Have Vinyl Records Got More Expensive?

[@AsTheTableTurns]

I don’t think people are talking comparatively with the 50s or 60s but just in the past four years. At the beginning of the pandemic most vinyl was $18-$25. Now those same records are ranging from $25-$40. Even some non-audiophile titles that give no extras are going for around $35.

[@user-qr7ee2cp4y]

Prior to covid, I could find good used vinyl for 3 or 4 bucks all around... not anymore...

[@johnsimmons5056]

Adjusted for inflation they have not become more expensive. Problem is that wages have not kept up with inflation making records harder to acquire.

[@patricklear3711]

Exactly, Records take up a bigger percentage of income than what they were in the past.

[@Mr.BigSquid]

Those inflation calculators tend to underplay the inflation as well.

[@danijelsan81]

@@Mr.BigSquidthat means that when adjusted for inflation records today should cost even more than they do. 😮

[@markh.9822]

The difference is back them i'd have to buy a record for every albums I wanted to hear or every album I liked a bit. These days I can just stream the albums I like a bit or want to hear a few times and only buy the albums I love

[@TheHSIHP]

Just wait until the tariffs hit.

[@johnvillano3024]

Hello Mike, Using your same school if though, I looked up the average annual salary in 1965. It was $6500, crazy to think. Then I went to see what that would square to in 2024. It equals roughy $65K and change. Then I looked up what is the average annual salary in 2024 and it is tough $59k and change. So that one of the other comments made, the rate of salary increase doesn’t correlate with the cost of living. Now if it did, then yes, your analysis would be correct. The dollar doesn’t go nearly as far as it did in that past and no one has the extra income to spend on anything like they did in the 1960’s, 1980’s. The only other time when things were this bad were the 1970’s, but outside of that decade, the dollar had a ton of value.

[@danijelsan81]

Absolutely. Depreciation of one’s purchasing power impoverishes us slowly but surely over time. Folks from many countries who earn their living in currencies other than the global reserve currency 💵 know this phenomenon all too well.

[@Morinaka25]

I feel this maybe misses one point, people aren't comparing the costs of vinyl now to then, they are comparing it to contemporary options. I can go "well this album is about the same or cheaper than it was in 1965, so there's no problem", but if i can stream it for free or get more permanent copies way cheaper (or free), then that's the comparison for everyone who isn't buying for audiophile or collectable reasons. I've also noticed an extra one, if you don't have the money or space for a quality hifi set up, then a lot sounds the same, do why bother with the expense, space and inconvenience for little to no added quality.

[@memyselfmyvinyl894]

Yeah, I just simply have less expendable income. When I go to the grocery store and it is $300 for less food that I used to get 5 years ago, I buy fewer records. I can't eat a record.

[@Harrispilton22]

This doesnt really check out in the UK. I worked in HMV in 1988 .90% of new albums were £7.99 which is £21.64 in todays money, I would say the average standard vinyl record in the Uk is about £27-£29. The crucial thing is pressing quality I bought about 1000 new records between about 81-94..I can only think of 2 records where I had a pressing issue. Ive bought about about 150 standard new records from 2016 onwards , I would say 30-40 of them suffered horrible surface noise & just sit on my unplayed pile. TBH I'd be happy to pay more today if 33% of what I bought wasnt unplayable..& lets not get started on sleeve quality. The standard vinyl product today is pretty slapdash therfore for me price is almost irrelevant. They can sell them to me for a buck..but if it sounds sub par i'm not playing it, I might as well stream

[@SpyderTracks]

The UK created its own issues with Brexit, that’s why, I’ve been buying records since the 70s, quality now in general is far better than before IF you understand which pressing plants and labels to buy, nothing has changed there, was exactly the same back in the day.

[@Harrispilton22]

@@SpyderTracks Well Brexit was probably the worst day of my life so I'll agree with you there & it actually reduced me to tears, but thats another story. I've bought about 5000 records since 1982, unfortunately my interest is tunes rather thats labels & pressing plantsif a band with a good tune happens to be on a good label with a decent pressing plants, thats a bonus but as I said I had about 2 bad pressings up to 94, i'm running at about 33% now.m ive no reason to lie, i want this records to sound good because the eighties first pressings are often £200 plus. I bought an OG of The Meat Puppets 2 yesterday, it sounds glorius. 😊

[@fammillie8385]

calculations like this always ignore wage stagnation

[@Mr.BigSquid]

And the calculators are always under other adjusted estimates. Arguably, inflation data by the US Gov is understated. Not including homes? Some their calculations are less than transparent.

