How the "8 CDs for Penny" Club Worked

[@bradley163]

As a music-obsessed tween who sent in those pesky mailers and recieved a ton of CDs(and never paid for them😏), I have zero regrets. It helped me start a lifelong love of all music.

[@lboogie2679]

Me too!

[@diegoparga9324]

Me three.

[@brentmay6379]

Same...

[@generalzod7959]

How did you manage to escape from getting sued?

[@ChefCarter]

I never got sued... Not everyone did. I followed rules. But had no outrageous charges.

[@NewMessage]

I still have PTSD episodes when the phone rings, and I think the Columbia House people finally found me, and they're gonna make me buy those '12 CD's at regular price'... with my blood!

[@1sick95venge]

Me too

[@amorenita4768]

😆😆

[@zlinedavid]

I'd be glad to pay them going market rate for CDs today. I probably have that much change in my car's cupholder.

[@deborahchapman222]

Yes, I bought several albums and books through these clubs. I only paid a penny each time. I never got in trouble because I ALWAYS properly canceled my subscription on time. No problem 😎

[@NewlyAwakened]

Same

[@fivespeed3026]

Yeah I did this when I was in my 12-13. 🤣

[@scottanthonyweidner8692]

So this.

[@deborahchapman222]

@Rob Melrose I was young. I did not have anything

[@zlinedavid]

@Rob Melrose BMG did require a purchase within 12 months around 1993-94, but it wasn't all that much more than a CD typically cost at a record store. If I remember right, you got 8 CDs free when you signed up, had to buy one within a year, then when you bought your one, you got a certificate for 4 more free. You wound up getting 13 CDs for under $30.

[@captsamsung]

If you remember the days before music streaming services, your joints hurt now!! 😂😂😂😂

[@yell0wberry]

I remember when I could open up my TV Guide and see the Columbia house/BMG order form in the middle pages

[@smokeydoke100]

I remember when the only formats they offered were open reel tapes and LPs.

[@jasonwalsh8281]

@S H I Ω I N G yeah dude

[@TheJillianRussell]

Haha WORD!

[@MarkfromNewYork]

funny you say that, my knee is KILLING ME

[@Sandy.J.Lloyd.Sr.]

I read the small print and would order the free CD’s and immediately cancel the subscription wait 30 days and do it again. This was totally legal and I had so many CD’s that I didn’t get around to opening half of them. Never once did the companies contact me even though I gave them my correct information.

[@NewlyAwakened]

Same. I got tons of great zac back in the 90's through these

[@artanisdualblade]

Same. I got hundreds of CDs and DVDs like this.

[@kenmore01]

Yep, that's how I did it too. Really, if you did it right, it was less expensive than going to the warehouse to buy them. Same with DVDs.

[@pjhelbig]

@@NewlyAwakened Zac?

[@brenthays9024]

I did the exact same thing 🙂🙂

[@KendraKRH]

I forgot about this! I love this channel. I can't wait for the 90s videos. Please consider a video about Limewire and Napster.

[@lastguyminn2324]

Not to mention the FastTrack P2P services like Kazaa, Grokster, iMesh and (my favorite) Morpheus. Another great one was WinMX.

[@picklep9812]

Kendra Harer or DC++

[@neoasura]

Ha, actually my friend and I were able to scam them, we used to alter names and addresses and we got over 100 CDs. Never had to pay over $1.00. Now I don't feel so bad knowing they were scamming people, what comes around goes around.

[@mdelgado8386]

Me and my mom did the same haha

[@RavenCain23]

I used to do that, too. So many CDs for basically nothing.

[@johngullo9420]

Yep. Cheapest way to build my DJ library. Then when I quit I sold them at a decent profit 😀

[@DetroitCitizen]

I got a lot free but I just posted my comment on how I did screw my credit up because of those. It was so much easier to get scammed and to scam back then.

[@gram.]

_'Oh how the turntables...'_

[@jimschultz2179]

I don’t remember anybody paying. My Buddy signed up his cat and got a shitload of music

[@SamSchott1]

Let me guess... Cat Stevens, Al Stewart's Year of the Cat, Van Halen's Cat Scratch Fever?

[@WindFireAllThatKindOfThing]

'Your honor, my client, Captain Mittens, CLEARLY committed no fraud in his purrrrsuit of Cat Stevens albums, whereas the Plaintiff engaged in a pattern of harassment by stuffing his litter box with yet more singles of Baha Men's Who Let The Dogs Out. He is _not_ a good boy."

