On-line Stores & Sellers

[Kalevala]

I think Supraphon has a separate web site in English, which doesn't have downloads.

I found this: 

"The beginning of 2008 marked another milestone for SUPRAPHON: it is now possible to download SUPRAPHON's recordings from online stores around whole world as iTunes, Amazon, Napster, Spotify, eMusic, Rhapsody and other online stores.

The constantly expanding selection of available recordings includes older titles as well as our newest ones, and music lovers can of course download individual tracks or entire albums. Don't hesitate to take advantage of the fastest and easiest way to get your favorite music from SUPRAPHON!

    Spotify/ Deezer/ iTunes/ Amazon/ eMusic/ Rhapsody"

K

[steve ridgway]

I found this: 

"The beginning of 2008 marked another milestone for SUPRAPHON: it is now possible to download SUPRAPHON's recordings from online stores around whole world as iTunes, Amazon, Napster, Spotify, eMusic, Rhapsody and other online stores.

The constantly expanding selection of available recordings includes older titles as well as our newest ones, and music lovers can of course download individual tracks or entire albums. Don't hesitate to take advantage of the fastest and easiest way to get your favorite music from SUPRAPHON!

    Spotify/ Deezer/ iTunes/ Amazon/ eMusic/ Rhapsody"

K

Their Czech online store sells downloads from many labels, not just their own.

[Spotted Horses]

Their Czech online store sells downloads from many labels, not just their own.

Yes, it was an RCA box set I got from Supraphon.cz. I visited Supraphon.com and I did not find anything for sale on the site, just links to other retailers (such as amazon) where music could be purchased.

[Spotted Horses]

FWIW, my wife placed an order for some clothing from a retailer in the Netherlands (shipped to the US). A tariff of about 20% as assessed on a $260 dollar purchase (to be paid to the shipper, UPS, before delivery). This is unprecedented in the US, although similar to the experience we had in Canada.) Among other things, this indicates the waiver of tariffs on relatively small value purchases has been removed. There is a universal tariff of 10% on everything, the excess may be applicable to clothing.

The really annoying thing is that there is no simple way to figure out what tariff would be applied to any given purchase, until you get the bill. This will certainly discourage me from the experiment of purchasing any physical media from overseas.

[JBS]

FWIW, my wife placed an order for some clothing from a retailer in the Netherlands (shipped to the US). A tariff of about 20% as assessed on a $260 dollar purchase (to be paid to the shipper, UPS, before delivery). This is unprecedented in the US, although similar to the experience we had in Canada.) Among other things, this indicates the waiver of tariffs on relatively small value purchases has been removed. There is a universal tariff of 10% on everything, the excess may be applicable to clothing.

The really annoying thing is that there is no simple way to figure out what tariff would be applied to any given purchase, until you get the bill. This will certainly discourage me from the experiment of purchasing any physical media from overseas.

As an addendum, my most recent order from Prestoclassic landed today. I didn't need to pay any extra tariff or tax. Order amount as $122US.  So CD orders from England seem to be safe.

[Brian]

US tariff laws exempt intellectual property (e.g. recordings, films, publications).

[Madiel]

There's that, and there's also Presto's extreme competence when it comes to this sort of thing. One of the reasons I keep using them is because they handle Australian currency AND tax laws extremely smoothly, such that I know exactly what I'll be paying.

(A few years back this was in sharp contrast to Amazon, possibly the world's largest retailer, threatening to shut down sales to Australia on the grounds that it would be far to difficult for them to handle the tax change that was coming in. Amazon gave in after seeing a huge backlash from Australian customers, who blamed Amazon far more than they blamed the Australian government. Turns out Amazon was perfectly capable of handling the taxes, they just didn't WANT to - which we all knew from the start.)

[Spotted Horses]

US tariff laws exempt intellectual property (e.g. recordings, films, publications).

That would apply to electronically transferred media, but physical media such as blue ray discs, etc, are tangible products and subject to tariff (according to some sources).

I don't think we know how this will play out yet, tariffs were threatened, applied, suspended, threatened again. I think all that is effective now is the base 10% across-the-board tariff.

[Madiel]

Oh look, how is anybody supposed to keep track? The US President sends out letters to countries when he feels like it, or announces things, and there's absolutely no guarantee that that's what is going to happen anyway - putting aside the apparent questions about his legal authority to make the announcements, there's zero guarantee that he won't change his mind 2 days later.

So nobody can plan anything. Which more than one commentator has pointed out is the single biggest problem with the strategy on a large scale. On the scale of individual American consumers, you really have little option but to guess and take your chances. Even if you solely buy things from within the USA, I'm not sure to what degree that will insulate you because the people you're buying from might be getting their stock from overseas. A product you want might only be made overseas.

The only sure way to avoid the inconsistencies from day to day is to stop buying things, basically.

[SonicMan46]

Sad - just received the attached email from BRO -    Dave

[T. D.]

Sad - just received the attached email from BRO -    Dave

Me too. Been a customer for almost 30 years. I'll miss them. 

[Kalevala]

So sorry to hear that news.   

K

[DavidW]

Thanks for the heads-up, Dave. It is the end of an era. I always reveled in ordering giant boxes of CDs from them. Streaming killed that. But I'm happy that I ordered from them a couple of years ago.

[ritter]

Sad indeed. I haven't bought from BRO in a while, but about 15 years ago I got some very rare stuff from them (the Bussotti recordings on Ricordi, for instance, that were very difficult to get here in Europe).

This side of the Atlantic, Melomania in Paris announced that they close both their physical shop on the Blvd. Saint-Germain and there on-line store (although they hint at a reopening of the latter after the summer — let's see).

Melomania specialised in used CDs, but usually in near- mint condition (except, often, the hinges that hold the discs — whoever came up with that design when CDs first appeared should be summarily court-martialed!). Some really rare stuff could sometimes be found on their site.

Seems like the end of an era...

[T. D.]

De\\

Sad indeed. ...
Seems like the end of an era...

Agreed. I bought much less from them in recent years, combination of (a) "big labels" reissuing their back catalogues in ultra-budget priced megaboxes and (b) becoming less fond of "gambling" on obscure things.

But I just received my first BRO order in four years (placed late last week), and it could be the final one. 

[Madiel]

Aargh. I've never used Berkshire, but someone here put me onto Melomania and I got a couple of real rarities from them. Including a CD I thought I'd never get a physical copy of.

[Que]

Sad - just received the attached email from BRO -    Dave

OMG!    The end of an era....

I made some really big orders with them ahead of family visits to the US.
Fortunately never had an issue with Dutch customs on the way back.