[@bonesjackson81]

I've gone up $8 an hour over the past 3 years. Steel baby. Steel. And dudes at gas stations make $15 which is crazy high. Perhaps you need a new career path?

[@xentakis]

I see a lot of the complaints coming from people on the Hoffman forum with $50,000+ stereo systems, so I doubt wage stagnation is driving those particular complaints (I realize that’s not everybody though).

[@fammillie8385]

hoffman is not representative of planet earth ahouts out all y'all rich guys though

[@xentakis]

@ It’s representative of a lot of annoying complainers though, which is more of what happens there (also I’m not rich and my stereo system cost less than $2k total)

[@AdamsMusicBox]

Great video. I think there are two reasons that it feels like records are getting more expensive even though they aren't. Everything else is getting more expensive and so when the cost of a house or rent, food, gas and seemingly everything else is way up, we see "luxury" items like records as a straw breaking the camel's back. I personally don't consider music a luxury but let's admit that many if not most people do. The second reason is that Spotify and KZbin have got people used to having music for free or next to free. Even though paying for an audiophile disc is very different than paying 10 bucks or so for Spotify, it's still a psychological issue that didn't exist pre-internet.

[@johnpomerenke5965]

I think a better comparison is what they cost to produce then and now

[@DickCarr]

Why?

[@67Pepper]

The EPA is not your friend these days. Companies have to use additional methods to produce the same end product they did back in the day resulting in higher production cost.

[@vinylpatrol101]

The other compelling argument is that records in the 50’s, 60’s, and 70’s were really the only way to get the music and as time marches on the starting in the 80’s more options - now today you get stream music for free, that’s a challenge to similar pricing of yesteryear. People like you and me collectors and real music lovers no problem but everyone else doesn’t think like this - this is why physical media is reaching a peak and will be difficult to maintain otherwise you would see national chains stores again Tower, Wherehouse, Music Plus etc.

[@JamesSmith-bv3uh]

A great video Mike! Thank you. My feelings on it as a 62-year-old man who is collected records since he was 10 is that I don’t feel comfortable paying more than $30 for any record. It’s true that today we have a lot more availability for great sounding records but with expendable money and record albums, it’s tough to justify taking more than $30-$50 out a week to buy a single album. I wish albums today were just 20 bucks. To complicate this even more is that my feelings are to have a set of records that I’ve always loved that I didn’t own as a child, Yet I’m very happy Bluetooth streaming most music that I love that. I just don’t feel is worth the price of an album..

[@SpyderTracks]

The older we get we completely forget about inflation. When you factor in audiophile quality like Rhino Hifi, audiophile reissues have come down enormously when original MoFi editions were around $30 which was around 4x the cost of a normal record at the time. Nowadays even a BlueNote Tone Poet or Analogue Productions 45 comes in around double the cost of a normal record.

[@Nuclearmagenta]

The problem is back in the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s almost nobody was paying retail prices for albums at record stores (unless they were uninformed or desperate). When I was growing up, the easiest place to find records were department stores and at my local one all their albums would be discounted every single weekend. As record store chains became dominant in the 70’s and 80’s, they rarely sold records at full retail prices. But today, it is a rarity for local independent record stores to sell albums below retail prices unless they’re having a special sale or they’re trying to get rid of albums that aren’t selling (such as Adele’s latest album). I know of one nearby record store that has the gall to price new album releases slightly ABOVE retail prices (pleading the high costs of having a business in that neighborhood). This is one of the consequences when records (or physical product) no longer sell in the millions but, instead, sell in the thousands.

[@marcpereira6297]

Pressing quality today is atrocious compared to then. Can't tell you how many times it's taken me 3-4 tries to get a copy of something that isn't damaged. After 2-3 attempts for vinyl, I now go to the CD.

[@67Pepper]

I don't recall non-fill issues back in the early days, excessive warpage was more of an issue. Non-fill seems to be the main issue these days.

[@jimmccloskey4254]

Very valid episode. When I began collecting in the 60s, I purchased records when possible. Hearing people say how expensive records are do this calculation. Take your annual compensation, multiply by 1.30 (cost to include benefits), then divide by 2000 (number of hours worked yearly) to arrive at your hourly pay rate. For most, your hourly date will be higher than the cost of most, including audiophile, records.