[@spddiesel]

@@SamSchott1 *Ted Nugent

[@sketcharmstrong8491]

Lmao bruh....

[@cwsohio]

Right! Who paid for this crap?

[@jtmichaelson]

Makes me thankful I had tons of accounts spread out to get the free CDs for the penny. In my late teens and 20s I moved around a lot and was able to capitalize on this. I even remember my first couple of CDs; Beastie Boys License To Ill, Ozzy Osbourne Tribute, The Outfield Play Deep, among others. They came the day my son was born in July of 1987.

[@martionman231]

hope your son is well

[@jetstreamdefalpha5411]

Yea, would not endorse doing that. But what a coincidence you were scamming the scammers 😆

[@pixsnapper1]

Did the same thing. used my cats names, lol, had multiple running memberships, and definitely ended up on the winning side of those offers. BMG. It was a great way to get box sets also.

[@Peaches_H_Nyce]

Shit, now we gotta make a thousand google accounts just to get free shipping or a good deal; numerous times :)

[@elballs108]

I had multiple accounts, all in my name, at one address. I dont think they cared.

[@ImplosionStudios]

Lived in a small town, and could use "general delivery" as an address. I used my street address, PO Box, and general delivery to cycle loads of CD's from BMG and Columbia House.

[@johngullo9420]

Same here. Used my home address, neighbors, relatives and my work address too.

[@gram.]

@@johngullo9420 nice pfp, I finally got to see him at creamfields last year. First proggy house song I ever heard was 'Not Exactly'

[@danieldaniels7571]

I did the same thing too, as I got mail at multiple addresses. I always paid my bills and returned my cards on time, though.

[@skyden24195]

My dad was in the U.S. Air Force back then, so, yes, initially we had limited access to music stores. My parents did subscribe to one of these clubs for a time, but eventually canceled out legitimately. However, the distributer kept sending CD's regardless, and since it would still cost my parents non-refundable postage charges to send the CD's back, we just kept the CD's. The CD's that came were always (by that time) the "picks of the month," so many were CD's that we would want anyway. Our collection of CD's grew so big that, after my dad retired from the air force in the early 90's, and our family had moved to Southern California, my parents started a mobile DJ for hire business that my dad and I operated. This began my weekends life as a DJ throughout the 90's and into early 2000's.

[@bigeherb]

Props to the guy who ordered 22,000 cds then sold them at flea markets! 😆

[@GaelinW]

Most of my CD collection in high school and college came from music clubs. Columbia in High School. BMG in college. I started with cassettes in middle school in the mid-80s.

[@LJB1031]

Am I the only one who had no problems and never scammed them? I would get the introductory offer, buy the required amount of CD's, pay my bills, send back the cards when I didn't want anything that month, and cancel the right way? Even on the rare occasion that I neglected sending the card and got a CD that I didn't want, as long as I didn't open the package, I would just send it back and not have to pay.

[@pttn975]

My dad did back in the 80's, he always made sure to send the cards back on time and held up his end of the contract. He collected a lot of albums from these clubs and now I have a lot of music on vinyl that only the record clubs were making on vinyl at the time.

[@davidgallistel2083]

I was one of those honest saps as well. Exactly as the video said I lived in a rural, small town, and the nearest record store was 45 miles away. Running a scam never crossed my mind. I just thought it was the coolest thing that I could get CDs sent right to my house. Only one I ever got by not sending back the card was Tom Petty "Wildflowers." Which ended up drawing me to his music and he's now one of my favorite artists. Thanks BMG!

[@lindaeasley5606]

I have a problem with this video's claims . I signed up with Columbia house .They would send a CD music catalogue and I would choose what I wanted and write my order numbers on the card and sent It back .When the CDs arrived I would send them a money order as payment .No problem. Scammers are the ones responsible for those companies going under

[@jjhatnm]

I loved these clubs! I remember having to buy a certain quantity of tapes in a certain period of time after getting your initial pile of tapes for whatever price it was. I always chose the plans where I had to buy the least amount. It was always a good deal in the end, comparing the amount of tapes you got and the overall price you paid compared to the record stores. Sometimes though you would end up getting tapes you didn't really want because of the selection available. That was probably the only downside. Sometimes though, you became fans of those bands just because you bought their album and turns out you enjoyed it.

