complete editions- Box sets

[George]

Exorbitant shipping is one of the reasons I've never been able to take advantage of an MDT "sale". In the case of box sets the shipping is often higher than the price of the box itself!

(Of course, this only goes for "second category" EU countries and probably also overseas.)

I suppose the fact that the CDs are in jewel cases helps to explain the cost. A friend on another forum pointed out that the shipping is just a little over $1 per disc and ordering them separately would cost $3 or more each to ship.

[haydnguy]

Another "Complete" hits the deck! 


                      (click picture)
Q

I was wondering if anyone had listened to these and had an opinion of them...  Thanks!!

[George]

I was wondering if anyone had listened to these and had an opinion of them...  Thanks!!

I'm sure most of it has been released before, if you know which recordings were used, I can offer my opinions of the stuff I have heard.

[Lilas Pastia]

I suppose the fact that the CDs are in jewel cases helps to explain the cost. A friend on another forum pointed out that the shipping is just a little over $1 per disc and ordering them separately would cost $3 or more each to ship.

I don't know about that. Berkshire charges a flat fee and then adds a per disc cost. It's reasonable if the delivery is in the States, but outragous if not. And yet when you receive the shipment, jewel case hinges are broken, centre prongs are all over the place except in the center, etc. In my experience single disc shipments come in better shape than multi disc ones. Why, oh, why ??

[George]

In my experience single disc shipments come in better shape than multi disc ones. Why, oh, why ??

In mine it entirely depends upon the seller. Some sellers ship in a sturdy box with air padding and some don't. 

[Dancing Divertimentian]

I don't know about that. Berkshire charges a flat fee and then adds a per disc cost. It's reasonable if the delivery is in the States, but outragous if not. And yet when you receive the shipment, jewel case hinges are broken, centre prongs are all over the place except in the center, etc. In my experience single disc shipments come in better shape than multi disc ones. Why, oh, why ??

Why, oh, why, indeed. It's certainly a crap-shoot.

But with Berkshire I've had nothing but good luck. Rigid, well insulated boxes with nary a cracked CD case or broken prong. Knock on wood...

[Lilas Pastia]

It's the cold. It has to be the cold. It's a well known fact that jewel cases crack and prongs litterally explode when temperature drops precipitously (airbags failed to protect the latest shipment).

But I'm a grown man, I can take it. My heart bleeds, but I brace myself. It's the music that counts (repeated as a mantra).

[Dancing Divertimentian]

Preach it, brother.

[Martin Lind]

I think if you buy this set from Brilliant you are well on your way:



It may or may not be complete but you get 40 CDs for under $50.

But there is also a complete  60 CD Brahms box from Brilliant as well, at least in Germany, for 50 Euros.



Regards
Martin

[OzRadio]

I've been watching the Haydn set on Tower records, as it's been considerably cheaper there than any other US site I've found. I pulled the trigger yesterday with the arrival of some birthday money and got it for 141$, less than a dollar a cd. It had crept up a couple dollars the past weeks. Then today I check again just for kicks and it's jumped to 157$. This is still cheaper than other US sites but what would cause these price swings? Now I'm waiting for a good deal on the Brahms set. amazon.de had several of these Brilliant boxes for 50 pounds but they've jumped to 80 in the last week. Missed my chance.
Ryan

[Coopmv]

I don't know about that. Berkshire charges a flat fee and then adds a per disc cost. It's reasonable if the delivery is in the States, but outragous if not. And yet when you receive the shipment, jewel case hinges are broken, centre prongs are all over the place except in the center, etc. In my experience single disc shipments come in better shape than multi disc ones. Why, oh, why ??

I had some recent horrible shipping experience with Amazon, which in the past has always been one of the best.  Two out of the three CD's I ordered arrived with a busted CD jewel case ...