[@tinabrand183]

I have been recollecting vinyl for over 10 years. It used to be fun to go in to a local record store and find those old records that were anywhere from $3 to $10. There was also an aha! exciting moment when you did find those old records at a reasonable price - definitely a dopamine hit! Those days are gone. I also am a bit more frugal these days because most of the records I buy are over $30. I remember buying a record around $50 recently And it made me think about how much do I really want to spend moving forward on records. Just a thought.

[@F82F8]

Truth.

[@erikmolnar6585]

At Walmart, yes. Abby Street in 2022 was 19.98. In 2024, 29.98. I like records for fun. I'm now back to having fun for free. And digital sounds better on my gear

[@tedlogan5628]

When people complain about the price I believe they are more referring to the cost of the used market going up compared to say 5-10 years ago. That and people believe they’re not getting value for their money. Can’t tell you how many times I’ve read people’s comments about newly pressed vinyl sounds sub par compared to stuff pressed 30-50 years ago.

[@MichaelRMarshall1]

Excellent video and a nice overview of where we have been/are from a record buying point of view. As you know, cost/price "perspective" incorporates multiple facets/factors. One of the single biggest obstacles is the availability of similar options that are or are seemingly "free" such as "streaming". When the general public has access to and gets used/accustomed to "free" whether it be music (streaming) or money (interest rates close to zero) any amount of "additional" money/costs equates to the "perspective" of things (records) being more expensive even when taking things in a historical/inflationary perspective. This is totally understandable although from a collector/fan perspective, I know that records (any physical media, actually) were NOT cheaper back in the day and one could even argue that not only were they MORE expensive, they should have been far less expensive due to the scale of manufacturing that vinyl enjoyed when it was the dominant format. One can also make the argument that with the emphasis on quality control on the entire manufacturing process including mixing and mastering new and archive releases (unfortunately, recording quality has taken a big step backward in most cases) has significantly improved. I worked in three (3) different record stores in Sacramento, CA from 1986 through 1991 while attending college (CSUS) and watched as cassettes and CD's took over market dominance from vinyl. Everyone kept waiting for the prices of CD's to come down as the pressing plants came online in the United States (previously CD's were manufactured in Japan and West Germany for the entire world market). Well, we all know that didn't happen as the prices of new release CD's hovered in the $16 to $20 range for decades! I will end by saying that I have been very pleased by the quality and diversity of product that has/is being released these past 10 years and feel I am getting good value for the money spent on the music that has brought me much happiness throughout my life. I do find it ironic that nobody is comparing the cost(s) of what we used to pay for concert tickets for even the BIG bands/artists to what it costs to go to ANY show today.

[@Chalskimusic]

Cool look at vinyl pricing of today versus yesterday. The inflation factor is most definitely a good way to compare our current prices against prices over the decades but I would add WAGES and EARNINGS into the equation. When I started buying records as a teen I made a part time wage of $2.75 an hr in the mid 70's, records cost more than min wage each. By the mid 80's I was earning around $10 per hr and again new vinyl cost one hour of work each on average, used were a much cheaper option of course. The 90's were all about CD's and they cost more than I made per hr for sure. Today I make a very good living and am debt free so buying vinyl is my guilty pleasure and although it is expensive I try to buy smart and am selective in what I buy. A album now costs less or the same as my hourly rate so times have not changed much really. 🥂 Cheers 🥂

[@ParallelUniversity]

I feel your pain on Apple. My mom sold all her Apple stock in 1995 or something like that, and it would have been worth tens of millions today

[@deadquietvinyl]

I would totally agree with you by knowing a significant percentage would go to the artists, mastering engineer, pressing company and maybe jackets. Label would need to lower their share as these are not new bands. But this is something controlled by contracts and we go to other areas. I fully agree with you that records will probably cost the same in any year because world is build like this. The inly difference today is the records volume ppl would like to purchase vs the old days. The purchasing power is the same. The desire to own more is bigger. 🤷‍♂️

[@SublimMedia]