[@Thundera2908]

I belonged to the movie club in the 90s and never had problems. I sent the cards back, bought my required amount, and quit. I do think that considering their prices, it ultimately evened out to not much better than buying them in the store, but I got some titles that I couldn't find at local stores, so it was good.

[@dewilew2137]

This got me in so much trouble when I was a kid. As soon as I saw the thumbnail, I got flashbacks of that ass whooping. 😭

[@supportyourtroopsathletes6460]

Lmao 🤣 well it re shaped your ass but most likely not in the way you wanted.

[@dewilew2137]

Support your Troops & Athletes lol!!! It turned out fine 😂

[@johnnypopovich905]

I'll tell you how it worked....I was 8, sent the postcard in...and Voila....free cds

[@FinehomesofNewHampshire]

😆

[@joshlanter0928]

for real tho. did this a few times

[@amorenita4768]

😆😆😆😆

[@FerretJena1]

me too and it was amazing

[@chrisbenavides3176]

You're not wrong. Built a huge CD collection this way

[@adamjenks9613]

I never got hooked into one of these music clubs, but had an uncle who did. Let’s just say my music library in high school was quite impressive. 😉

[@chipskylark172]

I remember hitclips in the 90s and I remember going to this record stores like Sam Goody and others that you would press a button and it would play a demo if the hit song on the album. Man such good times lol Saturdays my friends we would wash cars in the neighbourhood and then take our allowances and the car wash money ride our bikes to the mall buy Pokemon cards candy and cds then Rode the dirt track and hit up Burger King and then played Nintendo. That was our weekends and summers in the 90s and wouldn’t trade it for the world this channel always brings the nostalgia out of lol

[@tiamarie6719]

I remember some of those things too. I used to jam to the demos in stores that sold CD's, and I also loved Nintendo games as a kid and I wish that I could build a time machine and go back there. But, unfortunately that's impossible.

[@futuramayeah]

@@tiamarie6719 Nintendo exists in some form or another from every model either on the internet or on modded nintendo classics models that you can get on the internet. music stores do exist, but again, the internet has taken that role also. Pokemon cards can be found on ebay. they might sell them in stores too if you want. the movie Antman talks about being the Ant Man, meaning you can be whatever size you can think of or age

[@evynlucian1869]

All throughout the 90's I had many accounts with both BMG and Columbia House, I was in middle school, I received dozens of CD's, and never ever paid 1 cent. No one did.

[@KP-rh5qz]

Oh wow, how did you get away with that? My parents scared me into paying the bill as soon as it came in the mailbox. They told me that if I didn’t pay, it would ruin my credit and I could never own a house.

[@edgexl8327]

I built up a good sized music library in the 90s thanks to BMG. I actually paid off my membership every time and compared to music store prices, I still got a better overall deal than purchasing the CDs from a shop. Even weirder, whomever made the album of the month selections for Alternative music had nice tastes as the monthly albums were actually pretty good.

[@sjf1981]

Hahahahahha I think I still owe columbia house money lol

[@1sick95venge]

Me too

[@michelleranta8681]

I was always afraid the Columbia House people were going to come for me eventually..Glad to still be around.lol

[@KelticTim]

Holy Crap if Columbia House and BMG only knew where I live

[@westmics1953]

They dont need it your dogg or cat needs it more

[@jburr36]

Same here. I actually drove to Terre Haught, IN to return some CDs and cancel my contract.

[@rickintexas1584]

I my old enough to remember when they were actually vinyl records. I also bought a lot of 8 tracks through Columbia House. Those were the days.

[@hkbabel]

Pre teen joined multiple times when still a RECORD club, always cancelled orders promptly, do not owe them any $ and I got a lot of virtually free LPs, so no bad feelings - just had to be vigilant. Quit when I got into punk, new wave, etc did I fully cancel, but still have a ton of poorly pressed country & classic rock lps - thank Columbia! :-)

[@KC______]

@Harden Thicke Yes, 4 Track at first, then 8 track tapes and cassettes. For a quick minute Columbia House sold Laserdiscs the much larger forerunner of the DVD but it was more expensive than VHS tapes.

[@xJadenx22]

When I was 13 and BMG kept sending me CDs I didn’t want I would just return to sender. When they kept pestering telling me that I owed them money, I just told them I was 13 and don’t have any money. They left me alone and I got 12 free CDs. Still have them too!

