How to lose a customer

[pasta]

there's a record store in st pete, florida......none of their records are priced, you have to ask. they go to gemm.com and the guide, then high end you all the time anyway. the people there have always been nice to deal with, and i will admit, i've overpaid there a few times to get stuff i wanted in good shape. today i go in there, and here's a mono blue note of delightfulee.......some scratches, cover worn, split a bit on the bottom, also on top. the guy, who explains to me that it's a "microgroove" like ALL BLUE WHITE LABEL BLUE NOTES DON'T HAVE THAT STAMPED ON THEM...........then puts a sticker on it- $79.99 after looking in the guide................uh, i walked. called the place from home and asked how they figure a record in that condition which maxes at 120 in the guide can be that much dough. got a mouthful of greek salad, they're international dealers, etc. yeah, i say, but it ain't an 80 dollar copy of the record..........i also say hey, i've been a true blue loyal customer.........and the owner says he doesn't want to lose me as a customer, and asks if i'll pay 60. i say keep it, good luck in the international business.....absolutely no love of the music, and the good old american ethic of maybe giving their regulars a little bone now and then? forget it. this guy like to price 12 dollar high end cti and mainstream records 40 bucks and up. i know it's a collector's market, but..........................

Edited June 18, 2005 by pasta

[wolff]

I see nothing wrong with what they did and you seem like a whiner.

Why are you interested in a beat up, mono Delightfulee?? You sound like a neurotic collector. As one, you should know it goes for $100-150 all the time, in great shape.

He priced it at $80, then offered it to you for $60. Sounds like he tried to treat you right.

Also, to publically ridicule this guy, in the manner you have, makes you seem like a real jerk.

Edited June 18, 2005 by wolff

[pasta]

Uh, yeah. Name calling. Swell. Not a neurotic collector, a fan of the music. I will gladly pay top dollar for stuff in top dollar shape. Also, I will pay what's right for something NOT in top dollar shape. May also have something to do with my mentality- if I have a copy of something you like, and you're a friend, hey, it's yours. The same goes for my friends to me. And as far as ridiculing him in "public".... I never ridculed him. Just warning any other potential buyers. If he feels he can tell it like it is about being an international dealer, then I feel I can also. Caveat Venditor? Caveat Emptor. I really love this forum. I read the forums every day, even if I don't post. Members like you, wolff, and JSngry, etc., all get loads of respect from me as far as your obvious knowledge and love of the music goes. Cannot argue that compared to you guys, I'm a novice. But really, I don't appreciate being called a "whiner" or "jerk".........in private, or "public".

[pasta]

Edited my original post, removed name of record store. You're a bunch of smart folks, you'll figure out which one it is anyway, St Pete is big, but not that big.

[wolff]

Why do you want a very, very, very rare original, mono Delightfulee?

You insult me my by saying, you are in it for the music. You say "collectability is ruining the fun". When collectors(and you are one if you want this LP) say this it just cracks me up!!!!

And, when someone did not give you this highly collectable item(read-nothing to do with the music) at a better price, you tell him to f.. off on a public forum.

Bad form!!!

Edited June 18, 2005 by wolff

[wolff]

Edited my original post, removed name of record store.

←

That's better.

[pasta]

wollf, I really could care less if it's an original mono copy or a reissue on I dunno, a 2005 reissue on "Jazz Happy" records or something. It's NICE to have original copies, but...........I am just as happy with say, my $8.99 reissue of Roll Call. Anyway, I meant what I said about all the members on this forum whose opinions I value. Sorry you don't believe me, but for me it IS about the music. I am just a listener, not a musician at all.......I love the music. That is PRECISELY why the guy got me so pissed.............it's $$$$ to him............that's all, just income. But he is a business man........anyway.......Sorry to offend, sorry you can't believe that I'm in it for the music. In the future, will THINK more before posting.

[wolff]

wollf, I really could care less if it's an original mono copy or a reissue on I dunno, a 2005 reissue on "Jazz Happy" records or something. It's NICE to have original copies, but...........I am just as happy with say, my $8.99 reissue of Roll Call. Anyway, I meant what I said about all the members on this forum whose opinions I value. Sorry you don't believe me, but for me it IS about the music. I am just a listener, not a musician at all.......I love the music. That is PRECISELY why the guy got me so pissed.............it's $$$$ to him............that's all, just income. But he is a business man........anyway.......Sorry to offend, sorry you can't believe that I'm in it for the music.  In the future, will THINK more before posting.

←

Cool!

Thing is, it's a collectable record and, like you said, he's in business to make a little money. I find little fault in what he did.

It's like you blame him alone for the collectability issue.

Why not blame all the collectors(and I'm one, at times) for the collectability of this LP?

Anyway, this LP is not true mono. It's just folded down stereo and has no collectability to me as I have a super mint original stereo.

[pasta]

See what I mean? I did NOT know it was a fold down! I consider myself to have the following Lee Morgan stuff on LP:

LEE MORGAN- LEE-WAY

LEE MORGAN- THE SIDEWINDER

LEE MORGAN- THE RUMPROLLER

LEE MORGAN- THE SIXTH SENSE

LEE MORGAN- CARAMBA

LEE MORGAN- S/T

Looks like more trawling for reissues...........But then again, there's always the lucky scores............f'r instance, the Caramba I got? Sweet shape with a tiny touch of cover wear for five smacks. Okay, wolff, point taken..........!

[pasta]

duuuuh, consider myself LUCKY to have...............

