irritating thing is the Australian Eloquence seems to do a lousy job of distributing. Things like the Markevitch boxes would have a release date, then it would be announced on the release date that the item was sold out or not available, but weeks later it would be in stock. I'm currently hoping to get the "Martinon, The Philips Legacy" box but it is a wild goose chase, not available except for pricey used copies, no one has a lossless download (although there are rumors the download is available in the UK).
There are simply two kinds of music, good music and the other kind. - Duke Ellington

Madiel

Quote from: Brian on May 11, 2023, 08:30:53 AMSpecifically, the problem is Amazon

Years ahead of you on this one.
I am now working on a discography of the works of Vagn Holmboe. Please visit and also contribute!

Brian

Has anybody had any recent experiences with CD Universe? I am tempted by a current sale which is putting some new releases at good prices (Warner Prokofiev Edition for $65, Dorati in Detroit for $79) but I am alarmed by a new wrinkle on their web shop: an "adult" section with lingerie, toys, and adult films. Even the individual CD listings advertise "Discreet Packaging! Discreet Billing!"

Let's be honest. If I order Alexandre Bloch's Mahler 7 and it arrives in Discreet Packaging, my girlfriend is still gonna know I've been buying CDs again  ;D  ;D

Pohjolas Daughter

Hi Brian,

I'm trying to remember the name of the company that I had ordered from in the past?  It was a large company based in California.  It's been a number of years though since I've ordered for them.  Their prices tended to be on the lower side (which I obviously liked), but boxed sets would sometimes arrive at my house a bit dinged up.  At least then (if this is the same company), they only sold music (maybe movies or concert DVDs--certainly not anything else like you have described.).  I want to say that the name of the business started off with "CD.....).

And, nope!  I just thought to look at my music stores cheat sheet.  The place that I was thinking of is called import cds .com.

And, no, no way to hide boxes of CDs showing up!

Good luck if you do decide to use them.

PD
Pohjolas Daughter

Spotted Horses

Quote from: Brian on May 17, 2023, 09:30:24 AMHas anybody had any recent experiences with CD Universe? I am tempted by a current sale which is putting some new releases at good prices (Warner Prokofiev Edition for $65, Dorati in Detroit for $79) but I am alarmed by a new wrinkle on their web shop: an "adult" section with lingerie, toys, and adult films. Even the individual CD listings advertise "Discreet Packaging! Discreet Billing!"

Let's be honest. If I order Alexandre Bloch's Mahler 7 and it arrives in Discreet Packaging, my girlfriend is still gonna know I've been buying CDs again  ;D  ;D

I have purchased from them, and I logged in just now and their system recognized my login. They show my order history going back to 2006. Most recent order was an opera DVD in 2010.

Anyway, I'm impressed at how stable their site is, most places update and loose your data every few years.
There are simply two kinds of music, good music and the other kind. - Duke Ellington

Madiel

I'm about to go do one of my bouts of purchasing (even though I still haven't finished listening to certain things from my last bout in, um, December 2020...)

And it hit me that all of my preferred sellers are in Europe.

What's in North America besides Amazon? Arkivmusic is one, right? Though I gather people are less happy with it now. But what other USA/Canada stores are worth a look?
I am now working on a discography of the works of Vagn Holmboe. Please visit and also contribute!

Spotted Horses

#1535
There's the above mentioned cduniverse.com, and importcds.com. Also, Berkshire record outlet which specializes in discounted overstocks (they don't have a complete catalog) but I've heard they don't offer good service out of country. But there are numerous on-line stores that I notice coming up on amazon marketplace and/or eBay searches.
There are simply two kinds of music, good music and the other kind. - Duke Ellington

Brian

importcds.com with an S

However it depends on whether you want back catalogue stuff or new releases. For new releases, see the discussion above about Amazon in battles with various distributors. Even now many Amazon new releases of classical are coming from the UK site. This is having knock-on effects on various other US retailers because with no discounter in the market, everyone goes more or less straight down the line on suggested retail price.

Madiel

I almost always want back catalogue. It takes me years to make decisions.  ;D
I am now working on a discography of the works of Vagn Holmboe. Please visit and also contribute!

Madiel

Quote from: Spotted Horses on June 18, 2023, 06:52:07 AMThere's the above mentioned cduniverse.com, and importcds.com. Also, Berkshire record outlet which specializes in discounted overstocks (they don't have a complete catalog) but I've heard they don't offer good service out of country. But there are numerous on-line stores that I notice coming up on amazon marketplace and/or eBay searches.

Thank you for the suggestions, but... having had a quick look at them I doubt I've been missing out on much! None of them really look like better options than the sites I already prefer (Presto, Europadisc, JPC for certain things) or some of the eBay sellers.

Maybe I'll try Berkshire occasionally to see if they have stuff I can't otherwise find, but so many sites give me little confidence that they will actually have old things - CD universe merrily showed me one of my search results only to say "no longer available" once I clicked through to the album's individual page. Or that the metadata is in a good enough state to handle classical releases.

Europadisc is impressing me more and more, and for my big order last night they ended up getting more of my business than Presto, which might be a first (and I still do like Presto a lot, it's just that they now have proper competition for my business). Dynamic searching as you type, and really clear information about availability. I also sent them an email about the things in my order that might not actually be available and they responded within a few hours, on a Sunday.
I am now working on a discography of the works of Vagn Holmboe. Please visit and also contribute!

Spotted Horses

Quote from: Madiel on June 18, 2023, 04:03:14 PMThank you for the suggestions, but... having had a quick look at them I doubt I've been missing out on much! None of them really look like better options than the sites I already prefer (Presto, Europadisc, JPC for certain things) or some of the eBay sellers.

Maybe I'll try Berkshire occasionally to see if they have stuff I can't otherwise find, but so many sites give me little confidence that they will actually have old things - CD universe merrily showed me one of my search results only to say "no longer available" once I clicked through to the album's individual page. Or that the metadata is in a good enough state to handle classical releases.

Europadisc is impressing me more and more, and for my big order last night they ended up getting more of my business than Presto, which might be a first (and I still do like Presto a lot, it's just that they now have proper competition for my business). Dynamic searching as you type, and really clear information about availability. I also sent them an email about the things in my order that might not actually be available and they responded within a few hours, on a Sunday.

I have found importcds.com useful for big box new releases, especially eloquence releases, where they beat all other site I know of on price. Nowadays I mostly get used CDs from Amazon marketplace sellers, or lossless downloads from prestoclassical.com or qobuz.com, depending on which is cheaper and whether booklets are available with the downloads. 
There are simply two kinds of music, good music and the other kind. - Duke Ellington