[@cryptosuperg]

Columbia house is still searching for Mya Buthurz, and Ben Dover.

[@billwrinkle9662]

I loved Columbia House when I was in college in the 1980s. I amassed a collection of 900 cassette tapes from them: Got my first 10 tapes for free... then used the "sign up a friend" to open 6 more accounts for myself... with 10 tapes for free there, plus 5 more free cassette tapes as a reward for signing up a friend... That was 100 cassette tapes for free. Then all I had to do was buy 42 more cassette tapes at $8 to $10 each, which I did over 3 or 4 months. Then closed the accounts and started the process over. So I wound up getting around 150 cassette tapes for about $400 each time. When I graduated, I wound up selling the tapes for $2 each and got more than half my money back in the process.

[@bilboswaggins9058]

I absolutely appreciate these stylized informative videos! I think I'd learn more here than my hs history class tbh

[@Madness832]

I was a member of BMG, back in the early 90s. And I can remember that all their CDs were specially marked. That is, in place of the UPC, they had a black rectangle, enclosing the catalog number (what one would write on the order bank). This was also found on the discs, themselves, usually in proximity to the original label numbers.

[@anonemusly]

that was so you couldnt take them to a store and get a refund for them, ironically it was an anti-scam tactic.

[@ambycakes]

damn I miss getting free cds as a teenager in the 90's 👀😂👀

[@skyden24195]

lol. right.

[@skyden24195]

@Angry Bird I think I got my "New Jack City" CD then. 😄

[@skyden24195]

@Angry Bird Nice! 😝😎😈😑

[@1sick95venge]

I remember this. I think I may still owe them money 🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@SweetTea-Stephens]

Me too!! 😂😂😂

[@dragonspeaker2059]

I Think we all do hehe

[@dickgraysun]

Ditto! They might cut us a break 🤣😂

[@STAROMEGA54]

I remember this to but for dvds.

[@STAROMEGA54]

I remember this to but for dvds.

[@erichusayn]

Oh geez. I got in back when it was 10 for a penny. Lol.

[@lillyputin4147]

Me too!

[@damaestro119]

If I recall correctly, at some point in the mid-90s, they did a 10 for a penny and if you bought one at 50%, you got 4 more free!

[@douglasbrittain7018]

@@damaestro119 Your correct. I think it was BMG was the one that did that. And once you bought your quota they would offer a deal that was almost double than the original.

[@CmdrTomalak]

I signed up multiple times and every time, I loved it. The way it's depicted here, seems oddly different than my experience. Although, I did fall into the re-ordering music to upgrade my library format. But who woudn't want to do that? Do you want to keep rewinding to play your favourite song on cassette, or do you want to just press a button that replays it instantly? It was a no-brainer.

[@rlevoi]

I never had a negative experience. You just needed to know what you wanted in advance. You get your 8 free, order your next one at cost ASAP. (Marked up about 25% from stores). Then get your next 4 free and cancel. If you knew the cds or DVDs you wanted in advance you would be in and out of the club in 3 months, then rinse repeat. I actually looked to see if the club were around a few years ago as I wanted to add to my DVD collection. This is a good video but for those who knew the game it wasn’t predatory, it was a mutually beneficial relationship.

[@EricGarringer]

I was a member of Columbia House and BMG several times throughout the 1990s. I loved the services, and it helped me build my music library for cheap. I knew up front how the services worked, and I always fulfilled my obligation, and still paid less overall than I would have at any brick and mortar storefront. I, however never knew, the artists weren’t involved and didn’t get any profits from the sales. That’s disappointing. But I did love the services, prior to that.

[@LadyCaspar]

And here I thought my dad was just being a dbag when he wouldn’t let me do this. Sorry dad.

[@LadyCaspar]

@poop shaloop ew

[@honkytonkinson9787]

Same here. My dad always said it was a scam and discouraged me from doing stuff like that.

[@jcp1756]

He still is a dbag. Just one who actually helped you out with the twin evils of CH and BMG

[@SombraPiloto]

It’s truly amazing how much smarter our parents become as we get older.

[@honkytonkinson9787]

@@SombraPiloto and how much worse at parenting we realize as soon as we first become parents.

[@xlnuniex]

I did this as a child. I put pennies in an envelope and choose the cds I wanted. My Dad found out what I did, and contacted the company. Didn’t pay anything other than those pennies I sent.

[@timthegem]

I remember the agreements stating that you had to buy a certain number of items at regular price (like 3 or 4) before canceling or you would be charged full price for each of the penny items.