This is one of the greater videos you have done Mike and the bar was set pretty high. So cool to get a video like this. Now I think you said in a previous video that we are comparing g the access to music today compared to back in the day and that is something that I think is something you have to ad to the debate but in a way has nothing to do with records. Also I feel like back in the day you bought one or two records. Now I have customers buying 5 records and complaining. We are spoiled and want more. We want the money that we spend to go in to a physical product that should compete with as much value of music as your play list on Spotify and obviously it can’t. I bought a collection from a guy last week. 200 records. From late 60 til cd era. He was a huge music fan but couldn’t afford buying more in his life time the years vinyl was the main listening medium. Hell, I bought 200 new records easy the past 2-3 years…. We have to put records in perspective. It’s a collectible that also comes with music. 😀 I love the debate. Will follow the comments with great joy!! //Jonas

[@danijelsan81]

Yes, we all want all of our walls covered by records because a few KZbin channels makes them look so good. 😂 The fact is that most folks who showcase those on their channels have been at it for 30 years. Perspective!

[@frippertronic9032]

Today with the many media available for free it is fair to say the market got so much narrower and market forces will show what fair price is… if too expensive less vinyls will be produced, simple

[@danijelsan81]

Yes, the market forces are taking care of this. This is a niche hobby and it will remain a niche hobby. It’s likely that we’re slowly going back to reduced pressing batches, etc. Buy now or cry later, as they say.

[@MitchAhlbaum]

Records still might “feel” more expensive today b/c incomes haven’t kept up with rising essential costs (esp. housing, healthcare, education debt) - leading to tighter discretionary budgets. Plus, way more stuff is now competing for our discretionary dollars.

[@henrys3629]

As for used vinyl, I collect certain labels. Sometimes I can get one for $20+ ship, but danged if every other seller is in the UK is over $100 per. No reason to spend that on a 12 inch! As for new releases, many get clearanced out. I got a McCartney LP at Target for just over $6 and have heard of people finding new vinyl at Barnes & Noble (me included) for $5.

[@zackamania6534]

Yeah, thanks to folks like you!

[@mcgjohn22]

inflation eats into the cost of everything. From Bread to new cars to vinyl records. The dollar does not go as far as it used to 5 years ago let alone 10 years or 20 years ago. You need more and more of them to achieve equivalent buying power each year.

[@simonarcher1510]

You’re right that records are often cheaper than in the past. But that’s because in the past records were considered the luxury format. When CDs came along they were considered the luxury format, so they became more expensive than records. Also, it’s not that records are more or less expensive than before, but that they are the most expensive format compared to other formats today, such as CDs or streaming. Finally, the total cost of ownership of a vinyl record, when you include the hardware you need to play, and store your records, is much more expensive.

[@sandyfader4649]

You are correct, prices are not nearly as good as they were 5 years ago. I think the rate/percentage prices increased from say 2015 to 2023/24 is what is shocking to a lot of people, long time collectors in particular. It just seems that jump happened so quickly compared to the previous four or five decades, it caught a lot of us by surprise. Thanks for the video Mike.

[@AlfonsoDeGaetano-l5p]

Agreed. I was in the biz in the 90s. Sold vinyl for nothing because no one bought vinyl. Imported it as special orders for the few that wanted it. CDs are simply much cheaper and the variants available are so numerous. Pic discs, colored vinyl, etc. I like certain music on vinyl. I'll buy jazz and my favorite bands on vinyl. If it's Coltrane or Black Sabbath I buy it. I don't need Slayer or Sepultura on vinyl.

[@AppleMan531]

Hi. It's Eliot Wien from NYC. Yes, The prices are getting too high for vinyl!!! But, I will admit as a Beatles collector, the recent Living in the Material World by George Harrison is fairly priced on all configurations. The recent Stop and Smell the Roses, and Old Wave picture discs by Ringo Starr are also fairly priced. I also believe the recent Talking Heads 77 release is also fairly priced. Maybe the Record Companies are starting to listen to us!!!!

[@dimebagdave77]

YEP. thank you Mike.. DjJoey rules...✌️🤘 edit: you're so right about the availability today.. doesn't seem that long ago it was just me and 6bor 8 others digging it felt like😂 I hope that was one humdinger of a good plasma TV..😁

[@sadekx5251]

Some things cannot be calculated using inflation. It's about how much technology cost then and now. So 25 years ago a 32inch LCD flat screen was $1000 if you got a deal, now you can get a 70inch for that price with better quality. CD manufacturing cost much more in the 80's. Then they got greedy even when it would cost $1 to manufacture and still charge $18-$19.

