On-line Stores & Sellers

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

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john-in-toronto

I recently used eClassical.com in Sweden to download legal MP3's.  The prices are good and the selection is decent.  Amazon.com (USA) has a huge selection but won't sell to Canada.  Amazon.ca (Canada) sells only CD's.

What I most appreciated was eClassical's personal response to my questions - even on Sunday!

John McKean - Toronto, Canada

Bulldog

Quote from: opus67 on April 20, 2008, 10:48:57 AM
I searched for references for this site in this forum, but none turned up. Anyway, has anyone bought classical CDs from overstock.com? If so, could you please share you experiences (good/bad/so-so)? :)

For example, consider these deals

Kempff's Stereo Cycle of Beethoven Sonatas for just under $39! :o :o
http://www.overstock.com/Books-Movies-Music-Games/Beethoven-The-Piano-Sonatas-Wilhelm-Kempff/562545/product.html

Schubert's for $34! :o :o
http://www.overstock.com/Books-Movies-Music-Games/Schubert-The-Piano-Sonatas-Wilhelm-Kempff/589867/product.html

And the Schumann Pinao works for $18! :o :o
http://www.overstock.com/Books-Movies-Music-Games/Schumann-Piano-Works-Wilhelm-Kempff/505060/product.html

Although they don't seem to have a collection as extensive as Amazon does, these first two sets don't sell for less than $50 at amazon.com. I'd like your opinion on this seller. Thanks.

It appears that none of the above sets are in stock.  Maybe their name should be nostock.com

Sef

Quote from: john-in-toronto on September 23, 2008, 10:14:06 AM
I recently used eClassical.com in Sweden to download legal MP3's.  The prices are good and the selection is decent.  Amazon.com (USA) has a huge selection but won't sell to Canada.  Amazon.ca (Canada) sells only CD's.

What I most appreciated was eClassical's personal response to my questions - even on Sunday!

John McKean - Toronto, Canada

I have used eClassical a few times and was impressed with their prices and service and, as you say, the selection is decent. They offer mp3s at 190 and 320 kbits with no DRM. They also keep a history of your purchases so that you can re-download should you be unfortunate enough to lose your copy.
"Do you think that I could have composed what I have composed, do you think that one can write a single note with life in it if one sits there and pities oneself?"

Opus106

I noticed today that two European stores, one from the U.K. (PrestoClassical), and the other from Germany (JPC), have started displaying prices in Dollars as well. (PC also displays your country of origin and lets you choose between three currencies.)

Is this some new rule? I find it convenient, though. 
Regards,
Navneeth

Maciek

I think that jpc has had that option for quite a while...?

Que

Quote from: Maciek on November 20, 2008, 10:59:57 AM
I think that jpc has had that option for quite a while...?

Indeed, and MDT.

Q

Maciek

I know that musicroom.com has had it for at least a couple of months too.

Opus106

Hm. I know about MDT, but I don't recollect seeing it at JPC before.
Regards,
Navneeth

Lethevich

Probably taking advantage of the weaker £ against the dollar. Usually no US person in their right mind would buy from the UK due to the exchange rate, and how cheaply single discs sell for there.

Anyway on topic: I've used MDT a lot - very good as everybody can attest to (in fact, they set the standard) - and I recent placed an order with Europadisc (due to MDT not stocking Brilliant Classics), and this also went well. They took a few days to dispatch it, but it arrived well packaged in a strong box and bubble-wrapped, preventing even minor dents in the card boxes of the multi-CD sets. For UK buyers, this seems to be a nice place to pick up Brilliant boxes - I had to exercise a lot of willpower not to buy more than I did. The free UK shipping was the icing on the cake - the price bracket being lower than MDT, IIRC.
Peanut butter, flour and sugar do not make cookies. They make FIRE.

The new erato

And for us outside the UK, postage is lower from europadisc. But MDT usually have slightly better prices and a wider range available on special offer, as well as a much better, and easier to navigate, website. 75% of my mail order business comes from MDT I guess. Besides those two, I've used cduniverse (quite a lot until about 3-4 months ago but not now because of the strong dollar), alapage, jpc, buywell, fnac and various amazon, but to a quite limited degree.

Opus106

Have you ever bought from Presto? The have a discount on box sets right now, and even though it's the Pound v Dollar thing, the current prices are much less than the "un-discounted" American price. Also, they have a better shipping rate (International).
Regards,
Navneeth

mn dave

I'm in the US and have used MDT on a couple occasions with excellent results.