[@n.d.m.515]

And that is exactly what I did. Ordered the penny ones and the three or four regular priced ones. Soon as they came I cancelled my subscription and started again about a month later. It was almost like a half off or more sale. I remember once getting some in the mail, but returned to sender and immediately cancelled. This youtube video is a bunch of bunk. It wasn't that hard to do as they asked, get a deal, and then quit.

[@zlinedavid]

@@n.d.m.515 Exactly what I did. BMG worked out to about $30 for 13 CDs. Somewhere between $2-3 each, and that was when CDs cost $15-20 in store. They also gave you 2 or 3 free if you signed someone else up, so my brother and I just kept signing each other up then cancelling. Hell I sold CDs to friends at a profit for $5...just without the BMG-marked case. "Sorry man, lost the case, but you can have it for $5!"

[@mdtaylor2274]

I used to go back and forth with these Penny sales and my favorite name to use was Turd Ferguson and Seymour Butts.

[@scottnotpilgrim]

I remember seeing ads for these in the newspaper as a kid. Always sounded too good to be true

[@JosephBrown83805]

I recall before it was BMG it was RCA. Columbia and RCA were THE record companies. And yes, I fell for it too. I remember getting the CDs I wanted as the initial order then they'd send crap CDs, and yes, you only had 10-days to send them back. I had it for a couple of months then my mom got annoyed about having to pay for it and got me out of it. There were also book clubs and when movies came out on VHS tape for a short while, movie clubs, before going to the Blockbuster Video store model. Another great video! Loving the memories!

[@michaelfrench3396]

Oh I can't believe I'm this early! I remember getting these constantly in the mail growing up and in 1991 when I was in sixth grade I had one all filled out and was ready to put it in the mail and put my father caught me walking down the driveway asked what I was doing refused to let me mail it and told me that you should never do anything that seems too good to be true because it probably and almost always is. I'm so glad you guys did this video! I've been wondering for years how the hell they made money doing this!

[@maxinewatermaker6162]

@subcomandante marcos Is Homer Simpson the second type?

[@perrydavis3612]

We had the 8 tracks from Columbia House- you had to buy so many in a certain time at their price plus shipping- the 70s now they were the good ole days

[@JDoors]

I was obsessive about saving money and using Columbia House I saved on records and CDs compared to what I would have had to pay at local stores (Chicago area). Story: I did get an album I would never have bought, The Osmonds, but while, um, in an altered state of consciousness, listened to it anyway. It blew my mind, they used all kinds of studio trickery I would never have expected from the group. Decades later I still remember some of that production.

[@fireboltaz]

I’ve purchased cds through this platform. Ah the good old days

[@tristramcoffin926]

"purchased"

[@visceratrocar]

When I was a teenager I would send in a subscription form, get my 8 CDs, and ignore them when they mailed demands for payments. It was easy because I'd do COD since I was too young to have a bank account. After a year they would write it off as a business loss, so I'd do it again the next year. I did that for like 6 years with 2 different companies. TONS of free music. It was better than Napster because they were real CDs with the white seals on the top, booklets, and even insert posters in some. GOD that was great.

[@suedenim]

At least in my day, you were required to buy a certain number of (then) cassettes within a year. At a ridiculous markup, like $18.99 for what you could get at Sam Goody for $9.99. But if you did the math, it was still a bargain in the end... IF you remembered to send your "I don't want the monthly selection" cards in promptly, ordered the overpriced tapes you wanted, then canceled immediately after.

[@crashmoar290]

This is still one of my favorite videos on YT.

[@lhurst9550]

Even as a kid in the late 70' and 80's we knew it was a scam. I remember an episode of Leave it to Beaver (from the 50's) that covered the subject.

[@everintransit4240]

My teenage brother got caught up in Columbia Records in the 70's. After a couple of years our lawyer dad wrote them a cease and desist letter. We never heard from them again.

[@SilverWatcher.]