[@danijelsan81]

Yes, CD manufacturing in its infancy requires capital investment which first needed to paid off before it could generate free cash flow. Once that was paid off margins likely improved significantly. Prices wouldn’t have been reduced until the demand for CDs signaled to the manufacturers that they should give up some of that margin. Micro Econ 101.

[@idoireallydo]

Mike, you're overlooking the fact that the average earnings for year-round, full time workers was around $4700 in late 1950s. This is nearly $53,000 when adjusted and not much different than what we have today. But compare it now with cost of living and consumer expenditures in the 1950s...

[@LPfingstag]

Great fact hitting take on the current market fatigue - well done 👍🏻

[@deadquietvinyl]

After digesting a bit more this video: 1. Ppl want to buy more records today. Prices are mostly at the same level. Agreed! 2. Production costs for new records can’t be calculated much taking into account the music on them is old. Is a new product any way we look at it, made under today’s costs. 🤷‍♂️ 3. Back in the days ppl were not really collecting records. They were exchanging them, did not cared much about them and even traded them with friends way more easily than what today’s behaviors are. This adds to the purchasing power of an individual too! I totally agree with Mike here. Prices can’t be lower because they are produced by ppl today under today’s costs. 🤷‍♂️ Used records prices are also growing naturally for the same reason.

[@townside_woodcraft]

Its not that records have gotta that expensive, its like you said, everything is more expensive, your dollar isnt going as far, and a big part of that is the monthly bills we didnt have 20 years ago even. Here in Canada insurance premiums are through the roof. When you have monthly bills for internet/phone/auto insurance/car payment/mortage/property tax/home insurance etc before you even get to groceries, yeah that 35$ record looks damn expensive at the end of the day lol

[@ambrose4129]

Mike. Like your videos but your analysis is flawed here. Yes records adjusted for inflation are the same or more than today. The PROBLEM is the average person spending power has not increased in proportion to match it. For example if a copy of revolver is adjusted for inflation to make that an equal comparison you would also have to believe that income has increased 10x since the sixties. Do we think a job that made $15k in the 60s now makes $150k? I don't think so

[@derosa1989]

Your analysis is flawed too. Most households have 2 incomes today.

[@ilikenibs]

Unfortunately you're missing the point. It doesn't matter what it cost in the 50's or 60's. What matters is income to inflation ratio. Record prices (along with everything else) keep going up, but wages aren't keeping up for the average American. So people need to cut down on something, and that "something" is non-essential items like records....

[@danijelsan81]

💯 Regardless, comparing nominal prices over the decades is somewhat useful, but does not provide a full picture. It’s just one point of view.

[@InstruMentalCase]

I stopped buying sometime last year, after collecting vinyl for 20+ years. So for me, it’s never stopped getting more expensive because I started when virtually every album was in the dollar bin. Having said that, the jump in used vintage record prices over the last few years has been nuts. I don’t really give a damn about reissues, so I’d much rather see a video on inflation adjusted prices of vintage records.

[@Sailingbill1]

Great review and spot on!. BTW: you are looking very fit! Keep it up!

[@SgtMjr]

For the Canadians we have the exchange rate to consider and that is killing us as well as the shipping and cross border fees that are charged.

[@fts81]

Thanks for the insights, Mike. I feel the same. There are too many opinions and very few arguments being said. It’s nice to have things put into perspective. Felipe

[@ralex3697]

Which pricing ? Collector gauging or manufacturing costs.

[@JohnHuha]

I just wish all these pressing plants would make the spindle holes big enough. That’s the biggest problem I have with records these days.

[@marksmith334]

Went to a fair today, the prices are just piss taking. Fleecing the retired who don’t know what t9 do with their money and will never actually play what they buy.

[@theheepster]

People who constantly rant about high vinyl prices have no idea about inflation and loss of purchasing power. Records are generally not more expensive today if you consider earnings and the purchasing power of money. Besides, if records are too expensive for you, don't buy any. Everyone can, no one has to. But please stop whining.

[@Jonny_C73]

The average family income in 1957 was about $4800. The buying power of that same $4800 today is $411. See the problem???