Fëanor

#112
Quote from: john-in-toronto on September 23, 2008, 10:14:06 AM
I recently used eClassical.com in Sweden to download legal MP3's.  The prices are good and the selection is decent.  Amazon.com (USA) has a huge selection but won't sell to Canada.  Amazon.ca (Canada) sells only CD's.
...

For Canadians, Amazon.ca is good if they have what you want and if you place a large enough order to qualify for free shipping.

I really like ArkivMusic in the U.S.  They have an outstanding selection including "ArkivCDs" that are basically reissues that aren't available elsewhere.  Their search system is unique and also uniquely useful for finding what you what;  this is especially true for SACDs.  They deliver very efficiently and at reasonable cost to Canada (and presumably other "foreign" countries).  Unfortunately for us Canucks, with the end of sky-high oil prices the Canadian dollar has sagged very severely against the US$, so ordering from the U.S. has become pretty costly.

I don't really download, not because I'm against it in principal, but because I refuse to download MP3 or other "lossy" formats.  Any one know sites that have lossless FLAC for download plus decent selection?

Maciek

What? Naive has lost its UK distributor? And just before Christmas? :o :o :-\ >:( >:(

There clearly has to be a conspiracy.

Opus106

Yipee! I now have online access to a locally-based store. This is the place I usually buy my CDs from. While they've been running an online bookshop for quite some time, their music section is new. Of course, this can't hold a candle to those in the U.S. and Europe with a small collection and a crude search method (and not to mention the lack of information on many CDs), I'm glad I have access at least to the basic repertoire from the comfort of the computer.

http://www.landmarkonthenet.com/Product/ShowCategory.aspx?CatID=67&ProductType=MUSIC&Index=2
Regards,
Navneeth

Que

Quote from: opus67 on December 06, 2008, 10:55:03 PM
Yipee! I now have online access to a locally-based store. This is the place I usually buy my CDs from. While they've been running an online bookshop for quite some time, their music section is new. Of course, this can't hold a candle to those in the U.S. and Europe with a small collection and a crude search method (and not to mention the lack of information on many CDs), I'm glad I have access at least to the basic repertoire from the comfort of the computer.

http://www.landmarkonthenet.com/Product/ShowCategory.aspx?CatID=67&ProductType=MUSIC&Index=2

I didn't realize that you live in India!  :)
Always good to see that members come from all over the globe.

Q

Opus106

Quote from: Que on December 06, 2008, 11:41:00 PM
I didn't realize that you live in India!  :)
Always good to see that members come from all over the globe.

Q

Well, now you know. :)
Regards,
Navneeth

ChamberNut

Ordering on-line, I've always ordered from either Amazon (both Can. and US) and Barnes & Noble (US).

I've recently been browsing ArkivMusic (US), and this seems to me to be the best database of classical music I've come across, so far.

Has anyone ordered from ArkivMusic in the past, and also from Amazon/B&N?  How do they compare?  The prices on Arkiv also seem to be pretty reasonable for the most part.

mn dave

Quote from: ChamberNut on December 09, 2008, 07:24:19 AM
Ordering on-line, I've always ordered from either Amazon (both Can. and US) and Barnes & Noble (US).

I've recently been browsing ArkivMusic (US), and this seems to me to be the best database of classical music I've come across, so far.

Has anyone ordered from ArkivMusic in the past, and also from Amazon/B&N?  How do they compare?  The prices on Arkiv also seem to be pretty reasonable for the most part.

I think Amazon is the best (I'm talking about Amazon Marketplace for the most part). Better deals in general. They're all trustworthy.

Fëanor

Quote from: ChamberNut on December 09, 2008, 07:24:19 AM
Ordering on-line, I've always ordered from either Amazon (both Can. and US) and Barnes & Noble (US).

I've recently been browsing ArkivMusic (US), and this seems to me to be the best database of classical music I've come across, so far.

Has anyone ordered from ArkivMusic in the past, and also from Amazon/B&N?  How do they compare?  The prices on Arkiv also seem to be pretty reasonable for the most part.

I have often purchased from ArkivMusic and have always been very satisfied with their service even though I live in Canada so service is cross-border which adds some delay.  They tend to make partial shipments that originate in different locations, however this really isn't a problem and ensures quickest deliver I suppose.  I highly recommend them.

ArkivMusic's selection is pretty much unsurpassed, and I really like their search & drill-down facilties which are definitely unsurpassed.