Early 90$ as a kid I can’t sign contracts but I ordered my cds and till this day never paid them a cent😂👊🏻✌🏻

[@rinehardt6837]

Wow what a great video. 52 year old me remembers being 17 and my bill was 12 albums for a penny. I ordered it without my grandmother's permission I think I ordered Sade Wham go west most of the stuff was by artist I like the song by but I probably wasn't going to buy the whole album. And I think they've been would start sending you albums and they were like $16 with shipping and handling at that time you can go to a record store and get an album for $8. But my grandmother me and the no-nonsense lady she was made me pay for those albums out of my allowance which was $30 a month. It was a life lesson that a married man father to adult children and one grandchild still remembers to this day. Great video

[@billcarsonalias]

I'm so old I remember the cassette deals they had before the CDs in the early 80's. 12 for a penny. LOL

[@smokert5555]

Guess that makes me older. I did it when it was only albums.

[@lastguyminn2324]

The first time I joined there were FOUR options: records, cassettes, 8-tracks...and reel-to-reel tapes!

[@supportyourtroopsathletes6460]

You all must be so.old that you used 8 track tapes when they first came to the market and black & white televisions were a common trend. Now that they are out, they are more scarce than finding "bigfoot" .

[@supportyourtroopsathletes6460]

@@lastguyminn2324 ... Sir, how is the nursing home treating you? Did the dentist also get your new dentures out in the mail? But my question is actually, Can I get your autograph please? I really would like a autograph from someone who sat with Jesus from "the last supper" . Knowing him in person must of been a honor !

[@lastguyminn2324]

@@supportyourtroopsathletes6460 Jesus? He was an uppity little punk, always bragging about his daddy. Now Moses, that dude knew how to party...he broke every commandment jamming to those Columbia House 8-tracks in his bitchin' cherry red 1976 B.C. El Camino.

[@JohnDaker_singer]

The thing is, they didn't check credit or report to the credit bureaus. I had multiple accounts- I signed up my cat, my dog, even my Star Wars figures. I got so many CD's I didn't have enough time to listen to them all. A couple of years later, I moved and got a new phone number. Never heard from them again, and I never paid a dime.

[@greysymphonyearth]

I remember this. I loved it. Never paid a single penny. Got tons of CD's. Just use a fake name. Haha.

[@kissthesky40]

Totally. I ordered so many free CDs that I had to resort to other genres like Classical and Country, both of which I love today. Still have them all too.

[@Strimbles]

Me too!!!

[@cncwizard]

Just add Apt. 2A, unit 42-b, it was endless free music!!

[@craigslistrro709]

I used a private mail box, and every week it was jammed packed with CD's, after they tried gouging me at home, I figured they had it coming... I never gave them a dime.

[@charlesott8216]

Me too !! Did it with books also. But don't think we should be bragging about ripping off those who ripped off others. Lol

[@AquaShibby3000]

"If you're old enough to remember the pre-streaming landscape of the 80's and 90's" that felt like an attack

[@Iluvbisquits]

It wasn't a scam if you read the contract. I ordered 12 CDs for a penny so long as I bought at least 3 at 'regular price', which back then was $7.99-$9.99, then you could cancel your 'contract'...All you had to do was be patient with what they sent you and do the math...worst case scenario is you paid $30.01 for 15 CDs...

[@Dilligaf666]

Love this channel, cheers from Melbourne Australia

[@KurtAnderson812]

Pretty sure I still owe Columbia House some money. They ain’t getting any

[@christineferreira2181]

I probably do too. And maybe a book club too. 🤷‍♀️

[@corablue5569]

Or I’d just write “Return to Sender” when I was fed up with them. 😊😂😊

[@BobZed]

I did it. The key was to get in then get out as quick as possible with as little money spent as possible. You could always join again later and get the same deal over again. Limiting your purchases also let you get the few good tapes or CDs, as opposed to whatever was available.

[@dementedfurbie.]

I admit, I liked to read the ads to see what all they had.

[@allenmcfarlinmcfarlin8440]

Same here.then I would go out and buy it. My friend was hooked on BMG

[@chrisman3965]

Columbia House is how I got my now massive music collection started. Never had any issues with them and was very satisfied. Still, an interesting look behind the scenes!

[@JustSitAndLaugh]

Isn't the title missing an "a"? Else it sounds like those CDs were for a woman named Penny...

[@fosterfuchs]

IKR? With this title, it sounds like a tie-in with The Big Bang Theory. Ironically, that Penny would have been a prime target customer for these clubs.

[@sidneyhirst1925]

Is that you ? Penny?

[@dave2518]

penny penny penny penny

[@dave2518]

Sheldon still knocking on her door

[@cristyknapp2889]

I remember them both, Columbia House and BMG. My boss talked me into buying from them. Then they were like stalkers that I couldn't get away from. I never paid them though after the initial cheap purchase. Then my boss and his wife had many, many accounts with them to get a ton of cd's. Even their dog had an account.