[@SAGNI0971]

My sense is that most of us, even hardcore ‘audiophiles,’ as of late, are more discerning and less impulsive in our vinyl buying habits-

[@Mr.BigSquid]

Popping a few numbers in a random inflation calculator doesn’t mean much . Wages haven’t kept up, and there’s also been a great deal of discretionary income compression.

[@mazzysmusic]

With wages it depends. In 1975 records were $4-$6. I made about $4 an hour, so 1.5 hours I could buy an album. Minimum wage here in Seattle today is $15 so nearly the same to buy a record. Hopefully people make more than min wage. These national min wage is a bit over $7 and hasn’t been increased since 2009 That’s obscene.

[@hovz-zo8lf]

Brother, I love your channel, but the thumbnail looks like you pooped your pants mid sentence. lol

[@Therazorschannel]

Some record companies will keep prices down by offering 120 gram instead of 180 gram vinyls.

[@muldoon67]

$24.99 = £19.79. I wish we could by LPs in the UK for £19.79. They seem to be around £25 - £31.

[@jpriot]

Yes- but it’s the fricking shipping that kills that! Discogs will show you a reasonably priced item but then the shipping factors in double what the record cost. UGH!

[@Element115-75]

You made some great points but your best points were about Maynard 😂😂

[@ArtbyJoeH]

I tend to buy used vinyl only.

[@deskpilot1856]

CD prices are interesting. 90s new release: $20. Today new release: $20.

[@vinylfinder33]

No offense , but of course you're going to say they haven't gotten more expensive because this is your livelihood. unfortunately you're not really comparing Apples to Apples because in the 70s and 80s records were the only way to get your music therefore they could be priced accordingly. nowadays there's many more Avenues two consume music. I think this can all be debated of course but from every record dealer I know and watch I can see all the nervousness in your eyes because the bubble is breaking

[@PatrickRyder-k1n]

My take on it is most used records are overpriced..that said i can almost always get a used lp at the price i want on eBay.. usually can find a seller who is willing to sell at reasonable price

[@celtic-audiophile]

Excellent points

[@bpalpha]

Apologetics for a hysterically greedy industry.

[@Tusrista]

Media entertainment hasn't really caught up to inflation for quite some time. Videogames used to be $50 back in the 70's, they are now $70. Has going to the cinema caught up to inflation? There is inflation and then there are price points that many see as the barrier. When buying an album on CD $14.99 was kind of the top end, so paying $29.99 appears very high in price when in reality to inflation it's not. It's more about price points and marketing.

[@iamwoteveriwanttobe]

When people say that records have got more expensive they are usually talking of the short term as you say. I'm sure you're having to pay more and more for the prices you pay to your supplier for the same record. I've seen other record store owners say this. I don't know anybody saying that with inflation the prices we pay today are more than in the 1950's for example. Interesting to see the prices from years past with inflation but it's irrelevant to the past few years. Also picking out a few records from a whole decade and saying, look this would have cost $40 in todays money proves nothing other than buying that record at a specific place and time would cost that much. You cannot extrapolate from that to say records are more or similar priced today. They may be, but a lot more research would be needed. And yes I am fun at parties.

[@gordonlesforis772]

Hi prices here in the UK ,have rocket and when there are special recordings or limited runs we get hit harder for import taxes and shipping, so now I have to realy ask myself do I keep buying vinyl

[@oldskool1979]

Cpst of living in 1960 was no where near to what it is today ! All you needed back then was food and maybe a table top radio.... And maybe a car.

[@derosa1989]

and cigarettes lol

[@johngaldieri5535]

No, Vinyl Records have “Gotten” more expensive …. Your Grammar has “Got” worse :) Northern New Jersey loves you :)

[@hovz-zo8lf]

He sells records, he's not Stephen King. Get over yourself, Kid.

[@JohnZolla-bp7tl]

I'm cheap. I wait for record companies to have 30% off sales Because 30% !!

[@michaeledwards7668]

Mike when is the next live stream? You have been slacking...feel like its been forever 🤔😂

[@arilderiksen5560]

I will have 8 track back.

[@robertroe3483]

Please Review the Ramones and Stooges Rhino HIFI that came out a few weeks ago.

[@tubinonyou]

Do you have an unsealed ÆNIMA that you listen to? Also, if you were in a hypothetical situation where you were forced to sell the sealed copy with receipt, how much would you sell it for?