[sidewinder]

  As one, you should know it goes for $100-150 all the time, in great shape.

←

Really? I think I paid about $20-25 for a pretty good copy (of the original stereo, not the mono).

[wolff]

  As one, you should know it goes for $100-150 all the time, in great shape.

←

Really? I think I paid about $20-25 for a pretty good copy (of the original stereo, not the mono).

←

Yes, that's what I paid for my stereo, too. The mono is a different story.

[sidewinder]

Sounds like fritterin' good money away to me

[rostasi]

This guy shows a near mint mono for $82.11 for anyone interested:

Lee

and a "Very Good Plus LP with near Mint cover: "1984, re, Cadre Rouge Audiophile Edition, obi, poster insert"

for $18.00

Lee too

---

Now playing: Dettinger - Oasis III

[sidewinder]

Wasn't this one of the LPs that was released around the time of the NY USA to Liberty transition? Most of the copies I have seen are Liberty pressings but occasionally you come across the NY USA.

[clifford_thornton]

I dunno, if the dude was calling it a 'microgroove' and looking it up on Gemm, I side with pasta... weak in my opinion, without much knowledge of the record even apart from the music contained (which, IMHO, isn't that great either). People do this Gemm- or eBay-research all the time, but if they had any idea how fickle these markets were, rather than 'oh, I saw that Lee Morgan for $200 last week on eBay so I'll sell it to you for $175' shit, they might get a better grasp on what these things are really 'worth.' Uggh, it hits me right under the skin.

He should've offered it for $40, considering the condition. I'd be hard pressed to spend $150 on that title anyway... again, it's not that good. I probably would've sent Pasta my stereo copy if I hadn't unloaded it already.

And yes, I understand 'business' but I don't understand certain 'business practices' which involve the maxed-out e-pricing. People pay far more impulsively in auction than they ever would in a store.

[JSngry]

Find the CD, get the bonus cuts, and get on with it.

[Tjazz]

The dealer can always ASK for the sky.

How much did you offer the dealer? The dealer wants to know what you want to pay? You can bargain from there...

Seems like PASTA never engaged the dealer with any price. Just kept asking.

[porcy62]

Anyway, this LP is not true mono. It's just folded down stereo and has no collectability to me as I have a super mint original stereo.

←

Interesting information. How do you know when a BN, or any RVG, mono is folded down?

[wolff]

Interesting information. How do you know when a BN, or any RVG, mono is folded down?

←

This is what I was told by a very reliable source, but I do not claim that it is 100% accurate, but knowing the source it's what I go by.

After November 1958 there was only a single master tape prepared for each LP, ending the previous era wherein mono and stereo versions had different editing (often a solo or two inserted from alternate takes into the master take and new intros or endings inserted, but differently for mono vs. stereo) and where sometimes either the mono or the stereo tapes had not survived to the present day.

...After 1958 and certainly 100% by late 1962 the stereo master was the SOURCE of the mono disk, not some separate and distinct mono master tape.

[AllenLowe]

boy, this does get silly, proving Pasta was 100% correct in his original post - besides, I still have that $900 Nat Cole waiting for a mark to purchase it - or maybe I should refer to the purchaser as a john -

[Jazzmoose]

pasta, I've gotta admit, if I walk into a store that has nothing priced, requiring you to ask "how much", I find the door immediately. Even if they highball and expect you to counteroffer from there, they've at least got to have their asking price on it for me. I mean hell, let's have a little professionalism if you're running a business...

[wolff]

if I walk into a store that has nothing priced, requiring you to ask "how much", I find the door immediately. 

←

Yep, I hate these places, too. Never been back.

My main bitches about the original post was the way he ripped the guy a new asshole in public(giving his name and using strong language), and that collectability of rare LP's is ruining the fun of collecting music.

Collectability may be ruining the fun of collecting rare collectable LP's, but not collecting music. LMAO.... It's kinda like saying, "the NBA players down at my local YMCA are ruining the fun in playing basketball."

Improve your game or STFU and go somewhere else.

Edited June 18, 2005 by wolff

[rostasi]

pasta, I've gotta admit, if I walk into a store that has nothing priced, requiring you to ask "how much", I find the door immediately.  Even if they highball and expect you to counteroffer from there, they've at least got to have their asking price on it for me.  I mean hell, let's have a little professionalism if you're running a business...

←

Could be worse. We gotta guy here who's been in business since the 70's.

He looks you over and then tells you the price.

Your attractiveness and (potential) sexuality is what determines the final price.

Creep he is...

---

Now playing: Ivor Cutler - Gruts For Tea

Edited June 18, 2005 by rostasi

[Soul Stream]

Find the CD, get the bonus cuts, and get on with it.

←

Yes. I've got quite a few original Blue Notes...but you know what...I NEVER play them. It's rare that I even play my CDs for God's sakes these days!!!!! Everything's on my iTunes!

I used to think it was fun to have a real deal Blue Note. But the truth is, they sit on my shelf unadmired.

And another thought. I used to work at a Pawnshop for many years. Haggling was part of the job. When someone thought I was being unreasonabley high price-wise, I just told them "fine, don't buy it." And that's the bottom line, that record store may be sky high in your opinion. But it's THEIR perogative to ask whatever the hell price they want to ask. If it's too high they go out of business. But getting bent out of shape about 80 bucks for a beat mono copy of Deelightful....well, I'm sure Ebay should straighten the market out for you.