[@WindFireAllThatKindOfThing]

Meanwhile: I'm still going door to door selling Publishers Clearing House subscriptions

[@lboogie2679]

These clubs enriched my childhood and exposed me to so much music.

[@ARedMotorcycle]

"Long user agreements...." Poor Kyle fell for that and ended up in a human centipad.

[@dabradguy]

I did this when I was 12 or so. I remember my mom talking to them on the phone and explaining they entered into a contract with a child. They left us alone after that.

[@freddiemercury5987]

Yes love when you upload

[@RumbleFish69]

Mmm, I love it when they upload too!

[@DM-qg4bi]

This is the first weird history video I have watched and now I'm subscribed and will definitely be back!

[@geoffsecombe]

I remember when I was about 14 I went through their full catalogue and underlined every album I wanted. From the entire available selection I managed to just scrape up enough albums for the introductory offer. Beyond that, pickings were very slim indeed.

[@ericdaniel323]

My best friend and I got SO many CD's with this. You got 8 for a dollar and then you got a few more free if you bought 1 at regular price. Then if you referred a friend you got a few more. Once I got those I cancelled and he got all his free CD's and referred me back and then we repeated the process. After a couple of iterations they really didn't have much else we wanted though, and it wasn't worth it anymore.

[@funkyKIDZ321]

This channel is dope. So underrated for many reasons but it needs to find its identity I feel like 😂

[@arnoldomartinez1245]

Loved it . I sign up my brother and everybody in the family. Great memories of receiving the 1st shipment.

[@RumbleFish69]

Weird History: "Did I ever get hooked into the music club?" Me: "No comment."

[@zlinedavid]

Me: "What's the statute of limitations on defrauding a fraudulent music distribution company?"

[@jenniferbaldini3527]

I'm old enough to remember when they were 8 'records' for a penny. I remember my 1st record: 'Styx Paradise Theater'. The album was laser etched with the cover art. So cool.

[@nicoleb.943]

I used to order those back n the 90's and NEVER PAID, like seriously I don't even remember paying the penny to get started..those were the sweet times!🤣 LOL

[@itchyisvegeta]

I remember in Jr high, my friend would sign up for this. Then after he got all his CDs, he'd tell his mom in excitement. Then his mom would get mad, write Columbia House a formal complaint saying her son is a minor and wants out of the binding contract. Then they would never hear from them again, and my friend got to keep the CDs.

[@q_nevermore]

I remember getting a lot of the flyers for these when I was a kid, thankfully I never got suckered in. But ah, Napster....those were the days. RIP Napster, Metallica screwed you over.

[@ARedMotorcycle]

Metallicops.

[@NewlyAwakened]

If you just cancelled you didn't get scammed and got the CDs for pennies and could just re-sign up over and over and keep canceling so you were the one scamming them

[@AlwaysAmTired]

I still hate Lars

[@WildBluntHickok]

Napster's programmers jumped ship to create Soulseek, which is still around to this day. And unlike Napster it's not restricted to only the .mp3 filetype. Some subreddits I've been to it's the boilerplate answer whenever someone asks if we know where to find downloads of an album.

[@rafaelcisneros562]

I joined the Colombia House club every year and I never paid a Cent. I had a huge CD library.

[@dwtrksvc]

Cds..I remember these when albums, cassettes and 8 tracks..

[@curtisstromski2024]

I remember this well as a kid. Love your videos. Great production.

[@UriahChristensen]

I would get my free CD's from BMG, and when they sent me the ones at regular price, I would carefully up them, copy them, repackage them, and then return to sender. They just sent me free stuff! I was under 18, and couldn't be held to any contract anyway. It was fun!

[@JJ_Lloyd]

I was one of those 13 year old kids who screwed Columbia House, and I never felt one moment of remorse over it. I still have some of those CDs too!

[@EndyMX]

So that's why Limewire and Napster where full of low quality songs...

[@astonishingmelanie]

Love all the research done! And as a child, I loved playing with the CD stamps.

[@Zaekk]

How is it kafka-esque?