[@jpriot]

Last time he had one available it went for $700 and was gone that day. Good Luck

[@matt6587]

i wonder if it's quite as simple as just adjusting for inflation. so much has changed over that time. Globalization has actually made a lot of products much cheaper to create. That's why we have computers and t.v.s the same price or cheaper than they were 30 years ago (i.e. cheap, sometimes exploitative labor in other countries). I know the audiophile market in the U.S. is largely an internal production here. However, I wonder if even raw materials like vinyl compounds are cheaper in some way from then to now (i.e. oil prices being different, etc.). So, I wonder if assessing "real prices" is as simple as adjusting for inflation. It's a completely different production world.

[@danijelsan81]

Great points. Of course it’s not as simple as just adjusting for inflation. But there’s a limit to what can be discussed in a short format like this. Mike clearly focused only on nominal price comps, which are valid, but do not represent a full picture.

[@matt6587]

@@danijelsan81 i hear you. mike's just giving us one perspective, one angle to consider. he's not writing an economics paper, haha.

[@richardwalley2862]

The market has taken a turn towards “limited edition” limited numbers etc. people are not stupid and will refuse to be taken advantage of. The hype is crashing hard. People are tired of this

[@danijelsan81]

Normal market dynamics. Let’s see how it shakes out over time. I also believe pressing batches will be reduced, making things more limited once again. Companies that invested in new pressing plants at the peak of the cycle may struggle as their fixed costs remain the same while their ability to retain the same margins or generate the same revenues declines. Wouldn’t be surprised if a few of them had to shut down eventually. We’ll see what the future brings.

[@OrganTheGrinder]

Mate, you don't really want that sealed copy of Metallica's Black album. You've got too many records anyway. Just give it me ❤❤❤

[@ejtonefan]

Pay the price for vinyl based upon the value to you not by how much you screwed the seller. If you snooze you loose!

[@stupdasso]

Sorry, this seems highly selective. I have my own collection of vinyl from the 80's and prices vary from $6.99 to $9.99 Canadian. Sure, there was more expensive options/places, but maybe that's why they're still sealed - too expensive to purchase at the time. I tried this same experiment using an inflation calculator, trying to find a way to justify todays prices - found it to be about a third cheaper in the past. Comparing to the 50s and 60s is not analagous as QC was better then as people cared, like with the audiophile pressing of today. The 80s vinyl was a cheap commodity, massed produced from recycled pop bottles - like the crappy digital masters of today.

[@Twin_Hook]

Not only are records relatively cheaper now, the quality is much better. Even that Sgt Pepper UHQR didn't have the same quality vinyl that is used now on the audiophile releases. Most of the late 70s US releases sucked because of the oil shortage. We are lucky today!

[@mazzysmusic]

I’ve been saying the same thing you are explaining here, but another main thing is that in the 60s and 70s, records along with tapes, were the only way we all owned music. Many millions of copies were sold then compared to maybe only hundreds or thousands of copies today. . Today records compete with free. Streaming, at $10 to $15 per month for millions of songs is crazy. Artists get screwed but people get all the music they want for almost free. Compared to buying a record that almost was necessity back then, today it seems like a luxury item for many. We should record another updated discussion about the business like we did when records were cheaper 🤠😎

[@Harrisongrey19]

Keep your boomer libtard comments on your own channel.

[@toniputin1096]

It doesn't matter how you justify the price of records adjusted for inflation, because the average salary has not gone up at the same rate. So stop gaslighting.

[@vinylpatrol101]

The reason audiophile records cost less these day because the regular Joe is buying them now.

[@novisnick6928]

Records are NOT an investment.

[@Another_Audiophile]

You are comparing two different products. In 1969 LP was the de facto way to listen music. Today is a niche. The cost for production in 1996 was very different compared to today’s digital word. The price is indeed very high for what it is and this will be the reason why LPs will die once again. Simply too expensive to bring more people in.

[@didizessin1989]

Mike sell me the black album for 40 usd! 🎉😂

[@awrogers3013]

Posters of..Beatles, t heads…….Gwen stefani…really?

[@papabear1417]

In the US definitely. Here in the UK still reasonable and in some cases cheap.

This comparison isn’t totally accurate. You only show old records that are re-released today. Kids today buy mostly new music with new artist and bands. Many of them are not as cheap as these reissued oldies records. And, as some have written, the inflation of today makes your income worth less.

