Topic: On-line Stores & Sellers

[Baron Scarpia]

Presto Classical now have wishlists!

To use your wishlist create an account - you can also view your previous orders as long as you use the email for your account that you used for your old orders.

You can still order without an account, and more account features will follow.

The last time I was on Presto Classical I could find no way to create an account, even after placing an order.

[The new erato]

The last time I was on Presto Classical I could find no way to create an account, even after placing an order.

This is why this is news.....

[Baron Scarpia]

I have bought stacks of used CDs from musicMagpie at AmazonUK.  The discs have always been in excellent condition even if the cases needed replacing.  Delivery to me in Australia has nearly always been within the expected timeline given.  Rare problems were quickly addressed by them and I always leave feedback that includes "highly recommended seller".

My other preferred source for cheap used CDs is decluttr_store on ebay (formerly Estocks USA).  Great bargains regularly pop up and postage is very cheap.  My latest bargain buy was the 43 disc DG set of complete Wagner operas for US$15.99 plus US$1 shipping to Australia.  That came to about AU$22.  On its way now.  Amazing.  I also snapped up the 14CD set of remastered Maria Callas studio recitals for about AU$15 and it was in mint condition.  You have to check regularly and pounce on the real bargains.  For some reason the first time the discs are listed the price is usually US$99, but very quickly they get revised down.  The maximum seems to be US$15.99.  Once again, highly recommended seller.

Continuing the discussion here, since we seem to have digressed into a topic that is more suited to this thread.

I have ordered several things from declutter_store and have been very happy with it.

For things that are available only in the UK, or more cheaply in the UK I have switched to OxfordshireEngland, rather than Zoverstocks. Usually they are within a few pennies on new items and are more reliable in my experience. But I'm still willing to take a chance with Zoverstocks with very cheap used items (like the Diego Fasoli mass in b-minor that they listed for $1.33).

[Baron Scarpia]

Two Zoverstocks orders that were placed less than 2weeks ago arrived today, so maybe they have fixed flaws in their process. I got the McCreech Matthew Passion for $2.50 and the Fasoli Mass I’m b minor for $1.50, so I’m not complaining. Hopefully the discs will rip without errors. Fingers crossed.

[Baron Scarpia]

Didn't like Presto Classical's policy of charging before shipping (even for an item out-of-stock at the distributor which still hadn't shipped after a month). But I like their download service. Seems like FLAC files are generally available for a fair price, and the downloading procedure is painless.

[Baron Scarpia]

Most recent order from Zoverstocks arrived after 2 1/2 weeks, more or less as expected. My faith in them is starting to return.

[SurprisedByBeauty]

MDT is out of business, I take it? 

[Ghost of Baron Scarpia]

MDT is out of business, I take it? 

Haven't visited their site for years. Could be just server problems, I suppose.

[SurprisedByBeauty]

Haven't visited their site for years. Could be just server problems, I suppose.

Social media accounts are gone. Telephone goes unanswered for the last week. And e-mails bounce. (I'm told.) Leads me to assume it is more than just a server problem.

[Ghost of Baron Scarpia]

Social media accounts are gone. Telephone goes unanswered for the last week. And e-mails bounce. (I'm told.) Leads me to assume it is more than just a server problem.

Oh well. I feel a sense of nostalgia, mdt and crotchet were my two sites for overseas CDs back in the day. But both became noncompetitive. There is very little not distributed in the US these days, and amazon.com marketplace sellers always seem to be the cheapest ways to get bargains from the continent.

I remember, before Amazon marketplace, I used to use a site called cdworld.com, long gone.

[The new erato]

A sad world if only amazon's left…..

[SurprisedByBeauty]

A sad world if only amazon's left…..

Not a healthy one, although I'm as guilty as any, not having patronized anyone else. (Except JPC every so often. And very occasionally a store I like.)

[Mirror Image]

A sad world if only amazon's left…..

Yes, but unless something better comes along, it’s all a lot of us have unless you have the luxury of a having a music store near you that stocks all your favorite composers and their prices are competitive with Amazon’s.

[Ghost of Baron Scarpia]

A sad world if only amazon's left…..

If you count distinct Amazon marketplace sellers, I'm patronizing more sources than I did in the pre-amazon era, although Amazon takes a healthy cut of that.

[Que]

The growing lack of  choice in resources is definitely disconcerting...

And Amazon doesn't do much sales on labels or series. Also, market place sellers usually offer the best prices but the shipping costs per individual item sure add up.... jpc offers me  a shopping experience that Amazon doesn’t. As did Swiss DiscPlus and the annual sales at French Abeille Musique, now both gone.

I also dearly miss the experience of physical browsing and surprise discoveries, but the bargain store in my town dissapeared and those times will not return. For used CDs Medimops.de (Momox) has been a convenient source -  next to Amazon, naturally...

Q

[flyingdutchman]

It was Classical Millenium here in Oregon until they up and eliminated that resource.  Now it's just 1-2 rows in the main section.  Don't even go there any more.

[The new erato]

And Amazon doesn't do much sales on labels or series. Also, market place sellers usually offer the best prices but the shipping costs per individual item sure add up....

This. Service and prices are usually superior at shops like mdt and presto. And  marketplace sellers have huge P&P costs to countries like Norway if they ship at all.

[Pat B]

Not a healthy one, although I'm as guilty as any, not having patronized anyone else. (Except JPC every so often. And very occasionally a store I like.)

For now there are still quite a few choices for new CDs: I have bought from presto, jpc, importcds, grooves.land, and alibris (usually from seller Classical Music Superstore aka Naxos USA). (And from Berkshire, though that’s a somewhat different market.) I rarely buy new CDs from amazon, unless I have a credit, because their prices tend to be high.

The used market is a different matter. I sometimes use ebay, or find things at local stores, but amazon marketplace dominates.

[Ghost of Baron Scarpia]

For now there are still quite a few choices for new CDs: I have bought from presto, jpc, importcds, grooves.land, and alibris (usually from seller Classical Music Superstore aka Naxos USA). (And from Berkshire, though that’s a somewhat different market.) I rarely buy new CDs from amazon, unless I have a credit, because their prices tend to be high.

The used market is a different matter. I sometimes use ebay, or find things at local stores, but amazon marketplace dominates.

It never occurs to me to look at eBay or jpc, but my purchases come from.

Amazon (big boxes are often cheapest on amazon proper, and I have Prime for free shipping)
Classical Music Superstore (amazon marketplace, Naxos USA)
importcds (amazon marketplace)
decluttr (amazon marketplace)
Zoverstocks (amazon marketplace, nominally UK based but shipment seem to come from all over)
OxfordshireEngland (amazon marketplace)
importcds.com (sometimes their own web site is a better deal than amazon marketplace version)
Presto Classical (mostly downloads)
and the random amazon seller that has good ratings.

I used to order from Berkshire Record Outlet, but not for years.

I once ordered from a store in a place I had never heard of. Then I moved and found the store was within walking distance of my new home.

[Pohjolas Daughter]

It was Classical Millenium here in Oregon until they up and eliminated that resource.  Now it's just 1-2 rows in the main section.  Don't even go there any more.

I've ordered CDs from several good places in Oregon and also California (used items).  Are Everyday Music and Amoeba (California - a few locations) still around?  I hadn't heard of Classical Millennium before?  Were they a store or strictly online?

PD