[@housepianist]

Dang, this really brings back memories. I was in on CH and BMG in the late 80’s and early 90’s, sometimes at the same time. Got a lot of CDs that way. A lot! But yeah, had to pay for a lot too. And got in trouble a lot because I really couldn’t afford them. Admittedly, they did have some really good deals but any special deals would not count towards your agreement of purchasing x number of CDs over a certain amount of time. You had to buy the full-priced CDs which were around 15 to 17 dollars a pop, which was really expensive back then. CH also employed this practice with videos and now DVDs which they do to this day! I was only a part of the video club too at the time. Yeah, I was pretty messed up. ☹️

[@JoseGranny]

"Bad Brains... A rock band or A RAP GROUP?!?!"

[@stephenkayes8981]

Original DC punk!!!!

[@Stevo71]

I know, right? Clearly those company execs never listened to them.

[@zeusathena26]

I remember that the more popular the album the more expensive the album was. Also the cheapest albums we're usually "sold out". So when you bought 12 albums in the year at a cost of $25-$40 an album. At those prices they easily make a huge profit. I talked a lot of friends out of signing up.

[@maryhildreth754]

"I've just signed an 8 album contract with Columbia"

[@RumbleFish69]

Of course you did!

[@LoveClassicMusic0205]

It's been over 20 years since I bought anything from Columbia House, but the only catch I can recall was that after receiving your initial order, you had to buy a certain number of albums at regular price within a 2 year period. It didn't seem to be that many, and the prices seemed to be comparable to retail. I fulfilled my commitment and canceled my membership with no problem. I still have those CDs to this day.

[@WildBluntHickok]

The number of albums was often twice the amount you got for a penny ("8 CDs for a penny if you eventually buy 16 more at full price") but sometimes was better balanced (8 and 12). The exact numbers varied depending on format (CD, Tape, Record) and what decade it was when you joined. Also I'm pretty sure they did 45s back in the day and probably did DAT in the 90s in europe.

[@djartiec]

Let's just say, I'm glad the statute of limitations has passed 😂

[@johnchedsey1306]

I was one of those rural kids with no access to a nearby record store. The closest was literally over a hundred miles away. So Columbia House was the only way to get music and also had enough speed & thrash metal of the 80s to make it kind of exciting for a kid growing up in the mountains of Colorado. I think I signed up for it multiple times to get the 13 cassettes deal, fulfilled whatever agreement was in place, canceled, then started over again. Eventually we moved to another state, I had my drivers license and going to actual record stores was far more convenient.

[@djessie]

I still only buy CDs or vinyl. No interest at all in streaming or downloads.

[@rosamund_]

Oof. The gen z/zoomer in me cannot relate 😳

[@greysymphonyearth]

Wow. Old school

[@chellefell1331]

and I like reading a real book instead of on kindle. I'm with ya!

[@greysymphonyearth]

@@chellefell1331 this i agree with.

[@brantisonfire]

When I was ten years old, back in 98, this was how I got my CD collection started. I don’t know how a ten year old kid could sign up for this without even having any money. I got Incubus “Make yourself,” 311 }sound system,” Blink 182 “dude ranch” and a bunch of other albums that are still worth a listen today.

[@thewickednetwork7667]

I was 15 @ the time and I got Marilyn Manson Antichrist, static-X Wisconsin, Cold 13 ways to bleed on stage, slipknot wait and bleed. and others that I still have I till this day and never paid .

[@gordythecreator]

Artist always get the shaft while BigBusiness gets rich smh. French Revolution time yet?

[@lastguyminn2324]

Yeah, but these record clubs were just nibbling around the edges. No one screws over artists worse than their own record companies. Recording contracts are written so even successful acts end up owing their record company hundreds of thousands.

[@kenmore01]

Somehow, the artists seem to be doing okay.

[@lexpyth0n]

In 1994, my girlfriend at the time was subscribed to multiple music clubs. I pointed out that we lived a block away from the best music store in the city, and once she started understanding that used LPs and CDs were far cheaper, she eventually cancelled her subscriptions. That music store is the reason I still have 1200 records, though I ripped and sold the CDs long ago.

[@my2commonsense476]

I was in BMG, never had to buy anything I didn't want, bought CDs at a fraction of retail and was totally happy with it. Plus it all started with 8 CDs for a dollar. Thumbs down on this one.

[@DaveThompson59]

Like a lot of others, while in college, each semester I had a new address, thus new stacks of vinyl - until I was interning at a rock radio station, then they began the switch to CD, so a lot of us took home crates of the cast off LPs.

[@OhioTruPatriot]

i got them all for free