Rarusnet The Collectors Megastore - Any Good?

[Jazzsphere2005]

Hey anyone out there used Rarus Net or know anything about them, amongst many collectables they seems to have a few tasty (and pricey), OOP Mosaics -

http://www.rarusnet.com/main.php?cPath=1_2_3_227

Rarus Net appears to be based in Greece, I am contemplating calling them to check them out, but thought I'd ask the Jazzbo community first.

I guess the stock may all be owned by one guy, or it could be all the greek collectors trying to help clear the country's debt.

[Dave James]

If this is for real, I'm blown away. It's almost exclusively LP sets, but they have multiple copies (many times six or more) of some long, long OOP Mosaics including The Complete Commodore Sessions Vol. 1, 2 & 3, Clifford Brown, Tina Brooks, Bud Powell, Monk, Pepper, Hodes...pretty much you name it, they've got it.

They only give the prices on a handful of items. On the vast majority they say "Ask For Price". That makes me wonder if they really have these in stock, although in many instances they do provide the release sequence number. If this is indicative of the cost, they're asking 820 Euros for The Basie Roulette Studio set. That's about $1,116 U.S., so this stuff ain't cheap. Nonetheless, if you were someone with unlimited resources who was seriously into collecting Mosaic LP boxes, this would be like opening up King Tut's tomb.

Edited November 23, 2010 by Dave James

[Jazzsphere2005]

I have had a good look about and it appears to be a genuine online emporium. Things are tough in Greece so I can imagine a lot of people may be selling off collections. Some of the other stuff is amazing too - 1930s Armagnacs, Swords, Rare Malts and the other non-mosaic jazz box sets are a treasure trove as well. The fact its vinyl is a positive for some, me included. Apparently its priced as people ask for the prices - similar to a lot of antique markets in the uk where many store holders can be under one roof. I have requested a few prices so I will see what appears tomorrow.

Edited November 23, 2010 by Jazzsphere2005

[Dave James]

A couple of other comments. I notice that you can change operative currencies by using a drop down menu at the top of the page. There's also a spot where you can ask for a different sort, e.g. high to low price, but it doesn't seem to work to well. If you can get it to work, it will display the items that have a price listing first.

This may very well be the on-line equivalent of a consignment operation (like an antique store) where the store acts as a clearing house for a small percentage of the take. Lastly, these are almost all LP sets. Before I spent anywhere near that kind of money they're asking, I'd want some guarantees about the condition of the vinyl and the packaging. Given that this shop is located in Greece, I'd hate to try and get my money back if grading became an issue.

Even if you aren't interested in buying anything, it's pretty fascinating to see what these guys have on offer and, as Jazzsphere2005 points out, it's not just music, but lots of other interesting, collectible stuff.

Edited November 23, 2010 by Dave James