[@BillyHell01]

Wow, the Guy who Makes a Living selling records says you are wrong and please keep buying them or I will lose this money printing grift I've got going - Imagine if you had to get a real job, one where you make something and not just sell other peoples work - people should buy straight from the label, sure they are still profiting off others work but they are needed you aren't. I used to work in a "record" store, so I know they cost way less than people are expected to pay, but this was in the 90s - so it was all CDs in the store - in a few years you will be gone, like the last time, but this time it will stick.

[@danijelsan81]

Record stores serve as distribution channels for many manufacturers. Manufacturers often decline the opportunity to deal directly with the consumer for their own reasons. Then there are others, like Chad’s AP label who sell direct. It’s just a different business model. Slandering the guy’s business as grift is going a bit too far and shows lack of basic understanding how distribution channels in the real world work.

[@mnm2007]

Ummm, It's called Capitalism. Maximize profits .

[@oldskool1979]

Prices should be $30 max !!

[@zolarwaka8576]

Four Points. The market today is saturated with much cheaper alternative options. The price of records should reflect that. On the other hand, supply is limited to the point where demand is still very high, keeping prices high. However, the quest for profit only sees the now; there’s not enough foresight to see that maximizing profits in the short term will have a negative impact on the long term health of the market. Typical. Lastly, wages have not kept up its inflation. So, when we “adjust for inflation,” we’re not really comparing apples to apples. Whether someone buys or collects vinyl comes down to personal choice. For me, it’s not worth it.

[@deadquietvinyl]

I stopped at minute 3 to leave this comment. Some remarks so far: 1. In the ‘50s vinyl wasn’t yet hitting everyone’s home shelf. 2. In the ‘60s, ‘70s, ‘80s records were popping out in most of the stores and pretty much all music was made for new bands asking for the price of a new product. In time they would lower the price for the record with time. This was valid for CDs, too. 3. What ppl buy now for insane prices are not new releases. Is the opposite! Other mediums are almost for free! Is not the band asking for such price these days. Is the record label and the pressing company. I may very well be wrong, but I think I am right. Okay… let’s continue with this video.

[@hovz-zo8lf]

I don't know how old you are, but I always have to listen to people that were born within the last twenty years tell me how the 80s and 90s were when they weren't even swimming in their dad's nut sack yet. If you are old enough to have lived through that time you mentioned, then great. You have a credible opinion. If not, then keep the "back in the day when I wasn't alive" takes in the chamber.

[@festersuncle6298]

Records are gay.

[@timmizer5045]

Ha!

[@theheepster]

What an intelligent post🙏

[@hovz-zo8lf]

Chapel Roan, Billie Eilish, Harry Styles... holy crap you're right.

[@AppleMan531]

It's Eliot Again....The Bottom Line is the Record Companies should lower their prices a little bit, and they will sell more product! They should also stay away from the recycled plastic to keep the prices down because they're now tampering with the Quality of the record!

[@jackrosati1438]

It's funny, I did this exercise the other day and came to the same conclusion. The problem is that you can pay $10 a month for access to all the albums you want on streaming. Music has become such a commodity to most people.

[@robertbyington7715]

Streaming is the I pad of reading it’s not close in terms of sound quality

[@robertbyington7715]

Streaming is the I pad of reading it’s not close in terms of sound quality

[@robertbyington7715]

Mike NOBODY on U tube does the research that you do thanks for the effort and the researched knowledge

[@Jamko1970]

It’s called Bidenomics.

[@Ampersand00]

Aside from the (infaltion adjusted) price of vinyl, the cost of living needs to be factored in. Utility bills grocery bills, cost of transport, housing... How many households paid for more than a single landline in 1980? Who needed to budget for a plethora of streaming platforms in the 1990s? The mild irony is that so many not especialy special vinyl LPs from the mid- to late 90s (when they were sold cheap and in low quantites), like Van Halen's Balance, are worth a fortune today, simply due to scarcity. 🫠

[@vinylpatrol101]

The other compelling argument is that records in the 50’s, 60’s, and 70’s were really the only way to get the music and as time marches on the starting in the 80’s more options - now today you get stream music for free, that’s a challenge to similar pricing of yesteryear. People like you and me collectors and real music lovers no problem but everyone else doesn’t think like this - this is why physical media is reaching a peak and will be difficult to maintain otherwise you would see national chains stores again Tower, Wherehouse, Music Plus etc.